Karen Sessions

Female Body Building Myths 

Avoid These 10 Female Bodybuilding Myths And Double Your Muscle And Strength In Weeks!

< Advice From a 20 Year Bodybuilding Veteran>

Author: Karen Sessions

www.Iron-Dolls.com

Before we get into the meat of building muscle (pun intended) we need to first banish some annoying myths that just don't seem to die no matter what!

Many people are under the impression that if a woman picks up a weight she will turn into a female version of the hulk. If it was only that easy!

 Myth #1 – Bodybuilding will make you masculine 

Karen Sessions says ~ BUSTED! Women cannot naturally produce the amount of testosterone that a man does. In fact, women produce ten times less testosterone than a man does. The only way a woman can take on a masculine appearance while bodybuilding is if she uses anabolic steroids or testosterone. There is a signification difference between “enhanced” bodybuilding and natural bodybuilding.

Myth #2 - Weight training will bulk you up 

Karen Sessions says ~ BUSTED! The weight training and bulking connection is due to misinformation. Muscle is lean and firm. Fat is large and bulky. Fat weight will bulk you up five times as much as muscle weight will. Weight training builds lean muscle mass, not bulky fat.

Many times female bodybuilders will gain about 10-15 pounds of extra weight in the off-season to prepare for the next competition season. This is simply due to the fact that one cannot stay ripped year around. It is also much easier to train with maximum intensity and build muscle when you put on a little weight in the off-season.

Myth #3 - Your muscles will turn to fat if you stop weight training

Karen Sessions says ~ BUSTED! This is an exaggerated and misinformed “claim.” Muscle cannot turn to fat. Muscle is an entirely different tissue than fat is. Muscle is metabolically ACTIVE and fat is metabolically INACTIVE. These two body tissues are not interchangeable. Muscle cannot turn into fat any more than your heart can turn into your liver.

If there was ANY truth the above myth, don't you think fat could turn into muscle?

Myth #4 - High reps and light weight will give you that cut look

Karen Sessions says ~ BUSTED! High repetitions and light weight training will build muscle endurance. High repetitions will not get you cut and it will not stimulate much muscle growth. The high repetitions and light weight combination has NOTHING to do with getting cut. Getting cut and defined is in the detailing your diet and cardio, not making weight training a training marathon.

Myth #5 - You have to train for hours to build muscle

Karen Sessions says ~ BUSTED! It does not require hour upon hour in the gym to build muscle size and strength. Training too much leads to over training and no muscle growth. You can build muscle naturally by training just 3-4 days a week with each session lasting 45-60 minutes. When it comes to building sheer muscle, less is more.

Keep in mind that we're talking about natural muscle building. Those who choose to supplement with steroids will recover much faster, allowing them to workout longer and more often. Be sure to keep natural bodybuilding information separate from "supplemented" bodybuilding information.

Myth #6 - Crunches will give you that 6-pack

Karen Sessions says ~ BUSTED! In reality, nothing is going to give you that 6-pack until you burn off the overlaying fat covering them. You can do crunches until you are blue, yellow, and green in the face, but you won't get a 6-pack abdominal area showing until you burn the fat off with diet and added cardio.

Myth #7 - I need supplement X to boost my muscle mass

Karen Sessions says ~ BUSTED! Supplements don't build muscle. Proper eating, training, hydration, and rest build muscle. If you have the first part of the equation going correctly, than supplements such as Creatine, glutamine, and branched-chain amino acids can further aid in muscle gains. Supplements do not work alone. Your diet and training have to be in order for your chosen supplements to be effective.

<Advice From a 20 Year Bodybuilding Veteran>

Myth #8 - Weight training will increase the breast size

Karen Sessions says ~ BUSTED! Breast tissue is fat tissue. Weight training cannot increase the breast size. In fact, those who compete get well below 10% body fat and lose much of their breast fat, making them small-chested, unless they have implants.

Breast size has nothing to do with weight training. You can enhance your breast area with proper training techniques. A well-rounded training program can lift the breasts and give you higher cleavage, making you look firmer and healthier.

Myth #9 - You need to double up on protein to build muscle

Karen Sessions says ~ BUSTED! Protein indeed helps to build lean body mass, but what many bodybuilders fail to realize is that they need the carbohydrates also to drive the amino acids into the muscle cells and to provide the energy necessary to move enough poundage to stimulate muscle growth. Your body can only utilize a certain amount of protein in a certain time span. Consuming excess protein will only be stored as fat.

Myth #10 – You need to restrict your sodium intake

Karen Sessions says ~ BUSTED! Sodium is absolutely necessary! When you are low on sodium, water is drawn out of the muscle cells and you lose strength. Dehydration and sodium can be a problem, but if you keep yourself properly hydrated, water cycles through your system, taking excess sodium, fat, and toxins right out with it. In turn, the muscle cells become properly hydrated, allowing you to move more weight when training.

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