Weightlifting Myths in Cross Training Workouts for Women

People who have never been into CrossFit have all sorts of notions concerning women taking part in weightlifting. Somehow, they think that instead of some serious weightlifting, they work out with some pink dumbbells which do not have any physical fitness benefits.

What must be agreed from the onset is that heavy lifting in CrossFit workouts is a key component of building muscle, feeling stronger, and leaning out. When your body goes through these transformations, it will make you abandon the fear of bulking up for good. The following myths have been doing rounds, and in this article, we deconstruct them.

Weightlifting Bulks You Up

When you pick up weights, your muscles strengthen but do not necessarily get bigger. This is because the fat in your body system gets burned leaving behind the lean muscle. This, in turn, tones your body and gives you a greater shape. When you pick weights that are light and do lots of repetition, you will not build tight and strong muscles, but rather you will build muscular endurance.

Therefore, if you want to look good and feel stronger, pick the heavyweights and continue adding weights as your body allows. This is the sure way of getting there. Ensure you combine the heavy lifting with a healthy diet. 

Lots of Cardio are Necessary for Weight Loss

While cardio has been hyped for long as a weight loss exercise, strength training produces much better results in weight loss. For instance, if you perform four treadmill sessions each week for a duration of about 30 minutes per session in CrossFit workouts, you can burn 600 calories per week. In one year, you can burn a total of about 30,000 calories if you provide for missed workouts.

When you go for strength training, your body muscles break down and then rebuild within 24 to 48 hours. During the rebuilding of the muscles, more calories are recruited to make the process happen. This is referred to as the afterburn effect. This causes your metabolism to operate at a higher level while seated on your couch after a workout. This is much more effective than cardio.

Women and Men Should Train Differently

There is a belief that women should go through different training in the CrossFit gym from men. This is not true because women too can compete in the same type of exercises as men. The only difference will be in the outcome. Men lift to get bigger while women lift so that they can build a dense, tight and lean look. The hormones, testosterone, estrogen, dietary differences and genetics automatically put men and women in different result paths.

The last myth is that weightlifting is not good for your bones and joints. Of course, no one enjoys sore knees and achy hips, especially when doing the morning run. However, when you strengthen the muscles that surround and support your joints, you can prevent injuries. By lifting weights, you enhance bone density, and this reduces the risk of osteoporosis and fracture. Women, in particular, need to lift weight because as they age, they become more vulnerable to the bone and joint issues.