Afraid of Bulking up?

If you are not strength training yet, why not? What are you waiting for? Whenever I ask my friends this question I usually get this response "I'm afraid of bulking up". When I am training a client and try to add more weight to their work outs they tell me the same thing " I don't want to bulk up".

Let me tackle this fear of getting to big. Very few people are genetically programmed to have the big, beefy builds of the women who grace the cover of fitness and weight-lifting magazines. It takes HOURS in a gym each day to achieve this look. An hour or two of strength training --- even everyday --- will not bulk you up.

As for weight loss, strength training can and should be a part of your routine. It takes the body more energy (or calories) to maintain muscle mass, so the more muscles you have, the more calories you burn, even when you are just sitting around doing nothing.

Attached is a picture of myself from the 1980's. The hair-do gives away the year, ha! Yes, there are muscles. This required 3 hours in a gym a day, 7 days a week. Also there was carbohydrate depleting, carbohydrate loading, lots of vitamin supplements, and pumping up with weights just before the picture was taken.

I just want to reassure you, you are not going to bulk up from strength training.

Are you doing any strength training?