Monday, March 19, 2012

Women & Weights: Fact or Fiction

Women are notorious for focusing on cardiovascular conditioning and for putting strength training on the back-burner. Afraid of building bulky, “masculine” muscles, and guilty of choosing weights that are too light and ultimately ineffective, women are missing out on a key component of fitness. The latest guidelines for strength training from The American College of Sports Medicine, the world’s largest sports medicine and exercise science organization, recommends that adults train each major muscle group two or three days each week. For women, strength training is especially important as a way to reduce body fat and maintain bone density. Regular strength training can reduce symptoms of arthritis and diabetes; it can control blood pressure and reduce the risk of falls and injury. Research also shows that strength training can also ward off depression, improve self-confidence and slow the aging process. In fact, it’s never too late to start. Numerous studies confirm that gains in strength can be achieved at any age and that seniors can achieve strength gains equal to their younger counterparts.

With so many good reasons to lift weights, why do women still fear that they will develop unattractive, bulky muscles from strength training? Perhaps, it’s a product of media influences. Women see images of body builders in fitness magazines and on television and believe that lifting weights will make them look “ripped”. Barb Armstrong, Fitness Supervisor for The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville Lebovic Leisure Centre, is familiar with the phenomenon of women avoiding heavier weights, fearing they will develop big muscles. But she reassures us that this is a misconception. “Women see female body builders and athletes who are developed, but don’t understand that these athletes are doing sports-specific training,” she says. “To get that way their training probably consists of 15 hours of cardio and 10 hours of strength training per week,” says Armstrong. “They aren’t doing health and wellness training; it’s their job,” she adds.

In fact, it is very difficult for women to build “bulky” muscles like men, because of the hormone testosterone, which is responsible for building muscle mass.  The truth is that an adult male naturally produces about ten times more testosterone than an adult female. Women who do achieve a high degree of muscularity, mostly female bodybuilders, are often using anabolic steroids (synthetic testosterone) along with other drugs, as well as adhering to a very strict diet and grueling exercise routine to get results.

As we age, both adult women and men lose about one half a pound of muscle mass every year, increasing to about one pound of muscle mass every year after the age of 40. This is known as sarcopenia.  The rate of muscle loss may even be greater in some adults, depending on alcohol use, activity level, genetics, diet and smoking. We can slow the process of aging, however, by continuing to do resistance training exercises which increases our ratio of lean body tissue to fat. Because muscle is metabolically active, the more you have, the higher your metabolic rate. Translation: you burn more calories even at a state of rest. “Strength training is the biggest bang for your buck,” says Armstrong, “because your increase in caloric burn is 24/7.” Women who exclusively do cardiovascular training burn both muscle and fat for fuel. In order to prevent loss of muscle tissue and to get the muscle engine burning, women need to include resistance training in their fitness regime. When you do a cardio workout, your caloric expenditure is restricted to that particular workout, say 350 calories; however strength training results in an increase in metabolism, meaning an increase in calorie burning all day, every day. Armstrong’s advice then for women trying to lose weight is; “instead of cutting calories dramatically, raise your metabolism so that you’re burning more calories,” she says.

The revised ASCM guidelines also include a whole new component of fitness called “neuromotor exercise”, also known as “functional fitness training”. This category of fitness emphasizes incorporating exercises that involve balance, agility, coordination and gait training, proprioceptive exercise training and multifaceted activities such as tai chi two to three days per week. Adam Theodorau, founder of FIT Studios in Markham and FIT personal trainer, bases his whole business philosophy on integrated training, “FIT” in FIT Studios, meaning functional, integrated training. “More and more people are doing functional training,” says Theodoau, “not just lifting dumbbells.” Theodorau’s integrated approach to training involves clients doing load bearing exercises with bands, straps, cables and body resistance training. His boot camp programs are designed to train clients’ coordination, speed, agility, balance, strength, flexibility and core stabilization. Theodorau’s belief is that this kind of functional fitness training is more effective than one dimensional traditional training, which isolates one muscle on one plane of movement, such as a bicep curl machine. “People tell me that they get better results in ten weeks of training at FIT Studios than they did in 10 years of doing aerobics,” says Thoreau.

Jane Wiseman, Can-Fit Pro Personal Trainer and RET (retired nurse), also subscribes to this philosophy. A personal trainer in Stouffville and Toronto, Wiseman says, “From a functional point of view, real life involves heavy lifting”. Balance work and proprioceptive work are important,” says Wiseman who trains her clients mostly with free weights. Proprioceptive work is defined as exercise that challenges muscles, tendons, and supporting joints to respond to stimuli. Asked how she challenges misconceptions about strength training with her female clientele, she answers that she uses education and models effective and safe exercises to her clients. “I remind them that they lift heavier groceries than weights,” says Wiseman. “They carry cases of pop and big bags of salt out of their cars, then come to the gym and pick up three pound weights, “she quips. Her philosophy is all about exercising for quality of life and that’s what functional fitness is. “We don’t do fitness to make the cover of Muscle Fitness Magazine; we exercise for health and fitness, for quality of life,” says Wiseman.

Due to our society’s misconceptions about resistance training, many women erroneously choose very light weights and instead focus on toning and aesthetics rather than strength training. The problem with this approach is that muscle responds to resistance and if the resistance is too light, there will be no reason for the body to change. An average adult female should choose a weight that allows them to complete only 8-12 repetitions, aiming for 2-3 sets and working towards muscle fatigue at the upper limit of the range. “Commonly, we see people doing 2 sets of 30 repetitions,” says Armstrong. “If you are doing more than 15 reps and it’s feeling easy, this has no effect on strength. A 2 pound weight will do nothing for strength,” she says. However, it should be noted that a beginner or older exerciser will see strength gains initially with lighter weights. They should select lighter weights initially, but remember to increase resistance as they get stronger.

It’s never too late to start either. Older adults can quickly rebuild muscles that have atrophied from years of sedentary living. Research has repeatedly shown significant increases in muscle mass and resting metabolic rate in seniors who do regular resistance exercise. One large scale study of 1,132 participants conducted by Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., fitness research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, MA., strength training consultant for numerous national organizations and author of 20 books on fitness, confirmed that seniors can achieve strength gains equal to their younger counterparts. Various subjects in the study, including younger adults (21-40 years), middle-aged adults (41-60 years) and older adults (61-80 years) all made similar improvements in bodyweight, percent fat, fat weight and lean (muscle) weight after 8 weeks of basic resistance exercise.

 Many older adults who are inactive and looking to get moving may think that a pair of walking shoes is a wiser investment than a set of weights, but the opposite may actually be true according to fitness experts. People who have been sedentary for long periods are at high risk for falls because their muscle tone is weak, flexibility is often limited, and balance may be precarious. Strength training is the only type of exercise that can maintain muscle and metabolism as we age, and should therefore be the essential component of every senior fitness program.

Strength training has many other redeeming qualities. It is known to reduce symptoms of diseases such as arthritis, diabetes and osteoporosis, a common issue for aging women. It is well known that weight training can increase bone mass, which lowers the risk of developing osteoporosis and fractures. Strength training adds more weight to the skeleton by building muscle; this stimulates the bones to strengthen and grow to bear the heavier load on the muscles. “Women need to lift weights to combat osteoporosis, to build density,” says Wiseman. “You don’t get stronger muscles by doing cardio every day,” she says. 

Also, since proper strength training doesn't apply stress directly to joints, it is ideal for people with arthritis; in fact, rheumatologists often recommend it. Although strength training cannot reverse arthritic changes, it can help alleviate symptoms of arthritis by strengthening the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that surround joints. A high level of body fat, in particular abdominal body fat, decreases the body’s sensitivity to insulin, one of the major causes of type 2 diabetes. Women who do regular strength training can reduce body fat, and increase muscle which is metabolically active, thereby reducing their risk of developing diabetes.  

The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) in Canada and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S., both recommend adult women do strength training on two or more days a week with exercises that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms). For the biggest gains in metabolism, try to target major muscles, such as quadriceps, hamstrings, glutial, chest, back and abdominals. The bigger the muscle, the bigger the impact will be on your metabolism.

While society’s focus is typically on fat loss (one out of two American adults is presently on a weight reduction diet plan), more emphasis should be placed on muscle gain. As Barb Armstrong suggests, “Dieting by cutting calories alone is a losing battle. We need to make our bodies energy-efficient machines,” she says.

For Jane Wiseman, “it’s all about deprogramming already held beliefs.” When Wiseman started weight training, her father said, “Oh my God, you’re going to look like a man!” She says,” Now, this generation, boys don’t blink an eye at women in the gym lifting weights with them. It’s not shocking.”

So, this winter, trade in your two pound dumbbells for five, eight or fifteen pound weights. And trade in your misconceptions and fears of building big, “masculine” muscles for an educated knowledge and understanding of the many benefits of resistance training. “Misconceptions are really a result of lack of education,” says Theodorau. Of course, you have to build slowly, but to elicit a response in the muscles, it’s essential to continue to add more resistance, otherwise the body won’t further adapt. It may be the most important step you take towards your health and fitness this year. Still not sure where to start? Consider hiring a personal trainer or talk to your local community or fitness centre about designing a personalized resistance program for you. Don’t weight!

Sidebar:
American College of Sports Medicine Revised Guidelines-July 2011
Guidelines for Strength Training:

·         Adults should train each major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and equipment.
·         Two to four sets of each exercise will help adults improve strength and power.
·         For each exercise, 8-12 repetitions improve strength and power, 10-15 repetitions improve strength in middle-age and older persons starting exercise and 15-20 repetitions improve muscular endurance.
·         Adults should wait at least 48 hours between resistance training sessions.
·         Very light or light intensity is best for older persons or previously sedentary adults starting exercise.

More tips:

·         Perform a minimum of 8 to 10 exercises that train the major muscle groups, including legs, back, chest, shoulders, arms, and abdominals.
·         Be sure to hydrate
·         Perform exercises through a full range of motion
·         Perform exercises in a controlled manner
·         Maintain normal breathing
·         If possible, exercise with a training partner; partners can provide feedback, assistance, and motivation