Center For Young Women's Health : Do I Need To Lift Heavy Weights To Build Muscle and Why Do Guys Seem To Get More Muscular Than Girls ? (2010)

 The Center For Young Women's Health is an association between the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult  Medicine  and the Division of Gynecology at Boston Children's Hospital. The organization is about promoting health education and providing resources to girls, women, educators, and parents.  The Center For Young Women's Health was established in 1998 by Dr.  S. Jean Emans,  Dr. Marc Laufer, and Phaedra Thomas. The mission of the website is to provide research information, educational programs, and conferences. Each section provides information related to nutrition, fitness, sexual, and mental health. Topics presented are explained in simple format for the general reading public . Exercise and fitness is important for both girls and women. The problem is that many girls an women are not physically active enough. Some of the reasons women and girls may avoid it is due to culture. Sports, fitness, and physical activity are still viewed as male only activities. The attitude is changing, but dated ideas still persist. Lifting weights can have a many benefits for women. The Center For Young Women's Health has some basic information for women and girls. A user can ask questions and get answers from one of their professionals. The two fascinating questions are about what volume to use lifting weights and why women do not see similar results as men. The answers were not wrong, but deserve more explanation. 

       Lifting weights can build muscle. The question is how much intensity is required to get a specific result. Exercise stimuli has to be active enough to induce muscular hypertrophy. When muscles are not exercised they will atrophy. The answer provided, seems to express an fitness myth. The answer given stated "  You don't need to lift heavy to strength and tone your body." What should be understood is that there is no difference between tone and bulk. These terms have no exercise science basis rather it is a general description of muscular aesthetics  and development. The cells of what appear to be "bulky" or "toned" muscle are the same. Muscle contains myocytes which are the building blocks of muscle tissue. Women fear getting "too muscular" however it should be noted building muscle mass can aid in women's health. Bone mass is also increase through weightlifting exercise. Doing this can be good prevention against osteoporosis or sarcopenia. Overtime, naturally people lose muscle  mass with age. 

Lifting To Build Muscle 

When muscle is exercised it will get stronger. Lifting light weights can work, but it will take longer to build a significant amount of muscle. The weight lifted needs to be enough to challenge the muscle. Progressive  overload must be utilized to see results. What the text describes as "toning" exercises are still muscle building exercises. Depending on what sport you play, this may not increase muscular hypertrophy to the highest degree. Endurance athletes are not concerned about building as much musculoskeletal mass. Swimmers are not attempting to build large physiques. Picking up a book bag or cleaning a room is physical activity, but not enough to build muscle. Lifting heavy is better if the intent is to build as much muscle as you can. This should be done gradually to avoid risk of injury. Women should not be afraid to lift heavy. There is no general consensus on how early a person can start. Normally, it has been advised that children do not engage in weightlifting. A general recommendation is that it would be safer to start around age 15. Muscle can be developed with  exercise such as pull-ups. push-ups, and lunges. Girls could benefit from a weightlifting program in their teenage years. The error was that it was at onetime believed that women were too physically weak for lifting heavy. Exercise physiology has proven that false. Women have athletic potential, but they are operating within a different physiological parameter. 

       Women can build muscle. However, when men and women are on similar exercise regimens males attain a higher amount of  muscular hypertrophy. The reason has to do with sexual dimorphism and endocrinology. Men produce higher amounts of  androgens. Testosterone levels increase during puberty causing a higher rate of protein synthesis. Prior to puberty, there is no difference in male and female physical strength level. The physical fitness capacity of boys and girls is similar. Puberty increases strength in boys. Girls do not get a strength spurt between growth spurts. Muscle density increases along with ligament and tendon strength in males from sex hormone production. What this means is women have a lower level of natural strength prior to training. Building muscle could take longer for them. Making different standards for boys and girls in physical education makes no sense prior to puberty. Girls could physically keep up with boys until the age 13. Playing football, soccer, or wrestling can be mixed. Women seeking to build muscle and strength must do certain steps related to exercise and diet. 

Muscular Hypertrophy 

  Exercise such as strength training must be done on a regular basis. Diet and nutrition are very important. Enough food must be consumed to maintain muscle mass. A protein based diet is needed to allow for muscle growth. Rest and recovery are also required to maintain progress. If this is done for a number of months or years women can attain muscle and strength. Men are on average stronger than women, however it is not impossible for a trained woman to surpass an average man. Women's physiology makes it more difficult to compete with the fittest men. Sex is not the only factor in muscular development and physical strength. Height and skeletal frame are the base. Genetics related to the MSTN gene and myostatin dictate just how large muscles can get. Somatotype also can play a role. Those who have mesomorphic bodies can see more development from training than ectomorphic bodies. These factors can work in women's favor as well. Then it should also be considered the amount of type II and type I muscle fibers present in the body before training. Type II are suited for more explosive power compared to the endurance based type I. Considering the lower baseline women make more muscular and strength gains from training. Lifting should be incorporated into women's daily exercise routine. This will provide a means of prevention against chronic illness and  maintain good health.