Worthwhile - Women & Health

Antoinette asked:


my boxing/martial arts workout video is great but now they’re starting to use weight training in half the video and I’m wondering should I skip that part becuase as a woman I have higher testosterone then whats typical, whatever level that is.. so should I not do the weight training portion? becuase I don’t want to bulk up

Harold

3 Responses to “hey question about having high testoterone levels and weight training as a woman?”

1. Jennifer G Says:
   July 16th, 2008 at 10:36 AM

   low weight, high reps (which is what they’d be doing I assume) should be fine. Even if you find the weights easy, just do more reps rather than adding weight and you shouldn’t have issue with bulking up.

2. Nathaniel the Destroyer Says:
   July 17th, 2008 at 2:26 PM

   I think you should go ahead and do it. Unless they are showing you bodybuilder style workouts (and i’m sure they are not) AND you are doing them for many many years, you probably wont ‘bulk up’ as much as you’d think. The extra muscle though will help you burn more fat and make it easier to stay lean.

3. Reaper1242 Says:
   July 18th, 2008 at 11:22 PM

   The only difference between male and female training is that generally women don’t build because they lack the testosterone.

   If you do have higher than normal testosterone then you are more prone to building. Testosterone is not the only factor influencing muscle size. Diet also plays a huge part.
   Even if a man has massive amounts of testosterone but does not eat enough he won’t build.

   So just limit your calorie intake and you should be fine. Just keep an eye on it.

   Now a correction:
   Low weight and high reps do not tone or define muscle. They just improve endurance.

   Don’t avoid any exercises they recommend for fear that it might bulk you up. As I said before it’s not the exercise that affects your mass but diet and hormones. Women can do the exact same routine as a man.