Will lifting heavy weights make women bulky?

By Mert Yerekapan · Updated

No. Lifting heavy won't make most women bulky. Women have roughly a tenth of the testosterone men do, so they build muscle much more slowly, and a very muscular physique takes years of dedicated training and a lot of food to reach. It doesn't happen by accident.

What actually happens

When a woman starts lifting, she usually gets stronger quickly, gains a small amount of muscle, and looks firmer and more defined. The change takes months, not weeks.

A realistic pace for muscle gain is something like 0.5 to 1 lb (0.25 to 0.5 kg) a month in the first year, and it gets slower after that. Look at how long it takes men, who have a big hormonal advantage, to put on size.

Why the myth sticks around

  • Photos of bodybuilders, who spend years training, eating in a surplus and sometimes using drugs
  • Muscle looks bigger when it's pumped after a workout, and that goes away
  • "Toning" has been marketed as a different thing to lifting. It isn't. What people call toned is muscle plus a bit less fat on top of it.

Why heavy is good

Lifting heavy, say sets of 5 to 8 reps, gives you more strength per pound of muscle. It also helps bone density, which matters more as women get older. Light weights for lots of reps can build muscle as well, if sets are taken close to failure, but heavier work is more efficient.

What to do

  1. Pick a few compound lifts: squats, deadlifts, presses, rows.
  2. Do 2 to 4 sessions a week.
  3. Add weight slowly over time.
  4. Eat enough protein, about 0.7 to 1 g per lb (1.6 to 2.2 g/kg) of bodyweight.

If you ever do notice that you've gained more muscle than you want, you can simply train less or eat a little less. Muscle size follows what you do.

Two to four sessions a week is easier to keep up with a reason to show up. Lifting sessions synced from Apple Health count in League of Fitness, where you're matched each day with someone near your level.

If you're pregnant or recovering from an injury or surgery, ask your doctor which exercises and loads are okay for you.

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