Tuesday Tip: You won’t get ‘bulky’ 💪🏼
There’s a common fear, especially among women, that lifting weights will lead to getting “too bulky.” But is that really a justified concern?
Very few people naturally build extreme amounts of muscle and building visible muscle mass takes serious consistency, effort, and time. You don’t “accidentally” bulk up. It takes hours and hours in the gym every week. Building muscle does a lot for you (and getting bulky isn’t part of that!)
Here’s what the research says:
• Increased muscle mass improves metabolic health, even if you don’t lose fat. That means better blood sugar regulation, insulin sensitivity, and overall energy.
• Muscle slightly increases resting metabolism, but more importantly, it improves your body’s ability to train harder, recover better, and burn more energy overall.
• Resistance training reshapes your body – more definition, better posture, improved strength- regardless of the number on the scale
• While women may gain less absolute muscle than men due to hormonal and structural differences, they can build just as much relative muscle when training is consistent.
• Muscle doesn’t ‘turn into fat’ if you stop training, you just lose the stimulus and may retain water or gain fat if your diet doesn’t change.
Most people aren’t muscular enough to
‘accidentally’ look too big. In fact, building muscle gives you:
⁃ More shape
⁃ Better definition
⁃ Improved body composition
⁃ More freedom with food (because your body burns more!)
⁃ Long-term health benefits, including better aging and resilience
So if you’re still stuck in the mindset of always trying to get smaller, it’s time to think again. Think about building—not just muscle, but confidence, capability, and freedom. Muscle isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s protective. It’s empowering. And it’s one of the most underrated tools for aging well and living fully. And it definitely won’t result in you looking bulky!
Your future self will thank you.
Happy Tuesday! 🤗xx
Every Step Fitness 