By Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT
MsFit

I'm
going to trash some nagging myths regarding female bodybuilding. You
may or may not have heard these, but if you have, I want to smash them
again because if you hear wrong information too much, it can implant
itself into your brain without consent.

Nagging Myth Number One:
Women who weight train will get bulky

This
horrid rumor that women who lifts weights get bulky prevents a lot of
women from even entering the weight room. To satisfy rumor starters,
these ladies participate in aerobics classes and become cardio queens
and don't even come close to their true athletic ability or desired
body shape.

Those who dare to
become bold and venture into the dungeon of iron find the lightest pair
of dumbbells to work with and rely on cables and machines for the
majority of their workout.

Sure,
light dumbbells, cables, and machines can help in adding some lean
muscle tissue and increase your metabolism, but why limit yourself? I
don't care how much you can lift; you will never get huge and bulky by
weight training as long as you produce more estrogen the testosterone.
Those women you see who do sport the She-Ra-type body have specifically
trained and eaten for it, and let me tell you, it's not easy.

As
a female, you can only build so much muscle, and that's it. From there,
you can increase muscle density, but you will never pack on the type of
mass you see on true female bodybuilders.

Rather
than think of the weight room as an iron clanking sweat box for men
only, look past that and think of the benefits weight training
provides.

Regular weight training:

• Improves circulation
• Improves sleep
• Increases your metabolism
• Improves bone density
• Reduces depression
• Increases metabolism
• Improves self-esteem
• Lowers body fat
• Lowers appetite
• Burns calories
• Strengthens your mind
• Slows the aging process

Nagging Myth Number Two:
I don't want to look like those female bodybuilders, they look masculine

Sorry,
but masculinity is a personal choice in women. Weight training can't
form who you are no more than it can choose your spouse. This is just
another form of labeling developed through ignorance and fear.

Bodybuilding
is an application of training and nutritional sciences, not a gender
change. Weight training develops lean muscle tissue and proper
nutrition burns body fat. Madonna, Janet Jackson, and Sharon Stone
obviously weight train intensely and eat properly, as it shows through
their bodies. This is not to say they are bodybuilders, but they
certainly apply a form of it into their lifestyle. Anyone who disputes
these ladies femininity is gravely mistaken and really must reevaluate
their self before judging others.

Build Stunning Muscle!

Nagging Myth Number Three:
Bodybuilders are unhealthy

Negative.
Bodybuilding is about building the body inside and out, including the
mind. Bodybuilders are some of the healthiest people in the world.

The
idea that bodybuilding is unhealthy comes from detailed contest
preparation we must go through for show. The last few days before a
bodybuilding contest are unhealthy, but that's just a few days a year.
What makes the final few days before a contest different from the rest
of the year is we severely cut our calories, macro nutrients, and water
to make weight or look a certain way. This is really no different than
any other sport (jockeys, wrestlers, etc) or models that live on
lettuce and water.

Bodybuilding
competitions is actually a sport of illusion. You would be amazed at
how a bodybuilder looks once they dye their skin, apply oil, and stand
under bright stage lights creating shadows. It's 100% different than
what that person look like backstage or in their living room. A 110
pound girl on stage can appear to weigh 130 pounds or more. It's all an
illusion and bodybuilders are the master of the art.

Nagging Myth Number Four:
Light repetitions with more reps get you cut and defined

Oh
how I wish that was true. That means I wouldn't have to diet intensely
for contests. If light weights and increased repetitions defined your
physique, there would be a lot more women in the gym with detailed
cuts.

Light weight and numerous
repetitions build muscle endurance. Diet and cardio help you to lose
body fat which helps get you that "cut" look in the end.

Build Feminine Muscle Naturally!

Nagging Myth Number Five:
If I stop weight training, my muscle will turn into fat

The
myths just keep getting worse and worse. Muscle and fat are two
completely different tissues in the body and one can't change into the
other. If muscle could turn into fat, wouldn't you think that fat could
turn into muscle? I am deeply saddened that there's no scientific proof
in finding that fat can turn into muscle. If any one could make it a
possibility, they would be richer than Bill Gates.

The
fact is, you can either reduce or increase your lean muscle mass and
you can either reduce or increase your fat mass, but you cannot turn
one into the other. Your goal in fat loss and an increased metabolism
should be to lose fat and increase lean muscle tissue.

Conclusion to Feminine Iron

Even
though we assassinate these myths daily on my forum, one fact will
remain the same. There will always be someone who believes at least one
of them. That is why I think it is important to hit these myth busters
time and time again, to keep the information fresh in your head and for
you to understand that weight training and bodybuilding are healthy and
they do reshape your body without all the negative side-effect that
people simply make up.

Fitfully Yours,
Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT
MsFit

P.S. For more ground breaking bodybuilding information check out Iron Dolls – Female Bodybuilding Secrets!

About the Author

Karen
Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988 and is a
multi-certified personal fitness instructor and specialist in
performance nutrition. She is a nationally qualified natural female
bodybuilder, holding numerous titles in the southern states including
two overalls.

Karen has written six eBooks on
fitness. She also writes articles for several fitness websites, and
distributes two monthly newsletters regarding weight loss and female
bodybuilding.

Karen
has helped hundreds of clients reach their goal of transforming their
body. Her success and success stories speak for themselves. www.Iron-Dolls.com

**The
contents of this article should not be considered as medical advice.
You should consult a physician before starting a fitness program.

This
newsletter is protected by copyright, 2005, Karen Sessions, All rights
reserved. You may use this newsletter in your e-zine or website as long
as the copyright and links remain intact.**