QUESTION:
Hi. I had a bit of a strange question for you. Recently, I began doing weight training workouts 3 times per week. I do weight exercises for all of my muscles groups, with the exception of my chest. I’ve heard that if women train their chest muscles with weights that it will make our boobs disappear? I want to be in good shape, but at the same time, I want to make sure that I continue to keep all of my womanly attributes so that I don’t start looking like a guy. So chest training for women, yes or no?
Lisa
ANSWER:
Hi, Lisa. This myth continues to be one of the most common among regarding women who train with weights. Weightlifting will not cause you to lose breast tissues and/or to development of masculine characteristics.
Sadly, many women limit themselves to exercise programs that actually develop flabby or “skinny-fat” bodies. For instance, you see this happen to women who only perform cardio exercise.
Often times, these women begin an exercise program with a pear-shaped body. Then, after months of consistent cardio based workouts, they only have a slightly smaller, pear-shaped body.
Therefore, I am glad to hear you are incorporating resistance training into your exercise regimen. There is no such thing as changing the shape of your body without resistance training.
Pectoral Muscles
Understand, weight training does not affect the breast tissue itself. Rather, it affects the muscles underneath. You cannot alter your breast tissue with pectoral exercises.
In fact, as the pectoral muscles develop, you may actually experience an overall increase in chest size. So, as the muscle tissue underneath develops, your breasts stand out a little more. Even so, you will not end looking like a man!
You see, the average male typically has over 10 times the amount of muscle building testosterone compared to the average woman. That’s why they can build large chests. Furthermore, these men also spend many years to develop a muscular, attention-grabbing set of pecs. Believe me, if it were easy, we would all have them.
One final point. Never compare yourself to professional female bodybuilders in magazines or on the internet. Yes, these women look like beefy, longhaired men with breast implants. Moreover, it is a fact they also use a plethora of anabolic drugs to achieve that level of freakiness!
Fat Loss Facts
It is important to recognize there are cases where some women have practiced extreme calorie restriction. As a result, the loss of fat also shrank their breast tissue.
It makes sense because breasts are composed primarily of adipose tissue. Therefore, when you lose fat, it is not isolated to just certain parts of the body.
So, do not worry about your chest muscles becoming massive. It simply is not and cannot happen. No matter how heavy or intensely you weight train!
In the end, I feel confident telling you this. Unless you plan on starving yourself or using anabolic steroids, you have nothing to worry about.
I hope this information has helped shed some light on this subject for you. I wish you all the best of success with your health and fitness endeavors!
Prove ‘Em Wrong,
Chad Shaw
Have A Question For Chad?
Just click the button below.
