Stardate: 26th November, 2016
A young lady walks in to my studio for the first time. She looks shy. Skin-tight leggings, a form-fitting – bust-accenting top. In any other setting, she would’ve been the most confident person in the room.
Here though – surrounded by sweating, heaving, radiant coils of muscular humanity… she feels out of place.
Immediately, her walls go up: “I just want to tone. I can’t [*inserts list of things she hasn’t tried, and can’t possible fathom wanting to try*]. I don’t want to get ‘too big’.”
I. Don’t. Want. To. Get. Too. Big.
This is a common one-liner… an immediate handicap many women apply to their journey in to the world of fitness; colouring their course with “can’t”… failing to realise several things:
- Female Bodybuilders train for a decade or more to look ‘huge’ (- and, really, ‘huge’ is relative… as many of them are still tens of pounds, and several inches smaller than the average non-exercising female).
- Getting huge doesn’t happen by accident. It takes voluminous, consistent workouts, a consistent caloric surplus (of specific macronutrients, to boot).
- It takes good genetics.
- For many, it takes drugs. Let’s be real.
Getting ‘too big’, is difficult for the average guy. So, honestly, it shouldn’t even be a talking point for the average female… No offense intended.
“I couldn’t train with you. Your clients train too heavy!”
‘Heavy’ is exactly the type of training you *should* do as a female. No… it won’t get you ‘too big’. Big requires moderate-to-heavy training PLUS volume… PLUS all of the other stuff mentioned above.
What heavy training *will* do though, is force adaptation: Stronger bones; Stronger muscles; stronger connective tissue; higher body awareness.
Think about the strongest female athletes. With the exception of some olympic and power lifters, and maybe throwers (who tend to consume calories to surplus), the stronger athletes are the leanest. Sprinters. Gymnasts. Rock climbing enthusiasts. Crossfitters. Common theme?
Strength.
But, don’t take my word for it.
Check out some of the ladies on my roster:
You get the picture.
Lift heavy shit!
Yours in fitness,
– Corey Springer
Apollo Fitness Barbados
Apollo Fitness Barbados 