Stop Believing These Strength Training Myths Right Now

Listen up, because we need to talk about the absolute nonsense floating around about strength training for women. I'm talking about the myths that keep you second-guessing whether you should pick up those dumbbells, the BS that has you convinced lifting weights will somehow transform you into the Hulk overnight, and the fear-mongering that keeps you stuck doing the same ineffective cardio routine for the millionth time.

Strength training myths aren't just annoying, they're actively sabotaging the health, goals, and confidence of women.

So grab your water bottle (or your favorite 3-drink combo—IYKYK), because we're about to demolish these strength training myths one by one. By the time you finish reading this, you’ll know how to walk into any gym with confidence, create a workout routine that actually works, and kindly suggest to those misogynistic myth-spreading keyboard warriors exactly where they can file their unsolicited opinions with anatomical detail, of course.

Table of Contents

Strength Training Myth #1: Lifting Weights Will Make Women "Bulky"

Let me just—deep breath—address this one off the bat. This myth is so persistent, it's like that girl from high school who keeps trying to get you to join their MLM. No matter how many times you say no, it keeps showing up.

You know those women who look "bulky"? They didn’t just pick up a dumbbell once or twice and magically build all that muscle. They’ve been lifting weights intentionally for years, if not decades, to achieve that kind of visible muscle mass. That kind of transformation takes serious dedication and focus. 

Your average strength training routine is not going to make you look like a bodybuilder, so if that’s not what you’re aiming for, don’t stress about it. When you start weight training, you may notice increased muscle strength, improved posture, and enhanced overall physical fitness, not a cartoonish, Popeye-like version of yourself.

Where you’re going to see the biggest difference is in your labs because weight training can help you improve your cholesterol levels, control your blood pressure and blood sugar, and reduce your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

Strength Training Myth #2: You Need Expensive Equipment or a Gym Membership

Let me tell you about one of my clients, Kara: She’s stronger than half the gym bros I know, and she’s been crushing it in her basement for three years with nothing but resistance bands and a single set of dumbbells. Three. Years. No gym membership, no garage gym decked out with racks and barbells, just the essentials.

You don’t need all the fancy equipment to get strong. Resistance bands and a couple of dumbbells are like your Swiss Army knife of fitness gear. Those two can replace almost any gym machine out there and handle most exercises you’ll actually need.

And don’t sleep on bodyweight exercises. If you hear “bodyweight” and immediately think “too easy,” well, you just told on yourself. Weight training exercises like push-ups, squats, and lunges  aren’t just beginner moves. They can be scaled up, modified, or made ridiculously hard to match your fitness level. And the truth is, doing something will always be better than doing nothing. Movement counts, even if your strength training starts out with just you, your body, and the floor.

Big setups are cool, but they’re not necessary for strength training. Start where you’re at, use what you have, and get after it.

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Strength Training Myth #3: Women Should Only Do High Reps with Light Weight

This myth is rooted in the ridiculous belief that women are somehow fundamentally different from men when it comes to muscle physiology. And I might need to hold your hand when I say: We're not.

Women can and should be strength training across different rep ranges to achieve different adaptations. Lower reps with heavier weight (relative to your ability) can build strength and power. Moderate reps can promote increased muscle mass. Higher reps can improve muscular endurance.

The idea that women should stick to light weights or their own body weight and high reps often stems from the fear of getting "bulky" (see myth #1), but this approach can actually limit your results. A muscle fiber is a muscle fiber and your muscles adapt to the demands you place on them. So, if you only do high-rep, low-resistance work, you'll primarily improve endurance rather than build significant strength or muscle mass, and you’re leaving a lot of the health benefits of strength training on the table.

Strength Training Myth #4: Strength Training Is Bad for Your Joints

Actually, it's the opposite. Resistance training, when done with proper form, strengthens not just your muscles but also your bones, tendons, and ligaments. This can improve bone density, which is especially important for women as we age and face increased risk of osteoporosis.

Weight-bearing exercises stimulate bone growth and can help prevent bone loss. Strong muscles also provide better support for your joints, which can reduce injury risk and improve your ability to perform daily life activities.

If you have existing joint issues, working with a physical therapist or qualified personal trainer can help you modify exercises in your strength training program and use proper form to strengthen the muscles around your joints safely.

Strength Training Myth #5: Women Need Different Workouts Than Men

Your muscles don’t check your pronouns before they fire. Muscle fibers respond to resistance training the same way, whether you identify as male, female, or non-binary.

Sure, there might be some differences in recovery time, injury risk patterns, or specific goals—biology isn’t canceled—but the fundamental principles of strength training do not change.

And before anyone comes at me about “cycle syncing”, don't. I know every MAHA-mama-bear-pilates arms-influencer is claiming you need to schedule every workout around your menstrual cycle. But current research keeps kicking this myth to the curb. The latest science shows that you don’t need to overhaul your entire strength training routine based on hormone fluctuations.

In fact, obsessively adjusting your strength training workouts can actually undermine your consistency, confidence, and results. What feels like "empowering women" at face value has actually ended up with women strength training inconsistently, skipping entire weeks each month to wait for the so-called “right phase,” and leaving a ton of major health benefits on the table in the process.

Women benefit from the same compound lifts (squats, deadlifts, push-ups, rows) that form the backbone of every effective resistance training program. Nobody needs some “dainty” women’s workout that’s 50% glute pulses and 50% bicycle crunches while upper body strength, bone density, and overall functional fitness get completely ignored.

What Do the Guidelines Actually Say?

There’s a whole lot of noise about what you “should” be doing, but the actual guidelines for being physically active as a healthy adult are pretty clear. Most major health organizations (think: CDC, WHO, ACSM) agree that in order to get the most health benefits adults should:

• Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week (that’s about 30 minutes, five days a week—think brisk walking, cycling, or anything that gets your heart rate up).

• And here’s the part everyone conveniently “forgets”: Strength training matters just as much. Included in that 150 minutes a week, you want at least two days a week of muscle-strengthening activities that hit all the major muscle groups.

No, you don’t need to go beast mode every day. No, you’re not going to lose all your muscle mass if you miss a workout. What you do need? Repetition. Habit. Making strength training and movement a regular part of your life instead of an annual New Year’s experiment.

The Truth About Full Body Training

A well-designed full body routine that incorporates compound movements targeting multiple muscle groups. This approach is efficient, effective, and perfect for most people's goals and schedules.

A good full body resistance training program might include:

• A pushing movement (like push-ups or overhead press)

• A pulling movement (like rows or pull-ups)

• A squatting movement (bodyweight squats, goblet squats, or barbell squats)

• A hinge movement (like deadlifts or hip thrusts)

• Core stability work

You can do this with free weights, resistance bands, weight machines, or body weight exercises. The key to making progress and build muscle mass is progressive overload which is a fancy way for saying gradually making the exercises more challenging over time.

Your Next Move

Stop letting these myths keep you out of the strength training space. Start with where you are, use what you have, and focus on consistent progress rather than perfection.

Track your progress by noting when resistance training exercises become easier or when you can add weight, reps, or more challenging variations. Your strength, endurance, and confidence will improve gradually, and that's exactly how it should work.

Remember: every single person you see in the gym started somewhere. They dealt with the same myths, the same fears, and the same learning curve you're facing. The difference is they started anyway.

Your future self—the one with better bone density, improved heart health, increased muscular strength, and the confidence that comes from knowing you can handle whatever life throws at you—is waiting for you to stop believing the myths and start believing in yourself.

Now go show those weights who's boss.

• References

  James, J. J., Leach, O. K., Young, A. M., Newman, A. N., Mpongo, K. L., Quirante, J. M., Wardell, D. B., Ahmadi, M., & Gifford, J. R. (2022). The exercise power-duration relationship is equally reproducible in eumenorrheic female and male humans. Journal of Applied Physiology, 134(2), 230–241. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00416.2022

  Colenso-Semple, L. M., D’Souza, A. C., Elliott-Sale, K. J., & Phillips, S. M. (2023). Current evidence shows no influence of women’s menstrual cycle phase on acute strength performance or adaptations to resistance exercise training. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2023.1054542