I kept trying to find the perfect way to start this article, but I wanted to say so many things at once, so I’ll just list my thoughts here before I explain myself:
- Most women spend their entire training career working out to lose fat
- Many of these same women are not overweight and are by traditional standards — skinny
- Our society has ingrained the ideal physique of a woman into our heads so we think we have to look like anorexic models. When in the hell did that look become sexy?
- Why in the hell would women want to look like a skeleton, and be proud of it?
- Constantly training for fat loss can lead to a negative self image and decreased self-esteem
- Sometimes, you just need to stop training for fat loss
- Other methods of training can keep you much more motivated so you are more likely to be consistent
Okay. Now I will explain myself.
Throughout my training career numerous women have inquired about my services and said they wanted to “lose some stubborn fat.” Yes, more often than not they had some extra fat to lose, but often these women were already thin!
Look, sometimes you need to stop training specifically for fat loss.
There are a lot of women going to gyms who are technically “skinny.” They don’t look how they want to, however, because they don’t have any muscle. Now, for some reason women are still afraid of the word “muscle.” Before you freak out and click the back button, keep reading.
Women should train for performance. By training for performance you will inevitably improve your physique, and therefore, your aesthetic appearance because you are constantly forcing your body to improve upon its previous performance.
Yes, you will build lean muscle, but this is a good thing! By building lean muscle you will develop that lean, athletic, healthy look. Not to mention, you will feel much better.
Don’t be afraid of building lean muscle. I promise: you won’t look like the Hulk anytime soon. And don’t be afraid to get stronger. I deadlifted 300 pounds at my last competition, and I’m smaller now than I was two years ago. Training for strength has only increased my self-confidence and physical appearance.
There you have it. Sometimes you need to just stop training for fat loss. Try something completely different. Set a goal to increase your strength, improve your conditioning, run faster, jump higher — anything except “I want to lose 5 pounds of fat.”
Force your body to improve its performance, and you will get the aesthetic benefits you desire.