Wearing ankle weights will not give you bulkier muscles. Even regular strength-training exercises will not cause bulky muscles without other components coming into play. In order to get bulky muscles like those a professional bodybuilder has, you need to lift excessively heavy weights and take supplements. Most ankle weights weigh only a few pounds, with heavier weights usually being no more than 20 lb. for the pair.
Women and Strength Training
It's relatively difficult for women to get bulky from any type of strength-training. Most women don't lift the heavy weights that are necessary to build big muscles. A woman's hormones and body composition also differ from that of men. It takes high levels of the hormone testosterone to build bulky muscles and women have less of this hormone than men do. What a woman does have is lots of estrogen, which is a hormone that hinders muscle development.
Muscle Is Less Dense Than Fat
Muscle mass is less dense than fat. With the exception of bodybuilders, even people who work out to build muscle mass are not bulky. Toning defines the shape of the muscle when you eliminate the fat surrounding the muscle. That's why building lean muscle helps you look toned rather than bulky and muscular. Lifting weights does build muscle tissue, however, muscle burns more calories. Lifting weights also helps increase bone density, which decreases the risk of osteoporosis.
Affect on Large Leg Muscles
According to Dr. Anthony Luke, director of Sports Medicine at University of California San Francisco, ankle weights provide a more intense workout for large leg muscles such as the gluteus maximus, hamstrings and quadriceps. Ankle weights make the large muscles in your legs work harder, so some people use ankle weights to tone up the hips, thighs and lower buttocks. Luke recommends not wearing ankle weights for aerobic activities such as riding a bike because they can get in the way and cause injury.
Alternatives to Using Ankle Weights
Although it might seem practical to use ankle weights when you walk to help strengthen your leg muscles, if you have joint problems or feel aching in your joints during exercise, you shouldn't use them. While wearing ankle weights can make muscles work harder, they put more pressure on hip and knee joints as well. The use of leg presses and weight machines are alternatives for increasing strength and developing leg muscles. If you choose to wear ankle weights during cardio workouts to burn more calories, you shouldn't wear the weights every time you exercise. Brisk walking and adding some hills to your walk are other ways to increase the intensity of a cardiovascular workout without adding weight.
Risks
Ankle weights add more stress to your muscles, therefore, you should not wear them when walking or running. Dr. Edward R. Laskowski, a rehabilitation specialist at Mayo Clinic, explains that ankle weights put too much strain on your legs, ankles and knees, increasing the risk of injury. Options besides ankle weights are available if you want to include strength-training in your fitness routine. You can pick up the pace when walking or use weight machines at a gym.
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