Once thought to be the exclusive domain of men, resistance training is a hobby now enjoyed by girls of all ages. While it is now both socially and medically acceptable for girls to experience muscle growth through training and sport, there are still those who do not understand or believe in the ability of girls to build strong healthy muscles.
How Girls Build Muscle
The biological processes by which girls build muscle is not unlike that of boys. In fact, before puberty, boys and girls are almost identical from a musculature standpoint. In the case of both boys and girls, strong muscles build when the body is challenged by a physical exertion. The body responds to this exertion by growing a little bit stronger to better meet the demands of the next challenge. It's not unlike skin forming calluses in response to consistent abrasion.
Puberty
Where boys and girls begin to diverge in muscle growth is puberty. Due to the increase in testosterone brought on by puberty, boys begin to put on muscle at a much faster rate than girls, even if they are not participating in resistance training. Girls can still build muscle through training, but they can not expect muscle growth of the same magnitude as boys.
Training and Age
According to the experts at Kids Health, children as young as seven can safely use resistance training when limited to body weight exercises. Girls age 12 and 13 can begin weight training with light weights. Although girls were once thought to need light weights with more repetitions than men, no evidence has been found to suggest girls need a different approach to strength training than boys.
Misconceptions
It was once thought that girls who weight trained could become masculine or musclebound. There also existed the fear that building muscle would lead to a reduction in breast tissue. We now know that most girls do not have the hormone makeup grow large masculine looking muscles. Breasts are made up of mostly fatty tissue and can be affected by body fat loss, but not by muscle gain. Women who do exhibit masculine features do so due to due to abnormally high testosterone levels, either naturally or artificially.
Recommendations
For girls who wish to develop their muscles, conservative resistance training is recommended. Basic pressing, pulling and squatting exercises will provide the most benefits in the least amount of time. Chest presses, assisted pull-ups, squats, lunges and sit-ups will lay a foundation of strong healthy muscle tone into adulthood. Three sets of between 10 and 15 repetitions would be great start for a lifetime of strength and fitness.
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