Women's Physique
Tammy Strome
C.KIN, RNCP, IFBB Pro
Tammy Strome is a Transformation Coach, Fitness Intuitive and IFBB Pro with 17 years in the industry as a Transformation specialist, Life Coach and Supplement Expert. She uses a combination of science, insight and intuition to help her clients sculpt their bodies and transform their lives. For more info on Tammy please visit her website at www.tammystrome.com or follow her on social media at FB: TammyStromeIFBBPro, Instagram @tammystromeIFBBPro and Twitter: @tammystrome
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Are Women Predisposed to Storing Fat in Certain Areas?
Q. Are all women predisposed to carrying fat or gaining weight in their hips, thighs, and buttocks? If so, what can they do about it in the weight room?
A. Men and women store fat VERY differently. Women are prone to storing fat in these regions because of their hormonal makeup. Female sex hormones dictate fat storage there to support reproductive health whereas testosterone is more likely to dictate fat storage in the abdominal region. This female fat distribution does serve a purpose: It will be used to grow a healthy baby but will also act as fuel to support milk production to feed the baby. So some fat in this region is good for overall female health, although too much is a problem. Excessive amounts of fat in these regions are now being linked to increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.
Many women complain about these areas. Genetics and hormonal health play a role in where the body prefers to store the greatest amount of fat, but lifestyle will dictate how much actually gets stored away. This type of fat can be quite resistant to reduction, and it’s much harder for some women than others. My best suggestion is to stay the course in nutrition and training strategies. Weight training is a huge part of shifting a woman’s fat distribution. She will burn 50 more calories per day for every pound of muscle that she adds to her frame.
6 WEIGHT ROOM POINTERS
1. Learn to master the free weights. These engage more muscles than machines, allowing you to burn more calories.
2. Challenge yourself with weights in rep ranges between 8 and 12. Growing muscle will allow your whole body to burn more fat.
3. Target large muscle groups such as the legs and back to burn extra calories.
4. You can’t spot reduce, but increasing lean muscle in trouble areas will give those spots a lift as the body sheds fat.
5. Make weights the priority and cardio the secondary focus.
6. Don’t do circuit training all the time as it doesn’t build muscle effectively past a point. It increases the risk of overtraining, and your body adapts. It can be a great fat-burning shock to put in once a week or rotate it to every two to four weeks in your cycle, depending on your goals.
Need a little more motivation? Take a read of this post by Canada’s premier fitness expert John Cardillo.
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