Muscles acquire new female definition

It’s the era of the female bodybuilder. Later this month, 51-year-old Mumbai fitness coach and bodybuilder Nishrin Parikh will compete with 17-year-olds at the Asian Bodybuilding Championships in Seoul. Winner of Bikini Athlete 2016 and a Karate Black Belt holder, Parikh isn’t daunted about being the oldest woman competitor. Her daily 4-hour workout routine comprises of a mix of weight training, cardiovascular exercises and yoga. “I am fitter than I was 20 years ago,” she quips.

Parikh is one of a growing number of desi women making waves for their weight-lifting prowess. Last month, 21-year-old Bhumika Sharma became the first Indian woman to win the Miss World title at the World Bodybuilding Championship in Venice. She’s part of a new wave of bodybuilding Indian women — VJ Bani, Harpreet Kaur and Shweta Rathore — whose sculpted bodies grace social media.

Five years ago, women in India lifted weights with trepidation. Working out was just a means to stay slim. Aerobics, Zumba classes and yoga were the approved female exercises. The gym was a predominantly male space: women were typically ignored by male trainers, or sent off to the treadmill. The weight rack was definitely off limits, although 2-kg dumbbells were sometimes suggested to “tighten” the flabby arms.

Historically, bodybuilding and weight-lifting have been male sports. Cultural and social norms bar females from lifting heavy weights. From the beginning, girls are raised to accept limits. They imagine they are the weaker sex, and that weight-lifting is an “unfeminine” activity. Men are instrumental in fuelling these misconceptions. “But why do you need to lift weights?”… “But you don’t need protein shakes”… “Your face will also become muscular.”

But new generation fitness coaches are hell-bent on challenging this mind-set. “The biggest myth is that women should not lift weights,” says Rajat Goel, winner of the European Powerlifting Champion 2017 title and Musclemania 2015. A renowned “transformation” coach, Goel has been a long-time supporter of bodybuilding for women. “A muscle is a muscle, whether it’s male or female,” he declares.

Aside from his personal bodybuilding quest, Goel runs The Transformation 101 Studio, a powerhouse that prepares men and women for bodybuilding/weight-lifting competitions. Under his tutelage, his partner Bindiya Sharma attained the distinction of being the first Indian woman to win the titles of WBFF and bikini diva at the Bodypower India expo earlier this year. Despite this success, Goel admits that convincing women to commit to a gruelling strength-building regimen is no small task. “Their social roles and families come in the way,” he says.

Busting myths

The biggest misconception about weight-lifting, propagated by both women and men, is that it inevitably causes big, bulky muscles. But experts challenge this, saying that the impact of weight training differs in men and women. Male bulk is due to their predominant hormone, testosterone. The female hormone estrogen prevents the same muscle growth. Muscle-toning and definition is all women lifters can expect.

“Don’t be fooled by images of women bodybuilders that suggest it’s possible for women weight-lifters to bulk up easily. This can’t happen unless they use large amounts of anabolic steroids, and train, eat and sleep like a professional,” says fitness professional Vinay Sangwan in an article.

Weight-lifting falls under the category of “resistance training”, a term for exercises that lead the muscles to contract against an external resistance. When done consistently, resistance exercises lead to an increase in strength, muscle tone, mass, and/or endurance.

Bodyweight-training and weight-lifting both fall into this category. “Lifting weights at the gym to get stronger or bigger or more toned builds strength and confidence, too,” explains celebrity fitness trainer Mukul Nagpaul.

Strength training is proven to improve muscle health, bone density, and lower risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. A recent study confirms a drop in risk by 30% for type 2 diabetes, and 17% for cardiovascular diseases. Weight training increases HDL (good cholesterol) and lowers the resting heart rate.

It’s no wonder that doctors also recommend strength training. “Indian women typically have less muscle mass and an impaired metabolic function of muscles, which increases their pre-disposition to diabetes and other diseases,” says Dr Anoop Misra, chairman of Fortis-C-DOC Centre of Excellence for Diabetes, Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology. “They must do daily muscle strengthening exercises using weights (range 1-5 kg) or elastic bands, under supervision,” he advises.

(The author is a microbiologist who writes on health, wellness and medicine)