Why I Think Women Like to Lift Lighter Weights

You can do research and find thousands of articles about why women should or should not lift heavy weights.
Women are often afraid of getting bulky (which more times than not is a farce).
Women LOVE Barre classes - they love the burn!
Tracey Andersen has made millions of dollars on her light weight, dozens of rep routines.
Shape magazine shows women's exercise routines using 5 lb dumbbells ALL the time.

I think with the workouts that are in the media spotlight, the fear of getting bulky, and the harder work required by lifting heavy weights turns a lot of women off.

But I think more than anything women LOVE THE BURN.

Lift a weight for 30 reps vs. 8 reps, and the 30 will give you a much bigger burn. It literally FEELS like you are making your muscle smaller, tighter and more toned.
However - this could not be farther from the truth! The burn - the build up of lactic acid, builds muscular endurance far more than it will build or tone your muscle. Sorry ladies!

Now lifting heavy weights is exhausting, and typically you get to 6-10 reps and cannot do anymore because it is so tiring, unlike 30 reps where you can lift the weight anymore because it burns too much.
There is a huge difference in the way it makes you feel and in the way it makes you look.

Your arm ever get tired from changing the radio station in your car looking and looking for a good song? Or did it ever get tired blow drying your hair? Yes? Me too. Then why don't we all have super toned muscles from such activities?!
That's because the lighter stuff does not stress your nervous system enough to stimulate your hormones to promote muscle growth. I even hate to use the term muscle growth with women as it makes them cringe. But make no mistake about it, toning a muscle requires it to GROW!

Endurance lifting certainly has its place and can and even should be incorporated into a workout program. However, lifting heavy weights (what is heavy for you means 6-10 reps seems VERY hard) is what you need to change your body.
Again the nervous system needs to be  taxed enough to produce a hormonal response to the exercise. Testosterone makes muscles grow. Without enough of it, your muscles won't grow.

I know what some of you women are STILL thinking - but I will get bulky. NO YOU WON'T! Are you sure squats are making your thighs bigger or is it the pizza and ice cream?!
I've said this before. If you look around your gym (or on youtube) look at HOW much weight women are lifting who are bulky.
Look at how much weight men lift and how many of them are actually NOT bulky. Get my point here?

I like to do some of BR and Zuzka's workouts at a slower pace with heavier weights. Or I like to use their 10-15 min routines after I've done 30 or so minutes of lifting as a cash out. But that's me. :)

I wish Zuzka would go back to some of her longer workouts. I miss some of those.

Lots of advertising for BR's upcoming Summer Transformation Challenge, and lots of promotions on the equipment needed for it.