CrossFit Gifts for Her Fully Reviewed

Cisgender women, those whose gender identity matches their birth certificate, will simply not "bulk up" the way cisgender men often do. This is a dangerous myth that prevents many women from pursuing strength training, which can improve one's quality of life and also increase the effectiveness of other sport or fitness pursuits.

As usual, we'll turn to science for the answer. Jacque Crockford, a spokesperson for ACE (the American Council on Exercise), gave a good explanation in Shape magazine. You can find the article link in our Sources section, but here's the rundown:

Lifting weights burns calories, which will only increase muscle tone, add definition, make the heart more efficient, and promote strength and balanced throughout any human's body. The bulk comes from a carefully planned high protein diet, along with deliberate and consistent workouts with heavyweight and large muscle group exercises like barbell squats. Sets of bench presses, with a comfortable weight, won't make muscles bulge.

The difference between general strength training and, say, powerlifting, too, could not be more clear. When you watch a bodybuilding competition, you are looking at people of all genders who have spent hours or years at the gym, challenging themselves to lift progressively heavier weight. This is often done with the help of a trainer. The average woman doing dumbbell flys is just never going to have what many call (we cringe saying it) "man arms." She's going to burn calories even when she's not in the gym, enjoy more restful sleep, and be able to respond to emergency situations without getting exhausted. Not the same thing as deadlifting a truck body, not by a longshot.

A ripped, muscular body is the result of careful planning and an augmented eating plan. It is not something that happens by accident, for men, women, or nonbinary athletes. If we could, we'd put an end to all the misinformation surrounding weight training. We dream of a world where everyone sees barbells, dumbbells, benches, and power racks for what they are--reliable tools that can bring a sense of well being and confidence to anyone who cares to use them.

We try to avoid blanket statements and generalizations, but, as a rule of thumb, cisgender women are naturally more flexible than cisgender men. It has a lot to do with how testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone (a naturally occurring hormone that regulates fertility among other things) all affect physiological development. Individuals with more estrogen than testosterone (because most of us have some of each) will tend to have long muscles with more elastic properties. This does give a biological advantage when it comes to touching one's toes, bending over from a standing position, or sitting in full lotus or other advanced yoga asanas.

We love this question! Here are some contemporary athletic women who can inspire your daughter.

Megan Rapinoe, soccer star and co-captain for both the USWNT and Seattle Reign NWSL team. Off the field, she has advocated for her teammates to be paid on the same scale that professional male soccer players are.

Kara Goucher is a professional long-distance runner, a profession that's even harder to thrive in than it sounds. She has competed in the Olympics more than once, and in 2007, Goucher ran the fastest half marathon of any woman for that year at the Great North Run.

Venus and Serena Williams. They hardly need an introduction, but these sisters rose to the top of women's professional tennis with nothing but a tennis racket and an iron will. Serena, especially, is often the topic of "pretty sure I could score on her" speculation from people who don't even play tennis, which is kind of a compliment if you think about it.

The double under was officially born in 2001 on CrossFit.com. Part of many WODs, the double under involves jumping a jump rope twice during a single revolution. There's nothing easy about it, but doing double unders effectively can train the heart, building speed, power, and agility, as no other exercise can.

We've included a link to a more thorough resource in our Sources section. But if you are thinking about double under domination, a basic training progression would look like this:

1. Get good at single unders. If you haven't been jumping rope 3-5 times a week for a year or more, just not hitting it with your feet every time will be difficult. Practicing for at least twenty minutes a day will start to build a foundation for more advanced performance. Just don't forget to program in rest periods.

2. Jump higher. To do a double under at all, your feet have to go higher in the air and remain there for a few seconds or less extra. This is called power jumping, and it is very painful when you start. If it's feasible, do your power jumping on a gymnasium floor that has some give to it.

3. Once you are comfortable with both standard single unders and power jumping, you can start nailing single unders while still remaining airborne long enough to add a second pass. This means you are ready to do your first few double unders and can advance from there. Go you!

Well, maybe, but it helps to remember that everyone doing the training was a beginner once. Just like with buying equipment, you can research and find the perfect CrossFit box for you before you bite the bullet and join. Talking to friends, reading online reviews, and taking advantage of free introductory sessions can all help you feel more comfortable and prepared.

This is a good question, one we couldn't find much hard data on. The popular conception is that women run, take yoga and Pilates classes, and do Zumba. Men, by contrast, lift weights and play football. But all you have to do is look up the Independent Women's Football League, Women's Football Alliance, and the United States Women's Football League to know these myths don't reflect reality.

We did find some survey results. According to a study released in Scotland in 2007, women enjoy walking, swimming, aerobics, and dance to a greater extent than men do. Anecdotally, if you take a yoga class, you'll probably see that women make up a greater percentage of students than men do. We take anecdotal evidence and small scale surveys with a grain of salt, though, and part of our mission is to make fitness in all its forms available to people of all genders and backgrounds.