Many people believe that women should not lift weights at all or only really light weights in order to not become bulky. They are worried that if they lift heavier, they will suddenly start looking more like Hulk or Arnold Schwarzenegger instead of the 'ideal body shape' for women, whatever that actually is. Even my mom told me to be careful not to lift too heavy when I told her that I gained more strength and was able to increase my weights several times over the past few weeks at the gym. This article is here to show you some examples and tell you why women should not be worried that they will look more masculine when they lift weights.

First off, actually achieving the physique that so many women are afraid of requires years of hard training and years of specific nutrition while alternating between a calories surplus (so-called bulk) and a calorie deficit (so-called cut). The women who work hard to achieve this are professionals with complex workout plans and nutrition plans specifically designed for their competitive goals. If you simply go to the gym once or twice a week and do some squats or, god forbid, biceps curls, you will not suddenly gain the amount of muscle as these ladies have. Not even if you do this over a long period of time.

Using really light weights and doing long repetitions will increase your muscle endurance but not build tight, dense muscles which will give that overall tight and fit look. Instead, try lifting heavy. Only if you eat in a calorie surplus (meaning eating more calories than your body requires) will you gain loads of muscle mass in the way that body builders want to. Especially if you eat in a slight calorie deficit (so a little less than what your body needs), you will grow some muscle while at the same time burn fat, which will give you an overall leaner and more tones look, which is a goal of many women.

Further, strength training is actually more effective for weight loss than cardio. When you strength train, your muscles are broken down, and then rebuilt over the next 24-48 hours. While your body is rebuilding those muscles, it’s recruiting more calories and energy to make the process happen (generally referred to as the ‘afterburn’ effect). What this means is that your metabolism operates at a faster level even while you’re sitting on the couch after a workout." So if you don't like cardio anyways, don't do it specifically for fat loss. Yes, cardio is great for cardiovascular health (as the name implies), so you should consider doing it every once in a while with the goal of being healthier but spending hours on the treadmill won't get you as far as a heavy weight lifting session. Even more, having more muscle increases your metabolism meaning that you burn more calories simply while sitting around! How cool is that?

If you still don't believe me that it is ok for you to lift heavy weights (even in your arms, shoulders and upper back), I have some of my favorite ladies here to show you that you can lift really really heavy and eat a lot of calories and still not look like Hulk. So don't be afraid. Keep in mind that these are mostly competitive body builders and looking like them requires many years of hard work but I just wanted to show you that even going to the gym every day and 'bulking' doesn't make you look bulky or unfeminine. Just so you know, these women generally do physique updates in underwear, so that's what you are going to see. Bonus, these three ladies have youtube channels with workout videos and nutrition videos, if you're interested!

Stefanie Moir