One of the most often mentioned reasons that women today give for not lifting weights is fear of bulking up. You or your friends may think to yourselves “I’ll get too muscular if I lift very often,” or “I’m afraid I’ll end up looking like a man if I lift weights regularly.” In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. Lifting regularly — generally two to three times weekly — is actually extremely beneficial for women in several ways.

No Incredible Hulk Here: A Stronger and Leaner Body Without Bulk

It may surprise you to learn that regular lifting won’t bulk you up at all — and there is a very interesting reason why. Women simply don’t have the high levels of testosterone that cause men to gain so much muscle mass. The only way that a woman would be able to gain massive muscle mass like a man is by taking testosterone supplements…and most women are highly unlikely to do so. This means that females are in the fortunate position of being able to lift weights to become stronger and leaner without having to fear a massive muscle eruption. Lifting weights will give you an enviable sleek and sculpted look that is worlds apart from the muscle bound manly look.

Want to Lose Fat? Lifting Gets You There Faster! While cardio certainly helps out with fat loss, it turns out that it’s not the only way to drop the fat fast. In fact, regular weight lifting can help you ditch the body fat much more effectively and quickly than cardio alone. With cardio exercise alone, you will start to lose not only fat but also muscle. That means you’ll retain fat you don’t want with cardio because you’re doing nothing to maintain the muscle thus giving you that “skinny fat look.” However, regular weight lifting is focused on keeping that muscle in place while burning away the extra fat. The result is that you get lower body fat, a leaner look, and a truly toned body. One often recited adage is that “muscle weighs more than fat.” This is, indeed, the truth…and it’s a strong reason why you should quit obsession about the scale when you’re lifting regularly. Lifting weights allows you to keep your muscle, remove the fat, and get the body you’ve always wanted. The scale may not drop super quickly when your’re lifting…but you will look the best you ever have in your life!