do you even lift, girl?

I've heard so many women say "I just want to be toned, I don't want to look bulky," and as a result they tend to shy away from weights and remain glued to the ever-exciting treadmill (or "dreadmill" as I like to call it). Ladies, the truth is, lifting won't turn you into a protein-crazed "she-hulk".

Women do not posess the level of testosterone needed to produce and support a "bulky" physique (women produce 5-10% the amount of testosterone men do). The massive, ripped women that you often see in body-building competitions are almost always supplmenting with hormones. Ask any bodybuilding competitior, it is NOT easy to gain muscle mass, nonetheless become body-builder huge! I promise, hitting the squat rack won't blow you up, but it will give you a fabulous backside.

Lifting weights can also help you to lose fat. What?! Yes. The more muscle mass a woman has, the more calories she will burn in a state of rest. The reason being is because your muscle mass basically determines your resting metabolic rate - in other words, muscle mass determines how many calories you will burn just by living and going about your daily activities.

Lifting weights will also strengthen your bones and joints. Stronger muscles are able to hold your joints more securely in their proper position, and also help your bones to become more dense and durable due to the creation of new bone cells everytime you lift. Stronger bones and joints? I can hear my 50 year-old self thanking me now.

Now don't get me wrong, cardio is incredibly important for your health. But I implore you to work some weight training into your routine - you will even notice an improvement in your cardio performance. Stronger muscles = stronger performance.

So, do I have you convinced yet?

Give weights a try, I promise you'll love the results.