It’s 2015 as I write this and I still can’t believe some of the messages I get from women who are still concerned about lifting weights.

The whole “but I don’t want to get bulky” line surfaces again and again, it’s beginning to get a bit boring saying the same thing over and over so I’ve decided to rant a bit and tell you ladies who don’t lift why you should, why it will transform your physique for the better and give you a new level of confidence in your daily life.

Lifting weights will make you bulky

No, no it won’t. If all it took to become bulky was lifting weights, the gym would be full of guys looking like the Hulk pumping iron. Last time I looked, it wasn’t 🙂

Now here’s something that might shock you. Lifting weights like the average gym bunny might make you bulky. Yes, that’s right – doing lots of reps, doing lots of light weight and doing lots of isolation work is part of how bodybuilders build muscle.

Think about it, we women have been brainwashed into training like bodybuilders to get results that are not like bodybuilders? That doesn’t make any sense!

High rep training creates a “pump” – filling your muscles with nutrients, increasing the blood flow and also increasing the size of your muscles. This is exactly what we don’t want!

Low rep, heavy training creates muscle tension. Tension gives us the pleasing hardness to our muscles that gives us shape and definition.

Lifting weights won’t get you healthy

Weight training, and lean muscle, is also a factor in improving your insulin sensitivity. Long story short, insulin delivers nutrients to the cells in your body. Weight training especially, makes insulin deliver nutrients to your muscle cells rather than storing them as fat. So lifting especially is beneficial to building lean muscle and starving fat cells.

Weight training also builds bone density. Studies have shown there is a direct link between weight training and bone density. As women, osteoporosis is a real risk in later life. Weight training, even for the more mature woman, will give so many benefits. Start young and the benefits will be so much more pronounced.

Finally, do we really not want to put on muscle?

Let’s face it, we train because we want to look and feel good. It’s not the only reason but if we’re honest, it is a reason! When I get the whole “bulky” question I sometimes tell people to go have a look at some steak. Apart from getting hungrier, it’s a good way to imagine what having a bit more muscle would do for your physique!

You want a rounded butt? Add a couple of slices of rump steak to your glutes. Firmer, slimmer looking back? Better defined shoulders?

The time of the waif has long gone and been replaced by the physically fit and active archetype. Be the woman who is confident with her strength and herself. Lifting weights, especially heavier ones gives us that confidence.

From personal experience, when I started lifting weights I struggled with just the bar. Now I can deadlift my own bodyweight (not going to tell you how much!), my posture has improved and feeling stronger is just such a confidence booster.

So go lift some weights properly. You’ll be very pleasantly surprised at how much you’ll enjoy it