"Manly" Muscles?

So I'm a personal trainer and anyone who knows me knows that I am ALL about the weights! I looove lifting weights-doing it will transform your body! It may take awhile, but it will!

Anyway, at work one night I overheard a lady talking to her husband/boyfriend.? He must've said something to her about lifting weights, and she said (loudly), "No, I don't want to build muscles!".

Oh my gosh, WHAT do I have to do to get it out of women's heads that it is so BAD to lift weights? That it is BAD to have muscles and be strong???? I love looking muscular and being stronger than anyone would ever think I was! I may be little, but I am strong!! And I couldn't tell you how many women say that they want their arms to look like mine. I lift HEAVY(for me) and I love it. And I DON'T think I look like a man.

So this lady that made the comment mentioned above was overweight. And I'm thinking, "Okay, so you can be fat...or you can be fat with a little bit of muscle." Or have some muscle, lose some of the fat, and have awesome looking arms! Even if she were to build some muscle without losing any fat, she wouldn't look any worse than she does now! (Sorry if that seems a little harsh, but......) Plus, muscle burns more calories than fat does AND takes up less space, builds your bones to prevent osteoporosis, and keeps you strong so that you can have a better quality of life when you're older. It is just soooo important.

Yes, you can't just lift weights without doing cardio or you will build muscle under the fat, and it won't make the fat won't go away. BUT as you continue doing cardio and weights together and eating healthy, having more muscle will help you burn additional calories and make you look better when you have lost the fat! Doing cardio and cardio alone will only make you a smaller version of your flabby self!! Everything will still be loose, jiggly, and saggy unless you firm it up by weight training. "Skinny fat" does NOT look good.

And please, get rid of the little pink dumbbells-unless you are 80, you can lift heavier than that!! You won't get the results you want if you always lift the same light weights for the same 15-20 repetitions. Pick a heavier weight that you can do about 8-10 reps with. And make sure you workout all muscle groups, not just the areas you want to focus on.

Nothing is better than the weights to give you nice, toned arms, defined legs, and a tight butt that doesn't sag!! Cardio can NOT do that alone!