It's Glow Time: Women & Lifting

I never worried what would happen if I lifted weights,

I worried what would happen if I didn't.

There is a stigma that women who lift weights are bulky and thick. Female athletes like Serena Williams (Grand Champion Tennis Player) and Ronda Rousey (UFC Champ Fighter) have taken a lot of criticism for their strong physiques, some even categorized them as tomboy or manly. So can women get strong, fit and muscular while still staying incredible attractive and feminine? Should women be afraid of doing typically believed male/macho exercises, such as deadlift, squat, snatch, clean, pull up, etc? My answer is no! Just because a woman gains a lot of strength doesn't mean she'll look like Jay Cutler with boobs. I get asked a lot, "Will lifting heavy weight make me bulky?" If someone looks bulky, it generally is because they have too much fat tissue. Not because they have too much muscle. Lifting weights will change your body composition and there will be a shift from fat tissue to lean tissue. I've busted my butt in the gym for 4-5 days a week for the last 10 years; let me be the one to tell you that getting big from lifting weights is the last thing you need to be worrying about. The reality is that muscle mass is very hard to develop and you should celebrate each and every ounce you gain. As you age, your life will depend on this muscle! Here are 5 Ways Women Can Benefit from Lifting Weights: 1- Increased bone density and reduced risk of osteoporosis 2- Strength training adds more lean body mass and reduces fat mass 3- Improved posture and reduced injuries 4- More efficiency/strength in daily activities, i.e. carrying that heavy purse, walking in heels, squatting in a public bathroom, holding your kid & pushing a shopping cart, etc 5- Improved strength will enhance your overall self confidence and mood

So when I'm at the gym in the free weight room, I take my turn doing squats, deadlifts, snatches and more because I like feeling strong. I would like to stay strong for a very long time. And as for my femininity, that is still in tact because having muscles doesn't mean I don't like manicures and fashion. In fact, everyone can see me coming for that bench press in my hot pink leggings and leopard print G-Loves lifting gloves. I don't like to blend in. Neon is my 101. The "macho" men will side eye me in the weight room, not because I look manly, but because I work hard and maybe even harder than they do. I lift weights. I lift heavy weights. Getting too strong is the last thing I'm worried about.

- @Wonderwomzen