Cupcakes make you skinny … and weight lifting bulks you up!

Oh wait, I got that backwards 😉 But honestly, that’s what I used to think! Ok, not the cupcake part … but the weight lifting? Yeah!

If I wanted to lose a few LBs, I’d go running … or hit the elliptical machine hard!

At the gym, I love me some kickboxing or spin class!

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not ragging on cardio; but at times when I was desperate to burn fat, it turns out that I was missing out on one of the BEST fat-burning methods out there! Plus weightlifting has a ton of other benefits to it too. We’d be here all day if I listed them ALL , so here are my 5 favorite!

1. Burn More Fat

Lifting weights speeds up your metabolism, meaning you continue to burn fat for several hours AFTER your workout!

Whenever I’m following a fitness program that incorporates more weight training than at other times I notice that my metabolism is RAGING for as much as 6 hours afterwards! I have to front-load my calories for the day because I’m so hungry!

2. Speaking Of Metabolism …

If more muscle means a FASTER metabolism, then the opposite has to hold true too – less muscle means a SLOWER metabolism. Pretty sure no one wants that!

Women are already predisposed to muscle loss as they age. Now throw in the fact that losing weight from dieting can actually be a result of losing MUSCLE … let’s just say that we’re setting ourselves up for long-term failure.

3. Big _ Run In My Family

I used to think that women were just predisposed to certain body types based on their genes … wide hips … bulky thighs … flabby arms … everyone seems to have that ONE trouble area.

But it’s not always true!

Lifting weights can actually CHANGE the shape of your body! It can trim you down in places that you didn’t think were possible, and create new curves where you never imagined seeing them.

4. Do You Run All Day Long?

Seriously … do you RUN everywhere that you go? Down the hall to the restroom? To the kitchen when it’s time for lunch? Haha, think about how ridiculous that would look!

But do you haul groceries into the house from your car? Do you lug heavy suitcases when you go on trips? Do you have to drag your 140 lb dog into the vet against his will?

I KNOW I DO!

Lifting weights helps improve your FUNCTIONAL fitness (you know, the things that you actually do on a REGULAR basis).

The Mayo Clinic actually found that regular weight training can make you as much as FIFTY PERCENT STRONGER in just six months!

5. Disease Prevention

The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that only thirty minutes of weightlifting a week reduces your risk of developing heart disease by TWENTY THREE percent!

Considering that heart disease is the #1 killer of women older than age 25, I’d say that’s pretty damn motivating!

The Proof Is In The Pudding

Still not convinced that weights are the way to go? Check this out …

Earlier this year I did an extremely weights-focused fitness program. I tracked my progress weekly throughout it so that I could really reinforce to women exactly what I am preaching in this post.

After just ONE week, I was down SIX lbs and3.25 inches!

Sure, I’d just been on vacation … filling myself with carbs and wine like they were going outta style (aka bloated) … but STILL!

I ate COMPLETELY normal that entire week … followed my standard balanced meal plan of proteins, fruits, veggies, healthy fats, oils, and CARBS too!

I didn’t count ONE calorie, and I even had a cheat meal and drank some wine that weekend!

So no ladies, you WON’T bulk up – we don’t have the hormones to “get big” like guys do and those women you do see with big muscles have to work REALLY hard to achieve them. It doesn’t just happen.

As long as you fuel your body with healthy foods 80-90% of the time, and burn more calories than you consume, you’ll turn your body into a fat burning MACHINE!

Guess I know what my new go-to workout is when I’m in need of a post-vacation slim down!

What’s yours? Comment below and let me know!