In my 15 years of training experience, I’ve come in contact with a number of women who swear off weights out of fear they will create bulky muscle mass.

Time to change our minds!

The key that women should keep in mind with an exercise routine is to start off slow so as not to exhaust yourself right out of the gate. Doing more reps at a lower rate will help you build lean, long muscles. And muscle is critical for osteoporosis prevention later in life.

Something additional to keep in mind is to have your body fat percentage measured before you workout every so often (we can help you out with this at Excel Fitness). Many women don’t see the pounds shed right off when adding weight lifting to their routine, but in fact gain muscle mass which in turn incinerates calories.

Shawn O’Brien
@shawnexcelfit