For most women, the question of whether to include weight lifting in their workout routine brings about a huge dilemma.

We see big muscle hunks sweating and grunting their way through endless reps in the weight room at the gym, and swear to do our best to stay at least a cardio machine away, for fear of developing into the incredible Hulk.

There are many myths surrounding this question, and somewhere along the way we women forgot, that although both human and made of similar stuff, we are a completely different species to the male gender. We simply do not have enough testosterone, the key hormone for muscle building, to be able to develop the type of muscles that a man can, or look anywhere near Hulk like.

In actual fact, lifting weights should only make you look better and improve your femininity as well as your health. The best thing to do, especially if trying to lose weight and get in shape, is to use free weights while performing 3-5 sets of 5-10 reps, of strength training exercises.

Weight machines can also have their pros but, using free weights usually gives you greater benefits and better results. Weight machines tend to only concentrate on one muscle group. When lifting dumbbells or a barbell while performing strength training exercises, such as squats, lunges and leg extensions, you are using several large muscle groups at one time and in turn burning more calories and building lean muscle mass, which burns fat. Combine weight lifting with some cardio and stretching, and you will snap into sexy, slim shape in no time at all. Varying the type of exercise you do will always have greater benefits than constantly repeating the same routine.

It is very important to stretch after any weight training session. Lifting weights contracts the muscles, so in order to achieve the long, lean and toned body any supermodel would be jealous of, you must make sure to stretch your muscles before and after each weight lifting session.

Just remember to not be discouraged if the numbers on the scale are not decreasing as quickly as you would like. Muscles weight much more than fat. So track your progress with a tape measure or the fit of your clothes and the smile will never disappear from your face.

There are also many health benefits associated with lifting weights, that should encourage any woman to pick up a pair of dumbbells. Weights help to tone and shape the body, making it stronger and increasing the stamina, which allows you to be more active, and lets face it, what woman doesn't have a thousand things to do each day. Lean muscle mass also burns fat, this lowers the risk of diabetes and high cholesterol.

Combining weight training with cardiovascular exercise strengthens the heart, reducing the risk of heart attack. Healthy muscles also do a great job in strengthening the bones. Strong bones highly reduce the risk of osteoporosis, so it is especially important for older women to lift weights and strength train, as bone density decreases with age, especially during menopause when estrogen levels begin to fall.

I hope that by reading this article, at least some of your weight lifting fears, if not all, are cured. So the next time you are working out, make sure to pick up a set of weights and begin your way to a varied active lifestyle, which is sure to produce the healthy, strong, lean and sexy body you've always dreamed of.

Learn more about this author, Yulia Blower.
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