Lifting Weights

I know many of you ladies out there are a little afraid of lifting weights. There are a lot of rumors out there suggesting that if you (women) lift weights then you will bulk up. Well...... that is entirely NOT TRUE!!! It in fact is physically and genetically impossible for women to get bulky and huge like a man from weight lifting. In fact the only way for a woman to get big and bulky like that is if she is on steriods. So with that being sad, why should you lift weights??? Cardio alone will not give you the lean, tight, firm body you want, instead you will become what is called "Skinny Fat". Skinny fat is a skinnier version of your fat self, which is what will happen if you only focus on cardio. Weight lifting will build muscle, yes, but not huge manly muscles. The more muscle you have the more fat you will burn, if you don't build up the muscle and only focus on cardio you body will in turn use what little muscle you have to burn as fuel. There for you become "Skinny Fat" a thinner, softer, jigglier person. As you build muscle you will need the proper nutrition (eating clean) to fuel the muscles and when you do your cardio workout you body will instead burn the fat and not the muscle so in turn you will have that toned, firm, non-jiggly body you want. Also the more muscle you have and less fat you have, and the cellulite will go away!! I know it may still seem kind of scary to pick up those dumbbells, but you need to if you want to look and feel good.  I am not saying go out and lift really heavy, but lift a weight that does give you a bit of a challenge. If doing 4 sets of 15 with a 10 lb weight is too easy then you need to up the weight. If doing that same amount is too hard then you need to go lighter. You should be able to 4 sets of 15 reps with a weight that gives yo a little bit of a challenge by the the 10th rep, so the last 5 should be a bit of a struggle. Once it becomes too easy then move up in weight. Go with a friend, in case you need a spotter and don't feel comfortable asking someone you don't know, keep a workout journal and log your reps, sets, and weight used so you can keep track and know how much you were able to do in your last session. Make sure to rest that muscle group for at least 24-42 hours before working it again. Switch it up every 4 weeks so your body doesn't get used to the workouts and your routine. You may choose to work each body part on different days or you may choose to combine them. Rest no longer than 1 min. between sets, keep moving to keep your heart rate up, don't forget to incorporate some cardio. You really only need 3-5 30 min. sessions of high intensity cardio a week. And most importantly EAT CLEAN.
Here is an example of how I like to break up my weight training schedule:
Monday: chest and triceps, run 3 miles
Tuesday: legs, run 3 miles, swim
Wednesday: back and biceps, run 3 miles
Thursday: legs, shoulders, swim
Friday: long run
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: long run, stretch

Happy lifting and clean eating everyone!