***ATTENTION LADIES***

If you've been to the gym, I bet you've seen some (if you're not amongst them), if not most, women striding on the treadmill or hogging the cardio machines (sometimes with a book!). If you've not dropped a number on the scale, please do not be suprised. I'd hate to break it to you that you are just wasting your time.

Ladies, ladies, ladies...... If you're not breaking a sweat, you're not exercising at all. Ever heard of the notion no pain, no gain? Nothing comes easily in life, neither does a hot sexy figure ( if you're not already in shape). Now, most women have the misconception that if they carry weights, they're bound to end up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Well let me break it to you. In order to gain even half of the muscles he has, you'd have to work extra hard ( where 5 or 10 pounds of free weights won't even get u anywhere close to that), even then you would probably not achieve that amount of mass.

So let's look at the science behind this. First and foremost, women do not have the hormone (testosterone) to develop a bulky manly figure, no matter how heavy you lift your weights. Most female bodybuilders are either on steroids to help them grow the extra mass, or they dedicate most of their time to build their body with really heavy weights. However, if you are aiming for fat loss, there are certain methods that will allow you to gain mass and burn fats without looking too bulky.

As a woman, majority aim to burn fat ( this is the correct term as compared to weight loss), instead of gaining mass (muscles). When you perform cardio exercises, you are burning calories only during your cardio training. However, when you incorporate free weight exercises, you are actually doing yourself a favour by burning extra calories even when you have finished your workout.

Yes, ladies. You also get to save half the time that you use for cardio and you also burn extra calories. Now the idea here is to gain mass (the toned and tight celeb figure) and to burn fats that will leave you looking lean and mean and healthy.

So the next time you head to gym, remember try to lift a few weights, start light and you will eventualy build up your strength.

Stay tuned for more posts on how to perform free weight exercises to burn fats. Till then, keep pumping those irons.