Before we dive into why women should want to prioritize strength training in their life, I can't begin this article without addressing the elephant in the room. No matter how many times proven otherwise, many women still fear that lifting will make them "bulky and manly looking". We need to say goodbye to this myth once and for all. I'll try to do my small part in eradicating it with this article.

Looking manly from lifting weights is a real fear women have. But it's essential to remember that you WILL NOT get bulky unless you are on many performance-enhancing drugs. I promise you will not look like the women bodybuilders you see in the magazines or women crossfitters. Let's call it what it is; they are pumping their bodies with drugs.

On top of that, men and women have different hormonal profiles; men produce 10x more of the muscle-building hormone called testosterone than women. Also, the mass distribution in men and women is entirely different, where men tend to store more muscle in their upper bodies. So I promise women that strength training will not make you look bulky.

Instead, strength training will help you build the body you've always wanted more than any other form of exercise. It should be the main course of an exercise program for any woman looking to lose fat. Then you can intelligently add in some cardio on top as a side dish. If it makes you feel better, weight training doubles as cardio. Ask anyone who has completed a challenging set of Bulgarian split squats and tell me that isn't cardio.

In regards to the body type most women are after. Many women want to lose fat and tone in their abdominal region, legs, and glutes. They want to tone all over, but certainly, those body parts get mentioned as the big ones. The big problem is reaching this goal; many women do it completely wrong.

Women tend to work out to burn as many calories as possible. Orange Theory and Crossfit have made a fortune off this because they kill you, make you sweat, and boast about the calories you burnt. Unfortunately, this type of training rarely gets them the physique they want. Women believe that if they can cut some fat and burn endless calories, their bodies will take on the shape they want. Unfortunately, this way of thinking is backward and doesn't work. Breaking this belief in women is incredibly difficult.

Usually, if a woman can give strength training a chance for a little bit, the desired results start to come fast. I can't even count how many women in my life that were previously skeptical caught the "lifting bug" and never looked back. It's amazing to watch everything start to click. Their bodies begin to take the shape they want and the curves they seek. Something begins to happen; they never got from long-distance running, orange theory, yoga, or pilates. Not to say those forms of exercise are bad. Still, I will say it till the cows come home, women who get into weight training never turn back and experience results those forms of exercise couldn't hold a candle to.

And the best part isn't even the physical changes that occur with strength training. Don't get me wrong, the fat loss and body sculpting transformations are incredible. But the confidence and mental improvements in women who lift are mind-blowing. Watching a woman bang out a chin up on her own for the first time is pretty cool.

So ladies, I wholeheartedly suggest giving strength training a chance as your main form of exercise. I know it's not easy to break the "I will look like a man" belief, but give it a shot, and it will be life-changing.

I've seen it first hand with my wife. She was more skeptical than anyone about becoming big and bulky. She was your typical cardio junky, limping along on the treadmill and going for 10k runs 4x a week. She finally gave strength training a shot and never looked back.

She always talks about how her body is finally starting to look how she always wanted. In her words, "lean, athletic and toned". Even better, I've seen her confidence shoot through the roof from my side. It's been incredible to see.

If you don't know where to start, the MAPS Starter Bundle is a great place to get the ball rolling and implement strength training in your life. As I said, give it a shot. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised by the results. Now get out there and pump some iron!