First of all, I am a girl. Just an ordinary girl with a normal day job. But what sets me apart from most girls I know, is that I LIFT.

I am not a personal trainer, a nutritionist, or an expert in the fitness field. All I have are my experiences, research and learned principles. I get inspiration from blogs, fitness sites and magazines. I started my weightloss journey in May 2011, and as I got healthier and lost weight, I started my Fitblr in September 2011, and have not looked back since.

One of the best things I picked up from my fitness journey, is lifting weights. Yeah I know, men do it and we girls usually think 'oh, it's a man's "thing" to lift weights'. That's just so not true. Girls can lift just as well as men, with just as many benefits. After all, our bodies are different but run the same functions in general. Let me explain and tell you why lifting is the BEST way to lose weight.



SO REALLY, WHY SHOULD GIRLS LIFT WEIGHTS?

▸ Lifting weights builds muscle & raises your metabolism
Which means you get to eat more, lose weight more easily and can maintain that weight loss for life. Seriously, even on non-workout days if you happen to indulge in some burgers or pizza, your muscle mass and metabolism ENSURES that you don't gain any weight. Isn't that amazing? It's every girl's freaking dream!

▸ Lifting makes you look defined and not skeletal
It will transform your body in a way that weight loss and diet alone cannot. If you’re already down to your ideal weight but still want a flatter stomach, losing more weight isn’t going to help. You'll end up looking skinny, soft and useless (especially your butt). But lifting can and will shape your body to the look that most of us want (smaller waist, flatter stomach, leaner arms and legs, nice booty) as well as to reduce common problem areas (muffin top, saddlebags, belly fat).

▸ You will make ordinary men look like sissies
Because you will be stronger, even if you look as dainty as a ballerina. Those men's eyes are gonna pop when they see you carry those heavy files in the office without needing their help.




WILL LIFTING WEIGHTS MAKE ME LOOK LIKE A FEMALE-HULK?

The answer is a definite NO! Nor will you look like Arnold Schwarzneggar! Not even close to this woman here. To even reach that level of muscularity, you need a super controlled diet, years of consistent hard work and a huge dose of testosterone in your system. All which we either won't do, or lack.

Instead, we will look something like this!







BUT, WILL MUSCLES MAKE ME LOOK BIG?

No. Muscles will give you definition. Fats will make you look big. So with every pound of muscle you gain, you will burn more fats off your entire body even more effectively than running three hours on the treadmill. In the beginning, you might feel bulky because of the fats stacked up against your growing muscles. But trust me, with consistent lifting and a good diet (yes, diet is very important too), you will literally see those arms shape themselves. The arms will be the first to show some muscular shaping. Followed by your legs. Eventually, your stomach.




As we have more fat naturally stored at our abdomen (and that annoying little pooch beneath our tummies), your stomach abs would be the last to show up, but keep it consistent, and you will reap those results! :)





GREAT! NOW HOW DOES ONE GET STARTED?

▸ Lift 4 times a week, at the very least
It is recommended that you do two leg days and two arm days. Make sure there are rest days in between. No machines here, d'you hear me? Utilize the free weights in your gym.

▸ Do the right exercises
You should engage all major muscle groups but also do exercises that engage multiple muscle groups. Work in some isolations once you've gotten the hang of the basics. The most basic moves you need to learn are squats, deadlifts and presses – these moves burns the most calories and have the biggest impact on your body. Plus, they're great for your abs too! Read about why squats are awesome for you, and further down, I will introduce some moves to incorporate into your workout.

▸ Lift heavy!
Listen here, you need to throw out all those bullshit magazines that say women should only workout with light weights. Men bulk up more easily because of the testosterone level in them. Women however, have so little of it that lifting itsy-bitsy weights will make literally no difference. Therefore, you need to lift heavy to see some results.

Even if you're a beginner, do not start with 3lbs dumbbells as your starting weights. Your body is built to handle more weights than you ever thought possible. When I started lifting, I had 5.5lbs weights on each side of my barbell, totaling to 11lbs - which is, in my opinion, the perfect starter-weight for girls who are beginners. As you find yourself able to do more than 8 reps with those weights, add on more! Work your way up from there, you would only start to get stronger.

▸ Follow a basic formula of 8 reps X 5 sets
If you're new to weight lifting jargon, let me explain.

Reps = repetitions of the same move
Sets = one complete set of repetitions

Let's say you want to do squats, following the formula given above. You squat 8 times, and that is one set. Squat another 8 times, that's your second set. And so on and so forth. Workouts are divided into sets, so that after 8 squats, you can take a 5 second break to catch your breath, shake it out a little, before going on to your second set.

Now as it get's easier, you need to not only increase weights, but also increase the number of sets you need to do. You may also increase the number of reps, but you don't really need to IF you're increasing the number of sets.








NOW, WHAT ARE THE MOVES I CAN DO?

You can plan out a few mix and match moves, whichever feels more comfortable for you to do, but be sure to cover all of them consistently. Work out a program from the choices below, or look for one online. Otherwise, you can also email me for help.

*Before starting on your workouts, please remember to do some light warm ups and stretches to prevent any injury.


▸ Working the arms
Pick 4-6 moves for each times. (click on the links to see how to do the moves)

• Bench press
• Chest press
• Dumbbell flies
• Bent-over rows
• Shoulder press
• Lateral raise
• Bicep curls
• Tricep dips
• Push-ups

▸ Working the legs
Pick 3 at the least or work on all of them if you can. (click on the links to see how to do the moves)

• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Stiff-leg deadlifts
• Split squats

That's about it! Please feel free to look for other compound moves to add variety to your workout, these are just some basic stuff. Don't forget to also stretch after your workouts. You might experience some sore muscles after the first day, but I promise you, keep it up and the sores will not reoccur again. Keep yourself hydrated too! :)