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However, it seems as though there’s a lot of information about exercise for women that is based on unfounded myths and even some outright lies instead of fact or scientific evidence. There are lots of pseudo-facts about weight training for women that lead to many worrying that they’ll get “bulky” or “too big”.

We’re about to debunk these strength training myths once and for all.

Myth #1: Women who lift weights will get bulky

This is another popular myth that persists despite the fact that women typically don't have the number of hormones (namely, testosterone) necessary to build huge muscles.

It's true, that if you lift enough weights over a long enough time, you will gain muscle mass. However, research shows that there aren't significant differences between how quickly men and women build muscle on similar training plans.

Myth #2: To burn fat, women should only do cardio

It's a common misconception that cardio is the best way to burn fat or lose weight. Weight lifting is as good or better for burning calories, since research shows it can increase your basal metabolic rate, or the number of calories you burn at rest, for up to 48 hours after you finish your workout. 

This means that strength training helps you preserve the muscle you have as well as increase your muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn all day long.

Myth #3: Women should use light weights and high reps to tone certain muscles

Workout routines designed for women often include light weight (or just body weight exercises) and lots of reps. The conventional wisdom is that these smaller weights will help "tone" your muscles without making them big. 

The truth is that this type of strength training doesn't burn more fat. The only way it will tone your body is if you've created a calorie deficit that allows you to lose body fat. Using lighter weights for higher reps will help you increase muscular endurance. It does have a place in training routines, but that lean, defined look comes from losing body fat.

So, does that mean you shouldn't use the lightweight, high-rep approach with strength training? Not necessarily. How you lift weights depends on your goals and fitness level. But for weight loss, it's great to use a variety of rep and weight ranges.