By: Elena Voropay

Not too long ago, weight training area of the gym was restricted for use by men only. Today, seeing women comfortably lifting dumbbells is no surprise at all. And for a good reason – who doest want toned muscles and lean waist? Even though some women are still afraid of lifting weights due to their fear of becoming masculine-looking and bulky, more and more real life evidence shows that that’s not the case. Weight or resistance training certainly has the potential to improve your muscle tone, but will never make your muscles huge or bulky. The reason for this is that women generally lack sufficient amount of hormone testosterone, the trigger for building muscles.

Fat does not need any energy to exist. But every kilogram of lean tissue burns about 130 calories per day, every day. That may not seem a lot, but little by little it all adds up: having just one extra kilo of muscle in your body will burn an additional 48 000 calories per year! All of that without even dieting or stepping into the gym! Add a little more muscle and you will burn even more. For example, 5kg of muscle tissue will burn you off 33kg of fat per year. That also means that you can eat a lot without gaining an ounce of fat - to be precise, some extra 237,250 calories annually.

Muscle is your silent secret weapon in the war against fat. It also gives your body beautiful definition, straightens posture, reduces risk of injuries, slows down aging process and prevents several age-related diseases. Add increased self esteem and simple functional strength benefits, and you've got a great package that is reason enough to put on that sexy bikini and have fun at the beach this summer.