#FitNotThin: The Rise Of Weightlifting For A Better Bod

There was a time when exercise for women was confined to wearing sweatbands, doing aerobics, and possibly a little Pilates if you were lucky. Now in 2015, just like we can drive and vote, there's a new area of life opening up to us girls: the weights area. That's right, shunned for a long time by female gym-goers and trainers alike for fear of 'bulking up', thanks to a growing celebrity contingent of fans like Millie Mackintosh, weights are THE thing to be doing.

We've noticed a bevy of starlets with enviable bods swinging kettlebells around on Instagram - even juicing and yoga devotee, Miranda Kerr, has been doing some seriously weighted squats. Plus, Cameron Diaz gave weights the nod in her new tome, 'The Body Book', crediting them for her lean bod. So what's the fuss around weights all of a sudden?

Dalton Wong, celebrity trainer extraordinaire of Twenty Two Training told us, "Lifting weights increases your lean muscle mass which is how you achieve that toned and svelte look.", then adding that weightlifting can even help improve your flexibility. "That external load of a weight can force your body into a bigger range of motion which equals better flexibility." So that's a lean, strong, flexible body that lifting weights can give you - not a huge, bulky, Hulk-like one.

Aesthetic benefits aside, weights can help you feel stronger and faster. Dalton said, "Lifting weights increases your feel-good hormones. Knowing that you can sprint away from danger, or protect yourself just enhances your confidence. Having a strong athletic body also reduces the risk of several bone diseases, like osteoporosis and can also help help with hormone fluctuations like menopause." Feeling super fit and insuring yourself against the woes of middle age? Sign us up.

The most popular exercises with the A-List seem to be squats (obvs) and deadlifts, which help strengthen your glutes and thighs, but Lee Mullins, of London celebrity hotspot gym, Workshop, told us 'Women generally respond well to weight training workouts that target the whole body. Workouts that challenge the whole body are generally more effective for females this combined with other workouts such as yoga, boxing or swimming to name a few will help create a healthy, strong, feminine body.

Dalton added, "Lifting weights doesn’t mean that you have to lift heavy weights, just enough weight to challenge you." If you've never lifted before, or are looking to add a lot more weights into your routine, we recommend you book in with a personal trainer. While it sounds expensive, even just a one-off session is worth forking out for to ensure you execute all your moves properly and don't do yourself a mischief.

If you needed any more incentive other than flexibility, strength and lean limbs? Dalton said: "Everybody enjoys that extra glass of wine or an amazing bowl of pasta. Lifting weights before a big party or dinner is a great plan as your body can absorb all those treats to help recover and repair your body for you next sessions." Hello, carbonara and Pinot Noir.