It’s a long-running—and often hotly contested—debate: cardio or weights. The logic behind running a few miles as you’re sweating it out on the treadmill is that it can help you get lean—and it can. But lifting weights has similar effects with an added bonus: building strength while sculpting specific body parts, like your glutes or abs.

But sometimes you need to see real-life proof to believe it. 

Enter: Fitness blogger Rebecca Smith.

View this post on Instagram

LIFTING MAKES YOU MANLY?! – It infuriates me how still so many girls think the second you pick up a dumbbell or protein shake you'll suddenly become the hulk?? changing my training from cardio to weights changed me completely inside & out and each to their own but I personally don't think I've made my body look at all manly in my past year and a bit of weight training! Here are my 3 main reasons for girls to start lifting ? – 1. Building strength & muscles: Lifting builds on a woman's natural curves and helps your body be the strongest it can. Ripped abs, sexy strong back, shoulder boulders & a curvy behind alll come from lifting ? #strongnotskinny – 2. Loosing that extra body fat: my body fat % saw a MASSIVE fall when I began lifting because as your muscle mass INCREASES your metabolism INCREASES. Before I would spend hours on cardio machines thinking that will get rid of fat but never saw any results and just made me HATE going to the gym, and if you feel like your in that boat now then change it up now! – 3. Healthy relationship with food & body image: when your doing cardio in order to burn 'calories' it's so easy to look at food as numbers and end up feeling guilty for eating too much and feeling like you HAVE to restrict yourself to see results, well that's just not the case at all. Starting weight training made me realise food is fuel and I need LOTS of it to get the best out of my training ? the amount I eat has honestly trebled since I picked up lifting and I absolutely love it ? there's no restricting and there's no guilt in indulging in treats once in a while because what better way to fuel a sesh ?? – Rant over if this convinces one girl to try out weight training mission complete but I wanna see MORE GIRLS in the weights section and get rid of the association that it's just for boys because it's not #gainingweightiscool #StrengthFeed #transformationthursday??

A post shared by Rebecca Catherine Smith (@rebeccafitness_eats) on

5 Butt Exercises for the Beach
Hers Workouts

15 Glutes Exercises for a Perfect Butt

Bikini butts are always in, and these exercises will get you one.

Read article

In the Instagram caption for the stunning before-and-after photos, Smith explains why she’s sticking with lifting over cardio: “Building strength and muscles,” “losing that extra body fat,” and having a “healthier relationship with food and body image.” When it comes to lifting weights, she also encourages women to “get rid of the association that it’s just for boys because it’s not.”

Here are some more photos of Smith’s incredible booty—not to mention six-pack abs and toned arms—from her Instagram account:

View this post on Instagram

COMPOUND SUPERSETS ?? – Few snippets of todays workout with @adamcapel of some of my favourite supersets to include when training glutes and wooowz do I feel it already ? – I always do at least one or two compound exercises each leg sesh (squat, deadlift, hip thrust etc) and feel so much more of a burn especially in glutes when I superset them with light weight high rep exercises like these and feel like I really am getting the most out of my workout and breaking a serious sweat ? – First one: • Sumo deadlift 4 x 5-7 reps • Single leg dumbbell deadlift 4 x 10-12 reps each leg Second one: • Squats 4 x 5-7 reps • Goblet pulse squat 4 x 12-15 reps – Followed these by hip thrusts (hit 100kg pb yay lol), walking lunges & leg extension! Try out these supersets to feel a serious burn ?

A post shared by Rebecca Catherine Smith (@rebeccafitness_eats) on

View this post on Instagram

Current ab situation: nada. 4 ish weeks into my first attempt at a proper 'bulk' taken its toll faster than I thought ? fluffier around the edges & missing the lean life but excited to see some strength gain all over ? Hats off to all the girls that bulk months on end as it's a lot more mentally challenging than I thought to be actively trying to gain weight and as easy as it may sound eating this much food is a challenge in itself ? but I'll keep you guys updated along the way ?? . Was far sweatier than this after our @vlique Lifting four Girls session this morning with @annarhodesfitness ??‍♀️ the most asked question I get is how do you get into lifting as it can be so intimidating and I think going to a class like this is so perfect for that, small groups all girls at all different levels and absolutely no judgment just support?? even if you've been lifting for a while it's great to train with others and a PT as helped me become aware of some problem areas and how I'm going to fix them! Get yourself on the app & down to a sesh! #liftingforgirls #StrenghFeed

A post shared by Rebecca Catherine Smith (@rebeccafitness_eats) on

View this post on Instagram

okay these don't taste as good as they look lol ?

A post shared by Rebecca Catherine Smith (@rebeccafitness_eats) on

This Stunning German Pilot's Instagram Account is Fit Travel Goals
Hers Athletes & Celebrities

This Stunning German Pilot’s Instagram Accou...

Madeleine Schneider-Weiffenbach's Instagram will make you jealous.

Read article
Topics: