Very few women share a passion for squats, presses, and curls, in part because they fear turning into a Schwarzenegger. This widespread myth is very far from the truth. In fact, an ESPN profile of Olympic athlete Holley Mangold (a contestant on The Biggest Loser last season) notes that the typical woman is physically incapable of becoming the Incredible Hulk due to insufficient testosterone levels (2012). Mangold, 5 feet 8 inches and 330 pounds, told the reporter that she was comfortable with her own physique and lamented that she would have more peers who lifted "if women would just realize that they won't become not as huge as me.” Her statement is supported by several scientific studies on women and weightlifting. The truth is, if you're lifting and you continue to be in a calorie deficit, you're not going to gain mass. The male bodybuilders you see photos of online are most likely taking steroids, supplements, and consuming large amounts of food in order to shape their bodies to be competitive. Not to mention it takes more than 3-5 years to get closer to their physique. The second biggest myth about female fitness is that you are able to reduce fat. Doing side bends and sit-ups so you can hold on to your butt and produce a set of trim, toned abs like Sir Mix-A-Lot suggests is a complete bologna. You may notice that you sometimes lose fat in certain areas faster than others; this is simply due to a selective genetic pattern rather than a particular type of exercise (Carera/Vani, 2014). Exercise isn't the only piece of the puzzle to achieving optimal health. In order to reduce fat and bring out the abs you've built through strength training, you also need a healthy diet and cardiovascular exercise. What you eat and whether or not you choose to exercise are two of the biggest influences on your