To stay looking good, today’s woman not only curls and presses in the powder room, she curls and presses in the weight room, too. More women have integrated weight training into their fitness programs because not only does weight training help to build muscle and bone density (remember, strong bones prevent osteoporosis), weight training also helps to burn fat. And, face it, burning fat is something everyone woman wants to do! In fact, this goal is by far the main focus of our online personal training with our members.

Experts say that lifting weights helps to increase lean muscle, which in turn revs up your metabolism and increases the number of calories your body burns. (Adding one pound of lean muscle mass can burn roughly 100 extra calories a day, even at rest). Even more, weight training has been linked to improving psychological health by increasing confidence and self-esteem—and that is a beautiful thing.

So, whether you have been enjoying the benefits of weight training, or you’re looking to begin, here are a few suggestions from a personal trainer to help you get the most out of your weight room experience.

First and foremost, always warm up prior to training. Increased movement of blood flow through your muscles will warm the tissues and make them more pliable, so your muscles are less susceptible to injury and can contract with greater intensity.

Second, focus on training your larger muscles first. If you were to fatigue your small muscles (which assist in large muscle exercises), you won’t have the necessary strength needed to perform the intended exercise correctly. For example, if you pump out three different exercises for your triceps and then make your way over to the bench press to work on your chest, you won’t be able to press the weight you want to because your triceps will feel fatigued. Your triceps (along with deltoids) are secondary muscles used in the chest press exercise.

Third, lift slowly with good posture and use your breath. Whether you’re standing, hinging forward or sitting tall, when you maintain good posture and control the movement of the exercise without using added momentum (such as swinging your bicep curl towards your shoulder), you will achieve greater benefit from the exercise and reduce the risk of sprains, strains and tendonitis. Also, exhaling on the exertion will help you to complete the rep with greater power and help you to avoid the Valsalva maneuver (holding your breath which can lead to a rise in blood pressure).

And finally, keep track of your results. If you get to the point where the weight is too easy and you’re simply just going through the motions, then it is time to reach for the heavier weight. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “I don’t want to get big and bulky.” Right? Think again. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that after a 12-week program of weight training, men increased their muscle size by 2.5 percent more than women. Both subject groups were following the same program; using the same number of sets, reps and appropriate 12RM weight (12 rep max). When it comes to muscle, women can’t get big and bulky, naturally. The bottom line is that women have less testosterone and smaller muscles to begin with.

With all that said, if you follow these suggestions, you should be on your way to enjoying a safe and effective weight training program, which will allow you to look your best ever. After all, today’s fit woman knows that inner beauty is just as important as outer beauty—it is on the inside where your muscles are; and it’s on the outside where you show them off. Happy lifting!

Heidi Malano is a personal trainer, fitness competitor and Chief Fitness and Diet Editor for www.LiveLeanToday.com, an interactive website that features online personal training and nutrition instruction as well as an extensive library of articles and a great community section. To read more about Heidi and online personal training, click on the link.