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I have this one petite friend?she’s probably a size zero?who is very into health and fitness. Jess is in her early 20s, lives in Brooklyn with her boyfriend, works in PR, and, like me, exercises most days of the week. Unlike me, however, Jess goes to the gym and lifts 200-pound weights?and her body is amazing because of it. Case in point:

Before I met Jess, I had some thoughts around weight lifting, none of them complimentary. I generally leave the heavy weights to the dudes at the gym for fear of bulking up, and I’ve always associated lifting with getting bigger, which is literally the opposite of my fitness goals. So instead, my own routine mostly involves body-weight training or cardio-based classes using the embarrassingly pink small dumbbells or an occasional 10- or 15-pound weight. Lately, though, I’ve started thinking that working out like a dude could be the key to a more toned, defined body.  MORE: 25 Weight-Loss Tips from the World?s Most Beautiful Models
Like me, Jess wasn’t always into lifting, and her weekly schedule used to include three long runs and two yoga classes. She describes her figure during that time as “skinny fat,” a term used for someone who is visibly slim but has a high body-fat percentage and low muscle mass. Now, after four years of heavy lifting, Jess says she’s visibly more toned and physically in the best shape of her life. “My body has definitely adapted to b...