8 Photos That Prove Lifting Heavy Doesn’t Make You ‘Bulky’

Think lifting heavy dumbbells will transform you into the Incredible Hulk? Think again. 

“Lifting heavy weights will not automatically make you bulky,” says Rachel Mariotti, a personal trainer at Equinox in New York City who regularly posts strength-training snaps of herself on Instagram. Plus, research shows that women who lift heavier weights with fewer reps actually burn more calories than women who lift lighter weights with more reps. 

There are other advantages to adding weight to your routine, too, Mariotti says. “When you are moving a heavy load of weight, like with squats or deadlifts at 80 percent of your one-rep max, you will have to fire multiple muscle groups in your body to move and work together at the same time, under tension,” she says. This helps fire up the brain and improve joint movement. 

As they say, seeing is believing. Check out these eight Instagram posts of fit women who lift heavy weights—and look great: