More and more women are starting to strength train, and for good reason! It’s a fast, effective way to build a better-looking body and improve your health. But if you’re not yet convinced that strength training is for you, then these four reasons are likely to change your mind.

1. Strength training will transform your body.

This is the most obvious benefit, but strength training is an excellent activity that will allow you to shed body fat and get that lean, toned look. Without a doubt, most women start strength training because they want to transform their body, lose fat and feel more confident in and out of their clothes. But what if I told you that lifting weights offers even better benefits than just building a better looking body?

2. You’ll have a better body image now, not someday.

Too often women exclaim, “I’ll be happy once I reach my goal weight” or “I’ll finally be happy when I can wear a smaller jean size”. This is where strength training really shines because it allows you to take the focus off how you look and appreciate and discover what your body can do.

When you take the time to love your body for the amazing things it’s capable of doing, you can love your body right now. You don’t have to wait to reach your health or fitness goals. Be proud of what your body can do! Not only is this an incredible benefit, but focusing on your abilities will keep you coming back for more week after week.

3. Abolish self-imposed limitations.

Many resources still tell women to not lift heavy weights, and most believe they’ll never be able to do a body weight chin-up and that they’re relegated to perform “girl push-ups” and other women-friendly exercises. Discouraging women from discovering their true strength is downright degrading, and it’s time to banish those limiting thoughts.

Strength training unleashes your true strength and shows you what you’re truly capable of doing. Start lifting weights and focus on getting stronger whenever possible and you will quickly see you’re capable of more than you realize.

4. Make your entire life way more awesome.

That may sound like a grandiose statement, but I assure you it’s not. Being physically strong makes the rest of your life more awesome in several ways. First, when you’re strong and healthy, activities of daily living (e.g. carrying the groceries, shoveling snow off your driveway, etc.) become much easier.

Second, strength training is a great stress-reliever. That bad day at work will be a distant memory after you set a personal record in the gym or improve your performance from the previous week’s workout.

It may also encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Strength training has a way of making you realize, “Wow. I can do this, what else can I do?” that you may find yourself looking for other activities and adventures to use your newfound abilities. Now try to tell me all of these things don’t add up to a more awesome life!

Bottom line, if you haven’t yet tried strength training, you need to start now. You’ll reap the benefits and more so you’ll want to keep coming back for more.