Getting in shape can mean different things to different people, but the way we plan our workouts is often based on fitness myths that probably had their orientation somewhere around high school gym class. Women in particular tend to base their workouts on a slew of misconceptions that has them avoiding places like the weight room -- and personal trainer Irene Lewis-McCormick really wants to change that.
Lewis-McCormick, the author of "A Woman's Guide to Muscle & Strength," has set out to revamp the female workout to push women to their best bodies. She's a stalwart believer in strength training, and wishes more woman made it part of their regimen.
"Strength training is one of the only forms of exercise that offers so many benefits to health and fitness, which makes it a solid choice of regular exercise," Lewis-McCormick says. "If anything, strength training is especially important for women because it provides maximum opportunity to control weight and achieve many other long-term benefits."
She's put together five myths that persist for women's workouts -- and while some of them may be disappointing (what do you mean I can't burn off my butt fat?), they should help to achieve better results -- and reteach some important lessons.