Weight-lifting

As Phil Pfister's 24-hour shift at Firestation 2 comes to a close, he switches his mind set from fire fighter, to strongman. Three years ago, the brawny, blue eyed, blond entered a strongman weight-lifting competition. He easily won and never looked back.

“Many American women are so undermuscled,” he [Richard Oliver Keelor] said, “that their basal metabolic rate is lower than it might be if they had good strength. If they had more muscle mass, they would burn more calories, not only during the time they are exercising but in daily living.” As a result, he said, weight-lifting is a far better way for women to keep their figures trim than starvation diets, which, he said, can prodice malnutrition and psychological problems.

With weight-lifting and protein shakes, my body began to change. It became broader, more v-shaped, and my shoulders and biceps became more defined.

Both bodyweight workouts and weight-lifting are excellent strength workouts that can improve the quality of your daily life. Weight-lifting gives faster results, in terms of muscle and brawn, but bodyweight exercises are more convenient and pose less risk of injury.