It’s the ultimate piece of fitness bullshit, yet women everywhere still say these words constantly: “I’d love to start lifting weights, and I know it’s good for me, but I don’t want to get all bulky.” You know what the ironic thing is about this? There’s an inverse relationship involving the women who say this, and it has everything to do with how hard they’re willing to work. Here it is:
The vast, vast majority of women who claim they “don’t want to get bulky in the gym” don’t work hard enough there to put on any muscle—even if they were male. If you know anyone who uses this ridiculous rationale as an excuse to avoid lifting, you know exactly what I mean. 
With that said, here are six great workout suggestions from world class trainer and athlete Julia Ladewski (and no, they won’t make you look like a tank…rather, you’ll be just like the title says–the sexy, strong woman):
1. Consider training like a powerlifter. Training for powerlifting involves using heavier weights for lower reps. This will result in a much lower overall training volume—which, in turn, will give you less muscular growth than you’d get from high-volume training. In other words, no bulk.
2. Use the Conjugate Method for great results. By utilizing the conjugate method, it’s possible to achieve great gains in strength without adding massive amounts of bulk. The conjugate method will intelligently tell you which exercises to do in order to get stronger without adding mass, and which moves you should be doing for high volume.
3. Improve the efficiency of your central nervous system (CNS) with max effort (ME) training. Lifting with near-maximal weights, keep your intensity high (90-100 percent) and your reps low (1-3). This will train your nervous system to move weights faster and more explosively, making you stronger in the process.
4. Use builder exercises to strengthen your main lifts (the bench, squat, and deadlift). Using sub-maximal weights (60-85 percent of your one-rep max), stay in the 5-10 rep range. The idea here is to strengthen the weak points in your main lifts, which will allow you to use more weight—again, without adding bulk. 
5. “Bring up” the rest of your weak points with your assistance work. This entails bodybuilding-style movements done at a higher volume. Choose these exercises based on where you’re weak or feel you need more muscle. For most women, this will entail working the hamstrings, lower back, and glutes.
6. Combine your training with Carb Back-Loading. Training low volume/heavy intensity with your main exercises and high volume/moderate intensity with your assistance exercises will be especially effective when you put everything together in conjunction with an optimized nutrition protocol like Carb Back-Loading. That’s the real secret to becoming the sexy, strong woman.
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