!["While running and cycling may burn calories, they do not design feminine muscles."](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/81/67/1359816728_6892_Untitled%20%282%29.jpg?itok=8ojXIbaw ""While running and cycling may burn calories, they do not design feminine muscles."")
Fitness guru Tracy Anderson says running isn't ideal for weight loss, and explains why she isn't a fan of women lifting heavy weights in a blog post on Gwyneth Paltrow's health/fitness website, Goop.
"While running and cycling may burn calories, they do not design feminine muscles or get rid of an imbalance that may masquerade as a 'problem area' — even on women who are genetically thin," writes Anderson, who helped Kourtney Kardashian lose 44 pounds just six months after giving birth.
"Running a marathon is a real and measurable accomplishment, but if you’re looking to lean out and lose weight, training to complete 26.2 miles isn’t going to give you the physical results you crave."
Tracy, who herself lost 30 pounds just six weeks after giving birth to her second child, says women should strive for long, lean muscles that can only come from lifting light weights (three pounds maximum) at high repetitions.
"While bulkier muscle looks OK on women in their twenties and thirties, it doesn’t age well," says Anderson, who previously trained the super-ripped Madonna.
Tracy's exercise tips contradict the advice of most fitness experts, who recommend that women lift heavy weights and shouldn't be concerned that weight-lifting will bulk them up.
"I have occasionally designed programs for men that incorporate kettle bells, but I would never recommend them to women, even for women who are fans of bulkier muscle lines," says Anderson, 37.
"Kettle balls are also unnecessary, since you can easily get the benefits of incorporating weight and motion in a way that doesn’t add bulk or put your body at risk of injury ... The sooner you build a long, lean, and feminine arm, the more sustainable the results will be — and with no sacrifice in strength."
While Anderson has been criticized for her lack of fitness credentials, there's no denying that her workout regimen produces real results. Her clients include lean, toned celebrities such as Nicole Richie and Ashley Greene.
Most recently, Kim Kardashian began working with Anderson to minimize pregnancy weight gain. Anderson promises that with her help, Kim will look better after pregnancy than before. "She’s going to look better after pregnancy than she’s ever looked," says Tracy. "I guarantee it.”
