You're losing the wrong thing
Most women diet away their muscle. Here's what to do instead.
We were sold a lie.
“Do cardio to get lean.”
“Lift weights and you’ll get bulky.”
Both wrong.
Your actual physique comes down to two things: how much muscle you carry, and how much fat sits on top of it.
That’s the whole scoreboard.
Everything else is noise.
The study that changes the conversation
Researchers put people (male and female) in a moderate calorie deficit with adequate protein, then split them into three groups:1
cardio several hours a week;
lifting 2–3 days a week; or
nothing.
After months of dieting, here’s what they found:
∙ Cardio and lifting reduced body fat at roughly the same rate.
∙ Only lifting built muscle.
∙ The cardio group lost muscle mass.
⬆️ Read that again.
Both groups lost fat.
Only one improved their body composition.
If you want a tighter, more sculpted, shredded shape, losing muscle in a calorie deficit via cardio is the exact opposite of what you’re after.
Why cardio isn’t the answer
There’s no “fat burn switch” that cardio flips.
Fat loss is governed by energy balance — when calories are low, your body pulls from stored tissue.
If you’re not lifting progressively, a lot of that tissue will be muscle…
When it’s gone, it’s gone.🛫
Less muscle means a smaller metabolic engine. Which makes staying lean harder, not easier.
You end up dieting against yourself.
What progressive overload lifting actually does
Lifting weights wisely works on two levels at once:
it burns calories during the session;
and it signals your body to preserve — and build — muscle.
Muscle is metabolically expensive tissue for your skeleton to carry.
It requires energy to maintain, increases your daily output, improves insulin sensitivity, and makes you stronger and more capable in everything you do.
Cardio burns calories for the hour you’re doing it.
Lifting burns calories for days and transforms the system doing the burning from the inside out.
When training time is limited, smart lifting is the better investment.
The uncomfortable truth
Exercise is not the primary fat loss lever.
Food is.
You can’t out-train a garbage diet.
No amount of treadmill time fixes inconsistent nutrition and/or drug and alcohol use.
So the priority order is simple:
1. Lift consistently via progressive overload and deload cycles.
2. Eat and drink in alignment with your health and physique goals.
3. Add cardio if you enjoy it or need the extra output. Not too intensely for too long.
But don’t confuse motion with progress.
If two approaches produce similar fat loss — and one also builds muscle and strength — the choice is obvious:
Hit the weights — wisely.
If you’re just getting started, begin here»
Be the hero of your story,
Michelle
👋🏼P.S. No B.S.
She wasn’t built in June...
Winter is when the work gets done.
Summer is just when people notice.
There’s a version of you that exists in June — stronger, fitter, moving through the world differently.
She wasn’t built in June.
She’s being built right now, in the unsexy middle of winter, by a woman who decided not to wait for the right moment.
I have something coming this week for a very small number of women who are ready to be her.
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Digging these tips? Forward to a friend!
Week 3 - Cycle 7- 1 Yr. Transformation Workout
Week of March 1, 2026
🦵🏽🍑 She’s Got Legs!
⭐️You must track your weights, sets, and reps.
What Gets Measured Gets Managed:
Ensure you have your “before” stats.
Always Begin With a Warm Up
Please do this quick hip mobility progression.
Warm Up to Working Sets
For the 1st exercise of the day, perform 3 progressive warm up sets beginning with 60% of your working weight
For the rest of the exercises, perform 1-2 warm ups ‘til you feel primed for your working set(s)
This Week’s Relative Perceived Effort (RPE):
9/10
Or, think of it as 1toF (1 to fail). Leave ONE rep in the tank and be honest with yourself.
🔥THIS WEEK: 🔥
On ALL exercises you should be hitting between 8-12 reps, and at least one more rep than last week on at least your first working set
Try to increase weights by at least 2.5 lbs (some larger lifts - like squat variations- may be more)
Rest until you catch your breath
Remember that form, controlled negatives, intensity and range of motion > weight used. A rule of thumb is to use your 10-rep max.
Exercise glossary outside of the basics is here»
‼️Use Your VersaGripps (or wrist straps of choice) for ALL pulling exercises.
1️⃣ WORKOUT 1
Hack Squats x 2 working sets
Standing Calf Machine x 3 working sets
Leg Extension x 1 working set
Pull Ups x 2 working sets
Incline Bench Press (Can sub with Smith machine) x 2 working sets
2️⃣ WORKOUT 2
Wide Stance Squat (depending on your skill level can use barbell, KB, Smith or Belt Squat) x 4 working sets
DB Stiff-Legged Deadlifts x 1 working set.
6-Way Shoulders x 3 working sets
Cable With Bar Overhead Tricep Extension x 2 working sets
Bayesian Bicep Curls x 3 working sets
ACTIVE REST DAY BETWEEN WORKOUTS 2 & 3
3️⃣ WORKOUT 3
Back Squat (depending on your skill level can use barbell, KB, Smith or Belt Squat) x 2 working sets
Leg Press Calves x 2 working sets
Leg Extensions x 1 working set
Parallel Grip Pull Up x 2 working sets
Pec Deck Machine x 2 working sets
4️⃣ WORKOUT 4
Seated Hamstring Curl x 1 working set
Barbell or DB Stiff Legged Deadlift x 1 working set
Hip Thrusts (Can use machine) x 2 working sets
Cable or DB Leaning Lateral Raise x 3 working sets
Hammer Preacher Curls x 3 working sets
Cable or DB Tricep Kickback x 2 Working Sets
TWO ACTIVE REST DAYS AFTER WORKOUT 4.
Get your steps, hydrate, and fuel to fertilize muscle.
Questions?