Nowadays you're as likely to see a group of young women deadlifting serious weights on the gym floor as you would a group of young men, but there's no denying that that hasn't always been the case.

As recently as a decade ago, phrases like 'size zero trend' were commonplace among the press and public as society focussed its attention on the waif-life appearance of high-profile individuals.

Thankfully, the passing of time has seen a change in both the perception and approach to health and wellbeing.

 

SHOULDER/BACK/BIS WORKOUT I didnt show it in this video but my WARMUP/ACTIVATION . 40 Mountain Climbers 20 Superman Holds Repeat 3x . WORKOUT Perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps of each exercise, with 30 second rest between each set and make sure you choose a weight that is difficult for you. . BICEP CURL TO SHOULDER PRESS SINGLE-ARM ROW LATERAL RAISE TO FRONT RAISE WIDE GRIP LAT PULLDOWN CABLE CURL . You asked for it babes and here you have it!! Happy sweating.www.kelseywells.com/app

A post shared by KELSEY WELLS (@kelseywells) on Sep 21, 2017 at 8:08am PDT

One quick scroll through any social media feed will throw up countless hashtags including #GirlsWhoLift, #StrongNotSkinny and #GirlsWithMuscle – labels which all highlight the popularity of weightlifting among the female population.

And yet despite the focus on fitness, strength and health among many Instagrammers, there exists a narrative that suggests women should not dedicate themselves to a routine based on weightlifting.

And Kelsey Wells isn't having it.

The fitness blogger, who boasts more than 847,000 followers, took to Instagram this week to tackle the negative dialogue which surrounds women who weightlift.

Sharing a photo of herself in three different aspects of her life, the mother-of-one encouraged other female weightlifters to ignore the criticism. 

 

Comments along the lines of "you're looking manly" or "careful you don't want to be bulky" or "weightlifting isn't feminine" never cease to amaze me I choose not to respond to negativity, but I do have something to say about this and I want to say it loud and clear. NOT in response to those who have left negative messages and comments, but instead to ALL MY FELLOW WOMEN who have ever received a similar comment or been told they need to do/be something different to be beautiful or feminine. THE ONLY THING A WOMAN NEEDS TO DO TO BE BEAUTIFUL AND FEMININE IS TO BE HERSELF. We empower ourselves when we are living our truth and doing what we are PASSIONATE about with our WHOLE HEARTS. I was always a girly girl growing up and I love getting dressed up on occasion. What has surprised me though is finding I feel most beautiful when I'm gross and sweaty in the gym when I'm pushing myself in my training, and even more so as I'm wrestling on the floor with my son or any time I'm looking into that little face and teaching him about his world. . There is 100% beauty and femininity in lifting weights. Just as there is in dancing. There is beauty in MOTHERHOOD. There is beauty in marriage. There is beauty in being a homemaker. There is beauty in being single. There is beauty in pursuing a career. There is beauty in education, in learning both inside and outside of school. There is beauty in public speaking. There is beauty in private, sincere conversation. There is beauty in writing and cooking and cleaning and singing and playing sports and playing instruments and anything and everything else you might enjoy, because simply there is SO MUCH BEAUTY in YOU, you just need to choose to see it. And it has nothing to do with what you look like. So free yourself of the opinions of others and the beauty standards of society. Pay attention to the moments in life you FEEL beautiful. What are you doing? DO MORE OF THAT kelseywells.com/app

A post shared by KELSEY WELLS (@kelseywells) on Sep 22, 2017 at 7:41am PDT

"Comments along the lines of "you're looking manly" or "careful you don't want to be bulky" or "weightlifting isn't feminine" never cease to amaze me," she began in the post which has been liked more than 24,000 times.

"I choose not to respond to negativity, but I do have something to say about this and I want to say it loud and clear. NOT in response to those who have left negative messages and comments, but instead to ALL MY FELLOW WOMEN who have ever received a similar comment or been told they need to do/be something different to be beautiful or feminine."

"THE ONLY THING A WOMAN NEEDS TO DO TO BE BEAUTIFUL AND FEMININE IS TO BE HERSELF. We empower ourselves when we are living our truth and doing what we are PASSIONATE about with our WHOLE HEARTS."

 

When it's literally day four of the dry shampoo and your hair desperately needs to be washed BUT it's never had so much volume in your life. Haha HI BABES WHASSUP LET'S SWEAT!!!www.kelseywells.com/app

A post shared by KELSEY WELLS (@kelseywells) on Sep 12, 2017 at 8:38am PDT

"I was always a girly girl growing up and I love getting dressed up on occasion. What has surprised me though is finding I feel most beautiful when I'm gross and sweaty in the gym when I'm pushing myself in my training, and even more so as I'm wrestling on the floor with my son or any time I'm looking into that little face and teaching him about his world."

"There is 100% beauty and femininity in lifting weights. Just as there is in dancing. There is beauty in MOTHERHOOD. There is beauty in marriage. There is beauty in being a homemaker. There is beauty in being single. There is beauty in pursuing a career. There is beauty in education, in learning both inside and outside of school. There is beauty in public speaking," Kelsey argued.

"There is beauty in private, sincere conversation. There is beauty in writing and cooking and cleaning and singing and playing sports and playing instruments and anything and everything else you might enjoy, because simply there is SO MUCH BEAUTY in YOU, you just need to choose to see it. And it has nothing to do with what you look like."

 

Day to day along my journey it seemed nothing was different, yet looking back at myself three years later I realize EVERYTHING has changed. Not through drastic breakthroughs, but rather small consistent efforts and a lot of hard work. Yes, physically I am stronger. But the reason I have stuck with it through the years and will never stop is because fitness has helped me FEEL strong. Learning how to nourish my body and consistently exercise and train efficiently has completely changed my body composition. In the same vein, learning how to work hard and push through challenges and embrace self-belief has completely changed my mentality and self-perception. Caring for myself physically empowers me mentally and emotionally. I do what I do, because above all else, I want YOU to know that YOU can empower yourself through fitness too.www.kelseywells.com/app . #transformationtuesday #transformation #beforeandafter #fitnessmotivation #fitnesstransformation #fitmoms #fitspo #fitspiration #sweat #workout #girlswithmuscle #healthyliving #fitmums #fitchick #fitlife #strongwoman #selflove

A post shared by KELSEY WELLS (@kelseywells) on Aug 29, 2017 at 7:53am PDT

Finishing her post with a nod to the future of her followers, Kelsey wrote: "So free yourself of the opinions of others and the beauty standards of society. Pay attention to the moments in life you FEEL beautiful. What are you doing? DO MORE OF THAT."

Unsurprisingly, Kelsey's followers have been quick to share their enthusiasm for her post, with one writing: "I feel so motivated how you talk and express feelings for real women."

"I follow you because your strength is a beauty that I hope to have someday! And not just your physical strength but your mental strength as well. LIFT ON SISTA!" added another.

We're with them on that.