Many women say they want to get toned not bulky. But wellness journalist Lisa Elaine Held suggests that, on a physical level, there is no difference between the two. Both goals, she says, require muscular hypertrophy, the muscle growth that occurs when you work out regularly.

Furthermore, solid scientific evidence backs her up. “Muscles are only able to grow, shrink or stay the same,” explains Brynn Putnam, one of the fitness experts Held interviewed. No matter the workout you do, how the body builds muscle doesn’t change. So, ladies, don’t shun the weight room. Whether you’re lifting hefty barbells for hours at a time or planking your butt off in Pilates classes, the end result will be the same.