Women's body building started as physique contests that date back to the 1960s with some of the more popular contests being Miss Physique and Miss Americana; however, these early contests were mostly just bikini contests. Women's body building really started in the 1970s when the first contest that was judged based on muscularity was held. This contest was the first US Women's National Physique Championship and it was held in 1978. More body building contests followed suit.

Today, more and more women are getting involved in strength training, the basic training exercise required for body building. Most women, however, do not do this to enter competitions. Instead, most of them do it to simply lose fat, gain muscle, and become healthier individuals. This, however, is not a very easy thing to do - becoming lean does not only necessitate finding the perfect diet program and getting enough exercise - the most essential item to losing fat and becoming lean through weight training is your mental approach.

Here are a few tips on how to get your mindset right so as to increase your results and get the most out of your workout:

-Motivate yourself. You need this to get through the tough times. It can be especially hard when it comes to sticking to your diet program. You may find yourself wanting to deviate from your diet plan; when this happens, give yourself a small pep talk. Encourage yourself to stick to your diet plan. Time may also come when you get too lazy to wake up early to go to the gym or simply work out. Do not give in. Inspire yourself to work your buns off and don't let the call of the couch get to you.

-Follow your diet plan. It is also very important to never say you are on a diet. Dieting carries a certain stigma - most people thing dieting is depriving yourself of all the good stuff to eat - which is simply not the case. Getting and following a good diet plan is simply knowing the right kinds and amount of food to eat. Never think of it as depriving yourself, because if you do, chances are you will find yourself craving for all the good stuff you want to eat. Avoid this and simply think of it as eating healthy and eating right.

-Flaunt what you have. Go by the adage that says if you have it, flaunt it. It is never wrong to show what you have achieved through hard work and dedication. Go to the gym and wear mid-baring work out clothes. This will make you feel good and may even motivate you to work out more.

-Keep things interesting. You may find yourself getting bored with your everyday workout routine. Change it up! If you want to do cardio, try the stairmaster instead of the treadmill. Or better yet, try a dance class - this way, you don't only get your much needed dose of cardio work out, you also learn a new skill.

Remember that everything starts in the mind. You can achieve whatever you set your mind to.