INDIANAPOLIS -- Cara Kempf is a certified personal trainer with the Fitness Zone in Carmel and a group fitness instructor with NIFS in downtown Indianapolis. She can be contacted at fitnessblog@theindychannel.com.

Lots of women tend to stay away from lifting weights because they don't want to get big and bulky muscles.

Well, I have news for you -- you won't get those big bulky muscles if you lift the right way. Lifting weights is essential to maintaining your overall best fitness level, not to mention giving your body some shape.

The legs are definitely the most worrisome area of the body for building bulk. Try doing more reps with less weight for leg curls and leg presses. Drop the weights for lunges and squats and do more repetitions instead.

Plyometrics are also a great way to get leg definition and strength without adding too much bulk. Here are a couple of plyometric jumps to try:

• Begin standing with feet shoulder width apart, arms down at your sides. Squat down as far as you can to start your momentum, then jump up into the air as high as you can while reaching up to the ceiling with your arms. Land softly into the squat position and try to go right into the next jump without taking a break.
• Begin with your right leg in front of your left leg, so far that you can squat down without your front knee going over your front foot, arms down at your sides. Squat down to begin momentum, then jump into the air and switch your legs so that the left leg is coming down in front and right leg behind. You must jump high enough so that you can land in that big squat position, and so that your left knee will not go further than your left foot. This is a more advanced jump, so be careful when trying it for the first time.

Don't skip the weights because you don't want to bulk up. You need weights to strengthen and build muscles, as well as strong bones!