Let’s get real: All women should lift—and heavy. Seriously, moving heavy weights is one of the best things you can possibly do for both your body and your mind.

It’s your key to building serious muscle, boosting your energy levels, and crushing your fat-loss goals. Plus, it makes you feel like a complete badass, which, let’s be honest, you totally are.

But all DOMS aside, heavy lifting does involve some serious struggles. Here are 11 painful (if not altogether ridiculous) realities every girl who goes heavy in the gym can understand.

1. You constantly have to tell your friends, “Lifting doesn’t make you ‘bulky!’” Seriously, it’s 2016. And do I look like a man to you?

RELATED: This Is How to Sculpt Your Abs and Legs in Just Two Minutes

2. You can’t get manicures because you want to keep your callouses in tact. On the plus side, not getting your nails done saves you money for things like weight straps and weightlifting shoes

3. You can never get to your gym’s squat rackYou’re all for two- to three-minute rest sessions in between sets. But this guy did two reps 20 minutes ago and is now just checking himself out in the mirror. 

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4. You are hungry. All. The. Time. And you are so sick of people asking, “Where does all of that food even go?” To my muscles, thankyouverymuch.

RELATED: The 16 Best Foods to Eat When You're Seriously HANGRY 

5. Your boyfriend is too scared to work out with you. Enough said. 

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6. That awkward moment when you catch the only other girl in the weight room checking you out. It’s cool though. You were checking her out just a second ago.

7. Every time you post a workout pic to Instagram, you end up looking constipatedYou try making a pretty face when you’re lifting your one-rep max.

RELATED: The 5-Move Workout That'll Make You the Queen of the Weight Room

8. Guys assume you need help setting up your weight platesIf I can deadlift these weights, I’m pretty sure I can get them on a barbell.

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9. When someone asks you how much you weigh... Um, can I tell you my body fat percentage instead? #muscleweighsmorethanfat

10. Your waist has gotten smaller, but your butt is getting bigger. Buying too-big jeans and having the waist taken in gets super expensive, super fast. (Squeeze in a quickie sweat sesh with Women's Health's 20-Minute Workouts DVD!) 

11. Despite all of your complaining, you’d never go back. You cringe at pictures from your cardio-only days the way the world cringes at old pics of Justin and Britney in matching denim. #neverforget