Me man. Man lift heavy thing. Put heavy thing down. Lift heavy thing again. Man grow big. Impress woman. Mmmm... man like woman.

This type of thinking is more common than you might expect, with some adopting a "Captain Hardcore" mentality that free weights rule all and weightlifting machines are filled with suck and fail. These are the same types of guys that don't mind dropping several dollars on a single serving of Mega-Plex-Whey-Protein-Isolate-Muscle-Blaster-Sludge-Shake.

I don't pay much attention to them, and neither should you.

Yes, free weights are the best type of weightlifting to engage in because their use reflects a more natural human movement, but that doesn't mean that weightlifting machines don't have uses. Whether it's for exercising your chest, back, arms or legs, there are a lot of good weightlifting machines out there and you shouldn't let some over-muscled "bro" intimidate you out of using them.

Seven Reasons to Use Weight Machines after the jump

I consider myself to be pretty from the neck down.

The genetic lottery didn't give me anything close to one of those Brad Pitt type faces, so I work hard to try and look like I've got something of a Fight Club physique to help keep my wife happy.

There are many reasons why you should engage in weightlifting, and my next post is going to elaborate on that in detail, but for this one I wanted to address the issue of how building muscle affects metabolism.

Speaking of Brad, he was pretty ripped in Fight Club, and many believe that having extra muscle mass burns a lot of extra calories, getting you closer to that coveted six pack. The most commonly quoted numbers are that one pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day while at rest. Using that math, if you happen to build ten pounds of muscle through weight training then you would burn an extra 500 calories every single day just by having that muscle hanging around on your body.

I wish it was true, but it isn't.

Achieving that coveted six pack in virtually no time at all sounds like a good deal, right? Well, I will bust the first myth right here. You cannot get a flat belly "fast," but you can get a flat, fit belly over time and sustain it. Everyone wants a washboard stomach -- in fact, this is easily the most exercised area of the body because people work on what they can see in the mirror when they jump out of the shower. Nothing says health -- or for some, a "hot body" -- like a waist smaller than your hips. In fact, the waist to hip ratio is a very good indication of your risk for heart disease and your overall health.

Not only are the abs the most talked about muscle group, but they also suffer from the most misconceptions. Here is the truth behind some of the most common ab myths, and some facts to help you get you best abs ever.

Myth: Crunches and sit-ups will remove your "Buddha belly"

Fact: You cannot spot-reduce fat on your belly (unless, of course, you want to have it sucked out of you via liposuction!)

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That's Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how to remedy common health issues as well as improve their overall health.

Many people, myself included, think one of the most attractive parts of the opposite sex's body is their stomach-and maybe a nice set of shoulders...In any case, the last place you want fat hanging around is at your waist. It seems this is the first place it goes when you gain a few pounds and it is the last place to leave.

Believe it or not, those pesky fat patches have more to do with hormonal balance than a pregnant woman eating pickles and ice cream!

Love handles aren't just unattractive, carrying weight around your abdomen is bad for your health-worse than carrying weight on your hips or thighs. Excess fat around the waist, or an apple body shape, is suggestive of insulin resistance, a condition that is linked to the development of heart disease and diabetes. It is also indicative of an imbalance in cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone, which, if chronically high, can result in increased deposition of fat around the abdomen. To further complicate the situation, feeling stressed out or depressed may worsen the problem.

Insulin resistance

Insulin is the chemical signal that allows sugar to enter your cells to be used as fuel. Insulin levels also have a direct impact on body composition, as these sugars are later stored as fat if they are not consumed as a source of energy. Insulin resistance causes levels of insulin in the blood to increase. This increase is related to a reduced sensitivity of the body tissues, like muscle, to normal levels of the hormone. As a result, the body tries to overcome this by secreting more insulin from the pancreas. Type 2 diabetes ensues when the pancreas fails to sustain this increased demand for insulin production.

It is currently estimated that one out of every four Americans has insulin resistance. A primary cause is excess intake of sugar or carbohydrates typical of many diets today. This includes foods such as pop or candy as well as cakes, muffins, pastries, chips, crackers, pizza and many other processed foods. Insulin resistance may also be attributed to lack of exercise, overindulging in alcohol, stress, a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure and excess body fat, especially around the abdomen.

Six sure-fire ways to lose "the handles":

Apparently you can weight train just by wearing your shoes. Well, not any shoes, but these athletic numbers from NGR (No Gym Required), which are fitted with weighted midsoles. Why should you be interested in a gimicky pair of sneakers? Well, the claim is that this fitness product will help wearers burn 50 percent more calories than they normally would doing every day activities or running and walking all the while improving their core and toning leg muscles.

Here, Winnipeg-native Jennifer Cohen, who is the founder of NGR, explains her "2 in 1" sneakers.

Q: You've essentially invented a shoe that allows people to lift weights while they walk. Tell me about them.

A: I launched them because [I thought] it would be easy for people to incorporate them into their lives as all you need to do is walk and you'll not only get a cardiovascular workout, but also the weight resistance that's necessary for a full fitness program. Whatever you do normally when you're wearing the shoes is intensified. There's also a booklet that comes with the shoes that gives you a few different exercises -- I put together some leg work and floor movements.

For our great grandmothers, being pregnant was viewed as a fragile condition and exercise was thus discouraged. This is no longer true as studies now show that fitness in moderation can make for a healthier birth and reduce the risk of a pre-term delivery. Of course, there are still certain precautions you should take and exercises you should avoid.

And you need to ensure sure you're getting enough food and calories if you're burning them off. You should also avoid twisting, bouncing, jerking or anything high impact. Lying on your back doing sit ups for example, is also discouraged as it can put stress on your organs. President and owner of Toronto's Yorkville Clubs, Mark Kehr, shares his advice on exercise and pregnancy.

Q: Should you be exercising if you're pregnant?

A: You shouldn't be doing anything until after three months because you don't want to overexert and you don't want to cause a miscarriage. Check with your doctor before you embark on any fitness program (see when not to exercise).

What sets Tosca Reno's story apart from so many others, isn't how it began.

Like many people, she was in an unhappy marriage, struggling with her weight after years of yo-yo dieting and battling a terribly low self-esteem.

It's what she did to turn her life around that makes her so unique.

At 40, she left her marriage, began losing weight, went back to school and became a successful bodybuilder, fitness magazine covergirl and author of The Eat Clean Diet among others.

Now as she turns 50, she's adding reality TV star to her list of accomplishments. Tosca: Flexing at 49 will follow the mother of four as she comes out of retirement for one final body building competition.

Here, Tosca reveals how she finally got the courage to change her life around and offers advice for others looking to follow her lead.

We took our question to Mark Mancino, a holistic nutritionist, exercise specialist and neuromuscular therapist. Mark operates a private nutrition and exercise consultancy in Toronto, where he teaches people how to take personal responsibility for their long-term health and vitality.

Here is his response:

It seems to me the latest craze can be found in the use of kettlebells. While kettlebells have been around
almost since the dawn of strength training, they have only recently gained acceptance amongst the masses. Of course, like any effective fitness tool that has come before, kettlebells are certain to suffer the same fate - overuse in the short term, underuse in the long term.