Nairobi, July 25 -- The "sexy back" has become one of the most coveted goals in the gym.

More Kenyan women are turning to lifting weights or strength training to get toned shoulders and defined back muscles.

The lean, sculpted back, with little visible fat and defined muscle, fitness coaches say, is earned rather than bought. Building a sculpted back requires months or even years of consistent strength training, good nutrition and patience. The reward goes beyond a sexy back because these women tend to have better posture and greater upper-body strength.

Fitness coach Abigael Ajuma attributes the growing desire by women to have a sexy back to the rapid growth of Kenya's fitness culture and positive peer pressure.

"Fitness has become a...