All right girls the goal of this article is to break down the misinformation that holds you back from the body you deserve! YOU WILL NOT GET BIG WEIGHT LIFTING! Let me repeat you will NOT get big and manly from lifting weights.
She does not look like a man, but this sexy lady could probably beat one up.
The myth that women can get bulky has been long standing and has no basis in reality. The fact of the matter is that females do not have the proper hormonal environment to get big and bulky. This does not mean to say they cannot build muscle, in fact as they build muscle they will appear leaner and more toned.
What isn’t a myth though, is that lifting weights over time will give you that lean sexy physique, make you lose fat in those troubled areas, make you a lot stronger, and improve your bone density.
Many women get disappointed because they put hours and hours of time into cardio each week, only to be disappointed by their results. Since results never seem to show this way they then turn to their diet and start drastically lowering calories (starving). This compounds the problem because now instead of losing fat they begin to lose fat and any muscle that they had at the same time. What ends up happening is that you run and diet and eventually become a skinnier version of your old self. How many girls run and run and find that there whole body starts to get skinny except there stomach and love handles!?
Running yourself into the ground is not the way to lose fat. The way to do that is through a balanced approach between a smart diet, resistance training, and cardio.
Most importantly out of the three above is dieting. You cannot out train a bad diet no matter what you do. Getting your diet in check is the number one step towards getting that shapely body you have wanted. The next biggest factor is weight lifting, yes you heard me correctly weight lifting is MORE important than cardio. This is because weight lifting is muscle sparing, as you shift into a caloric deficit (dieting) your body will be forced to lose fat exclusively! Lifting weights in combination with your diet will give you that toned look you desire. I want to clarify that we aren’t talking about little pink dumbbells here. Lifting weights that challenge your muscles for 5-12 reps is ideal. Heavy resistance training to build the muscle, so that you can diet down and show it.
Finally once you have your diet and resistance training down then and only then should you add cardio, because it is the least important factor for achieving your ideal physique. And there is no need to spin your wheels running for hours on end. When trying to lose fat it is not the calories that we burn during exercise that must be focused on. Instead we are trying to build a consistent calorie deficit over the course of a week. For instance you could burn about 500 calories running for an hour. Or you could just cut out five hundred calories from you diet a day which depending on your diet means cutting out a bagel and substituting those cookies you’ve been eating for a handful of berries. Which is harder???
The point is this. To get the best results turn your mind towards your diet as opposed to your cardio. Next get a good balance between cardio and resistance training.
Use this program to get the toned body you desire- it can be modified depending on your level of fitness (read notes below). Consistency in your diet and resistance training will give you best results.
Monday
Barbell Squat 3*8
Lunge 2*8
Jump rope 10 minutes
Plank on elbows and toes work up to a minute
Wednesday
Pull up 3*8
Deadlift 2*5
Inverted row 3*8
Reverse flies 3*10
Bicep curl 2*8
Hammer curl 1*8
Friday
Dumbbell Bench Press 3*8
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3*8
Dips 2*8
Lateral raise 2*8
YTW 3*10 (minimal weight)
Pushups 3*8
Body plank work up to a minute
Hit the weights and watch your body transform week to week you wont believe your eyes.
NOTES
This is a simple Legs Push Pull routine for weight training. It can be done before or after some cardio work. Depending on your current training level you can make changes to make it easier/harder. Most gyms have assistance machines for pull-ups and dips, you can modify pushups to make it easier etc. If you have never squatted or lunged before use bodyweight at first and build your way up to using resistance. Get a trainer to show you correct form. Good form is a must and you should take your time to learn it in order to keep your self-safe. If you are obsessed with doing abs you can do your own work on the leg day. It is important to note that just like any other muscle the abdominals grow during rest and should not be trained everyday of the week. Rest between sets should be between 1-2 minutes. This workout should take no longer than 45 minutes including a proper warm up. Use weights that are challenging to you, and make sure that week to week you either increase the amount of weight you do on an exercise or the number of reps you can get with the same weight. Adding weight to the bar is the best indicator that you are building muscle and intensity is key. Make sure to check with your doctor if you are fit for activity. If you are obese or new to activity start little and work your way up over time and get moving. This workout does not seem that challenging but if you keep adding weight to the bar it becomes difficult in no time. If you have any questions post in the comments below ill try to answer them as quick as possible.
Your ability to recover from this workout will determine how much cardio you can do in a week. I would suggest doing twenty minutes of intense cardio three days a week in addition to this weight training. Changing your forms of cardio will keep it fun and help you avoid injuries. Try swimming, cycling, kickboxing etc. Push yourself during cardio and you will get more accomplished in less time. Make sure that you are taking at least one day a week to do NO ACTIVITY, and if you are dieting at least two days. Once again it is not worth worrying about the calories burned during exercise! Diet will be responsible for at least fifty percent of your progress, followed by weightlifting. Stayed tuned for an article on how a simple no stress diet can give you that toned physique you are looking for.
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