Ladies, your attention please. This is a Sons of Strength public service announcement.
STRONG IS
THE NEW SKINNY.
There is nothing sexier than watching a woman fearlessly attempt a deadlift more than her bodyweight, swing a kettlebell with power yet grace, or pull their chin above the bar.
With that said, the fear “I’m going to get big and bulky” is holding back all you lovely ladies from getting the bikini-body of your dreams. That resistance to strength training is the missing factor in achieving the results you reap. You know: lose fat, get lean, and stop having to ask your boyfriend or husband if this dress makes my butt look big.
Don’t worry, it won’t once you transform your mindset and body to go along with it.
Wonder how the Black Widow trains…
ME, TARZAN. YOU, JANE.
Wait a minute!…
You might be asking yourself: But if the muscular guys train with weights and lift heavy, why wouldn’t I gain muscle like them?
It all comes down to the reason why men are well, men and women are women. Hormones.
Optimally, men have higher amounts of testosterone than their female counterparts. This highly anabolic hormone is directly responsible for the muscular growth or “bulk” as a result of resistance training. Unless you’re getting the help of a pharmaceutical cocktail, a majority of women have an insignificant amount of testosterone and limited potential to grow muscularly.
Hell, it’s difficult for most men to grow the way women believe they will.
On the flip side, women have higher levels of estrogen. This hormonal profile is the reason behind the females’ predisposition to body fat accumulation while limiting the rate and extent at which the female trainee can build muscle.
Ahh, you can sigh in relief now… BUT this also means that you are going to have to work your butt off to produce the training effects (and backside) you want.
MUSCLE AND MASCARA.
First things, first. Let’s establish what exactly describes “bulky”. This is undesirable trait for men and women, alike. All muscle has shape that gives the body curves and definition. Now bulk would describe that shape of the muscles with the addition of fat on top.
Basically, NO ONE wants to be bulky. But we are after MUSCLE. Building muscle will make you look better and burn more calories at rest.
So how do we build that “toned and lean” look? That brings us to our next point that we must address:
DIET.
If bulk is a concern, we have to look at what we are putting into our bodies. One large part of the muscle-building equation is increasing your caloric intake. Staying away from or getting rid of that “bulk” starts in the kitchen and how you order your meals out.
As a general recommendation, we suggest waving your carbohydrate consumption by lowering them on the days you don’t train.
THE MIGRATION.
Let the migration from occupying the cardio machines to the weight area begin.
Now that you’re ready to make the transition away from the Cardio Queens, let’s discuss how you SHOULD train.
Let’s be honest here. Whether we’re personally training our clients for their next magazine spread, music video, or to take the stage, we train our females pretty damn similar to their male counterparts.
The science and practical application of what makes up an effective strength and conditioning program doesn’t change between genders. However, every program is unique to the individual, their goals in mind, and weaknesses. So, that means you should have a clear, defined picture of how you want to look in the mirror and how you want that particular dress or pair of jeans to fit. Then we can get a clear picture of what you should be doing in the gym.
PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE!!!
FORGET THE SCALE! If you must, use it as a gauge periodically. The fluctuating numbers will drive you insane and only leave you discouraged. Instead, try getting two pairs of jeans to judge your progress.
One will be your maintenance pair that currently fits you well; the second will be your goal pair.
Let’s discuss some general differences that women can manipulate to get the most of their training. These guidelines will give you a set of rules to train by.
DIAMONDS AND DEADLIFTS.
Focus on Movements, not Muscles.
For once and for all, just admit to yourself that the abductor/adductor machine isn’t working. If you don’t want to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger then why are you training like him? Throw out the bodybuilder routine and switch your focus on full body movements, not muscles in isolation.
Compound movements are going to be your bread and butter. Every workout you are going to want to push, pull, bend, squat, and lunge. Try any variation you want but the key players are deadlifts, squats, single leg exercises, overhead presses, pushups, pull-ups, and rows.
Lift Heavy, Stay Lean.
Our apologies to Tracy Anderson, but a thousand reps with pink dumbbells just doesn’t cut it. Perfect your form on the compound movements mentioned above then start crushing some weight. Not only will you burn calories during your workout, but your metabolism will still be on fire 24 to 48 hour period afterwards. Yes, that means while you’re sitting to watch this week’s episode of the Real Housewives you’ll still be burning up those calories.
Win, win situation!
The rep range of these lifts will differ depending on your goal. Typically, we stick in the 3 to 8 repetition range for the big lifts. Strive to keep increasing the weight while watching your body transform.
Keep it Moving.
No time for tweets or text messages between sets. Since females have less overall muscle mass and can recover faster than the fellas, let’s cut down the amount of time you’re taking between exercises. This will increase your training density; or in the amount of work you do in a given time.
Over the next four weeks, try this while keeping your sets and reps consistent:
Week 1: 60 seconds rest between sets
Week 2: 45 seconds rest between sets
Week 3: 30 seconds rest between sets
Week 4: 15 seconds rest between sets
Tight Tummy.
Without giving you our opinion just yet, lie on the floor and perform a crunch or two (no more please!). Now, at the top of that sit up, look at your stomach. How does it look? Mhmm, probably not how you picture you perfect self in the mirror.
So let’s agree, thick abs are not what we’re after. Avoid any weighted abdominal movements and reduce the amount of crunches were doing. Instead, replace these moves with a variety of stability exercises like planks, punch outs, and leg raises.
Never Run, Sprint or Fight instead.
Hours on the treadmill just aren’t fun. As an alternative to get your metabolic work in, try to kick and punch your heart rate up. You’ll learn a skill, have a blast, and be able to defend yourself. Yes, you are bad ass!
If fighting’s not your thing (even though, all of our female clients’ inner fighter comes out after a few punches!), interval or hill sprints are your go to.
So, now you know. Get out there and give it a try. Trust us, you will look like Wonder Woman instead of the Incredible Hulk.
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