New to forum Any women lifting?

Hi All, I have been hitting the gym pretty hard since i got the ok to work out in August.  I am doing fine with my weight loss.  But, I want to spend more of my time on the weights and less on the eliptical machine.  Does anyone (men included) have any helpful tips on what excercises might be helpful to bulking up for a woman.  I asked the "trainer" at the gym and well he was less than helpful.  Thought I should try pilates or something.  Anyway all your advice and info will be appreciated. Best Regards Maxine

Hi Maxine

 

I’m happy to hear you’re ignoring the personal trainer. I think most people should.

 

Believe it or not, women have the same skeletal muscles as men. They react to exercise the same way, whether you’re a man or a woman. Women just don’t have as much testosterone as men, so can’t get as large…usually. The women that I’ve personally seen make the fastest and best progress, are the ones that train like a guy.

 

Stick with the basics, bench press, squats, rows, etc. Train relatively heavy and get a rest day every other day or two. The keys are consistency and progressive resistance. You have to continually add weight, reps or do the same work in a shorter amount of time to make progress.

 

There are routines all over Bodybuilding.com and other sites (http://www.musclewithattitude.com/ or http://www.t-nation.com/  are my favorites), so I don’t like to spew one out on here because there are too many variables, like the type of equipment you have available, your experience and conditioning. Just pick a basic routine and stick with it.

 

Good luck

Earl

Hello Earl,

 

Thank you so much I was actually on Bodybuilding.com yesterday and they had a lot of good info.  I started weight lifting years ago when I was just playing around.  But now i have been given a second chance at life and I want to do it right.  But anyway the extra protien can only help!  Thanks for your advice and I will look at the other sites as well. Best Regards maxine

Hi Maxine! Does your gym have any sort of power weight lifting class?  I take a class like this at my gym twice a week.  It's great because it tones your muscles but also builds your endurance.  My arms and shoulders are getting very muscular and I love it!  I used to work out in the weight room and still do occasionally.  But I really enjoy the weight lifting class and I like the results I see. Deanna  :)

I agree. My club has 'Body Pump' classes where we lift light weights ... but with heavy reps. As time goes by, you need to increase your weights.

It's GREAT because it gets your heart rate up AND works to tone your muscle groups.

Try it!!