Girlfriend's first workout

[Zander1983]

I trained her for three months last year pre-Christmas beach holiday, but that's all the training she has under her belt. She worked really hard back then and loved the results. Hasn't trained since and she's as good as a beginner. One big and helpful exception - knowing all the basic form really well. She's made a deal with me to train for the next month. She hasn't caught the bug like us, and I doubt she ever will, but she knows that I can help her make the changes she wants to her body and that's why she's doing it again. Here's how our first workout went today:

Squats (ATF like you've never seen!)
Bar x 5 x 2
66 x 3
77 x 3
82.5 x 3

Barbell rows (bench plane)
Bar x 5 x 3 sets

Clean and press
Bar x 5 x 3 sets

Standing russian twists
11 x 5/side

Hanging knee raise x 10

Swiss ball reverse hypers x 10

Bicycles x 10/side

She actually has a very strong core, but its important we keep it that way for a few reasons I won't go into.

Well, there we go. Everybody's got to start somewhere and she is doing exactly that. We're going to do a full-body workout once a week in addition to a yoga session. This is what its like training a 'normal' person

Can't wait for her to deadlift next weekend (she was brilliant at them last time around). I'll keep updates coming.

 

[Atomic Punk]

Good deal bro. If it were me, I'd tinker it just a tad maybe. Being that she has basically grown her cherry back as weights go, I'd not have her go ATF, even if going light. Also, I would have her do dumbell rows as opposed to barbell. Have her put her ass up against the wall while doing them too, for added lower back support. She might need that especially after the squats. You have to realize(and I had a tough time with this too, when I trained my wife the first time), that these people need to be handled like you would a butterfly when first starting(or starting again) bro. Gentle as fuckall. You can over exert quite easily initially at a beginners level. My wifes back was fubar after I had her doing freebar straight-legged deads with no weight. I felt like shit afterwards. I doubt it is that big of deal though. Just my .02 of worthless responses! Good job on helping her brother.

 

[Zander1983]

Even if I wanted her to squat with a reduced ROM, she wouldn't. Originally when I asked her to do a bodyweight squat - our first workout last year - she squatted ATF as if it was the only way to do it.

Fortunately her core is very strong since I helped her overcome some some postural problems resulting from having a massively long back and amazingly short legs, when we first started out. That keeps her pretty safe, since we emphasised a neutral back position like you wouldn't believe.

Apart from the rows, nothing else was new to her. Her form on them came really quickly too. She learns technique very well. I'd love to post videos of her lifting so I can show off her and how well she lifts, but I don't have and won't get that permission.

What I found to be the biggest problem in the past is getting her to lift hard enough, after the initial stages.

 

[revexrevex]

It is always nice to train people for one simple reason, you can attribute their success to effectiveness of your program/training and your knowledge of the subject

 

[Zander1983]

It is always nice to train people for one simple reason, you can attribute their success to effectiveness of your program/training and your knowledge of the subject

Well, whatever success she has certainly isn't attributed to her diet!!!

 

[Zander1983]

That takes a lot on both ends. I wish you both the best of luck

I absolutely know what you mean Thanks bro.

 

[PolishHammer1977]

That takes a lot on both ends. I wish you both the best of luck

 

[pwr_machine]

Fun stuff!

 

[Zander1983]

This was our second weekly workout:

Deadlifts
88 x 3
99 x 3
110 x 3
121 x 3
126.5 x 3
143 x 1

DB Rows
26 x 12 (right)
26 x 9 (left)
37 x 5 (right)
37 x 4 (left)

Standing Military Press
44 x 5 x 2 sets

Weighted Crunches
11 x 10 x 2 sets

Bicycles
10/side x 2 sets

After the deadlifts she said she could've repped 143 for 3 Her grip was failing and we didn't want to push her core/back after a long day on her feet, but its nice to know there was plenty left in her.

She is petite, but powerful. I won't mention her weight though I think she could be an incredibly strong girl if she did this caper properly. I told her she could be amongst the strongest female powerlifters in Australia if she worked for it. That has sparked her interest. She wants to know some numbers

 

[Zander1983]

I told her she could be amongst the strongest female powerlifters in Australia if she worked for it. That has sparked her interest. She wants to know some numbers

The Australian records, set in 1996 (must've been a very strong woman if they haven't been broken since?!), for her weight class:
Squat - 275
Bench - 148.5
Deadlift - 308