Weight Lifting for Women

[BarleyMob]

I'm a male and I'm not new to weight lifting, but my girlfriend is trying to get back into shape and wants to tone her body. I want to help her so i'm going to start working out with her, but i've never had a work-out with a girl before. Just curious, what are some good lifts for girls. My normal upper body workout is this:

30 min. of cardio
12x3 - bench (either dumbbells)
12x3 - flys w/ dumbbells
12x3 - pull downs
12x3 - curls
12x3 - dips
150-200 abs

I don't see how this should differ for women, but she should could do the same thing I do just at a lower weight, right? Any suggestions?

BarleyMob

 

[keasbey]

women should lift like men do

 

[desmond]

150-200 abs? That seems a bit pointless.

Why no leg exercises too.

I wonder whether women should do more upper tricep exercises than men relatively speaking, to shape that fat hang look they often get there.

 

[captainahole]

My wife trains with me and she trains exactly like me except one exercise.shrugs just because she doesn't Want large traps. She is very easily able to develop them.

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

heres a good link to get her started-

http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/displaysection.php?sid=3


Ive always trained w/guys so my lifts are what they do. I work in the 10-12 rep range (except squats & deads are 5 sets @ 5,5,5,3,3 reps/set).


M-
squats
SLDLs
lunges
military press
lat raises
rear delt

W-
Incline press
dips
incline db flyes
CG press
skulls

F-
Deads
Chins
Rows
BB curls
incline db curls

 

[keasbey]

good call on the traps... i dont think traps on a lady would be very attractive...

 

[highlander555]

M-
squats
SLDLs
lunges
military press
lat raises
rear delt

W-
Incline press
dips
incline db flyes
CG press
skulls

F-
Deads
Chins
Rows
BB curls
incline db curls

Wow! That is a soiid routine fit for guy or girl right there. I like it.

Barleymob:
Your 12x3 scheme is a great way to go for strength and power, and while a girl is every bit as capable of reaping the same benifits, unless your girlfriend is a strength athlete as well, she may want to use a different scheme.

I'm going to make the assumption that she's a beinning lifter (and no, I'm not assuming that because she's a girl). A biggining lifter may not need the amount of stimulus to achieve the same measurable progress as you or I, so she can probably get away with slightly less volume.

I'd reccomend something along the lines of a 3x8, or even a 4x5-6. I believe most people lift too light with too many reps, especially women.

I think the MsbeverlyHills program would be great for guy or girl.

 

[Big_BK]

She should be hitting every muscle group just using less weight and high reps with little rest between sets to keep her HR up if she wants to cut.

 

[ironwings]

If she has the same goals as you, then sure - train as you do. I doubt that to be the case. Women like their asses to be tight, legs to be sculpted and arms to pop. Maybe not far from what you want but I doubt each of those have the same definition to you both

If she is just getting back into routine then I suggest circuits. Send me a PM or have her send me one and I'll give you some examples to get her started. Stats would help too.

Your job is to encourage her - and tell her how hot those new lean legs are

 

[Tatyana]

good call on the traps... i dont think traps on a lady would be very attractive...

We get lady sized traps and they are a part of the back musculature.

I don't do a huge amount for traps either as mine grow quite quickly, but I still do them as not training one muscle group can lead to muscle imbalances and injuries.

 

[highlander555]

She should be hitting every muscle group just using less weight and high reps with little rest between sets to keep her HR up if she wants to cut.

I don't see any reason why a woman would want to use any higher reps than a guy (unless you're talking about the guy in the original post, that I could see). Cutting is mostly about diet and cardio, but lean muscle mass is built the same way in both sexes (minus some obvious hormonal differences of course).

 

[Big_BK]

I don't see any reason why a woman would want to use any higher reps than a guy (unless you're talking about the guy in the original post, that I could see). Cutting is mostly about diet and cardio, but lean muscle mass is built the same way in both sexes (minus some obvious hormonal differences of course).

The high rep thing was in regard to the cutting part to keep HR up. Not gonna be able to keep a high HR is you are doing max sets of 1 or 3.

 

[captainahole]

We get lady sized traps and they are a part of the back musculature.

I don't do a huge amount for traps either as mine grow quite quickly, but I still do them as not training one muscle group can lead to muscle imbalances and injuries.

Aggree. She gets her trap exercises more indirectly from barbell bent over rows and deads.

 

[SaiBoT]

heres a good link to get her started-

training


Ive always trained w/guys so my lifts are what they do. I work in the 10-12 rep range (except squats & deads are 5 sets @ 5,5,5,3,3 reps/set).


M-
squats
SLDLs
lunges
military press
lat raises
rear delt

W-
Incline press
dips
incline db flyes
CG press
skulls

F-
Deads
Chins
Rows
BB curls
incline db curls

This routine on the 8-12 rep range with rest between sets around 45-60 seconds can do wonders with boys and girls, specially with the endomorphic type.