Photograph by: Rick Lohre

Woman to Woman - who wants muscle!

Are you a chick that wants muscle? Yet don’t know where to start?

Photograph by: Maria Ines Ortiz

Well I can tell you that doing that abductor and adductor machines will not get you those glutes you want. And the lateral raises with those pink weights will not get you the beautiful rounded shoulders. And why are you not lifting your back?

Ladies I am talking about deadlifts, squats, leg press, hack squat, incline chest press, pull ups, lat pull down, standing shoulder press, dips, and the list goes on. Once you get the muscle mass you dream of, then it is time for fine tweaking the body, but that is years of heavy training.

Afraid of looking like a man? Getting too bulky?

Ladies, come on! Women you do not have the testosterone level to look like a man. You will still look like a chick even when lifting “like a man”. You will stay feminine yet muscular and ripped. The only way you will get that too muscular look is if you take illegal steroids. If you are a drug free athlete, then no worries. Lift away.

How to get started? Break up your muscle groups into different days. Do more than one exercise per muscle group. Start with about 10-15 sets of the main muscle groups (back/chest/shoulders/legs) and about 8 sets of the smaller muscle groups (triceps/biceps/calves).

For example breakdown:

Monday:

  • Legs/Calves

Tuesday:

  • Chest/Triceps

Wednesday

  • Cardio

Thursday

  • Back/Biceps

Friday

  • Shoulders/Calves

Saturday

  • Cardio

Sunday

  • Off/Rest

Photograph by: Rick Lohre

When it come to programs; I believe just about any program will get you results as long as you are consistent, lift heavy, stay dedicated and disciplined to your clean eating, never get off the cardio machine with only one minute left. That last minute counts.

Tips on training: In between sets I use a moderate rest time 60-90 seconds. Rest doesn’t mean go talk for a half an hour between. When you see people chatting it up in the gym they are just there for social hour. You can spot the people that are serious because they are looking at the time prepping for their next set.

How do you know if you have the right weight? I tell my clients over and over the last couple reps of every set should push you to your limit and beyond while keeping that form and full range of motion.

If you can not see your abs than in my opinion, do not do ab exercises then. Spend that time doing cardio instead. That six pack will come once you lose that fat on top. When you can see four of your abs, then you made it to the privilege of training them, yet limit it to no more than two times a week. They are a muscle that needs to rest also.

Remember Ladies: Lift Heavy. Good Form. Moderate Rest Time. The body can do anything the mind tells it to do! It is time for the boys to share the weight room.

For a woman to get ripped it takes more mental strength than physical!