Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

[chinadoll]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Glad to hear it works

[carbless_in_seattle]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

this is the routine I did last time i worked out a lot, and am just now getting back into it:

Monday: -upper body (chest, shoulders, triceps, back, biceps)
- abs
-cardio: C25k

Tuesday: -cardio (my exercise bike intervals)
-abs

Wednesday: -lower body (quads, hams, calves)
- abs
-cardio: C25k

Thursday: -Cardio (intervals on my exercise bike)
-abs


Friday: -Upper body (same as monday)
-abs
-cardio: C25k

then, the next week I'll alternate, and do lower body Mon/fri, and upper body wed.

then sat/sun rest...although i usually try to do stuff on the weekends that are active anyway, like kayaking or golfing.

I have to have a routine, if i don't i get overwhelmed by the complexity of it all, and it gets confusing. i have to write everything down.

[chinadoll]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Carbless, I like your routine. It is pretty much what I was following in China when I had access to an elliptical and pool. I think the long weight days and long cardios I am doing here are just eating up my days.

Today I did db chest presses, peaking at 40, bent over rows, peaking at 40, incl bench press peaking at 35, and pullovers peaking at 45. TOUGH this morning with the new weights but I felt good afterwards and will be very sore tomorrow (in a good way). LOL

[carbless_in_seattle]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

yess, i love being sore! (in a good way)...

haha, reminds me of the seinfeld episode..."not that there's anything wrong with it.."

[BabyGotBack]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Good Morning! I just finished reading this whole thread and I'm going to have to go back through to check out some of the links.

I am one of those three girls in the 'boys' weight room ... and I just wanted to say to anyone intimidated by training in a gym that most of the guys in there are checking THEMSELVES out, not looking at how you might not be doing something totally correctly. It's always a good rule of thumb to ask someone standing near a machine/bench if they are using it, that way you won't interupt their set.

That said, I am a believer in heavy weights...and I love hearing everyone's workouts to get ideas. My favorite workout right now is legs because I've started adding bursts of heart-raising exercises (w/o weights) in between my weight workout. So, I'll do:

w/weights - Squats with the bar 65-85-95-65
*no weights - Explosive step up on platform
w/weights - Walking lunges with 30 lbs. bar
...intermixed with Straight leg deads 40 lbs. bar
*no weights - Squat jumps intermixed with another exercise with weights like Side Squats with a bar or Quad Press
*w/ball - Hamstring "rollouts"

The Women's Health website had some new ideas to try from some Olympians Fitness: Workouts for Abs, Legs, and More | Women's Health Magazine

I'm at the point now of trying to really add some variety and try some new exercises.

What is everyone's favorite exercise that might not be as common as some standard ones? I'd love to get some new ideas!

[carbless_in_seattle]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Good Morning! I just finished reading this whole thread and I'm going to have to go back through to check out some of the links.

I am one of those three girls in the 'boys' weight room ... and I just wanted to say to anyone intimidated by training in a gym that most of the guys in there are checking THEMSELVES out, not looking at how you might not be doing something totally correctly. It's always a good rule of thumb to ask someone standing near a machine/bench if they are using it, that way you won't interupt their set.

That said, I am a believer in heavy weights...and I love hearing everyone's workouts to get ideas. My favorite workout right now is legs because I've started adding bursts of heart-raising exercises (w/o weights) in between my weight workout. So, I'll do:

w/weights - Squats with the bar 65-85-95-65
*no weights - Explosive step up on platform
w/weights - Walking lunges with 30 lbs. bar
...intermixed with Straight leg deads 40 lbs. bar
*no weights - Squat jumps intermixed with another exercise with weights like Side Squats with a bar or Quad Press
*w/ball - Hamstring "rollouts"

The Women's Health website had some new ideas to try from some Olympians Fitness: Workouts for Abs, Legs, and More | Women's Health Magazine

I'm at the point now of trying to really add some variety and try some new exercises.

What is everyone's favorite exercise that might not be as common as some standard ones? I'd love to get some new ideas!

my favorite is the cable crossover machine. I like this move:

http://www.healthstylesexercise.com/catalog/images/Body-Solid-Functional-Trainer-Cable-Crossover.jpg

also, another one that i do, is if you stand like that in the middle, feet width apart, then punch with one arm to the opposite side, while bringing your other arm down and back. so left arm would punch to upper right, while right arm pulls down to lower left on the back side of your body. don't know if that makes sense. but, it works all of the muscles in both arms, as well as the core, and obliques.

I like the crossover machine because you have a free range of motion, and with most of the moves, you have your core involved or flexed, so you can really feel it throughout your whole upper body.

for lower body, I'll se the arms on the crossover machine as low as they go, so the handles for the cables are nearly on the ground, then facing one side, put my foot in the handle halfway, so that the handle bar is midway on my foot, then pull back and up.. http://www.bodypowerusa.com/bodysoli..._2%20users.jpg ...the same movement as the butt machine that many gyms have, only my gym doesn't have the butt machine.

the one we have at my gym looks sort of like this http://www.treadmillscentral.com/images/974.jpg

http://treadmillscentral.com/images/Asian%20Girl.jpg

so that's what i was referring to when i said the "arms" of the machine.

[BabyGotBack]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

"also, another one that i do, is if you stand like that in the middle, feet width apart, then punch with one arm to the opposite side, while bringing your other arm down and back. so left arm would punch to upper right, while right arm pulls down to lower left on the back side of your body. don't know if that makes sense. but, it works all of the muscles in both arms, as well as the core, and obliques."

OK, so what height are the cables at in this one? Our cable crossover machine has the 'holes' to raise and lower the height of the cables....Should they be shoulder height? Also, what position are your feet/legs in? I haven't tried that one before--

[carbless_in_seattle]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

"also, another one that i do, is if you stand like that in the middle, feet width apart, then punch with one arm to the opposite side, while bringing your other arm down and back. so left arm would punch to upper right, while right arm pulls down to lower left on the back side of your body. don't know if that makes sense. but, it works all of the muscles in both arms, as well as the core, and obliques."

OK, so what height are the cables at in this one? Our cable crossover machine has the 'holes' to raise and lower the height of the cables....Should they be shoulder height? Also, what position are your feet/legs in? I haven't tried that one before--

yes, i set the cables at shoulder height. then i stand square in the middle, facing away from the machine, arms stretched with cables in both hands. Then using the power of my shoulder/core/quads/arms, rotate, punching one arm across the body to the opposite side twisting the torso. the other arm pull the cable down and behind the back/ opposite side of the body...I'm going to try and find pictures, sorry im bad at explaining things.

the end of the move looks like this http://www.sfgoju.com/photos/adult_punch_lrg.jpg, but with cables in hand, hope that helps. its like alternating karate punches

http://medball.com/images/images/power_graphics/bands_tubes/power_punch100.gif

like this: http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/vi...-punch-195148/

only cables in both hands, and pulling from side to side, not upper-cutting from bottom to top. although im going to try the exercise that he's doing, because i haven't tried it yet. watch where his hand that doesn't have a cable in it goes..it naturally pulls around the back.

[BabyGotBack]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

OK, I think I get it....I'm sure once I start trying it, I'll feel how I should be doing it. I thought I was going to be able to go to the gym this afternoon, but my daughter is sick, so it looks like I'm homebound today . It's OK though, I'm due for a rest day.

I'll let you know once I try it! Thanks.

[chinadoll]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Hooray! I am so glad this thread is humming alonmg!

Baby, you are so right about the guys! I think they spend a lot more time looking in the mirror (I mean between sets, not to check form) than the women! LOL

[chinadoll]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

OK, got up and did a quick half hour of shoulder, triceps and biceps work.

[carbless_in_seattle]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

most definitely on the guy thing, i was at the gym last night and stood in front of the mirror so i could watch my form on an one-arm overhead dumbbell extension, and this guy walks over and stands directly between me and mirror, so that i was like 2 feet behind him staring at his back, it was so weird!

[carbless_in_seattle]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

I bought two books yesterday and used them at the gym. Both are from barnes and noble.

The Great Big Book of Abs: 22.95
101 Workouts For Women: 14.95

They're both very thorough, and their illustrations and descriptions are extensive but easy to understand. The workouts in the workouts for women book look great, they all look challenging and there is TONS of variety. There's different sections (abs/chest/shoulders/biceps/triceps/back/...etc), and you can either go to those sections and get a targeted workout for one area. or there are sections labeled "lower body", and "upper body", so if you want just an all around upper body workout you can choose one from that section if you want. Or you can go to "full body" and choose one of those workouts if you want a full body workout. It's pretty much all weight training but they give you other options as well, for instance, ways to get a good workout with limited equipment at home. or a way to get a full body workout with just a medicine ball on the beach...etc.

I've only had both of these books for one day and recommend them both. the abs book is awesome!

[BabyGotBack]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

The other resource I like is the Muscle and Fitness for Her magazine. The chicks are pretty buffed out in there, but there are some great ideas-- Today I tried two new ones from there: the Stationary Cable Lunge (this was a great variation on the regular ole lunge) and the Hanging Ab Lift (where you hang from the pull up bar and pull knees up--in the mag they keep their legs straight to make a 45 degree angle-yah, right!).

Carbless_in_Seattle--I tried your ab/shoulder cable move today. I could definitely feel it! The bummer is that our cable machine starts at 20 lbs., and I really needed it to be a little lighter to have good form. But I was able to change it a little just using that one 'punching arm' and putting the other hand on my hip. So, thanks I would like to check out that 101 Workouts.............sounds good. p.s. So weird about that guy in front of you. What the .. ??

China--what type of tricep exercise do you do?

[carbless_in_seattle]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

The other resource I like is the Muscle and Fitness for Her magazine. The chicks are pretty buffed out in there, but there are some great ideas-- Today I tried two new ones from there: the Stationary Cable Lunge (this was a great variation on the regular ole lunge) and the Hanging Ab Lift (where you hang from the pull up bar and pull knees up--in the mag they keep their legs straight to make a 45 degree angle-yah, right!).

Carbless_in_Seattle--I tried your ab/shoulder cable move today. I could definitely feel it! The bummer is that our cable machine starts at 20 lbs., and I really needed it to be a little lighter to have good form. But I was able to change it a little just using that one 'punching arm' and putting the other hand on my hip. So, thanks I would like to check out that 101 Workouts.............sounds good. p.s. So weird about that guy in front of you. What the .. ??

China--what type of tricep exercise do you do?

yeah the 101 workouts for women is from muscle and fitness for her. I saw that hanging ab move. i guess the modified easier one is to bend the knees and pull them up to the chest. might try that tonight