One of my life’s missions is to convince as many women as possible, to start lifting weights. I want to show people, that lifting weights ain’t just for the big men, but for everybody willing to be healthy and fit. I know that it isn’t easy being a woman, who has a mentality that weights will make you bulky. It takes time to overcome it, and when you feel ready to give it a try, you might find yourself perplexed where to start. From the side line it might look intimidating, but you have nothing to fear! That is why today I will give you 8 tips, that will help you begin lifting weights. 8 tips that will give you some confidence to start and become the fitter and more athletic version of yourself!
1.Start with the basic movements
Do you remember the ridiculous math teacher in high school? The one that was trying to teach you all the theorems in justone class? You hated math, because of this, didn’t you? Well it is the same with workouts! If you are trying to implement a big variety of compound and isolation movements,if you are trying to try out every single movement there is out there in the fitness world, you are condemned to failure! First of all you will get overwhelmed and you will quit sooner or later. Second, you do not need to do as much movements as possible, but rather than that- the right movements! In other words you need to focus on quality not quantity!
So when you walk in the gym, first master the following movements:
1. Squats
2.Deadlifts
3.Push press
4. Pull ups
5. Push ups
6. Chin ups
7. Cleans
8. Planks
9. Lunges
Focus on these movements. They are enough to get you to a new version of yourself-fitter and stronger!
2.Master technique:
You need to give yourself time, to learn the proper technique! The first reason, is that in order to work out you need to be healthy and injury free. I don’t wanna mention how much you could harm yourself by doing squats, where you bend your upper body way too much, bring your weight toward your toes, bring the knees inside and so on!
Next, in order to work the whole body, you need to load up the whole body! I am sick of seeing people in the gym, who THINK they are squatting, but they are actually just wasting some precious time. Remember those half squats you have been doing won’t help you tighten your butt, glutes and hamstrings! If you want to get the sexy, tight butt you are dying for, then work it properly! Learn the proper technique and squat deep below parallel! This can be referred to every movement listed above!
If you have a problem with getting the movement right, use progressions that will get you there. Break down the movement in a couple parts and work on each one of them separately. Then bring the parts together, and get the whole movement. Another alternative is to scale the movements.
Instead of torturing your body to do a whole push-up, when your body isn’t strong enough to handle it, go ahead and start with push ups on knees.
Instead of hanging from the pull up bar, desperate that you can’t lift up even to save your life, go ahead and try horizontal pull ups or band assisted pull ups and etc…
Pay attention to the technique! Take time to master it! Then enjoy the results!
3. Get stronger
Ok ladies, let me ask you straight! Why in the world do you think strong equals bulky and masculine? Stronger, means simply being able to carry your own groceries, without tripping, falling and hurting yourself! Stronger means, being able to control your body and use it in your favor! Stronger means, being able to take care of your child, without dropping it on the floor…
So after we understood what stronger means, let’s move ahead. So I want you to focus on getting stronger, or in other words being able to move more weight! Forget about doing 20 reps with the lightest weights available! Instead do less reps with bigger weights.
For example focus on doing 5 sets of 5 reps with bigger weights! Pick up the weight in a way that will ensure you are still keeping proper form! When I go to the gym I focus on the work done, and the amount of weights lifted. So let’s look it that way. If you squat 5 reps for 5 sets with 30 kg, that will be equal to a total amount of 750kg lifted! On the other hand if you stick to the traditional dogma of doing 3 sets of 20 with 10kg, the total amount of weights lifted will be 600kg. See the difference? You will spend less time, doing more work and getting more positives!
Doing an exercise with bigger weights for less reps, will ensure a better hormonal response. Besides that when you are a beginner, doing higher repetitions is the best way to ruin your technique and hurt yourself. The more the reps, the more exhausted you become. You focus on getting it all done and forget about the technique. But when doing less reps, you can think more about performing the movement properly and you will still do more work!
4.Show up
The only bad practice you could have is the one you didn’t show up to! So be consistent! Decide that you are doing this for yourself, and no matter what your daily tasks are, you will take one hour for yourself! This is the time just for you! Don’t give up when you don’t see the progress you expected! Success comes with patience and hard work. You make sure, that you put the work needed and results will be there! I promise! If I am wrong, then I will let you punch me in the face! 😉 Just give me three months of consistency and I promise you will notice a huge difference!
So, let’s repeat it – SHOW UP!
5. Set the right goals
I think, I’ve said it a bunch of times, and probably you are tired of hearing it, but I don’t care! Your success depends on the goals you set. Aim too high, and you will fail. Aim too low and failure won’t be late! Your goals should be SMART- specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound!
What is your goal? Is it suitable with these requirements? If not, then review it! I highly recommend you, instead of becoming a slave to numbers, try and find a goal that has nothing to do directly with your body measures! For example if you are overweight, think about something that you really want to be able to do, but your present weight is somehow stopping you! For example you want to be able to climb? But you are too heavy to do it? Then set a goal, to workout in a way that will let you climb after three months!
If you are too skinny, and you want to be able to squat your bodyweight, then go ahead and tie your goal to this! That will keep you motivated and enthusiastic! Just make sure it is something your really want to do!
6.Keep it simple
You are right there. Walking in the gym. What are you supposed to do? There are so many programs out there? Stick to the basics! Do some dynamic warm up. Then pick one of the basic movements listed above and work on its technique. Do 5 sets of 5 reps with enough weight, to ensure you are getting stronger and still keeping proper form. Then you could do some stabilizing exercises, like planks. Now you are ready to hit a quick circuit that won’t take more than 10 minutes. For example:
– pick up three exercises- air squats, pull ups and box jumps.
– Do 5 pull ups,10 box jumps and 15 air squats for a total of 10 minutes.
Another thing you could do at the end is some interval sled dragging, or some interval sprints!
– then stretch
That is it. It is that simple!
7. Don’t put it off! Start today
There is no better day for you to start, then TODAY! If you want to get somewhere, you need to take some action! Stop staying on the side line, wishing you were thinner, stronger, better looking! Just go ahead and do what you need to do!
8. Don’t listen to bullsh.t!
You are not gonna get bulky! You will get sexier, stronger, beautiful, athletic, fit…anything but bulky! If you want to know more about it read this and this!
You have to start somewhere!
http://www.workingoutathome.ca