We have seen a fantastic rise in the use of weights
with our female members, something we have actively tried to promote. However
we often find that there are many misconceptions when it comes to ladies and
resistance training. In this blog post, we are going to summarise some of the
questions we receive on a regular basis.
"I want to lose fat first with cardio and then I want to use weights to tone-up”.
Well, lifting weights WILL make
you lose weight and why would you want to prolong the whole process? Why not do
both side by side to increase the efficiency of your training and get quicker
results.
“I would like some core
exercises to get a flat tummy…”
Regardless
of the amount of core work you do it WILL NOT give you a ‘flat tummy’. You would be better
off sticking to interval training alongside big compound movements (exercises that use lots of muscle groups). Muscle and fat are two separate entities. You can't reduce body fat around your mid-section with endless sit-ups. This will only work the muscle underneath.
“I want to do work on
my triceps to get rid of bingo wings”.
The same rules apply, big upper body
movements will be better than targeting this with tricep exercises alone!
“I don’t want to do any
chest exercises, I don’t want to lose my breasts”.
Gaining
muscle in a certain place does not make natural tissue disappear! If anything
it will improve them.
"If I lift will I become bulky and
lose my feminine physique?"
It takes a
very long time for anyone to build a significant amount of muscle and even more
so for females due to their low testosterone production. When you imagine the
huge bulky man who cannot see their toes over their enormous chest, they are
probably working out up to twice a day 6-7 days a week, with high testosterone levels.
As you will
see later on in this guide, different reps, sets and rest time bring about
different results, so if you stay within those guidelines you should reap the
desired effects. With the hormone difference between men and women, 2-3 training
sessions per week will not turn you into the hulk, your curves will stay but
everything will be more toned and defined.
If you stick
to high reps with a weight to match, this will improve endurance and produce
definition and tone (2-3 x 15-20 reps). Similarly if you went low reps with a high
weight you would get bigger and stronger but not at the same rate or with the
same results as a male.
(Boys
throughout puberty put on muscle around the shoulders and chest, whilst woman
begin to store fat round their hips and get breasts).
"Will lifting weight make me lose
weight?"
The answer
is surprising as a lot of people are under the impression that the only way to lose
weight is to pound on the treadmill for hours. But the more muscle you have the
more fat you burn just sitting on the sofa as muscles require more calories to
maintain than fat. This means not only will you burn calories during your
workout, you will burn more watching T.V or even sleeping!
"Should I change my eating habits if I
start lifting weights?"
When people
start to weight train it is important the body has enough protein to repair the
micro tears that happen in the muscle when put under resistance. This has often
led to people thinking ‘Weight Lifting = Protein Shake’, this is something that
is just not necessary.
Typically
the body can only process a maximum of 2g of protein per 1kg of body weight i.e. a
55kg woman can only utilise 110g protein per day and this would only be needed for
a very high volume of training (5 day split routine).
Breakfast
|
|
Natural Yogurt 150g – 13.5g
|
Dinner
|
2x Egg – 12g
|
Chilli con carne
|
2x Bacon- 6g
|
110g Mince- 16g
|
2x wholemeal toast- 7g Protein
|
100g Kidney Beans- 7.2g
|
Cup of rice- 4g
|
|
Lunch
|
Sprinkle of cheese-3g
|
Large salad
|
TOTAL:
|
100g Tuna- 30g
|
112g Protein- AMPLE!
|
1x Cup of milk- 8g
|
|
Snack
|
|
30g Mixed nuts- 6g
|
Just make sure you have a serving of protein in each meal, a glass of milk and a handfull of nuts and you will be fine!
"How do I know what rep (repetitions)
range I should do and how many times a week can I /should I lift weights?"
Variable/
Training Goal
|
Strength
|
Power
|
Strength for All
|
Hypertrophy
|
Strength Endurance
|
Endurance
|
Reps
Per Set
|
1-5
|
1-3
|
4-5
|
6-12
|
12-15
|
15-20
|
Sets
Per Exercise
|
4-7
|
3-5
|
1-2
|
4-8
|
2-4
|
2-4
|
Rest
Between Reps (mins)
|
2-6
|
2-6
|
1-2
|
2-5
|
1-2
|
30s-1
|
Training
sessions per week
|
3-6
|
3-6
|
3-6
|
5-7
|
4-6
|
7
|
Everyone who is new to weight training should always start at the highest rep range (20) with a weight to match in order to practice good form. From here depending on your goal you can follow the basic guidelines above just making sure you are adjusting your weights as necessary (each set should be challenging and the last few reps should ALWAYS be tough, this is a good indicator the weight is right).
Endurance: Good for muscle maintenance for
endurance athletes, using the aerobic energy system.
Strength Endurance: This would normally be done in a two-way split (upper and lower) this will enable you to lift heavier with more time
to recover.
Hypertrophy: This is for growth of the muscle
fibres, making you bigger (not always stronger).
Strength for all: The low amount of sets allows
everyone to try strength training and it can be used for rehabilitation
reasons.
Power: Power is about being able to apply
maximal force in the quickest possible time, great for sports that you have to
sprint, hit or throw.
Strength: Strength is quite self-explanatory to
make you stronger but in this case strength does not necessarily mean
growth.
"Can I do cardio and weights
simultaneously?"
The short
answer would be yes. However keep cardio short and intense as long distance
running/cycling or prolonged cardio of any kind has the counter effect on a muscle's
development/growth. Keep it to
sprints or cycling/rowing intervals. If you are doing endurance reps it is fine to do long distance cardio, as this would be ideal to maintain muscle mass when doing these types of activities.
When you lift weights your muscle fibres get tiny tears. Your body will repair this during your rest period, promoting strength. If you do not allow time for these
micro tears to repair you will progressively get weaker and weaker as they
break-down more and more. This is why different ‘splits’ work well in order to give
certain body parts a rest e.g.
MONDAY
|
Chest and Triceps
|
|
TUESDAY
|
Interval CV
|
|
WEDNESDAY
|
Back and Biceps
|
|
THURSDAY
|
Core and Mobility
|
|
FRIDAY
|
Legs and Shoulders
|
|
SATURDAY
|
Rest
|
|
SUNDAY
|
Rest
|
OR
|
MONDAY
|
Push Exercises
|
|
TUESDAY
|
Hill Training
|
|
WEDNESDAY
|
Pull Exercises
|
|
THURSDAY
|
Core and Mobility
|
|
FRIDAY
|
Legs
|
|
SATURDAY
|
Rest
|
|
SUNDAY
|
Rest
|
Happy lifting!
Emma
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