Train Like A Woman

ldy_solana

Cathlete
as posted on one of my groups

Train Like A Woman

By Kristin Reisinger

When I was asked to write a response article to an article entitled, 'Train Like A Man,' I envisioned myself writing a highly charged rebuttal piece to a sexist rant chock full of testosterone, andro and a bit of GH thrown in for good measure. After much thought about the topic at hand, I realized that a lot of the author's attitudes and beliefs towards training apply to everyone. Especially us women!

Let me explain. Through the years I have seen many women in the gym lifting these rinky-dink, pink and purple hand weights barely breaking a sweat. I see the same girls do three cardio classes in a row and spend countless hours on the treadmill like hamsters on a habitrail pondering why their bodies look exactly the same as they did six months ago. These are the same girls that come up to me and ask me repeatedly what I do to look the way I do or what do I eat or do I even eat. I even overheard a girl once say, "I'm doing so good today... I only had a bagel and a salad." The list is endless and it is endlessly frustrating.

I wish I had a megaphone right now. Ladies... you need to lift HEAVY to have a physique like the chick from Terminator! When you feel like you can't squeeze out any more reps... do two more! Get calluses on your hands... your man will love it. So many of you comment on how much you'd love to have a body like Madonna or Angela Bassett or Gabrielle Reece but most of you don't do anything to get it! Do you think these women work out with tiny little dumbbells and their bodies look like that by mistake? Do you even know how hard it is and how much meticulous planning and preparation (and testosterone!) it takes to put on muscle and "bulk up" like a professional bodybuilder? I've been lifting as hard and heavy as any guy I know for two years and I keep getting smaller and leaner! I look sexier and more feminine than ever before, too. By really lifting weights and stressing your muscles you will increase your lean mass, and since it is this lean mass (muscle tissue) that burns fat, you will have the capacity to burn more fat even at rest. Combining this with a moderate amount of cardiovascular activity (not three step classes in a row) will turn your body into a fat burning machine. Too much cardio works against you and will eventually begin to utilize your hard-earned lean muscle tissue for energy which is NOT the desired goal.

You also need to EAT. Your need to fuel your body with the appropriate foods for energy as well as protein for the build up and reparation of muscle tissue. Starving yourself is NOT the answer and is more detrimental than most of you realize. It will slow down your BMR (basal metabolic rate) and hang on to every last bit of bagel you consume as stored energy (fat). By eating small, low-fat meals throughout the day incorporating a protein source with good sources of fibrous and complex carbohydrates will stabilize your insulin levels and sustain your energy levels. This will prevent your body from going into starvation mode while giving you all the building blocks you need for developing and shaping your muscles. Plus, you actually get to eat more!

"It's all about ATTITUDE," says the author, and I agree wholeheartedly. I would even venture to say us women need to dish out even more of it than men. If I had a nickel for every time I witness some girl feeling intimidated in the gym because of the presence of a man or give up a machine or a bench because some dude is waiting for it, I'd have a bank account like Arnold. I have gone up to girls in the gym and yelled at them for doing that. Where's your damn backbone?! Self-esteem, confidence and an all-around, I don't give a s--t attitude are all part of the package that go along with my philosophies on training like a woman which is far more attractive than a whole heap of mascara, lip gloss and eye liner. And the gym is our domain as much as any man. Training like a woman is a synergistic framework allowing everything else in life to fall into place that much smoother including relationships, career or whatever you allow it to flow into. Having a great body is merely a fringe benefit. So ladies, to quote a very wise person, "Go hard or go home," especially if you're a woman


kassia



When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be
disappointed to discover they are not it -- Bernard Bailey
 
YEAH!! Kassia! Thanks for sharing!!! Let's go out and lift some REAL iron!! Just did HCE #1, so I'm a little juiced, but I LOVE this article. Thank you soo much for sharing!
 
Kassia THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! As many of you know I started with a personal trainer a few weeks ago - and she has me doing HEAVY!!!!! I've read and tried just about everything, and I did freestyling for a solid 6 weeks with no results! (Poor Carole - I kept bombarding her with questions about it.) I know certain techniques work for certain body types, but the lighter weights and higher reps did nothing for me. So I'm doing heavy stuff and wow! is it working! I totally agree with this article!

Lorrie
 
I can't count the number of times someone said she'd love to have my arms, only to hear her gasp when I tell her how much I need to lift (and how much more I need to work up to) to keep them that way. Not to mention how I have to eat and how much consistency I have to have in my routines.

I always hear:
"But I'll end up looking like Arnold!"
"I have to do this ALL MY LIFE? Like, FOREVER? Like, I can't stop?"
"I have to give up (insert favorite junk food here)?"
"You mean I can't get your results in just 6 weeks?"

And my favorite, coming from my own mother:
"Such a waste, that nice little body of yours, if you keep this up."

I lift heavier than my husband. I've worked very hard for so long to get here, and I only want to go farther. Yeah, such a waste, this nice little body of mine, to be able to kick a$$ if I have to.

Gotta stop. Quite biznitchy this morning. Need more coffee. Where's Wendy?

Ooops... wrong thread.:p

Pinky
 
Thanks Kassia -- that was wonderful!! Brought tears to my eyes! I am one of those who is just learning the truth -- and it frustrates me that for so long I was mislead!! I have those pink and purple hand weights -- and it is embarrasing! A 3 year old came over to my house the other day and was throwing them around like toys! :(

I'm so glad to finally know how to "Train Like a Woman!"

Michelle
 
i liked not only how she pointed out about lifting heavy but EAT and ATTITUDE caught my eye as well. attitude-defiently have one and EAT-well just love to do that LOL

pinky, i here ya i get tired of explaining it OVER AND OVER again to the SAME ppl that ask. i always change up but i always have weights somewhere in my routine. i just can't believe the excuses ppl come up with. the most famous is that they can't afford a gym when hubby goes to one for $15 a month. when i walk into that gym I OWN that gym LOL. not very MEN in that gym can keep up with my circuit style and superset work. most are just chatting it up while this gal is working. not here to make friends just here b/c i need a LIFT(PUN INTENDED LOL) and hubby needs someone to watch him once in awhile to make sure we are on track.
kassia



When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be
disappointed to discover they are not it -- Bernard Bailey
 
I thought this article was irritating (not towards you Kassia, I'm talking about the writer). First of all, most people train incorrectly because they don't know any better. Sure, tell them otherwise, but why make them feel like idiots for not knowing what many of us didn't know when we first started. Has this woman really gone up to women in the gym and yelled at them because she dislikes what she sees? If she had the gall to do that to me I'd have tossed my "measly" 5lb weight onto her toes. And why does she keep refering to women as "girls?"

Sorry to be crabby. Just thought it was rude and arrogant.

Sparrow
 

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