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Issue 49




Do you have questions about exercise or nutrition? Let grrlAthlete help you find the answer you’ve been looking for. Feel free contact us at grrl@grrlAthlete.com (or just hit reply to one of our newsletters), if we don’t have the answer, we’ll find someone who does.



 

 

 

 

Content



•        Train Hard or Go home
•        Turbulence Training for Women
•        How to Build A Beautiful Upper Back



Ladies...Train hard or go home
By Rachel Cosgrove

Throughout the years I have seen many women in various gyms lifting rinky-dink weights barely breaking a sweat or afraid to even touch the weights in fear of spontaneous muscles popping up on their body. "I don't want to lift too heavy, I will get big and bulky."

I see the same girls do three cardio classes in a row and spend countless hours on the treadmill like hamsters on a wheel. These same women don't understand why their bodies look exactly the same as they did six months ago. The list is endless and it is endlessly frustrating. They want "toned" arms but don't want to lift enough weight to build any muscle.

Ladies... you need to lift HEAVY to have a lean, toned physique! When you feel like you can't squeeze out any more reps... dig down deep and do two more! Real women have calluses and actually sweat and grunt in the gym. So many of you comment on how much you'd love to have a body like Madonna or Jennifer Garner 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? They train hard! Strong women are sexy!

You will not get "big and bulky." Most men have a hard time getting big and
bulky and they have testosterone. Do you even know how hard it is and how much meticulous planning and preparation it takes to put on muscle and actually "bulk up" like a professional bodybuilder? It won't happen to a female who doesn't have as much testosterone, it just won't!

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. Building muscle is your priority to get the body you want.

You also need to EAT. You need to fuel your body with the appropriate foods for energy as well as protein for the build up and repair of muscle tissue. Starving yourself is NOT the answer and is more detrimental than most of you realize. It will slow down your metabolism and you will hang on to every last bit of fat.

By eating small, balanced meals throughout the day incorporating a protein
source with good sources of fibrous and complex carbohydrates you 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!

Self-esteem, confidence, sweat and lifting heavy are all part of the package
that go along with my philosophies on how women should train which is far more attractive than a whole heap of mascara, lip gloss and eye liner. Don't be afraid to lift heavy and sweat like pig to get the hard earned muscle you want.

Remember to look like a fox, you have to sweat like a pig! The gym is our domain as much as any man. Training hard in the gym will allow everything else in life to fall into place that much smoother including relationships, career or whatever else you allow it to flow into. Having a great body is merely a benefit.

"Train hard or go home," especially if you're a woman.

Visit Rachel’s site at www.rachelcosgrove.com to read more of her articles and her e-books.

 

 

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Turbulence Training for Women



Are you sick of the fluff programs in women’s magazines? Sick of being given ineffective, machine based workouts that don’t improve your physique and performance? Sick of being treated with kid gloves by your trainer?

You won’t achieve your dream body by lifting soup cans or by walking up an
extra 3 flights of stairs each day. Programs that promise you that are B.S. You can see right through those programs. They might help someone that spends 8 hours watching TV, but they aren’t going to help you do your first chin-up or finally get abs. What you need is a real workout. What you need is Turbulence Training for Women.

You know that it takes a good program to get you lean and ready for the beach. TT for Women is an advanced 16-week fat loss program that will take you from zero to 3 chin-ups (at least) while helping you lose fat and improve your 5k race time. And that is what TT for Women is…an all round program that will allow you to:

•        Fit in your smallest bikini
•        Exceed your personal bests in your 5k and 10k races
•        Impress the boys in the gym with your chin-up strength
•        And impress everyone with your lean mid-section

– get ready for summer clothing!

Get SHAPE SHIFT HERE

The new TT for Women program is for women such as yourself (or your clients) that want to get a great workout and achieve lasting results. The workouts are efficient, effective, and proven.

”In the nearly six months I've been doing TT for Women, I've completely lost sight of what my upper limits are. A year ago, I figured I was stuck with the 'wide' hips and belly I 'inherited', was ecstatic with a 25 min 5k, and didn't expect to be able to do a chin-up. Now I'm looking forward to wearing a bikini this summer, beating my 23 min 5k, and doing my 4th chin-up! Thanks to Craig and his TT programs, I'm in better shape than I ever imagined!”

 

Christine Johnson

Here’s how Christine lowered her 5k time since starting TT for Women.

Her 5k time before she started TT:
Oct 20, 2004 = 24:24

Her 5k times after she started TT (started the program on Nov. 1st, 2004)
Dec 5, 2004 = 23:53
Apr 24, 2005 = 23:07

And if you are a personal trainer, you can set yourself apart from all the other copy cat trainers in the gym by using an original approach while at the same time empowering your female clients with strength and improved performance in daily activities. This program respects the physical and mental strength of women.

Here’s a sample TT workout performed by Christine:

 Fri April 22nd

general warm-up
specific warm-up fullsquat 65x8;85x8
core workout
workout A
bike intervals

trying to get it all in so I can have tomorrow off as a rest day before my 5k sunday.

did the core workout first since another female and her trainer were using the squat rack. When I came back to use it they questioned whether I wanted it for squats and then said I earned extra respect for being a female who squatted. Then they commented on how impressive my full squats were. Was going to go lighter today until I realized I had an audience.

chin-ups 3+2;2+3;2+3;1+4
full squat: 115x6x3

I did 3 chin-ups again, although I did stop for a second between the 2nd and 3rd. This was technically an extra set from the warm-up. I like trying them before I get to tired from the squats.

I think I know why sometimes the last set can seem easier than the second on the squats. I caught myself not going down as far (still below paralell, but not exactly butt to ankles) when it gets tougher...

cable pull- throughs 120x10x3
pushups (221 tempo) 15,12,12

get a little slack on the tempo with the push-ups on the end set, but I do get out 12...

hiit on bike:

5min warm-up
8 30 sec intervals with 8 90 sec rests



How to Build a Beautiful Upper Back



The face pull is an uncommon exercise, but one that is great for women, especially those that sit at a desk all day. Because so many people forget to train the back of the body, the face pull is a great exercise to help build muscle balance. Just take a look at our model as she does this tremendous exercise.

Face Pull

Attach the rope to the high-pulley at a cable station.
Stand back 2 or 3 feet.
Hold the rope at arm’s length above your head.

Using your upper back and rear deltoids, row the rope to your forehead.

Start with a small resistance and use proper form to get all of the benefits for your posterior shoulder area.