[Beyond Borders]

Not sure if we've discussed this before.

Every once in a while a girl you're seeing regularly wants to start hitting the gym, especially if she sees you going on a regular basis or starting back at it. Or you've made it clear she's putting on some pounds and it fires her up to do something about it. I've come across this situation several times.

Generally, I think it's a bit fruitless to push someone to change that doesn't want to or whip an out-of-shape girl into shape if she doesn't already go to the gym. But given that in these types of cases they are motivated but just don't know where to start (a really bad problem for women from 3rd world, backwater countries where fitness knowledge is almost non-existent), I think it's the type of scenario where you shouldn't be hesitant to get involved with a bit of guidance (even if you don't plan to stick with her).

Personally, I enjoy helping people who want to help themselves. I inspired one girl years ago to get into working out, and when she seemed serious enough about it, I bought her a few personal training sessions as a Christmas gift. Eventually after we broke up, she went on to become a personal trainer herself, so it was well worth it to me.

Anyways, what are some ideas for putting together workouts for women? Any good ones already out there? A lot of the mainstream info for women, as usual, seems pretty shit. Many of the same fitness principles apply, regardless of gender, but obviously there will still be differences in approach. I've seen kettlebell training do wonders for broads, and squats are of course a great way to build a nice ass.

One major problem is that women are so damn weak - for instance, I put the chick I'm seeing now to the test the other morning, and she can't do one single pushup and managed about 10 bodyweight squats. Even knee pushups seemed too much for her. haha It's pathetic how weak these Asian women are. They stay trim and looking good, but when it comes down to it many are made of paper and quite a few are pretty flabby. That's what happens when all you do is sit around all day, playing with your phone, watching TV, and doing your hair and makeup.

A plus to showing an Asian woman around the gym, on the other hand, is the ones who've never worked out before are a clean slate. They're willing to do what you tell them is best, and they're not afraid of doing upper body workouts, etc, because their girlfriends have convinced them they'll get big.

Oh, and to be clear, I wouldn't want to work out with a girl I was seeing, but I don't mind taking a break from my own routine here and there or spending some of my free time in the beginning showing her how to do exercises, putting together a routine, etc. Since many women enjoy being led, I think her man's involvement is benificial to building momentum.

Who has whipped a chick into shape, what did you emphasize, and where did you start?

[Hannibal]

Squat an easy weight for 50 total reps in 20 minutes. When that gets too easy, bump up the weight, then work on getting back up to 50 reps. There's no focus on sets with a rep scheme, time between sets, percentages of your max, or really anything else that women don't ever take the time to understand. It's a foolproof approach for a better ass and better cardio. That's what is known as the 50/20 program, you can do it with literally anything and all it takes is a stopwatch and the ability to count.

As far as upper body work, pullups and dips if she is strong enough to do them. Most women are scared of getting "heeeyuuuuge" with the bench press. Pullups and dips hit just about everything upperbody related and they can't get pinned under a bar doing them.

To answer the question, I'm doing that program with my current girl and it's working. I made her start with just the bar and coached a little bit so she knew what decent form was like. The standards are a lot lower for women, it doesn't take a lot of effort for noticeable differences to happen once they start hitting bigger exercises like squats and deadlifts, especially if their diet isn't retarded.

[Beyond Borders]

^ Thanks for the input, but I feel like you didn't read the post. Probably my fault for writing a book, as usual. My apologies.

I specifically mentioned that many Asian women struggle to do bodyweight squats and knee pushups. Let alone pullups and dips. I also mentioned that women out here aren't so scared of getting huge because they're clean slates on the fitness scene and don't have a lot of misinformation in their heads.

Good advice, but for many women, especially in this part of the world where they may not even have ever had gym class at school, there's a ton of work to get out of the way before you even attempt the basics. I suppose I'll just put together an "ideal" workout and then use that as something to work towards, starting on lighter progressions and working her upwards.

EDIT: since I did list the post topic as whipping women in shape in general, we might as well get all the info, so I'll try not to be so nazi about responses.

[Hannibal]

Yeah, it's late here haha.

I would have her work up to 50-100 bodyweight squats in 20 minutes and then on her upper body workout, probably knee pushups and incline rows, or maybe even tiny one handed rows with a dumbbell.

Maybe when she gets up to however many bodyweight squats, you could have her work up to a 25 lb dumbbell in her hands goblet style. Then she should be good enough for a barbell.

Depending on how many times she goes to the gym or works out or whatever, she might have to do full body workouts.

When all else fails, hill sprints are a great option. She'll get leaner in general, stronger legs, and better cardio. The problem for most people is finding a hill.

[Beyond Borders]

One idea I had is putting her on these regimins here at the hundredpushups page: http://hundredpushups.com/

In the sidebar, you see they've got programs for pushups, squats, lunges, situps, and chair dips. Putting those different things together creates a decently-rounded regimen for a newbie. And the different levels based on testing makes it adaptable to even weaker people. It's also spelled out pretty well so that there's never confusion about how much to do on each day.

For the pushups, which will be the most challenging part, I'm thinking start her off on an angled pushup against a high counter or wall, convict-conditioning style, and work her into harder progressions.

[Saweeep]

I think most people would have more luck changing a girl's eating habits than her exercise.

Most girls seem to like running. I think you'd have more chance getting them out doing that than anything else.

Running combined with healthy diet is the answer, I think.

[Beyond Borders]

(09-23-2014 04:08 AM)CrashBangWallop Wrote:  

I think most people would have more luck changing a girl's eating habits than her exercise.

Most girls seem to like running. I think you'd have more chance getting them out doing that than anything else.

Running combined with healthy diet is the answer, I think.

Yeah, I've got her on diet control already and taking measurements. Already seeing results.

Given how weak she is, though, I think some strength training is crucial. It can't be healthy to be that weak, and building some muscle mass will help her burn those calories. I think most women could stand to improve their muscle tone (not that I can talk at this point in my life haha).

Another stumbling block with the Southeast Asians is they loathe the sun and will do anything they can to avoid it. Walking or jogging in the day-time is completely out. First time I've ever seen treadmills as a good thing...

[Chaos]

I think half the battle is already won if she is doing some bodyweight exercises.

The Russian girl I was travelling with a few months ago always came with me to the beach every morning for some workout. Meanwhile I did some "Fisto's Tabata Workout" she did at least 100 airsquats,situps,plank,lounges and some running and some own yoga shit.
Pushups, chinups or pullups was impossible for her to perform.

Encourage her to do a lot of squats. It's in the interest of most girls to have their legs and ass in shape. Set an example and show her how to do it.

[Swedreams]

Squats are a great exercise. However it takes time and focus to learn proper form. Also it doesn't live up to the hype of building big asses, especially in girls. Since many girls have weak core strength they over arch their back in the squat leading to poor activation of the glutes (compensating with greater activation of the quads).


A better exercise for glutes is the hip thrust. It's stupidly simple, it can be done with a rubber band, barbell or a weighted ball.

I started incorporating them into my routine recently and it makes my ass sore for days (no homo).

[ddjembe mutombo]

I do the hip thrust as well. However, I hold each rep at the top for a few seconds. It helps take away moment.

[imcca001]

Beyond Boarders
I think It is important to cover the main muscles of the body in a manner that is progressive, and varied. A bodypart split is liable to leave a girl really bored. Many guys that have put years in the gym can see the benefit of doing a chest/back/shoulder/arm/leg workout, but for a girl who wants to feel like she worked out its super boring. The number one complaint I get from female trainees is that they do not feel like they worked out. This is usually because they are not used to doing strength work, and dont really know how to push themselves in the lower reps <10. If you thin about it this is pretty similar to men. Most guys wouldnt be able to push themselves on lower rep strength work, or 1 body part a day if they were relatively new to the gym.
You can combat the inexperience by using full body workouts and a little bit of conditioning so the girl feels like she got a workout. I would recommend doing a full body routine each time she decides to go in the gym. That way she can make a little progress, and if she makes a commitment past a few weeks or a couple months she can easily switch to something else if she gets bored. The routine I printed below is one I use with many female clients. You can do it 2-3 times a week. If a girl wants more we usually do some cardio on an off day or after one of the workouts. For Cardio I like to do HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) where the girl goes hard for a period, then rests for a period. Usually I will do a warm up, 10-15 minutes of HIIT, then a cool down with work / rest periods of 30:60, 60:60, 30:90. Workout Below

1) Squat 5x5 1:00-2:00 rest
Overhead press standing 5X5 1:00-2:00 rest
pull ups 5x5 or pull down 1:00-2:00 rest
Tricep Extension 3X8 :45-:90 seconds rest
Reverse Laterals 3X8 :45-:90 rest
Decline sit ups weighted 12-20 :45-:90 rest


2) Deadlift 5X5 1:00-2:00 rest
Bench Press 5X5 1:00-2:00
Barbell Row 5X5 1:00-2:00
Curls 3X8-12 :45-:90 Seconds Rest
Lateral Raise 3X8-12 :45-:90 seconds rest
Hanging leg raise 8-12 :45-:90 seconds rest

You will notice that the rest times are flexible. This is because this workout is designed for someone who is a beginner to intermediate lifter, or someone getting back into lifting. With small changes you can use this workout for lifters of every level. I have used it myself as well as on some female clients and really enjoy it. Hope this helps.

[LordofFlies]

Jumprope HIIT would be a good form of cardio. Keeps them slim but doesn't turn them into skeletors

[Blackwell]

This hip thrust exercise you speak of, do you do this in a busy public gym?

I guess I'll give it a try.

[Giovonny]

Diet is always #1.

Other than that, walking, jogging, dancing, sex, yoga, pilates, walking, swimming, core work etc.

I prefer them to do full body exercises rather than isolated weight lifting.

I want them to have a feminine body not a mans body.

I don't like a lot muscle on women, only in their ass.

Find the workouts that feel natural to her personality and body.

Don't force her to workout like a man, unless she wants to.

[Capitán Peligroso]

BB, in a word, kettlebells. 3 main exercises: swing (for posterior chain, puts a little muscle on the ass) goblet squat (for legs and opening the hips) and snatch (great total body exercise, builds overall strength and functionality without bulking).

The target body might look something like this:

It's very possible for an ectomorph to get strong and still be thin and feminine. If you get the inevitable objection that she's too muscular, keep in mind, she is a world kettlebell champion and world record holder, pound for pound one of the strongest women in the world. It's a great vehicle for a stronger, fitter body for any fitness level.

Here's a good still:

[Capitán Peligroso]

Quote:

I don't like a lot muscle on women, only in their ass.

Kettlebell swings and hip thrusts.

[StrikeBack]

Lol great minds think alike.

I was going in here to suggest KB and hip thrusts. Precisely my prescription to chicks. Those plus bodyweight squats (for mobility and basic strength) and some pushups.

Hip thrusts are doubly important since you're dating Asian girls.

[LeBeau]

^ Strikeback wins signature of the year, just noticed that.

I was also gonna post up about KB swings.

But since we've established that, here's another, "Horse Stance" from Wushu (and used in other areas of physical fitness/martial arts).

No weight required, and it will build up stamina in her legs and help her work towards splits.

There's a video out there with a cute girl demonstrating bad technique, so I found you a busted girl demonstrating good technique...priorities!

A good goal to start with is working up to 5 min holds, thighs parallel with the ground, you can even get her to balance broomstick on thighs to ensure proper level/angle....after she's done cleaning with it of course.

[LeBeau]

Can't forget stretching either:

[Capitán Peligroso]

Quote:

Hip thrusts are doubly important since you're dating Asian girls

This. It's also true of the kettlebell swing. I used Ksenia Dedyukhina because she is a good example of an ectomorph type build that's built some muscle and can still look feminine as hell in an evening dress. With kettlebells, Vietnamese women can easily add some muscle in the right places, improve their overall fitness, and still keep that feminity.

[redbeard]

Bodyweight workouts.

"Body by You" is written by Mark Lauren, author of "You Are Your Own Gym," and is specifically designed for women.

I know his book is good and I expect the female counterpart is similar.

Strength takes time...and as long as she starts doing something you're doing well. Most girls can't do pushups which is sad.

[Beyond Borders]

I am sold on kettlebells, no doubt. I'd love to start working out with them again myself.

Unfortunately, I've yet too see them anywhere in this part of the world.

Thanks for all the input, guys!

[StrikeBack]

Dumbbell swings can be ok substitutes.

Did I see Vietnam mentioned somewhere above? KBs are available there, they're just called something else, which escapes my mind right now. I told my uncle to buy a few for home use.

[StrikeBack]

Another option, and this is really old school: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=837150756303212

Can't argue with the results

[The Reactionary Tree]

(09-23-2014 05:55 AM)Swedreams Wrote:  

dat ass