Calling all ladies who lift!!

lesliemk

Hi girls!

So I LOVE strength training and I currently do it 3x per week and it's usually broken down kinda like this... biceps/triceps/glutes, shoulders/chest/abs, quads/hamstrings/back. I do cardio and some yoga 2-3 days a week as well. So if you weight train how many days per week do you train and what muscle groups do you target together? Or do you work each muscle group on it's own day? I'm just looking for ways to mix it up!

Also, beyond eating clean and getting to my goal weight and losing body fat (which isn't easy to do while nursing, although Finley will be 1 next week) what are some ways to really get your muscles poppin'?! I love my muscles, but does everyone just do 10 push-ups and a few bicep curls before putting on a dress to go out to dinner w/ their hubby?!

kirstyfromscotland

bump

RTricia

choose your area of the day - work the bigger muscles first then work your way to the smaller muscles.

Some people's bodies are just more apt to be muscular. Ex; calves, chest, etc.

Your workout schedule looks good - just make sure you're eating enough protein to build the muscles!

CherrySunday

I haven't started my lifting yet, but I will be in August. I've read up A LOT on the subject. You should totally pick up this book called, "The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess" it's by Lou Schuler. He covers ALL your questions in that book, plus nutrition and diet stuff.

SarahLovesCheesecake

Id love to have a weights partner, I would go back to my gym and train with the meat heads if I had someone to go with. Alt I have stuff at home. My sessions are no where near as organised as yours, but Ive seen major toning up of my muscles, its really helped.

kellyscomeback

I'm doing Chalean Extreme which is a 3X a week lifting program and it is broken up to target different muscle groups each day.
Before I was going that I would break it up like you are now, go slow and try to max out around 12-15 reps. I would also combine muscle groups like squats with a bicep curl or hammer curl with a lunge.

I like kickboxing (I'm doing Turbo Fire) because it still works my arms and legs plus I work on push ups (try to do 1 more on my feet before going to my knees) and give my muscles a day to recover.

polar5554

I recommend starting here...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/stephanielynn76

ltf304

Everyone does it differently but I will tell you what I do. I work out 5 days a week so I alternate lower and upper body on separate days. I do hamstrings/glutes/quads/calves on one day and do back/shoulders/chest/triceps/biceps/abs the next. Lift heavy and increase weight each week. Do low reps with heavy weight but don't hurt yourself. I would definitely pick up a copy of New rules of lifting for women, it is very helpful. Good luck!

BarbelleBaby

I lift!! I LOVE it :happy:

I aim to go 3 days a week, and alternate 2 'routines': Deadlifts, Lunges and Military Press. Squats (back), Assisted Pull Ups and Rows. So I work all major muscle groups each time, but it's a sort of upper/ lower split so that I don't ache too much Oh and I lift high weight, for low reps ( I forget that people do this differently!!) with an aimto increasing the weight.

In between I'm trying to do some Iron Cardio following the Cosgrove programme... will find link if anyone wants it I've only recently got back on all this, and I've only been tracking my diet for a few days, so it might take some time to see some results but I certainly feel great after good diet and an amazing workout!!

ChantalGG

i was doing my legs and butt everyday ( to reduce ) and upper body every other day to build the top more. I started the 30 day shred and i cut down on the weights for now because i am using hand weights with this workout and it is killer. My muscle are not popping yet though. i still have a nice layer of fat over them.

ltf304

Forgot to mention that bodybuilding.com is an excellent resource and can choose a program to follow. Its free!!

funfitfoodie

I'm starting lifting in a few weeks so interested in the replies!

jamie1888

I like changing it up... sometimes week to week sometimes every couple of weeks....something like this:

Day 1
back, biceps

Day 2
legs (leg day will cover hamstrings, quads, calves and glutes)

Day 3
chest, triceps, shoulders

JDMPWR

The best way to break it down to allow for recovery IMO is to give a day off between workout PLUS avoid overuse of the same muscles even in different workouts where as you use your bi's and tri's in your arm day but you also use them in your chest day and also shoulders day.

I do it like so to allow for the most amount of time for recovery!

M-Bi/Tri
W-Legs
F-Chest
Sun-Back/shoulders

OR

M-BI/TRi
W-Chest/Legs/ABS
F or Sat-Back/Shoulders

Only train ABS once a week as abs are a muscle like any other. Overtraining abs will not help growth.

jamie1888

i was doing my legs and butt everyday ( to reduce ) and upper body every other day to build the top more. I started the 30 day shred and i cut down on the weights for now because i am using hand weights with this workout and it is killer. My muscle are not popping yet though. i still have a nice layer of fat over them.

It's not advisable to work any muscle group daily. You should allow 48 hours for recovery time. And I have to say, there is NO WAY I could do a back to back leg day. I'd have to suggest increasing your intensity and only doing a leg day once, twice if you have to, in a week.

aejbx4x7s

I LOVE lifting! I usually go 3-4 times a week and do the same plan each time, because I can stay for 60-90 minutes. I don't have my notebook with me (I keep track of weight increases, reps, etc) but as far as I can recall I usually do something like:

4 sets of 15 (4/15) leg press (and then 4/15 on just my calves)
3/20 bench press
4/20 military press
4/15 triceps
4/15 lats
4/15 biceps
4/15 glutes
And at the end I do abs.

There's something I'm forgetting, but this is about what I do each time. Lifting is amazing.

katt742

I love lifting!! I do it 3-4 times a week. Usually like this:

Monday- Bi's Tri's and Abs

Tuesday- Legs and Shoulders

Wednesdays- Chest, Back and Abs

Thursdays...Either Bi's and Tri's again (I love my arms) or Just straight Abs.

I also do about 20 minutes (sometimes more/less) of cardio 5 days a week.

LMAO, I love the way my muscles pop after I work out, so yes...I have been known to do some pushups or biceps curls before a date

katt742

Oh, and each workout with warm up and cool down is about an hour.

JDMPWR

I love lifting!! I do it 3-4 times a week. Usually like this:

Monday- Bi's Tri's and Abs

Tuesday- Legs and Shoulders

Wednesdays- Chest, Back and Abs

Thursdays...Either Bi's and Tri's again (I love my arms) or Just straight Abs.

I also do about 20 minutes (sometimes more/less) of cardio 5 days a week.

LMAO, I love the way my muscles pop after I work out, so yes...I have been known to do some pushups or biceps curls before a date

Overworking your muscles. Try to stick to 1 body part a week. Trust me on this....yes their is tons of sited proof to my statement as well.

iva001

Its sounds like you are in the gym a long time..

I do cardio for an hour, then

Upper Body and Abs OR Lower Body and Abs AND Stretching

i do this 4-5 times a week.

I try to be in the gym for no longer than 1 and half hour because I am a student, also I get bored staying there any longer.

katt742

Oh lol, I also do HEAVY and SLOW.

I do a 6-2 count. And i Do 3 sets of 8.

lesliemk

Yes, I am a ChaLEAN grad and it made me realize I love lifting. And I LOVE lifting super heavy! I just want more and more options and bigger and better muscles! I also want to learn more about the science behind strength training for women and how to best sculpt our bodies!

I typically lift MWF. I do cardio on Tues & Thurs & Sat, although sometimes I just have to be flexible and move things around w/ two young children. My lifting sessions are typically 40m and I only lift every other day and try to only train one area each week. I aim for one or two intense cardio sessions per week as of recent, which is usually running or TurboFire, sprints, plyo or HIIT.

I do eat a lot of protein. No real issues there.

Thanks for the book req... just added that to my cart on Amazon!!!

Friends w/ Stephanie Lynn... isn't she AMAZING?!?! Love her inspiration! I need to go back and read her blog on weight training.

HeidiMightyRawr

I lift - Only get time to go gym twice a week for it, I do p90x on the other days.

Its usually, Mondays: Chest shoulders & legs, Thursday: Chest shoulders & back. I mostly just do biceps, triceps and abs with p90x but do them on occasion in the gym.
I'm hoping soon I can go 3-4 times a week, and split the different muscle groups a bit better + add bis/tri's, (I would prefer to do chest and shoulders on different days but if I don't train them twice a week I don't improve :ohwell: )

rachmaree

I was doing 4-5 days of lifting a week like this

chest and biceps
shoulders and triceps
back
legs

I don't do more than 2 days of upper in a row, and my trainer told me to do abs at least 4 times a week. I must say, by completing the abs 4 times a week it made a huge difference quickly, especially the seated ab crunch machine. I just received a new program today from the owner of the gym, it is a different split, with 2 days off, but ı don't remember exactly the break down, just that legs has its own day again, and ı will do calves twice, and maybe biceps twice a week.
I am sure I read that abs are a much denser muscle group, so they recover quickly and can be worked anywhere up to 6 times a week, but I think 6 times is a bit extreme

Check out www.bodybuilding.com there are lots of good articles and info on there, simplyshredded is another good site.

lesliemk

And headed off to bodybuilding.com too!

I use to have amazing abs. LOL! Post two children now and um... they need a lot of work! It used to be my hottest feature in my 20's and now they're not bad, but they're not really public-ready either. I, too, have heard you can train your abs often, b/c they re-cover so quickly, but I usually don't get to them more than 2x per week. I should do them more!

Giraffe33991

My gym routine is at least 5 days a week. I usually warm up with the elliptical, then do my weight training, ab work, then end my workout with a run.

With my weight training I only work one to 2 muscle groups per day and do 3-4 exercise per part. My weight routines are broken out as follows:

chest and triceps
back and biceps
shoulders
legs*

*(on leg days I don't run but instead do my cardio on the bike, elliptical or a brisk walk)

Bodybuilding.com is an excellent resource on exercises to do for each body part. Some even have demonstration videos to show you proper technique. Remember muscle burns more than fat, so it is good to have some muscle!

Barneystinson

3x per week compound lifts - following the New Rules of Lifting Program but modifying it a bit to incorporate 5x5 (5 sets of 5 reps) setup on squats, deadlifts, bench press.

So for example, today, my lifts looked like this:

Barbell Squat, 5x5
Bench Press, 5x5
Leg Press, 5x5
Seated cable row, 3x8
Push-up, 3x8
Dumbbell step up, 3x8
Jack-knife sit up, 3x15

A key lifting program needs to incorporate squats, deadlifts, rows, and bench press.

Stronglifts 5x5 is another good (and very simple to follow) option. After NROL, I'll probably do SL 5X5.
http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

FemininGuns

I do mine in 4-day splits:

Day 1: Chest & Triceps (each set consists of 2 warm-up sets of 12 reps and then 2 'working sets' of 10 reps) - 4 exercises for Larger muscles and 3 for smaller (since you work them in other exercises).
Day 2: Back and Biceps (same concept)
Day 3: Shoulders
Day 4: Legs

I do cardio when I feel like it - I don't schedule it

JennLifts

I do back/chest, shoulders/arms, and legs. Abs all days. each one twice a week

End6ame

I love lifting!! I do it 3-4 times a week. Usually like this:

Monday- Bi's Tri's and Abs

Tuesday- Legs and Shoulders

Wednesdays- Chest, Back and Abs

Thursdays...Either Bi's and Tri's again (I love my arms) or Just straight Abs.

I also do about 20 minutes (sometimes more/less) of cardio 5 days a week.

LMAO, I love the way my muscles pop after I work out, so yes...I have been known to do some pushups or biceps curls before a date

Overworking your muscles. Try to stick to 1 body part a week. Trust me on this....yes their is tons of sited proof to my statement as well.

This is so wrong. What about all of the athletes that train for sports multiple times per week? I also do full body strength routines 3x per week (and squat below parallel each day) and continue to make strength gains. Look at all of the professional coaches (Mark Ripptoe, Bill Starr, Glenn Pendlay, etc..) that train their athletes in the same manner. Glenn Pendlay himself has produced numerous Olympic gold medalists and Bill Starr was the former strength and conditioning coach for the Colts. The only pseudo-sport that follows the “1 muscle per week” approach is bodybuilding.

I would recommend that you look into all of the following strength programs (not BB programs) that have excellent results and all train the same muscle groups three times per week.

Starting Strength (beginner)
StrongLifts 5x5 (beginner)
Madcow 5x5 (intermediate)
Texas Method (intermediate)
Strong Lifts Advanced (advanced)
Starr/Pendlay 5x5 (advanced)

End6ame

3x per week compound lifts - following the New Rules of Lifting Program but modifying it a bit to incorporate 5x5 (5 sets of 5 reps) setup on squats, deadlifts, bench press.

So for example, today, my lifts looked like this:

Barbell Squat, 5x5
Bench Press, 5x5
Leg Press, 5x5
Seated cable row, 3x8
Push-up, 3x8
Dumbbell step up, 3x8
Jack-knife sit up, 3x15

A key lifting program needs to incorporate squats, deadlifts, rows, and bench press.

Stronglifts 5x5 is another good (and very simple to follow) option. After NROL, I'll probably do SL 5X5.
http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

I highly recommend StrongLifts 5x5. It is the program I used to hit the lift number in my signature. I have since moved onto Madcow 5x5. StrongLifts or Starting Strength are great beginner programs that will build real functional strength. What I have read about NROL, it looks like a good starting point as well.