What program should I put my girlfriend on?

ryanquora
ryanquora Posts: 2 Member
edited June 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
So my girlfriend wants to workout with me . Her weight is 85 KG and she is 5'3 tall.

Right now I am following the following routine for myself
Mon - Chest and Triceps
Tues - Back and Biceps
Wed - Legs and Shoulders
and repeat

Should I put her on the same programme?

The diet part is taken care by her but I am not sure how female training works.
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Replies

  • KateTii
    KateTii Posts: 886 Member
    edited June 2016
    Assuming she actually wants to do this...

    My boyfriend helped me get my workout routine down. I do his exact workout - just lighter weights. There is only a couple of exercises I don't do because the beginning weight on the machine is too heavy (generally for an isolated muscle exercise) or scares me a little to do without a spotter.

    Makes it much easier when we workout together as we can work in together.
  • Lois_1989
    Lois_1989 Posts: 6,410 Member
    As for the original poster. I started on Stronglifts 5x5 to learn the basics of lifting and to make sure my technique was correct. I enjoy it, it is simple and a great starter for men and women.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    edited June 2016
    Does she want to lift weights?

    In my opinion she should workout by doing an activity she enjoys. If yes, there's no reason she needs to train differently than men.

    But assuming she's a beginner I would put her on an endurance progressive program so that she learns proper form, lifts, corrects any issues she has (beginners are notorious for having poor posture/imbalances/etc.).

    Then move her on to a hypertrophy program, a strength program, continue with endurance work, etc. depending on her goals.
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    edited June 2016
    Sounds a little sinister, like you're in control of her. A Svenjolly if you will.
  • ummmaryam31
    ummmaryam31 Posts: 5 Member
    Really depends on what she is aiming for and enjoys.

    I do weight training 3 times a week but I am also a bellydancer and a trained classical indian dancer.
    I dance instead of the treadmill so that is my cardio as I dislike running.

    Your girlfriend needs to work out what she wants to achieve and what activities she likes.

    My parents do 50km bike rides and marathons, I cringe at that stuff.

    Either way, we both stay active and build strength; I have lost weight from what I do for workouts as this is my goal and to get stronger muscles.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    smotheredincheese wrote: »
    I don't understand posts like this, if your girlfriend isn't sure what to do why doesn't she come here and ask the question herself? We don't know what her goals or abilities are.

    SO much this.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    ryanquora wrote: »
    I am not sure how female training works.

    It works exactly the same way that male training works given that men and women are subsets of a much bigger group - human beings.

    So all the things that apply to men - balancing frequency, intensity, duration and recovery, progressive overload, specificity, specific adaptation to imposed demands and all that jazz - also apply to women.

    Knowing this your GF can pick any reasonable plan that aligns with her goals which are currently unstated.
  • newheavensearth
    newheavensearth Posts: 870 Member
    Why doesn't she just get evaluated by a personal trainer who will take her goals, needs, and desires into consideration and let them design a program for her? Just a thought :)
  • Misspinklift
    Misspinklift Posts: 384 Member
    Put her in the same program but her weights need to be lower than your carrying. You have more muscle mass than she does. So she has to go lower.
  • tillerstouch
    tillerstouch Posts: 608 Member
    edited June 2016
    Capt_Apollo wrote: »
    ryanquora wrote: »
    So my girlfriend wants to workout with me . Her weight is 85 KG and she is 5'3 tall.

    Right now I am following the following routine for myself
    Mon - Chest and Triceps
    Tues - Back and Biceps
    Wed - Legs and Shoulders
    and repeat

    Should I put her on the same programme?

    The diet part is taken care by her but I am not sure how female training works.

    how is that a routine? you're just listing body parts and days of the week. and you're doing upper body nearly three times as often as you do legs.

    He saying he does a push pull legs split which is extremely common for body builders. It's very simplistic to think of the waist up as a whole. As back is pulling chest is pushing different motions, so it's actually a pretty balanced split.

    OP from my experience my gf used to lift with me and she would do the exact same programs I was doing, which were pretty heavy volume with compound and isolated lifts. She didn't have any particular goals she just wanted to lift and spend time with me. She gained some serious strength but didn't bulk.

    First you need to see if you gf has specific goals like other have said. If her goal is just general fitness/to workout with you then she can do whatever program you are doing.
  • violajunerose
    violajunerose Posts: 13 Member
    adoette wrote: »
    OP, as a woman who just started lifting, who girl crushes on the ladies deadlifting as much as they weigh or more, let me help a little.

    Ignore the quoted post completely. In order to build bulk, you need testosterone, which women's bodies don't have in abundance. Lifting does not make women bulky. At all.
    .

    Scuse me? When I was lifting I was 5'10" tall, 220 lbs, with a 24" waist (women's size four). If your goal is to build muscle yes, as a woman you CAN build muscle. In fact most of the women I see lifting at the gym build muscle faster than men do and on lower weights. Most of them are lifting 30 and 40 lbs but they have huge muscle definition compared to guys who are lifting 300 lbs 50 times and still rocking the spaghetti noodle arms.

    Why do we act like the goal for women is NOT to build muscle? Why is it a bad thing for women to look strong. I only ask because the first couple of commenters took a "women can do anything men can do" approach to the thread and then it went south...."women can do anything men can do....oh except build muscle...but who wants to LOOK like you can lift weights anyway?" Well actually a LOT of women do. There is a whole world of professional female bodybuilders out there and I love lifting. If you want to look like a dying waif, starve yourself and do nothing but cardio. I'd prefer to look as healthy and strong as I am.
  • violajunerose
    violajunerose Posts: 13 Member
    As for the OP, Let her devise her own workout routine. She's not five. And if she's treating herself like she's five, then the advice you need to give her is "as an adult female human being, I feel you should think (and post) for yourself".
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    ryanquora wrote: »
    I dont understand why some people are getting pissed off if I asked normal question. First off i am not telling her to workout. Its her choice and secondly you are noone to judge on the relationship we have

    I came here for help and most of them here are doing nothing but just flaming me. Please keep yourself out if you don't want to help and keep the relationship advice away as this is fitness forum

    The goal is obvious which is weight loss. She is not into sports or anything. Its just general fitness

    Those who replied in positive way, thanks for the help :)

    @tillerstouch you nailed it. Yes she is inexperienced and doesn't have an account here and also her English isn't that good(Not saying mine is good enough but still).

    I'm sorry that your thread got side tracked
    And understand that your girlfriend may be a beginner.
    When I first started, programs like nrolfw or stronglifts 5x5 where great. Tell her to look into them. She'll be able to pull up step by step guides that will show her exactly what she needs to be doing.
    If her goal is weight loss, then tell her that she must eat at a calorie deficit. For weight loss, one must be at a calorie deficit. Calories in - calories out. All she needs to do is eat less then she burns.

  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    ryanquora wrote: »
    I dont understand why some people are getting pissed off if I asked normal question. First off i am not telling her to workout. Its her choice and secondly you are noone to judge on the relationship we have

    I came here for help and most of them here are doing nothing but just flaming me. Please keep yourself out if you don't want to help and keep the relationship advice away as this is fitness forum

    The goal is obvious which is weight loss. She is not into sports or anything. Its just general fitness

    Those who replied in positive way, thanks for the help :)

    @tillerstouch you nailed it. Yes she is inexperienced and doesn't have an account here and also her English isn't that good(Not saying mine is good enough but still).

    How are people supposed to know her goals if you didn't put it in the OP? :huh:
  • beaglebrandon
    beaglebrandon Posts: 97 Member
    violajunerose wrote: »
    If your goal is to build muscle yes, as a woman you CAN build muscle. In fact most of the women I see lifting at the gym build muscle faster than men do and on lower weights. Most of them are lifting 30 and 40 lbs but they have huge muscle definition compared to guys who are lifting 300 lbs 50 times and still rocking the spaghetti noodle arms.

    What kind of bizarro world do you live in where women have bigger muscles than men?
  • beaglebrandon
    beaglebrandon Posts: 97 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    In what way do you think 'female training' would be different?

    It's pretty obvious. Women and men's bodies are different. I don't understand all the hate against the OP.

    Just because it's PC to say that women and men are equal doesn't mean that they are. Have the men's olympic soccer team play the women's olympic soccer team. The women will get smoked.

  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    beaglebrandon wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    In what way do you think 'female training' would be different?

    It's pretty obvious. Women and men's bodies are different. I don't understand all the hate against the OP.

    Just because it's PC to say that women and men are equal doesn't mean that they are. Have the men's olympic soccer team play the women's olympic soccer team. The women will get smoked.

    For weight though most of the best programs work for both genders and a lot of the women's only ones (except ones like strong curves, nrolfw, etc) aren't that great

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