FEMALE WORKOUT PLANS
l1nc420
Posts: 15 Member
i am trying to find a good and easy workout plan for my girlfriend to do. she is currently 5'6 143 pounds she hasnt worked out before and i have no clue where to start she is trying to turn her fat cells as much into toned muscle as possible can any one help
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Replies
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i'll just get inb4 and say you can't really turn one kind of cell into a different kind. the body might use up the fat cells to fuel the muscles you already have, but it makes new muscles out of protein, not fat.
with that said. any general ideas about what she might be more into? it really depends on her focus and temperament. or perhaps it would help if she joined and asked the questions herself. it's a little bit hard to diagnose or suggest for a person when you're only learning about them through somebody else.3 -
I like stronglifts 5X5 and kickboxing. Those are good "female" workouts. I'm not sure they make gender specific exercises.0
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i am trying to find a good and easy workout plan for my girlfriend to do. she is currently 5'6 143 pounds she hasnt worked out before and i have no clue where to start she is trying to turn her fat cells as much into toned muscle as possible can any one help
Fat doesn't 'turn' to muscle... fat is fat, muscle is muscle. Lose fat to be able to show the muscle.
C25k and bodyweight exercises are a good place to start0 -
If she wants to build muscle, she will need to do some sort of progressive resistance program. That could be lifting weights or bodyweight exercises or a combo. Women can do the same lifting programs as men so if you're familiar with a particular one, you can help her with that.
One possibility would be for her to get the book Strong Curves. It has 4 programs, 3 of which are full body. One of those is bodyweight work only. The other two are beginner and advanced lifting programs. The author, Bret Contreras puts the workout templates online but I encourage her to get the book as it has a great exercise reference section and very helpful info about glute activation exercises.
At her stats, I'd focus on fitness while eating at maintenance rather than cutting calories. Let her ride out her newbie gains while recomping and she may very well find she has no need to cut calories.2 -
I like weightlifting with barbells in the free weights area
I don't follow an online programme because I have a PT who is constantly checking form and upping my game
But if I didn't I'd go stronglifts or starting strength
I also bought Brett Contreras Strong Curves and thought it was a good programme that an inexperienced, doubtful female could latch on to
Basically the best workout programme for a girl is the same as for a guy tailored to your goals0 -
There are tons and tons of ideas on Pinterest! That's how I found all of mine0
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The same programs that work for men work for women, too. She should find something she enjoys doing and that supports her goals.
Lifting weights will help retain muscle while deficit helps lose the fat.0 -
The same programs that work for men work for women, too. She should find something she enjoys doing and that supports her goals.
Lifting weights will help retain muscle while deficit helps lose the fat.
True, but women can actually handle loads closer to their 1RM and more volume due to better recovery between sets. So there might be subtle differences in programming between the gender.0 -
The same programs that work for men work for women, too. She should find something she enjoys doing and that supports her goals.
Lifting weights will help retain muscle while deficit helps lose the fat.
True, but women can actually handle loads closer to their 1RM and more volume due to better recovery between sets. So there might be subtle differences in programming between the gender.
This is not something that a complete beginner needs to be concerned with. Even Mark Rippetoe's writing about differences in training for females has them starting with the same Starting Strength program as males.
SourceAfter the first couple months of training, "heavy" sets of 5 for a female may not be heavy enough to drive the stress/recovery/adaptation cycle the same way it does for male trainees. Therefore, the productive training stress a male can apply with sets of 5 may have to be produced with relatively heavier weights, heavy 3s for example. Volume can be maintained with more sets, and 5 sets of 3 reps have been successfully used to drive a strength adaptation for females longer than 5s have.
(Emphasis mine)0 -
The same programs that work for men work for women, too. She should find something she enjoys doing and that supports her goals.
Lifting weights will help retain muscle while deficit helps lose the fat.
True, but women can actually handle loads closer to their 1RM and more volume due to better recovery between sets. So there might be subtle differences in programming between the gender.
This is not something that a complete beginner needs to be concerned with. Even Mark Rippetoe's writing about differences in training for females has them starting with the same Starting Strength program as males.
SourceAfter the first couple months of training, "heavy" sets of 5 for a female may not be heavy enough to drive the stress/recovery/adaptation cycle the same way it does for male trainees. Therefore, the productive training stress a male can apply with sets of 5 may have to be produced with relatively heavier weights, heavy 3s for example. Volume can be maintained with more sets, and 5 sets of 3 reps have been successfully used to drive a strength adaptation for females longer than 5s have.
(Emphasis mine)
That's why I started my sentence with "true" and offered a known differentiation with the statement of "might" as a reply to the poster's reply and not directly to the OP. The assumption of the programming being lower rep strength focused was not made by the OP and does not negate my offered information as being correct. Due to the amount of muscle mass and force a male can exert, the impeded recovery that causes at higher forces for men, additional recovery time is needed between sets. Women have better endurance overall, so that in conjunction with less muscle mass and less force production, can typically handle volume that would cripple most men. So there are programs out there that take this into account and was just letting the poster know there was that subtle differentiation.
http://strengtheory.com/gender-differences-in-training-and-diet/0 -
I don't think the OP was looking for an argument. I quite like DDP Yoga. It works for everyone, but it's a good progressive exercise plan that won't scare you away if you're new.1
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The same programs that work for men work for women, too. She should find something she enjoys doing and that supports her goals.
Lifting weights will help retain muscle while deficit helps lose the fat.
True, but women can actually handle loads closer to their 1RM and more volume due to better recovery between sets. So there might be subtle differences in programming between the gender.
This is not something that a complete beginner needs to be concerned with. Even Mark Rippetoe's writing about differences in training for females has them starting with the same Starting Strength program as males.
SourceAfter the first couple months of training, "heavy" sets of 5 for a female may not be heavy enough to drive the stress/recovery/adaptation cycle the same way it does for male trainees. Therefore, the productive training stress a male can apply with sets of 5 may have to be produced with relatively heavier weights, heavy 3s for example. Volume can be maintained with more sets, and 5 sets of 3 reps have been successfully used to drive a strength adaptation for females longer than 5s have.
(Emphasis mine)
That's why I started my sentence with "true" and offered a known differentiation with the statement of "might" as a reply to the poster's reply and not directly to the OP. The assumption of the programming being lower rep strength focused was not made by the OP and does not negate my offered information as being correct. Due to the amount of muscle mass and force a male can exert, the impeded recovery that causes at higher forces for men, additional recovery time is needed between sets. Women have better endurance overall, so that in conjunction with less muscle mass and less force production, can typically handle volume that would cripple most men. So there are programs out there that take this into account and was just letting the poster know there was that subtle differentiation.
http://strengtheory.com/gender-differences-in-training-and-diet/
You are splitting hairs and overcomplicating an answer meant for a complete beginner. This is the kind of bs that keeps many people out of the weight room--fear of how complicated it all is. Yes, there are differences between men and women but a complete beginner does not need to be concerned about them. Just like we use 3500 calories to estimate the needed deficit to lose a pound for a beginning dieter instead of complicating things and elaborating about how it is an estimate based on pure fat loss rather than fat and muscle and water loss blah blah blah.
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The same programs that work for men work for women, too. She should find something she enjoys doing and that supports her goals.
Lifting weights will help retain muscle while deficit helps lose the fat.
True, but women can actually handle loads closer to their 1RM and more volume due to better recovery between sets. So there might be subtle differences in programming between the gender.
This is not something that a complete beginner needs to be concerned with. Even Mark Rippetoe's writing about differences in training for females has them starting with the same Starting Strength program as males.
SourceAfter the first couple months of training, "heavy" sets of 5 for a female may not be heavy enough to drive the stress/recovery/adaptation cycle the same way it does for male trainees. Therefore, the productive training stress a male can apply with sets of 5 may have to be produced with relatively heavier weights, heavy 3s for example. Volume can be maintained with more sets, and 5 sets of 3 reps have been successfully used to drive a strength adaptation for females longer than 5s have.
(Emphasis mine)
That's why I started my sentence with "true" and offered a known differentiation with the statement of "might" as a reply to the poster's reply and not directly to the OP. The assumption of the programming being lower rep strength focused was not made by the OP and does not negate my offered information as being correct. Due to the amount of muscle mass and force a male can exert, the impeded recovery that causes at higher forces for men, additional recovery time is needed between sets. Women have better endurance overall, so that in conjunction with less muscle mass and less force production, can typically handle volume that would cripple most men. So there are programs out there that take this into account and was just letting the poster know there was that subtle differentiation.
http://strengtheory.com/gender-differences-in-training-and-diet/
You are splitting hairs and overcomplicating an answer meant for a complete beginner. This is the kind of bs that keeps many people out of the weight room--fear of how complicated it all is. Yes, there are differences between men and women but a complete beginner does not need to be concerned about them. Just like we use 3500 calories to estimate the needed deficit to lose a pound for a beginning dieter instead of complicating things and elaborating about how it is an estimate based on pure fat loss rather than fat and muscle and water loss blah blah blah.
Honestly, I thought I kept my original reply (again, not to the OP, but to the poster's response) fairly simplistic and minimal. I agreed with her, but only offered a subtle difference that there is in general between the sexes and in offering said information, might give the OP better information when looking and discussing program choices with his girlfriend. My retort, with added detail, was only in responce to your reply to mine as you offered additional detail and information that I thought might need further clarification on (as you brought it up further).
Someone asked a question, a responce was given, a little sliver of interesting information was mentioned, and "a mountain was made out of a mole hill" evidently.1 -
I feel like i've responded to hundreds of these questions where boyfriends are trying to get their girlfriend on board... So i'm just going to copy the same things i've said to others. I do want to say, however, that it should be HER asking and HER seeking information. I would highly advise you stay out of the process and allow her to learn and change authentically.
1.) There's no reason for men and women to train differently (we're both the same species). The only thing i'd mention is that training chest if she has breast implants might not be advisable, and if so she should check with her physician first.- YES- There are phsiological differences between men and woman as others have stated above.
- Women also have a wider pelvis and a different angle (called the Q angle) between their hip and knee. This makes them biologically at risk for more knee related injuries (specifically when running or jump training). As a matter of fact women have up to a 6x higher risk for ACL injuries than men.
- Women also generally have a more narrow upper body (specifically the width from shoulder to shoulder) which accounts for most of their lower upper-body strength and their higher chance to develop shoulder injuries, instability, and a host of problems (like impengement syndrome,bursitis, etc.).
- I also know that women, on average, possess more type 1 muscle fibers than men, so they are generally stronger in the eccentric phase of a lift.
- the takeaway? As Mark Rippetoe says, they may benefit more (after a certain point) by training closer to their one rep max (3x5 instead of 5x5 for example). HOWEVER-When training for general fitness, aesthetics, etc. I wholeheartedly believe that women DONT HAVE TO train differently than men. I've certainly seen women obtain fantastic aesthetic results without doing so.
2.) She needs to figure out what is most enjoyable for her. Period. I am a personal trainer and I generally will write programs which focus on strength training and/or heavy lifting for women... however, i want to say that this is simply not for everyone and that is OKAY!
3.) You absolutely don't have to be one of the "cool kids" that only does heavy lifting, some cardio, counts their macros, etc.- This approach will undoubtedly give her a certain look if that is your main focus, but I generally recommend that each individual finds their OWN passion for fitness. Whether that's lifting weights, or playing sports, or doing pilates, or swimming, or whatever else!
- In my opinion, part of living a healthy lifestyle is finding an exercise regimen which you enjoy and can maintain long term. Finding an exercise modality which fits this for HER is far more important than any "12 week results" you might see advertised for exercise programs.
- Maintaining an exercise plan is one of the most important things we can do for our health (both mental and physical).
- So, my suggestion to you is... why not give whatever you think seems the most fun/enjoyable to you? If you dont like it, change it! Play around with the type of exercise, the days, the times, etc. until you find something that inspires you, makes you happy, and keeps you active. For now, go ahead and adjust your diet according to your goals.
4.) If she's a total beginner when it comes to strength training, I generally recommend a body weight routine to build up strength and get the classic moves down before adding barbells or dumbbells into the mix.- As a personal trainer I don't move the women I train into lifting until they: have proper posture (that won't lead them to improper movement patterns and injury), fix muscular imbalances (in women upper cross is pretty common), can perform full depth squats, can perform push ups, can deadlift with an unweighted bar, and have begun some mobility work. This is just my personal preference because i don't think it's very beneficial to just start throwing weights around when they lack the fundamental movements and strength necessary to continue exercise injury-free.
- As stated earlier, most women i've seen have a lower baseline of strength and have no experience with lifting weights. I cannot begin to tell you how important it is to work on fundamentals and build that knowledge of form and strength before you just go in there lifting 5x5.
5.) As far as aesthetics go, having a lower body fat percentage is going to give her the look most women go for. often simply lowering calories and body fat will give her the results she's looking for.- As we lose weight we lose a combination of fat, water, and muscle mass. To help minimize muscle catabolization during a calorie deficit a few things are required: a MODERATE calorie deficit (generally 1% of total body weight per week is acceptable), Consistent resistance exercise (Weights count, but so does body weight, sports, etc.), and adequate protein levels (.8-1.2g per pound of LBM).
So, to recap... she needs to find something she enjoys doing that preferably mixes resistance training and cardiorespiratory training (for her muscle composition, heart health, bone density, and more). if she enjoys weight lifting then awesome, she doesn't need to worry about training differently from men unless she has very specific fitness-related goals (like powerlifting for example). If she doesn't enjoy weight training... THAT'S FINE! And last but not least.... she needs to take a genuine interest in following up with this stuff herself. You shouldn't have to be responsible for her getting fit and in doing so you may be limiting her potential.7 - YES- There are phsiological differences between men and woman as others have stated above.
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One that is impossible. Adipose tissue cannot be converted into contracting tissue. 2 she can do any program designed for men. But Id suggest starting her with strong curves. And finally 3, do some research in regards to caloric deficits and surplus'. You need to be in a deficit to burn fat and a surplus to build muscle.i am trying to find a good and easy workout plan for my girlfriend to do. she is currently 5'6 143 pounds she hasnt worked out before and i have no clue where to start she is trying to turn her fat cells as much into toned muscle as possible can any one help
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