You have to workout 3 days per week - i.e. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. In each workout you will start with full squats. Do 2-3 easy warm up sets to get the blood flowing. Then take a moderate weight and do only 1 set of 20 reps. For each one take 3-4 big mouthfuls of air, hold your breath, squat down and up, and repeat. As you progress through the reps you will need to take more breaths in between. When you reach reps 15-20 you may need to take 5 or more big mouthfuls of air in between. It will take about 3-4 minutes to complete 1 set of 20 rep squats.
Right after the squats - without any pause, grab a light barbell and do pullovers while lying on a flat bench. Take a deep breath in between each rep and feel the stretch in the rib cage as you do the exercise. Do 1 set of 20 pullovers with 25 lbs. Keep using 25 lbs. for the pullovers as this exercise is just for stretching the rib cage and fill it with air.
For each workout add 5 lbs. to the squats and do all 20 reps. This is the key to making some big gains on this program. When doing this program you should do full squats. Try to go down as long as you can, this will make the squats far more effective for muscle growth. And another important thing, do not wear a weight lifting belt while doing the squats. By doing this without a belt you will strengthen your lower back and it will be easier to take deep breaths while doing high rep squats. Make no mistake about this routine, it is brutally tough and those 20 rep squats will take every ounce of energy out of you, but the gains are great.
This routine will stimulate your entire body to grow from the stress of the squats. And the pullovers will help to stretch your rib cage and make your chest bigger. When you are finished with the squats and pullovers do a circuit of chin ups, dips, and decline bench sit ups. Do one set of each for as many reps as you can with one minute's rest in between each exercise. Complete this circuit 2-3 times without any pause in between and your workout is done.
Do this routine 3 days per week and each time make sure to add 5 lbs. to the squats and try to do more reps on the chins, dips, and sit ups. This will work every major muscle group in your body and force you to build muscle like nothing else.
Another side of this program, is to eat as much food as you can and as often as you can. This old program is called "squats and milk" and that is because the old body builders used to drink at least 1 gallon of milk every day to help them gain muscular weight while on the program. Milk is very high in protein, vitamins, minerals and calories.
Note: Always consult with your doctor before becoming involved in any kind of physical activity.
Basic Rules of Strength Training
Whoever is lifting the weight, be it male or female, the old rule will apply. So let's get the facts straight right now and move on:
- Heavier weights performed with less repetitions will build muscle mass
- Lighter weights performed with more repetitions will build endurance, tone the muscle group worked without building mass
The average woman will experience a 20 - 40 percent increase in strength when lifting weights after several consecutive months of resistance training.Often women will complain of a small weight gain as well as experience a tight change of fit to their clothes, this will of course happen when they start to replace lean muscle mass with fat loss. A pond of muscle weighs more than a pond of fat. As far as the ill fitting wardrobe, this is because your body measurements change as you start to build your arms shoulders, and leg muscles. investing in some new clothes is a small price to pay for a long lean strong body. As far as the scale goes, I would avoid looking at the numbers. They mean nothing at all. It is better to keep track of your shrinking waistline and fat loss.
The same can be said for women that indulge in aerobic workout activities such as step classes, elliptical machines and stationary bicycle or outdoor cycling. With aerobic exercise, increasing the height of the step or overload due to resistance will also encourage muscle mass to occur rather than tone the legs, resulting in a toned, lean look. True aerobic training in the form of running, race walking and cardio classes at the gym will build your heart muscle which is something we should all be concerned with at any age.
So How Do women Build Muscle?
The true answer lies in our DNA. Our genetics have a large determining factor as to how we distribute our body fat and what ratio of estrogen to testosterone is in our body make-up. So, in a way we are already predisposed as to how our body responds to weight training and aerobic exercise in a certain way.
What Body Type Are You?
There are three classifications of body type for women:
Mesomorphs: Tend to be more muscular, this body type responds quickly to weight training and is more apt to gain muscle mass.
Ectomorphs: This body type tends to stay lean. Even with strength training, they are less likely to build any muscle mass, but will become stronger through lifting weights. Weight loss occurs more easily and they tend to NOT store body fat.
Endomorphs: This body type is more soft and round, often referred to as voluptuous. There must be a loss of body fat before this body type can see a difference in muscle tone due to strength training.
Research continues to prove that weight training is great for women. It builds body strength and helps to slow bone loss and osteporisis in some cases. However, most women continue to avoid resistance training out of fear of developing large muscles and losing their femenity.
No two bodies are alike it is important to remember that every woman will respond differently to the exact training routine. Never compare yourself to others you see at the gym. Focus on your individual results based on your age and body type. It's not what you look like, but rather how exercise makes you feel and the quality of life it brings to you.
Both Michael Russell & Dorianne Schwaiger are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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