Ladies...Train hard or go home
By Rachel Cosgrove
Throughout the years I have seen many women in various gyms lifting rinky-dink weights barely breaking a sweat or afraid to even touch the weights in fear of spontaneous muscles popping up on their body. "I don't want to lift too heavy, I will get big and bulky."
I see the same girls do three cardio classes in a row and spend countless hours on the treadmill like hamsters on a wheel. These same women don't understand why their bodies look exactly the same as they did six months ago. The list is endless and it is endlessly frustrating. They want "toned" arms but don't want to lift enough weight to build any muscle.
Ladies... you need to lift HEAVY to have a lean, toned physique! When you feel like you can't squeeze out any more reps... dig down deep and do two more! Real women have calluses and actually sweat and grunt in the gym. So many of you comment on how much you'd love to have a body like Madonna or Jennifer Garner or Gabrielle Reece but most of you don't do anything to get it! Do you think these women work out with tiny little dumbbells and their bodies look like that by mistake? They train hard! Strong women are sexy!
You will not get "big and bulky." Most men have a hard time getting big and
bulky and they have testosterone. Do you even know how hard it is and how much meticulous planning and preparation it takes to put on muscle and actually "bulk up" like a professional bodybuilder? It won't happen to a female who doesn't have as much testosterone, it just won't!
By really lifting weights and stressing your muscles you will increase your lean mass, and since it is this lean mass (muscle tissue) that burns fat, you will have the capacity to burn more fat even at rest. Combining this with a moderate amount of cardiovascular activity (not three step classes in a row) will turn your body into a fat burning machine. Too much cardio works against you and will eventually begin to utilize your hard-earned lean muscle tissue for energy which is NOT the desired goal. Building muscle is your priority to get the body you want.
You also need to EAT. You need to fuel your body with the appropriate foods for energy as well as protein for the build up and repair of muscle tissue. Starving yourself is NOT the answer and is more detrimental than most of you realize. It will slow down your metabolism and you will hang on to every last bit of fat.
By eating small, balanced meals throughout the day incorporating a protein
source with good sources of fibrous and complex carbohydrates you will
stabilize your insulin levels and sustain your energy levels. This will prevent
your body from going into starvation mode while giving you all the building
blocks you need for developing and shaping your muscles. Plus, you actually get to eat more!
Self-esteem, confidence, sweat and lifting heavy are all part of the package
that go along with my philosophies on how women should train which is far more attractive than a whole heap of mascara, lip gloss and eye liner. Don't be afraid to lift heavy and sweat like pig to get the hard earned muscle you want.
Remember to look like a fox, you have to sweat like a pig! The gym is our domain as much as any man. Training hard in the gym will allow everything else in life to fall into place that much smoother including relationships, career or whatever else you allow it to flow into. Having a great body is merely a benefit.
"Train hard or go home," especially if you're a woman.
.
Linear-Darstellung
