Getting
Into Shape For Women

The
pitfalls of working-out

It has
always been a task for anyone to get results from bodybuilding or fitness. Why
you ask? Well, I have had the same questions just like you and everyone else,
after being in the sport of fitness for the past twenty five years give or take
a few years. I sometimes miss the important aspects of working-out time and
time again so if I can encounter this type of setback just imagine those that
are beginning or not have good role models to look to for good advice on what
to do like I did.

There are
always articles on how to work out that seem to pertain to men mostly and not
to women. You can even find personal trainers falling into this very trap
because time is littered with women seriously hurt because some trainer did not
understand the difference between men and women when it comes to fitness
training to date.

If you do
not believe me, enter any fitness center and you will see many women doing
exercises that will make them feel good after the first three weeks but after
that many of them are stuck in a rut that they seem never to be able to get out
of, which is compounded by many trainers giving them exercises and recommending
supplements that will only lead to them adding more inches and not losing these
inches that they started out to accomplish in the first place.

If it would
be surveyed you will find that most fitness enthusiasts think that getting into
shape is the hardest thing that they will ever have to do and they will never
get in shape like the athletes they are supposed to look up to but if they were
to talk to any one of these athletes they will find that what separates them
from their goal is enjoying themselves when working out. This will give them
more results than not enjoying fitness. When I say this I mean not making
fitness a job, a boring job that is but something that you want to do time and
time again for three times a week for just one hour per day.

That
means having a plan for each day like every other aspect of our lives, planning
is everything.

So how
do we plan out our fitness work out? We make it simple and the simpler it is
the more you will want to do it really. So how do we make it simple? Easy, do
not look to add more to your lives than is already there, just use what you
have at hand already. It is amazing how many people think that eating more
meals means buying tons of food that they cannot afford, how wrong they are
because if they were to look at how much they eat already they would see that
they are eating too much in one sitting already and if you do not believe me
let me show you why.

Did you
know a meal is not supposed to be bigger than the inside palm of your hand?
Yes, if you can fit food into the palm of your hand then that is a meal enough
to fill you for two to three hours until your next meal, so in essence that
full plate can most likely be turned into two to three meals for the day hence
now you can see where you can have six meals per day.

So plan
out your meals to make them interesting all the time. Having six or seven meals
per day kick starts your metabolism helping you burn that unwanted body fat
easier giving you results faster, giving you energy to make you enjoy your time
in the gym.

Now
remember we have to stick to a simple plan. We have only one hour to be in the
gym so we cannot spend an hour on some useless cardio machine that does not
make us loose our body fat any way, so do not think you will be losing out on
anything if you are not on these machine for a long time. So that means you have
thirty minutes for cardio and thirty minutes to work out which gives you thirty
minutes of cardio three times a week that you need any way and thirty minutes
to work out.

Take it
from me, less is more when it comes to fitness. The ones that get results are
the ones that don’t spend too much time in the gym, so get in and get out as
fast as you can. That means no talking until after your work out and if you can
talk while working out then you are not pushing your body hard enough. I laugh
at those people that can do all these cardio machine and then weights all the
while talking more than they are working, not possible at all.

Next is
your work out with weights. Here you want to keep it interesting and that is
why the body is split into the three days. You can do it like this (chest and
biceps) (back, triceps and shoulders) (squats leg curls and claves) this can be
mixed up in any order you see fit or best suits your individual needs.

It is
always a good idea to take a day off and train the next day, so we will be
training on a three day split, where we train on Monday rest Tuesday, train on
Wednesday rest on Thursday, train on Friday rest on Saturday, train on Sunday
rest on Monday so you are not training on the same days each week in a row. On
your rest days you can do light cardio by going for a brisk walk or a slow jog
around the block.

So we
want to keep this work out within one hour so I will lay out the sets, reps and
timing for each body part.

15
minute on a piece of cardio machine, treadmill or bike, and rest for one minute
between sets for all your weight exercises. You can mix it up sometimes and do
your cardio after your weight exercises which makes things really harder but
interesting, so first exercise.

Chest -: 3 sets, 12 -15 reps, 1 minute
rest.

Flat
bench press dumbbells- The bench is thought to be the single best exercise for the chest
muscle but many have dispel that theory over the years, whether with a dumbbell
or barbell this exercise is so good for keeping the chest firm for a long time
to come.

Lie down
on a flat bench or you can lie on your step platform and raise the weight
overhead, whether with a bar or dumbbells. Keep the weight over your chest for
two seconds or so to let your mind get used to the feel of the weight, slowly
lower the weight to your chest hold for two seconds then press up over head
again, do each rep like this inhaling on your way down and exhaling on the way
up over head. The count should be, 5-4 that means five second count on the way
down and four second count on the way up.

Incline
press dumbbell – done on an incline bench this exercise works the upper chest
and some of the shoulder area to give you that firm tone look when you wear
strapless tops. So lie on the incline bench or your step platform that should
be at 30-35 degrees not to high so you aren't working to much shoulder.

Repeat
the same movement as the flat bench press doing slow and deliberate movements
because of the angle of this exercise which are more likely to cause shoulder
injury if not done properly. Lift the weight up overhead, take a deep breath in
and lower the weight down to your chest counting for five seconds down, hold
for two seconds then press overhead for a count of four seconds doing each rep
like this till you reach you desired number between 12-15 reps.

Biceps -: 3 sets, 12 reps – one minute
rest between sets.

Dumbbell
curls-Increase
weight each set. This exercise is all you will need to give you that firm toned
look in the upper arm area, and doing it with the same five (5) lbs. weight is
never going to give you the results you want, so you will need 10, 15, 20 lbs.
weights. Don’t worry you will be able to do this weight with no problem, after
three months you will increase the weight without any prompting from anyone
because you will be increasing your strength and muscle tone which in turn
gives you those beautiful arms.

Many
think that it is just a case of bending the arm and bringing it up to the chest
and down again to your waist. They could not be more wrong.

The
correct way is to stand with your chest held high at all times, elbows kept at
your side, take a deep breath and bring the weight to your shoulder for a count
of four seconds up, squeeze the bicep muscle hold for two seconds then lower
for a count of three seconds to the start position doing each rep like this,
with one minute rest between sets.

Triceps – that trouble area all women would
like to cut out if they could. These can be done anywhere in the gym, home, or
when going for a walk on any park bench. This is a muscle that needs no special
equipment to work; any pushing movement will work this muscle.

At home
all you need is a chair and to get more resistance you can extend your legs
further out as you get stronger 12 -15 reps must be done slow, with your palms
resting on the edge of the chair lower your body as deep as is comfortable for
you for a count of three seconds, hold for two seconds then push up into the
extended position squeeze and hold for two seconds at the top also. Do each rep
like this and I bet you will not reach pass ten reps doing it like this for a
while. The burn will be intense but will aid in the development of shaping the
triceps or the back of your arms.

Dumbbell
triceps extension – this exercise is always done wrong because the elbow is always in the
wrong position every time.

Seeing
that you will be using both hands to do this exercise you can do this exercise
with twice the weight that you think you can, so let us start with fifteen (15)
lbs. weights.

Clasp
your hands around the bar of the dumbbell , raise it over your head with arms
fully extended palms facing the ceiling, slowly bend at the elbows lowering the
weights fully, while keeping your elbows pointing forward throughout the
movement. This works the triceps fully giving your muscle that toned look in
the upper arm.

Finish with
15 minutes on one of those cardio machines and that should be your one hour.
Now get out the gym and go home or if you are home then have your final meal
and have a hot shower and relax.

Back -: 3 sets, 15 reps, one minute rest
between sets.

Dumbbell
row -: This
exercise is great for anyone that has a pair of twenty pound dumbbells. The
exercise is quite simple. You can do this off the side of a flat bench or with
one arm on a chair or the most important thing is the stretch. Most people just
keep the movement in a straight up and down line which is wrong.

The real
movement is through an arch that starts from the dumbbell in a forward position
in front of you and travels to your waist with a squeeze at the top of the
movement.

So we start
in the stretched position taking a deep breath, pull the dumbbell to your
waist, squeeze and hold for a count of two seconds then return to the stretch
position, doing 12-15 reps for both sides three sets each.

Cable
pull down -: this
exercise is done to replace chin ups so if you are in a gym great but if you
are working out at home then chin ups will be the way to go and chin up is a
lot better for you because it works more muscle than cable pull downs.

With chin
ups you work your back plus your biceps which get stronger for the basic reason
you are using raw power to pull your self-up. Even forearms and your grip get
stronger also.

So in the
gym first choose your weight, fourty to fifty pounds, face the pull down
machine, take hold of the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder width grip
and sit down. There is a debate that pulling the bar behind your neck is bad
but with everything it all depends on how carefully you do any exercise.

But we will
keep it to the front of the body, take a deep breath pull the weight to your
upper chest squeeze and hold there for two seconds then exhale and return to
the full stretch position for each rep doing 12 – 15 reps each set.

If you are
doing chin ups at home you need a bar, any bar will do, take an under hand grip
on the bar which will put you in a stronger position to do your chin ups
because you will be using your biceps to do the exercise.

Hold the
bar, take a deep breath and pull yourself up as high as you can exhale and
extend yourself to the start position. You may only be able to get 4 – 6 reps
in the beginning but don’t let this discourage you. Even doing two reps at
first is acceptable until you get to the point of doing 10 – 12 reps.

Seated
pulley rows -: This exercise is one of the ones that can only be done in the
gym or if you have bands at home, it is a great isolation exercise for bringing
out the detail in your back to show when wearing that sexy dress showing your
back.

If you are
in the gym choose your weight which can be around 30 – 40 lbs., using a V-shape
handle, grasp the handle and sit on the machine with your feet on the foot
rest, extend forward for a stretch pull on the weight going into a upright
position. Arch your back, raise your chest and pull the bar into your stomach,
squeeze and hold for three seconds then return to the fully stretched position
keeping your chest up throughout the movement.

At home
with the bands you can do this exercise standing with chest held up throughout
the exercise. Keep an arch in your back and pull your arms back leading with
your elbows for each rep, also keeping your elbows close to your body for more
of a contraction when you squeeze.

Shoulders -: 3 sets, 10-12 reps, one minute
rest between sets.

Dumbbell
press -: The main
exercise of any shoulder workout which can be done with barbells or dumbbells.
So now you don’t have to use shoulder pads once you start getting beautiful
round shoulders.

So we can
start with fifteen pound dumbbells, grab them and raise them to your shoulders.
Take a deep breath and press up overhead, hold for two seconds, exhale while
returning to the shoulders again, doing 12 – 15 reps.

Dumbbell
side laterals -:
Another great exercise for that round look for your shoulders these can only be
done with dumbbells or small weight plates.

The object
of this exercise is to keep most of the weight on the meaty part of the
shoulders.

Start with
the weight held in front of you with elbows slightly bent. Keeping your elbows
bent throughout the movement, take a deep breath and raise your arms out to the
side of your body to shoulder height, hold for two seconds, exhale and return
to the same position in front of your body. Do 8 – 10 reps like this.

Finish with
your cardio, a very brisk walk or a bike ride at a level you have not tried
before that will push your cardio to a next level and increase your cardio
level on the bike so you can increase the burning of body fat along with your
diet of eating five to six meals per day.

Now for the
exercise that does all the fat burning and muscle building that you want but is
one of the toughest exercises that anyone has and will ever do???? And what is
this terrific exercise that is so hard to do that even the most advanced
athlete has had trouble doing. Well it is the exercise called the squats.

Yes this
one exercise will give you muscle tone, improve your cardio and give you all
the fat burning you need even from the first set done properly and this is the
Gods truth. By the second set you should not want to do the third set and you
will not even need much weight or no weight at all.

To begin
with you have to prepare mentally for this exercise, taken lightly you will be
like spinning your tires in thick mud because you will need to have good
posture when doing squats and I do mean good posture.

It is not
just bending your knees and going half way down putting much unwanted strain on
your knees as so many do to date because of the wrong advice.

SQUATS -: 3 SETS, 12 – 15 REPS, two
minutes rest between sets

BARBELL
Squats -: You can
use a bar, two dumbbells or just by holding a weight to your chest.

With the
bar, start with placing the bar on your shoulders, place your feet shoulder
width apart, keeping your head held high look up at a point on the wall or
glass in the gym or if you are home.

Arch your
back, chest held high as I said before posture, take a deep breath and bend
from your hips and knees and squat down to a full squat position with a five
second count. Your thigh will be touching your upper claves.

Hold the
down position for two seconds, then exhale and press up to a standing position
with a four second count. Do between 8-10 reps like this.

DUMBELL
SQUATS - : Using
two dumbbells held at your side, stand in that correct posture again. Keeping
this form, take a deep breath and keep the dumbbell at your side, descend to a
full squat position like the bar bell squats for a count of five seconds
holding for three seconds, exhale and return to the standing position again for
a count of three seconds.

Weighted
squats - : This is
a squat that can be done just by holding a weight to your chest, using the same
correct posture squat down into a full squat position for a count of five
seconds, hold for three seconds, exhale and return to the standing position for
a count of three seconds, do 12 to 15 reps like this.

Calves
raise -: can be
done with weights or without weights also in the gym or at home.

In the gym
all you need is the standing calf raise machine, fourty to fifty pounds. Place
the ball of your feet on the bar, put the pads on your shoulders, dip your
heels down below the bar for a stretch and raise up on the ball of your feet
for 12 to 15 reps, holding the top position for three seconds, return to the
bottom position and start over like this again.

If you are
home use the stairs for your calf raise just by using a dumbbell alternating
from right to left side doing one leg at a time for 10 to 12 reps. Because you
will be doing one leg at a time you will only be able to do less reps for this
exercise.

Abdominals -: 3 sets, 20-25 reps, two minutes
rest between sets.

Sit-ups -: done with just hooking your feet
under any bar or chair, lie flat on a pad or carpet.

Now abs is
all about breathing properly, it is about inhaling and exhaling at the right
time.

So from a
lying position take a deep breath in when you are about to exhale the air from
your lungs slowly start sitting up and feel your abs contract harder than they
have before do 20- 25 reps like this for three sets.

Crunches - : ever had someone show you there
abs they do not move very fast but crunch and hold that crunch for a few
seconds.

So when
doing crunches your movements are to be very slow and precise

The same
breathing we discuss for sit-ups is the same for crunches so put your legs up
on a bench or chair keeping your butt close to the bench or chair place your hands
wherever confortable, behind your head or across your chest and take a deep
breath in when you feel like you are going to exhale start crunching into your
legs exhale all the air hold in the contracted position for two seconds and
return to the start position doing 15 reps each set

When doing
abs like this where you are breathing by exhaling when going into the
contracted position you will feel and get results faster by breathing like
this, to feel what this is like before doing the sets place your hand on your
stomach and take a deep breath in by this I mean inhale until you cannot inhale
anymore and then exhale all the air from your lungs slowly all of it this is
what instructors alike don’t tell us when doing abs and not getting results.
Feel how hard your abs feel that is what you want all the time doing them like
this within three weeks you will see results.

Workout
examples #1 Workout
example #2

Mon - :
chest, triceps and abs Tue -: back, triceps and abs

Wed -:
back, biceps and abs Thursday - : chest, biceps and abs

Fri -: leg,
calves and abs Sat - : legs, calves and abs

Example
workout #3

Monday-:
biceps, triceps and abs

Wednesday-:
chest, back and abs

Friday-:
legs, calves and abs

You can mix
it up any way you want to keep it interesting.

As a bodybuilder, I am supposed to drink water, lots of water, but water consumption remains my most neglected  part of my nutrition. On average I need about eight glasses of water per day but as a bodybuilder I need more, lots more! With intense workout we need three to four litres of water per day. If you are using caffeine products your body needs water to enhance performance. Consuming 16 ounces before your workout 30-45 minutes can boost your performance level, increasing your blood volume. By working out you decrease your volume so by add 16 ounces of water before and during your  exercise program will improve your performance greatly which will give you a huge pump in the muscle you are working. Make sure to drink about 16 ounces after your workout

 

Your body needs lots of water, so you see it is very important.  Water helps remove toxic by-products that the body takes in through eating. It helps carry nutrients and oxygen into your blood cells, regulate your body temperature, lubricatee and cushion our joints. If we don’t maintain a certain level of water in our bodies we will start to dehydrate within hours.

 

So be sure to keep a bottle of water by you at all times even on your busy days. Water can get boring to some of us so you can add many fruit tastes to your water, but watch your calories and also for potassium. If you cannot get rid of that lower gut it’s because of excess sodium being deposited in your lower abdominal region and greatly hiding the muscle that lies underneath this thick skin, so flushing the excess sodium from under the skin is a must.

 

Hydrating allows your body and metabolism to function effectively ,Giving you a nicer tone and appearance you release water through exercising thereby  stopping water retention, The body only needs  2000-2500 mg of sodium per day for it metabolic processes. Drinking  1-2 gallons per day some may need more,  Can cause a deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals, So be sure to take a complete  multi-vitamin  dayily.

 

  Remember the  good old days when all we wanted to do is build the best phisque  that we could with Hard work. But gone are those days to a long forgotten time, these days all you hear guys talking about Is how much big muscle they are going to get, no tought out plan,no diet and when I say diet that means Having a good breakfast first thing in the morning(good old grandma!) how right she was not cereal but A Cooked  meal that was hot which was enough to take you to lunch not having to guzzle cups and cups of Coffee top keep alert,As we would say that meal of oat meal and eggs  would stick to your ribs for hours

 

I remember my first workouts like it was yesterday,my dad had strands (for those that don’t know what they are they were a set of springs attached to handels) you started with one and progress to five and let me tell you it was not easy to even do three so when you reached five you where in the big Times (LOL). I had to make shure my dad did not know I was using them had to replace them the exact same Way I got them every time, One of my buddys was at a gym then but still could not let my dad know That I was intrested in bodybuilding well fitness so I worked out with what I had,willing myself to progress month after month,back then there were the same old bullies that we have today and Back

 

Then we would have to go to the bakery every other day for fresh hot bread (smell) well who told that Bullie to take my hot bread that my dad sent me to get and  you never wanted to return home without  What your perants sent you for,well this guy proceeded to grab the bag I had the bread in and toss it to The ground, I was always a quite kid but that day with the tough of facing my father and the other kids From school around I let him have it and he was bigger than I was if that was not enough this kid preceeded to start the fight all over again this time in front my dad who was sitting on the porch well The short version I let him have it with some punches to the face now remember I am a quite person None violent but not in front my dad,what a crazy  s.o.b he was(LOL) well must say that felt good then  a Couple years later my dad died from a heart attack he was only forty seven, I was off to the gym without Thinking twice my first gym was a back yard gym  (TRANSLATION) a gym outside, most everything in the Carribean is outside,and I guest the bodybuilding was just waiting inside to be released because my First bench was almost a hunderd and fifty pounds and if you could see me back then the wind would have Blown me away skinny would be an under statement my arms were twelve inches back then(WOW!)

 

Guest all those iso-tension workouts did me good,because my squat,back,biceps and shoulder exercises Were with weight close to three hunderd pounds for squatts not bad for a whimp eh, then as all things it Was time for something new , moved to this other gym that had this guy that would not use any heavy Weight at all and his muscle where round and full as balls,when he did triceps he used for the most  Twenty pounds a side with slow continus motion, did not know it then but I was learning some good principals of the master blaster joe widier,and to this day I have not forgotten any of these principals Which prepared me for my next enviroment at a gym that will never be forgotten  ever this is the Place Where I learned discipline, this was the gym if you did not put back the hunderds or droped the weight Even if it was five pounds to offering you ehere refunded your portion of the month and asked to leave sounds harsh but it helped me to have a greater respect for the sport the people and the equipment around me, we trained with a comradory Now I know it was respect we had for each other to a point of Beening brothers in the sport of bodybuilding,This gym went by no other name but of (IRONBALL) there Is where I met a bodybuilder who's name we will Call (Moses) By then I was lifting with even the big guys in the Gym making me think that I knew everything about this sport BIG! mistake I was like every gym goer you see Today would talk most of my progress out the door for hours and even when i trained well what i

 

called training like most these days I got results but not to my full potenial ,then moses one day ask me to train with him this was an hounor for me because moses competited and won most of the prestigies awards In the sport both in the carribean and  outside in north america as I found out later,yes there are a lot Of Great bodybuilders that pass us in the street and we donot know because they are forgotten, there are So many Mr Universe winners that are never  talked about today great guys that did not know the value of keeping the sport up to date wityh all the photos that stay and wilt in so many albums.

 

but back to my training with moses I was happy to have the pleasure to train with a hero from my Part of the world,but before we got started there where some groung rules that he had to get out of The Way,could hear his voice now, when we are training there will be no talking we train and after we can socialise in my mind I wanted to say go screw your self but there was something inside me that always knew when to keep my mouth shut.I did and am a better bodybuilder for it there where times when he Had to remind me that we where training with only the bowing of his head and the words buddy we are training and it was quickly back to work yes I said work most people take it as relaxation but if you want Results you have to get to work when at the gym(just imagine going to work and talking all day) think the boss likes the progress?)Don’t think so people that is why advance and pro will always say cut the talking to a minumin to get more progress from your workouts,after I was finished all I wanted to do Was go home eat and sleep and the side effect was growth,growth,growth!!! It was unbeliveable.

 

All that training change me from a one hunderd and fifty pound weakling to one hunderd and eight Six Pound ready to compete middle weight bodybuilder,O.k my progress comes slow been a ectomorph putting on the weight is not easy even keeping it.learn a lot from good old ironball and the great guys that wher there but like every story there is an ending not to the sport for me but it was time to move On  moved to a more up scale gym called club phyquie was not there a month when I met (sharky) will Let me tell you had to keep my mouth shut again,coming from a gym where I could squatt six Forty five On each side for ten reps and to be told that I had to drop the weight and use only one forty five on Each Side for reps of ten how embrassing but I did it,it was the hardest first set I ever did trying to keep your chest up through out the movement and driving through your heels yeh I was cursing the whole time but my squatting went up to naer what I used to squatt to about four plates on each side and I have keept it there every since my pump where amazing  my body weight shot up to over two hunderd pounds see guys why squatting is king,added deadlifts to my workout  with heavy shoulder presses and I Grew and grew and grew(LOL) sometimes it pains my to see guys talking there progress away but all you Can do is give advice and then look on and see who clues in and then ask that wonderful question I want To learn how. 

 

 

The  sport has a lot of helpful tools like the squatts, bench press,deadlift,hack squatt,shoulder press ,Curls,Triceps press,leg curls,claf raise,wrist curls,leg extension,protein,carbs,vitamins,creatine,zinc,potasium,magnesium and many more to numorous to call but it All comes down to the most  basic  of all these that give us any result nothing sicencetific just Plain Old basic stuff let’s start with the king of size the good old  barbell squatts no routine is complete Without it.

 

To begin you should warm up with stretching complete for fifteen to twenty minutes then it of to the First exercise which could be the leg extension or the squatt for some,I like to start with the leg extension for about six sets to colplete finish warming the thigh muscle up,this is where slow comes in  Not a swing in the park but continus tension on the thigh muscle the burn is unbeliveable mind blowing When that is over it of to the squatt rack and as I said before this is done slow also untill you get in the Grove of the exercise guys,chest up and sit back in the movement on your heels pushing through the Heels all the way up,four to six sets if you can maybe not for the first week or two,aftre it is of to the leg Press you are warmed up so you have a choice to start a littlt heavier than the squatt you will have to Decide what that is because you will be pushing through the heels again on all your  exercises,four sets Should do it then of to the hack squatt well I liked the ones from the gold’s gym not the ones they have Now but you will have to improvise, with this exercise you are pushing through the heels also here comes the burn like crazy hung in there ten reps each set for the outer sweep after that you can rest for the leg curls, and don’t think because you are lying down it is easy,No,no,no  we have to work the leg biceps totally also will not get a nice pump on it with only four sets as most would like you to belive  it takes a lot to get them round and straited and the weight has to be under control at all times if you have To swing it is to heavy sixty to one hunderd and twenty pounds should be good depending on your Strenght it may not start at that or end with what was stated.

 

 

 

 

The views and statements expressed on this web site represent the opinions of the authors and should not be considered scientific conclusions. Neither our company nor the authors of this site assume any liability for the information contained herein. Specific medical advice should be obtained from a licensed health care practitioner. Consult your physician before you begin any nutrition, exercise, or dietary supplement program.