For the Ladies…and Guys

“I want Kim Kardashian’s butt.”

 

“I want Cameron Diaz’s abs.”

 

“I want Angelina arms.”

 

“Can we do just abs and core today? Just make me look like Kaley Cuoco?”

 

I hear statements like these daily…Ladies love the arms and abs…sprinkle in the booty and you’ve got the tri-fecta! Don’t get me wrong, my job as a Personal Trainer is to deliver the results the clients want…I just get weird looks when someone asks to do arms and we walk over to the chin-up bar and start doing reps!

 

Ladies, fear not… I am stepping away from my usual bro-banter and harnessing my inner-gentleman to offer up the REAL way to get those toned arms, tight abs, and curves that every girl chases in their voyage through the gym.

 

Ladies often get it twisted…lifting heavy weights made my boyfriend get bigger, I don’t want that to happen to me…can we do higher reps to get toned?…listen girls, unless your body starts dumping crazy amounts of testosterone in to your bloodstream, you won’t get bulky. Trust me, your body is NOT going to do that (go on, google it..it’s science, not gonna happen). The reason your boyfriend got super bulky was because he probably ate everything in his sights and did too many 12oz super sets on the weekend…

 

The young ladies I train all do squats, deadlifts, chin ups and push ups. We carry dumbbells, we swing kettlebells, and we do all of these movements “heavy” and frequently. I also suggest a protein shake post workout…you would think I am offering up poison from the looks I get!

 

The first few sessions I always get the warnings… “My jeans better still fit”… “If I get too bulky, you’re fired”…and then three weeks in to training (yes, they are still with me) my ladies are all pleasantly happy to inform me that their jeans are TOO big and they have gone down a size but their…and I quote… “butt has never looked so good” and that they “love the little bumps coming out the back of their arms” aka their triceps giving their arms that long, toned, appearance. To top it all off, the ladies LOVE the protein shakes!

 

Enough jitter-jabber…here’s the low down on how to make all your goals become reality.

 

The “Perfect Everything” Workout

 

A1) Dumbbell Goblet Squat : 10 reps

A2) Pushup (Full, Modified, or ‘Negative’) : 8 reps

A3) V-Up : 20 reps

 

B1) Sumo Dumbbell Deadlift : 8 reps

B2) 5 Second Eccentric ‘Negative’ Chin up: 3 reps* (LINK TO ECCENTRIC CP BLOG POST)

B3) Plank with Knee Tuck : 15 per side

 

C1) Incline Close Grip Tricep Pushup : 10 reps

C2) Bicep Curl to Overhead Press : 8 reps

C3) Cable Wood Choppers : 15 per side

 

*Can be progressed to 5 reps maximum

 

Complete each series (A/B/C) as a circuit. Each series should be completed 2-4 times based on your own fitness level. Rest 90 seconds between each round.

Now, how do we pick weights? What I like about this workout is only 3 of the 9 exercises require dumbells. This keeps it simple and avoids you from having to venture deep in to the bro-garden known as the dumbbell section of the gym. With goblet squats and sumo deadlifts people tend to go too light. You need to choose a weight that makes YOU feel comfortable and learn the movements…but don’t be afraid to really push it…I have a 43 year old female client that can goblet squat 65 pound dumbbells…and she is a size 2…If she can do it- you can do it! Start easy, with 20-30 pounds and work your weight up 5 pounds for the next round. After all, most of the girls I know carry around 25 pound handbags anyway, working with some heavier dumbbells will do you all some good!

 

P.S. When you start crushing squats,‘You Can’t Squat With Us’becomes a must!

 

Trust me ladies, building muscle is not a bad thing, you can not sculpt body parts without replacing what is already there…Let this be your start to the perfect whatever you have been looking for!

 

Casey L.

www.campusprotein.com