free weights for a woman

[2livecrew]

A girl at work wants me to show her how to do free weights, because when she goes to the gym she only does cardio. I was wondering if some of you on here would be able to give me a routine for toning using light weights. Thanks, any help is greatly appreciated.

[orientalkid]

IMO, doing light weight with many reps all the time doesnt help in toning at all, i think combining lower reps of 6 to 8 of heavy weight (heavy to the lifter that is, no pt lifting weights too heavy that u cant handle) and highr reps of 12 to 15 would be better for hypertropy and toning and cardio would best be done for more than 20 min on non weight lifting days or for 15min after weight training if u can take it

[Old_Fart2]

Just check out one of the beginner's routines on the Member Routine area. There's no reason a woman shoud train any differently than a man.

My wife has worked out with me off and on for years and we do the same workouts.

[ppsuprise]

Originally Posted by Old_Fart2

Just check out one of the beginner's routines on the Member Routine area. There's no reason a woman shoud train any differently than a man.

My wife has worked out with me off and on for years and we do the same workouts.

agreed. my wife does the same thing i do cept for the heavy lifting

[Adonis]

You can do the saem routien. Hevay, light, high rep, high volume. It doesn't matter. Both males and females can train the same.

[bouncer]

Every time I've had a female training partner, They do a modified version of my workout. (Little less, with less weights) Also I never used to use the aducter/abducter and they would, bvut that's about it.

Saw good gains. Otherwise, you can burn your workout time doing panzy "gym bunny" stuff.

[orientalkid]

I heard women who were pregnant b4 got to be careful heavy squatting due to change in pelvic position???

[Old_Fart2]

Originally Posted by orientalkid

I heard women who were pregnant b4 got to be careful heavy squatting due to change in pelvic position???

Pregnancy is an entirely different issue. There are a lot of things you wouldn't want to do while pregnant - become over-heated, lie on your back, etc.

I'm assuming the woman is not pregnant.

[eqpfunk]

Any good routine for a man or woman will involve deadlifts, squats, rows and bench (although bench is less of a focus for women). For lower body I would have her do dumbell or barbell (if she is strong enough) deadlifts 3-4 sets, straight legged deadlifts 3-4 sets, squats 3-4 sets and add in some exercises like leg curls and extensions and calf raises.

For upper body I would have her do dumbell incline press, front delt raises and lateral delt raises and some arm work like curls and skull crushers. You could also switch between miltary dumbell press and incline on different days. If she wanted to get even more advanced she could add in some pull ups (possibly with assistance at first), and some bent over rows or one armed dumbell rows. All of these would be 3-4 sets and all the weight used would be something she could do between 6 and 10 reps. I would also have her work abdominals twice a week with crunches, leg raises and some weighted decline sit ups.

Most women I know want to tighten up their triceps, have defined deltoids, tight stomach, and tighten up their legs and butts. I would think a routine involving some combination of these exercises 3 to 4 times a week, coupled with a good diet and cardio would do the trick.

[burntrat]

does this woman by any change like you?

[2livecrew]

Originally Posted by burntrat

does this woman by any change like you?

Yea I think so but she is only 19, legal, but 8 years younger. Thanks for the help guys.

[Insex]

Women can pretty much do the same exercises as men. Yes, even bench press. But definitely don't have her do any heavy lifting for now. Just stick to light weight with repetitions of 15 or more. Keep an eye on her form, make sure she uses picture-perfect form. Once she builds up her strength and endurance on her own, then she can progress to lifting heavier.

Try showing her stuff like:

- Squats.

- Lunges.

- Deadlifts (make sure to keep the weight light and make sure her form is good).

- Bench Press.

- Flies.

- Shoulder Raises (Front, Lateral, and Behind).

- Shoulder Presses.

- Curls.

- Kickbacks.

- Cable Rows.

- Lat Pulldowns.

- Calf Raises.

- Leg Curls.

- Abdominal exercises.

[phastcel]

Originally Posted by orientalkid

IMO, doing light weight with many reps all the time doesnt help in toning at all, i

From my experience most women are afraid of bulking so they train so light that they arent doing any good for themselves and often times arent even getting a workout out of it.
I agree with the rest of these guys, emphasize that she wont bulk up unless she really tries. tell her its okay to lift heavy(in relation to her strenght) otherwise shell just waste her time doin 2.5lb dumbell press and stupid stuff like that, thinking shes getting a workout.

[Italianangel]

Start her off easy, if she has not even lifted with machines she can get hurt easy so get her going with walking lunges, light weight and 10 reps and increase to 12, 15, 20 slowly over the weeks.
pec fly, mid back row, crunches, front shoulder or side raise, tricep dips, curls, stuff like that.
Linda

[painless2]

Emphasis for most women should be on load bearing excercise for the upper body, given their predisposition for osteoporotic conditions. It also helps to even out the development of the legs and provide symmetry.