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![]() By: Katie Lobliner & Derek Charlebois B.S. CPT
The primary concern women have when it comes to weight training is, "I don't want to get big or bulky." We are here to tell you that you won't! The hormone testosterone is responsible for the large increases in muscle mass seen when men lift weights. Women's testosterone levels are a fraction of men's testosterone levels. Normal testosterone levels in men are 200-1200 ng/dl while 15-70 ng/dl are normal in women. As you can see, men's testosterone levels are significantly higher than women's. Even if a man is at the low end of the men's normal testosterone range (200 ng/dl), he still has more than twice the amount of testosterone as a woman at the high end of the women's normal testosterone range (70 ng/dl). If we look at the median or mid-range testosterone levels in men and women, men = 700 and women = 42.5. So on an average, men have 16.47 times more testosterone than women!
It is clear that women do not have the hormonal support (testosterone) to gain muscle mass like men. Therefore, the fear of becoming big and bulky and looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger with a ponytail is unwarranted. Now you may be saying, "I have seen some women bodybuilders who are very muscular and look similar to men in their build." The real reason they look like that is they are most-likely using exogenous testosterone injections and/or other anabolic steroids. When women use exogenous testosterone/steroids they may show signs of hair growth on the face and chest, increased muscle mass, a redistribution of body fat from a female pattern of storage to a male pattern of storage, deepening of the voice, and other effects. The point of saying this is that unless you are on exogenous testosterone or other anabolic steroids, you will not become big and bulky from lifting weights. This is not to say that you will not gain any muscle, you will, but you will not gain muscle like a man. Instead, you will become toned and shapely.
Studies have shown that men and women do not need to train differently. If you are a woman and want to gain muscle and improve your shape and curves, then you are going to have to lift heavy weights. This means that instead doing endless reps with light weights, as the media often prescribes women to do, you need to lift some heavy weights and really challenge yourself! While performing high rep sets (15-20 reps) does have some benefit, it is not optimal to adding muscle mass. Here is a very vague overview of rep ranges:
That is very superficial overview of rep ranges as there is a lot of crossover of adaptations between rep ranges. For example, many people grow lifting solely in the 1-5 rep range and 12+ rep range. But it gives you an idea of the weight you need to lift to grow; a weight that you can complete for at least 6 reps but not more than 12 reps.
Men and women do not need to train differently to see results, but what about diet? Should women eat differently than men? Not really. Men's and women's metabolisms are very similar except that women burn a greater ratio of fat to carbs than men. This may be one of the reasons women do well on lower carb diets. The main thing that needs to be adjusted is one's total caloric intake. Women need fewer calories than men because men have more muscle mass and less fat (relative to total bodyweight) than women. The amount of protein, carbs, and fat will be dictated by the amount of calories one eats. We have shown that women do not need to train or diet much differently than men. Then why do we always see women in gym performing hours of cardio and lifting the lightest dumbbells in the gym for endless reps? This is most-likely due to not being informed, or even misinformed (by the media), about how women should train.
What about diet? One of the most common breakfast meals recommended to women is yogurt and a banana. Now there is nothing wrong with eating a yogurt and banana, but where is the protein and essential fatty acids? If you are a woman trying to gain lean muscle, you will need to eat adequate protein and good fats (essential fatty acids). It is time to stop listening to the media and misinformed individuals and time to become educated and get results. In this article, we will go over some basic diet and training information and then direct you to where you can get diet and training help and direction!
Before we get into the recommended diets for women trying to lose fat and gain lean muscle, lets go over some general diet guidelines.
Setting a target calorie intake and counting the amount of calories you eat each day is vital to losing fat and gaining lean muscle.
A diet that contains 80% of calories from carbs, 10% from protein, and 10% from fat will produce different results than a diet containing 40% of calories from carbs, 40% from protein, and 20% from fat.
The benefits drinking water provides are optimal hydration as well as a feeling of "fullness" without added calories. Sometimes people will mistake thirst for hunger. Because of this, staying hydrated can also prevent overeating.
You will be amazed at how fast you can lose fat just by packing meals from home rather than purchasing fast food or packaged foods. You also will save a lot of money!
Stable blood sugar levels also improve energy levels and ones mood. All of our diets as based around insulin control, leading to leaner muscle gains with little to no fat gain.
Eating fats does not equate to getting fat. In fact, most EFAs help support the fat burning process and maintaining a lean body. Do not be scared to eat good fats. EFAs are not the enemy. Also, be sure to supplement with a quality EFA product, such as Scivation Essential FA.
Due to this fact we recommend women follow a low-carb (not no carb) diet to lose fat and gain toned, lean muscle.
What is the most common thing you see women do in the gym? Cardio. And if they do lift weights the pick up a 5 pound dumbbell and do endless reps. As we have discussed, women need to lift heavy, challenging weights just like men in order to gain muscle. While machines do provide sufficient stimulation to gain muscle, nothing can beat free-weight/compound exercises. Now, we will go over a few free-weight and compound exercises that we will incorporate in the weight training presented.
Video Guide: Windows Media
Video Guide: Windows Media - Real Player
Video Guide: Windows Media - Real Player
Most gyms have an assisted dip machine, so if you cannot do dips with your bodyweight, this machine will allow you to do dips with less than your bodyweight.
As we said before, women need to lift heavy, challenging weights in order to gain muscle. Lifting heavy weights will not cause women to get big and bulky like men because women produce a fraction of the testosterone that men do. When women begin working out, their goals are to tone up and gain shape/curves and following this program will accomplish just that! In this 12-week program, you will decrease the number of reps you complete and increase the load you lift as you progress. The number of sets per exercise stays the same, but the rep range changes.
If you cannot complete 8 reps, then the weight is too heavy and you should decrease the load. If you can complete more than 12 reps, then the weight is too light and you should increase the load. Rest periods are 1 minute.
If you cannot complete 6 reps, then the weight is too heavy and you should decrease the load. If you can complete more than 8 reps, then the weight is too light and you should increase the load. Rest periods are 90 seconds.
If you cannot complete 4 reps, then the weight is too heavy and you should decrease the load. If you can complete more than 6 reps, then the weight is too light and you should increase the load. This phase of the 12-week program is going to be very challenging and produce accelerated results.
For example, when doing a standing barbell curl, tighten your abs and do not rock or swing the weight. By tightening your abs, you stabilize your body and prevent momentum. This will also help condition your abs and save your lower back from injury.
Most women have "trouble areas" or places on the body where the most fat is stored and it is difficult to get rid of. In most women these areas are primarily the thighs, glutes (butt), and in some women the triceps (back of the arms) and "love handles". After dieting to lose weight and tone up these trouble areas the last thing you want to do is regain excess fat. If you don't keep your diet clean and controlled you will gain fat, and it will most likely be in these trouble areas. We will go over why these trouble areas exist and then outline a plan to keep these trouble areas lean and sexy while adding lean mass. Simply put, some areas in the body have more receptors that block fat breakdown than receptors that increase fat breakdown. In men, these areas are the lower abs and love handles. In women, they are the thighs and butt.
![]() Click Image To Enlarge.Most Women Have Places On The Body Where The Most Fat Is Stored And It Is Difficult To Get Rid Of. We will discuss the physiological factors controlling fat loss and then go over a stubborn-fat cardio protocol and then beneficial supplements for losing stubborn fat.
Adipose tissue is divided into individual cells called adipocytes. These adipocytes hold stored triglyceride (1 glycerol molecule bonded to 3 fatty acids) droplets, which serve as a source of energy for the body. These droplets make up 95% of adipocytes' volume. In order for this storage of potential energy (60,000-100,000 kcal) to be used and to lose bodyfat (everyone's goal), it must be mobilized through lipolysis (the breakdown of triglycerides).
Low blood flow could cause the accumulation of FFA within adipose tissue resulting in less available FFA to be oxidized and a greater chance of FFA to be turned back into triglycerides. It has been found that the stubborn fat areas (thighs and butt) have poor blood flow. Therefore in order to get rid of stubborn fat we must increase blood flow.
We want the FFAs to be burned in the mitochondria. Increasing energy demands through exercise is the best way to accomplish but there are supplements that can help give you an extra boost.
Knowing these facts allows us to choose supplements that will assist in burning through stubborn fat. The next chapter will go over a cardio protocol that can help burn stubborn fat and then go over some supplements to help burn fat in stubborn areas.
We learned that NE/E activate the receptors that stimulate lipolysis (fat breakdown). Research shows that NE/E secretion increases with exercise intensity. In addition, as cardio duration increases fat utilization increases while carbohydrate utilization decreases. So we need to perform high-intensity cardio for a long duration of time to maximize fat burning. The only problem is one cannot maintain high-intensity cardio for a long duration. So how can we overcome this while maximizing fat loss? By doing the following: 10-15 minutes HIIT followed by 15-30 minutes of Low-Intensity Cardio.
![]() Click Image To Enlarge.So We Need To Perform High-Intensity Cardio For A Long Duration Of Time To Maximize Fat Burning. High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT is training where you alternate between intervals of high-intensity and low-intensity exercise. An example would be sprinting all-out for 100 meters then walking for 100 meters then repeating. One cannot sprint at full intensity for a prolonged time because sprinting and any other form of high-intensity cardio utilizes the anaerobic energy systems, specifically the Phosphocreatine system, which power short-term activity. After going all out, one must rest and give the Phosphocreatine system time to "recharge". Additionally after sprinting all-out a couple times you are going to start feeling fatigued. After 10 sprints you are pretty much worn out.
While you might not be able to sprint at full speed anymore you can still walk and jog as the intensity is not as high as sprinting and other uses the aerobic energy systems. Knowing this we can setup a cardio program to maximize fat burning:
This cardio could be done on the treadmill, elliptical, bike, running track, etc. We usually recommend the elliptical machine as it is low impact and easy to change speeds. We also recommend doing the Stubborn Fat Cardio Protocol separate from weight training, either first thing in the morning (if training in the evening) or on off days from the gym. To start, we recommend doing the Stubborn Fat Cardio Protocol 2-4 times per week.
In addition, you can perform low-intensity cardio post-workout or on off days if Stubborn Fat Cardio is done on weight training days. This is optional, but will speed up fat loss. We recommend having at least one day a week completely off from all exercise.
In order to lose that last bit of stubborn fat, you will have to diet and train more intensely. Sometimes that doesn't work or is just straight up not possible. This is where specific dietary supplements that target fat loss come into play. Have you been working out and dieting consistently but you are not seeing the results you want? Are you starting to lean out, but you have some stubborn fat that will not go away? Most likely, this stubborn fat is on your hips and thighs. No matter how many lunges and squats you do, this fat just will not go away. Well, there is a reason for this. Women tend to store fat on specific areas of their body (hips and thighs) to the placement of specific receptors that make it hard to burn fat in those areas. Knowing this, PGN and its team of experts has developed Trimfat to increase fat loss and get rid of those stubborn fat areas once and for all! Read on to find out how you can be on your way to the tight, sexy body of your dreams!
The term "adrenaline" is commonly used to refer to the body's excitatory catecholamines, Epinephrine (E) and Norepinephrine (NE), which are regulators of lipolysis (fat breakdown). NE and E acts on receptors called adrenergic receptors of which there are alpha (1 & 2) and beta (1, 2, & 3) subtypes. Activation of the alpha1 and beta-receptors is lipolytic (causes fat breakdown) while activation of the alpha2 receptor is anti-lipolytic (blunts fat breakdown). Stubborn fat areas have a high density of alpha2 receptors, making it harder for fat breakdown to occur in that area.
The B vitamins are essential to whole body metabolism, especially fat loss. We included the B vitamins in Trimfat to ensure your body has what it needs to burn fat at its full potential.
Blood flow to adipose tissue is very important for the transportation of fatty acids to be burned. Increasing blood flow allows more fatty acids to be delivered to tissues where they can be burned. In order to lose body fat you must burn fat!
Caffeine acts as an adenosine receptor antagonist. Adenosine decreases the release of stimulatory/excitatory neurotransmitters (i.e. norepinephrine [NE]). Therefore, blocking the adenosine receptor allows a greater excitation to occur by increasing NE's ability to activate the adrenergic receptors. This means you will feel more energized. Caffeine inhibits phosphodiesterase (PDE), causing a build-up of cAMP levels and greater effect of NE on fatty acid lipolysis. PDE blunts lipolysis; therefore inhibiting PDE allows lipolysis to proceed at an accelerated rate. The end result is there are more fatty acids available for oxidation after consumption of caffeine. Caffeine increases the release of fat from body fat stores so it can be burned, leading to fat loss.
Hordinine also inhibits the Monoamine Oxidases-B (MAO-B) enzyme, which is responsible for the breakdown of dopamine. Dopamine is a catecholamine involved in the regulation of appetite, mood, and other functions. Prolonging dopamine's activity will promote healthy mood and appetite levels, both of which are beneficial while dieting. Hordinine supports energy, appetite, mood, and fat loss.
An increased metabolic rate means more calories are burned. Synephrine's effect on metabolic rate lies in its ability to bind to specific adrenergic receptors, the a-1. This binding effect causes an increase in the body's ability to metabolize stored body fat as well as support a healthy appetite.
NE activates both the beta and alpha adrenergic receptors. Activation of the beta receptors increases fatty acid liberation from fat cells while activation of the alpha receptor inhibits liberation of fatty acids. Yomhimbine blocks the alpha2 receptor, the receptor responsible for stubborn fat areas, from being activated. By blocking the alpha2 receptor with Yohimbine, the negative feedback caused by NE binding to the alpha receptors is reduced and fatty acids from those stubborn areas are released and now able to be burned. Yohimbine has been shown to increase fat loss by increasing the amount of lipid mobilization and oxidation and blood flow to adipose tissue due to alpha2 antagonism. So Yohimbine addresses two of the fat burning principles we are trying to address: alpha2 receptor action and blood flow. The TFI Blend was designed to increase fat release from fat cells so it can be burned, specifically stubborn fat areas, increase blood flow, and increase the fat oxidation.
We all know that anti-oxidants are vital for overall health and well-being. In addition, recent research suggests anti-oxidants to promote healthy levels of fat loss! Research has suggested that anti-oxidants can decrease the production of triglycerides by fat cells. Fat is stored in the form of triglycerides in fat cells. Before stored fat can be burned it must be broken down from the triglyceride form to free fatty acids. Stopping the formation of triglycerides in fat cells will decrease fat storage. Anti-oxidants are believed to increase fat loss through increased fat utilization during exercise via carnitine palmitoyl transferase (CPT-1) activation and protection. CPT, the rate-limiting enzyme in beta-oxidation of fatty acids in skeletal muscle and liver cell mitochondria, is found on the outer membrane of mitochondria and carries fatty acids across the membrane into the mitochondria by binding to them. Increasing the expression of CPT will allow more fatty acids to be transported into the mitochondria where they can be oxidized. The BerryLean Blend was designed to contain a high amount of the anti-oxidants research shows to have a fat loss effect.
Using Trimfat will allow you to lose fat like never before and get rid of that stubborn fat! Say goodbye to hip and thigh fat for good!
Scivation has made pre-workout supplementation a thoughtless endeavor. Imagine if you could take the synergistic ingredients to make sure you have all bases covered and to assure that you get the mind-blowing energy and unbelievable endurance to help you take your workouts to the next level. Then imagine if you could fuel your muscles during your workout to encourage lean muscle growth and endless energy with enhanced recovery. If you're like anyone here at PGN or Team Scivation, this is a dream come true. Time to stop dreaming. Scivation Xtend is one of the ultimate pre, during and post-workout formula ever created. It has even created its own category-Workout Nutrition. Scivation VasoCharge, formerly known as VasoXplode, has become the standard in pre-workout supplementation featuring Beta Alanine, NO Enhancers, Mental Performance Boosters and the VasoRush Blend. Scivation now gives it to you in one complete stack at an unbelievable price. The Scivation Workout Nutrition Stack is here, and it is time for you to get your swole on. What are two of the main causes of poor performance and lack of growth/progress for bodybuilders and fitness enthusiast?
Fatigue and increased protein breakdown (catabolism). If you do not have the energy and drive to lift harder and heavier each workout then you will not grow. If you leave protein breakdown levels unchecked and allow muscle breakdown to occur during a workout then you will not grow. Without proper workout nutrition you will not grow and progress and the rate you could with sufficient diet and supplement strategies. Scivation has taken the guess work out of workout nutrition and created a supplement combo that will increase your energy and performance, delay fatigue, and decrease protein breakdown while increasing protein synthesis (the key to muscle growth). It's time to start taking your workout nutrition (pre and during workout) seriously and supplement with the Scivation Workout Nutrition Stack-Vasocharge + Xtend!
Vasocharge is formulated to allow you to increase the intensity of your workouts while delaying fatigue, which results in greater progress being made. VasoCharge increases energy production and power output, decreases H+ accumulation and fatigue, and increases blood flow and the delivery of amino acids to skeletal muscle, making it an all-in-one pre-workout powerhouse.
Xtend was formulated to give the body what it needs during exercise. As you exercise, the body increases the demand for various nutrients and if the body is not fed those nutrients, it must obtain them from other sources (i.e. breakdown of skeletal muscle to obtain amino acids). Both BCAA and Glutamine oxidation/demand is increased during exercise. In order to meet this increased demand for BCAA and Glutamine, the body breaks down muscle protein. The goal of weight training is to increase protein synthesis. In order to gain muscle mass, protein turnover (protein turnover = protein synthesis - protein breakdown) must be positive. An increase in protein synthesis from weight training can lead to an increase in muscle mass. If we are increasing protein breakdown during training, we are decreasing the training session's overall anabolic effect and limiting muscle growth. BCAA supplementation has been shown to not only increase protein synthesis, but also to decrease protein breakdown. By supplementing with Xtend during your workouts you are creating an ideal environment for muscle growth. What all this means is ingesting BCAA primes your body for growth by increasing protein synthesis and energy production in muscle. All of these actions are beneficial to an athlete and should not be overlooked.
By supplementing with Xtend during your workouts there is no need to use those sugary sports drinks in order to recover. Xtend allows you to recover more quickly without the adding calories and sugar that can lead to fat gain.
You should follow this up during your workout by sipping 2-3 servings of Xtend throughout your entire workout. This will ensure protein synthesis levels stay elevated and your body is primed for growth. While many people overlook the power of workout nutrition, with the Scivation Workout Nutrition Stack you can be ensured that your body has the nutrients and substrates it needs to performance better than ever and gain the lean muscle you never could before while supporting fat loss.
"Absolutely ridiculous!" This is what I thought aloud while reading a popular diet book for women. It was appalling. Yogurt, cereal, coffee and a glass of juice for breakfast. Where the heck is the protein? Sure, yogurt has some, but not enough to sustain the energy, satiation and nutrition that an active woman needs. It is time to set the record straight. We need to take these old school, fairy tale diets and trash them! Just as we burned our bras in the 60's for equal rights, let's burn our old diet books and get with the program. Women need protein! "You need protein to sustain muscle, energy and even promote fat loss," says Jen Hendershott, two-time Ms. Olympia, Fitness International Champion and spokesperson for PGN Nutrition, makers of Whey Sensible.
Unfortunately, protein is a nutrient often downplayed when it comes to women's diets. For some reason, many people seem to think women don't need to emphasize protein in their diets, but I am here to tell you that we do. Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of many tissues in the body, including muscle. Certain amino acids are "essential", which means the body cannot make them and they must be obtained through your diet. When you workout, you breakdown muscle tissue. In order to repair that muscle tissue and gain lean mass and become stronger, you must give the body protein to supply the amino acids needed for recovery. If you do not get enough protein in your diet your body will not have enough amino acids, specifically essential amino acids, to work properly and recovery from workouts. Where will it get these amino acids you are lacking? That's right, from muscle tissue! All that hard work will be wasted!
In addition to being required to recover from workouts, protein and amino acids are important for many reasons, such as:
Now that we know why protein is so darn important, let's find out how much protein a woman needs. The recommended daily allowance of protein for sedentary adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight (0.8g/kg) or 0.36 grams per pound of bodyweight (0.36g/lb). One should note that the recommended protein ratio is the same for both men and women. But what about active women, do they need more protein than sedentary women? The answer is a resounding yes. The International Society of Sports Nutrition's recently released its current stand on protein intake:
From this we see that active women would benefit from consuming 2 grams/kg of bodyweight, which is about 1 gram/lb of bodyweight. For a 150 lb woman, this means that she needs 150 grams of protein per day. Ideally your protein should be spaced out throughout the day.
If you eat five meals a day, this would be 30 grams of protein per meal (continuing with the example above). So let's put this number into action and outline and example diet. I will just list the proteins and not the carbs and fats because they will vary depending on your diet and goals.
Meal 2: Meal 3: Meal 4: Post-Workout Meal 5: Each of the above protein amounts are about 30 grams of protein.
There is no reason why you cannot hit your protein needs daily! With quality, low carb and fat protein powders like Whey Sensible from PGN, it is delicious and easy to whip up a fast shake and satisfy that sweet tooth at the same time.
If you want to progress in the gym and reach your goals for the body of your dreams, eat your protein and don't let anyone tell you that women don't need to eat protein!
We have gone over a lot of information. To make things easy for you we will outline a couple sample workout and supplement schedules.
Tuesday: Wednesday: Off Thursday: Friday: Saturday: Off Sunday: Off Daily Schedule:
Stubborn Fat Cardio: Meal 1 Meal 2 Mid-Afternoon Supplements: Meal 3 15 Minutes Prior To Weight Training: Weight Training: Meal 4 Meal 5 On off days, your Trimfat can be taken in the morning and 6-8 hours later. Low-intensity cardio can be done post-weight training or on your off days when you don't do the Stubborn Fat Cardio Protocol.
Tuesday: Off Wednesday: Thursday: Off Friday: Saturday: Sunday: Off Daily Schedule:
Stubborn Fat Cardio: Meal 1 Meal 2 Mid-Afternoon Supplements: Meal 3 15 Minutes Prior To Weight Training: Weight Training: Meal 4 Meal 5 On off days Trimfat can be taken in the morning and 6-8 hours later. Low-intensity cardio can be done post-weight training or on your off days when you don't do the Stubborn Fat Cardio Protocol.
Tuesday: Weight Training Wednesday: Stubborn Fat Cardio Thursday: Weight Training Friday: Weight Training Saturday: Stubborn Fat Cardio Sunday: Off Daily Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Weight Training: Daily Schedule: Wednesday, Saturday
Daily Schedule: All Days
Meal 2 Mid-Afternoon Supplements: Meal 3 Meal 4 Meal 5 On off days 1-2 Trimfat can be taken in the morning and 6-8 hours later. Low-intensity cardio can be done post-weight training or on your off days when you don't do the Stubborn Fat Cardio Protocol.
Tuesday: Stubborn Fat Cardio Wednesday: Weight Training Thursday: Stubborn Fat Cardio Friday: Weight Training Saturday: Weight Training Sunday: Off Daily Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
Weight Training: Daily Schedule: Tuesday, Thursday
Daily Schedule: All Days
Meal 2 Mid-Afternoon Supplements: Meal 3 Meal 4 Meal 5 On off days take 1-2 Trimfat can be taken in the morning and 6-8 hours later. Low-intensity cardio can be done post-weight training or on your off days when you don't do the Stubborn Fat Cardio Protocol.
We have gone over a lot of information and hopefully helped you understand the way women need to diet and train in order to gain lean muscle and lose fat. To make things easy, we will now summarize the main points of this Women's Bible.
![]() Click Image To Enlarge.Women Will Not Get Big And Bulky From Lifting Weights, But Instead Lose Fat And Gain Lean, Toned Muscles.
There you have it! It is time to put all this information to action and gain the sexy muscle and curves you've always wanted. Time to get your hottest body ever! Katie Lobliner & Derek Charlebois B.S. CPT Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here!
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