Now a healthy lifestyle and its attributes - proper nutrition and exercise - are at the peak of popularity. Girls line up at the gym, not only paying tribute to the fashion for a healthy lifestyle or “to improve their figure for the summer.” Working out in the gym is a whole philosophy of body building and a way of life.
When a girl comes to the gym, the result depends on a combination of factors: genetics, goals, motivation and effort, nutrition, a competent trainer, etc. But still, the main factor in building a body is the right training program. How to train in order to achieve the desired result in the form of a beautiful, pumped-up body, without harming your health, we will consider below.
Physiological features
When drawing up a training program, you need to take into account the peculiarities of female physiology, which differs from male physiology, which determines the specifics of the classes.
- Testosterone . Many girls are afraid to pump themselves up in the gym and acquire a masculine figure. This will not happen only because the male hormone testosterone in girls is several times less. And they can't perform exercises to failure, which prevents their muscles from growing as much as men's.
- Muscles . Firstly , the muscle structure of women is different; they contain fewer muscle fibers, which are responsible for contraction and stretching. Therefore, they hypertrophy less during strength training with a small number of repetitions to increase mass.
- Secondly , in women, muscles are distributed differently - there are more of them in the lower part of the body - legs, buttocks. Therefore, pumping up this part is faster than the upper part, plus the lower abdominal muscles are weaker.
Main conclusions
With great desire and responsibility, a girl can work out in the gym without the help of a trainer, but to do this she must follow these recommendations:
- Determine your goals: weight loss, weight gain, relief.
- Based on your goals, choose a program, for example, for weight loss - a cardio and strength program or circuit training.
- Visit the gym regularly - 2 to 3 times with a break to restore the body.
- The duration of the training is from 30 to 60 minutes.
- Follow the exercise technique.
- Include basic as well as isolation movements in your complex for beginners.
- Keep a training diary.
- Don't skip the warm-up and cool-down.
- Eat right and stay hydrated.
If a novice athlete follows these recommendations, she will notice the first results after independent training in the gym within 4 weeks.
Training basics and how to create a program
To start working out in the gym, you need to know the basics and create a program.
Let's talk about the 5 pillars of training for girls.
Goals
Girls come to the gym with three main goals:
- Lose weight and give your muscles definition,
- Build muscle mass and shape your figure,
- Keep your figure in shape.
There are other goals: preparation for fitness bikini competitions, professional bodybuilding.
Program
The program is selected based on the goals.
- The fat burning program is aimed at losing weight and building muscles. It includes more cardio. Strength exercises are performed in 3 sets of 12-20 repetitions with high intensity, but with light weight and gradually increasing it. The breaks between approaches are less than a minute (from 40 seconds to 1 minute). Circuit training is good for fat burning.
- The muscle mass gain program is aimed at muscle growth, in this case we reduce the number of repetitions in the approaches, but increase the weights, taking breaks between approaches for 2 minutes, and exclude cardio.
The training program can be carried out in two ways:
- For the whole body, when exercises are performed on all muscles (both upper and lower body) in an hour. Some trainers consider this program preferable if the goal is to maintain shape, in which case the whole body is pumped evenly. It is also convenient if you don’t have enough time to go to the gym all the time and have forced breaks.
- Split program, when on a certain day you pump only one muscle group, for example: 1 day - legs and buttocks,
- Day 2 – arms, shoulders, chest,
- Day 3 – back, abs.
System
To get results, the system of visiting the gym and the system of classes within one workout are important.
- It is considered ideal to visit the gym 3 times a week with a break of 1 day, but at least 2 times a week to get results.
- Between workouts there should be rest for muscle recovery (1-2 days).
- A quality strength training session takes no more than 1 hour, plus time for cardio and stretching before and after the session.
Equipment and base
Two important postulates that any coach will tell you are:
- Follow the technique
- Make a base.
Technique is the holy of holies of any training and sport. Without the right technique, your efforts will be wasted.
Some technique tips:
- Don't grab heavy weights right away
- Spend time on technique, practice exercises at home or in the gym (with a trainer),
- Do the exercises slowly, preferably in front of a mirror,
- Be sure to watch the video on the technique of performing the exercises,
- Don't neglect technology. One correctly performed exercise brings greater results than 10 without technique.
The basis of any program is the base, these are exercises that build the body and form muscles - with a barbell, dumbbells.
The second type of exercises is isolating exercises, they additionally pump up the muscles, are performed on all types of exercise machines and help to refine the muscles.
Diary
A diary is needed to record results and track progress. Now it can be done electronically, fortunately there are many programs and mobile applications for this, but if there is no time for this, then the main results need to be recorded in a notepad.
If your classes are held with a personal trainer, then the trainer keeps a diary himself.
A training program can be created in two ways.
- On your own , if you have knowledge in the field of fitness, or you have acquaintances or friends who are athletes or trainers. They will always help you adjust your plan. Nowadays there are many mobile applications and ready-made series of video lessons from famous athletes and bikini fitness champions on working out in the gym. However, you still need to keep your goal and your body type in mind.
- With a coach . If you are new to sports, it is better not to conduct independent experiments with your body and contact a professional trainer. The trainer will create a competent program, taking into account your goals and body type, will record your results, evenly distribute the load, set the technique for performing exercises, draw up a nutrition plan, and much more.
Advice from professionals
Fitness experts recommend doing a few workouts with a specialist before working out on your own in the gym. They advise immediately defining the goal and creating a complex in accordance with it. Girls should train regularly, do not skip warm-ups, cool-downs, and give their muscles time to rest. It is also important to follow the technique of performing the exercises. To see results faster, a novice athlete must adjust his diet.
Anastasia Simakova, coach
The master of sports in swimming advises girls who want to lose weight to supplement their gym sessions with a visit to the pool. You can swim, pedal a bicycle or do synchronized swimming. This is a great way to lose weight without suffering and improve your mood. Exercises in water will help you work your triceps, abs, and lower body. In just 10 days you will be able to tighten your body and get rid of cellulite.
Anton Begalko, coach
An experienced fitness trainer advises beginners to remember that the workout consists of a warm-up, a main complex and stretching. None of these points should be neglected.
Warm-up prepares the respiratory and cardiovascular systems and warms up the muscles.
The main part, which consists of 6-8 exercises (1-3 elements for each group), will help to maximally load the muscles in the gym.
The final part of the training – the cool-down – helps normalize breathing and blood circulation.
According to the specialist, exercise in the gym should be supplemented with proper nutrition and quality rest.
Yuri Samsonov, coach
A fitness and aerobics specialist recommends carefully selecting training programs in the gym, as there is a lot of unverified information on the Internet. Therefore, choose reputable sources.
The training schedule needs to be arranged so that there is time left for muscle recovery. For beginners, it is enough to exercise 3 times a week and not load the same muscle group more than once (in 7 days).
The specialist reminds that when working in the gym you need to remember safety, as there is a risk of injury. To avoid this, you need to work with a trainer or at least take a few lessons before training on your own.
The important part is warming up
Warm-up is an essential part of training, but, alas, it is neglected by many.
Warm-up is needed to warm up the joints, ligaments and muscles, which will help prevent injuries during exercise.
Never handle hardware without warming up. As a warm-up, you can do intense exercises without weights (squats, swinging arms and legs, bending to the side, etc.), jumping rope, and stretching exercises.
If you do not have a goal to lose weight, then instead of warming up, you can do cardio for no more than 5 minutes. If the goal is fat burning, then the warm-up will be replaced by intense cardio for 15-30 minutes - a treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical or jump rope.
Basic training program for girls for a week for weight loss
Classes 3 times a week, 3-4 sets of 15-18 repetitions, take weights depending on your own weight and preparation; if you are a beginner, it is better to take light weights or consult a trainer. Rest between exercises 1-1.5 minutes, between approaches 40 seconds.
1 day
- Cardio up to 30 minutes, warm-up.
- Hyperextension,
- Squats with a barbell (first approach with an empty bar) or in a Smith machine.
- Scissor lunges with dumbbells (or weights)
- Breeding legs in the simulator,
- Leg abduction in the simulator,
- Leg bending in the simulator, lying on your stomach,
- Seated leg extension
- Horizontal pull-down on the shoulders,
- Horizontal pull-down to the chest,
- Bent over press crunches,
- Cardio 10-15 minutes,
- Stretching for 5 minutes.
Day 2
- Any cardio up to 30 minutes.
- Hyperextension.
- Squat with dumbbells.
- Lunges with weights (or dumbbells)
- Vertical platform bench press,
- Pull of the upper block behind the head,
- Standing dumbbell raises
- Dumbbell bench press,
- Graviton push-ups
- Vertical leg raise,
- Twisting,
- Cardio 10 minutes
- Stretching for 5 minutes.
Day 3
- Cardio up to 30 minutes,
- Hyperextension with weights,
- Plie squat with dumbbells,
- Smith machine reverse lunges
- Romanian deadlift,
- Lifting dumbbells for biceps,
- Pulldown of the upper block to the chest,
- Wide grip pull-ups
- Hanging leg pull-ups
- Ab crunches,
- Cardio up to 15 minutes,
- Stretching for 5 minutes.
General training rules
From the first lessons, it is very important to learn how to perform the exercises technically correctly.
- Each session begins with a warm-up to prevent possible injuries and prepare the muscles for active work. To get started, a 10-15 minute walk uphill (5-6 km/h) on a treadmill is enough. Next - stretching the muscles and joints by bending.
- We definitely start each strength exercise with 1-2 warm-up (leading) approaches. In weight-bearing exercises, this is done by using a minimum weight (an empty barbell) in order to work on the desired amplitude and technique of movement, improve blood circulation and prepare the body for hard work.
- After strength training, there is a cool-down to equalize breathing and heart rate, usually, like a warm-up, on a treadmill.
- A mandatory final component of the workout is a five-minute stretch to relax and speed up muscle recovery after a heavy load. We stretch the muscles that we trained. After the bench press, stretch the pectoral muscles and triceps. If you did pull-ups, you need to stretch your biceps and lats. When stretching, we make a smooth movement in the direction opposite to the direction of flexion (contraction) of the muscle, holding the muscle in a stretched state for fifteen seconds. We stretch each worked muscle 2 times.
Basic training program for girls for a week to gain muscle mass
In this program for mass, we reduce the number of repetitions in the approach to 6-12, and increase the weight required to perform this number of repetitions. We do not use cardio in the training, only warm-up. Rest between sets – 2 minutes, between exercises – 1 minute.
1 day
- Warm up,
- Hyperextension,
- Ab crunches,
- Barbell squat,
- Lunges with dumbbells,
- Wide grip push-ups
- Reduction and extension of arms in the butterfly simulator,
- Press dumbbells with each hand alternately,
- Pull of the upper block behind the head,
- Stretching.
Day 2
- Warm up,
- Hyperextension,
- Lifting your legs to your chest
- Deadlift,
- Lunges with dumbbells (or Smith machine),
- Bench press,
- Dumbbell lateral raises
- Wide grip push-ups or pull-ups
- Twisting,
- Stretching.
Day 3
- Warm up,
- Twisting,
- Squats with dumbbells,
- Scissor lunges with dumbbells,
- Standing barbell press from the chest,
- Barbell row to the chin,
- Horizontal block thrust,
- Close-grip lat pull-down,
- Pullover with dumbbells,
- Stretching.
Workout for Beginners
Crunches
- 6 sets of maximum repetitions
- Body Part: Press Equipment: No
Attention: rest between approaches no more than 30 seconds (the less, the better)
Close grip bench press
- 6 sets of 10-15 reps
- Body part: Triceps Equipment: Barbell
Squats
- 6 sets of 10-15 reps
- Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Barbell
Attention: rest between sets - 60 seconds
Vertical barbell pull
- 6 sets of 10-15 reps
- Body part: Shoulders Equipment: Barbell
Smith machine deadlift with straight legs
- 6 sets of 10-15 reps
- Body part: Hamstrings Equipment: Exercise
Lunges with dumbbells back
- 6 sets of 10-15 reps
- Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Dumbbells
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The purpose of the training is to stimulate the accumulation of glycogen in the muscles of the body, which occurs more easily in women than in men. By using the carbohydrates you eat to build muscle, you can prevent fat formation.
Features of the fitness training program
- There is only one exercise that stands out for working out the lower body – the squat. This is explained by the fact that it is much easier for girls to build muscle in their legs and buttocks than for guys.
- There are no special chest exercises that reduce the size of the mammary glands. To tone the muscles under the gland, it is enough to perform a bench press with a narrow grip, which is designed to work the pectoral, anterior deltoid and triceps muscles.
Gradually, as your preparedness improves, new exercises should be added to the program. This should happen no earlier than six months after the start of classes.
Training for experienced girls
Training for girls of average and above level of preparedness may look like this.
The main goal is to increase the volume of training to provide the muscles with sufficient load. But you shouldn’t be overzealous either - energy expenditure and the need for oxygen increase with decreased rest.
Circular training cycle for girls in the gym
Circuit training is suitable for those who are losing weight. Cyclic training has a powerful fat-burning effect, depleting all glycogen reserves in the muscles. Several exercises are performed without breaks at a fast pace, after which we do the 2nd and 3rd round of repetitions of these exercises. We increase the repetitions to a maximum of 20.
An example of circuit training by Ekaterina Usmanova
Complete three circles:
- Pull of the upper block behind the head.
- Leg extension in the simulator.
- Pulldown of the lower block to the waist in a sitting position with a narrow grip
- Scissor squat (with or without weights).
- Triceps extension.
- Lifting dumbbells alternately for biceps with supination.
- Press crunches.
We train the abs
We have prepared for you a selection of exercises that will help you get rid of excess weight and make your stomach more toned:
- Crunches on the floor are one of the most common exercises that are considered basic. The peculiarity is that the exercise does not require the use of additional equipment, which means you can practice both at home and in the gym. Most often, people perform the exercise incorrectly, lifting their back and lifting their body completely. In this case, the press will not pump up.
Ab exercise
What is the best way to do so as not to harm yourself: lie on your back and bend your knees. Place your hands behind your head. Lift your shoulder blades without lifting your lower back. If you find the movements easy enough, then add weight. You need to take it by crossing your arms over your chest.
- Raising the torso on a surface at an angle differs from the previous exercise in that the training is carried out at an angle, which means it is more effective. You need to sit comfortably and secure your legs under the cushions provided for this. As you exhale, your body should rise. As you inhale, you need to return to the position where you were at first.
People who have been involved in sports for a long time should do body lifts with weights, due to which the abdominal muscles will pump up several times faster. But you should resort to additional loads only if you can easily do the same exercise 20 or more times without weights.
Raising the torso on an inclined surface
- Crunches on the upper block require the use of certain equipment. You need to take the handle of the upper part of the equipment and lower it about a meter from the simulator. You should do a downward twist, which is similar to performing a prayer ritual. When you lift your torso, try to tense your abdominal muscles.
The exercise should be done slowly, without serious jerks.
Crunches on the upper block
Leg raises
- Raising your legs in a hanging position will also help train your abs. The peculiarity is that the load shifts to the lower abdomen. Although the rectus muscle will be fully engaged, more emphasis will be placed on the lower part. There are several ways to carry out these workouts: raising straight legs and raising bent legs at the knees.
To do the exercise correctly, you should hang on the bar using a grip that is comfortable for you. Raise your legs up so that there is a right angle. Return your body to the starting position.
- Raising your legs while sitting on an inclined surface will help give your stomach more elasticity. To do the exercise correctly, you need to put your back on a special bench, holding it with your hands. In this case, you need to tense your stomach. Your legs should not touch the floor; lift them up, at the same time lifting your hips and pelvis. When you inhale, you should take the original position.
The abs are also involved in almost all basic strength exercises (squats, lunges, deadlifts, etc.)
Exercises in the gym for the back
Often girls neglect working their back, focusing on their legs and buttocks. Meanwhile, working on the back muscles is important so that the body looks evenly sculpted; strengthened back muscles help to perform all other basic exercises.
The most effective exercises for the back muscles:
- Traction of a horizontal block behind the head,
- Hyperextension,
- All types of deadlifts,
- Pull-ups and push-ups
- Bent over dumbbell row,
- Plank,
- Bent-over barbell chest press.
A set of back exercises
It's no secret that exercises for women are noticeably different from general tasks for men. But why? The thing is that the muscles of female representatives are noticeably weaker. If you want to keep your back flexible, then we recommend learning 4 basic exercises that can be made more difficult over time by adding weights.
- Pull-ups with a simulator involve the use of a special gravitron simulator. However, here you need to do everything as carefully as possible. It is necessary to spread your arms slightly wider than the distance from your shoulders or leave them at the same width. Thanks to this, there will be a beneficial effect on the large back muscles, thanks to which your posture will become beautiful. This is necessary for those who often do not control the position of their back.
While working, you should also tense the muscles of your abs and buttocks, and start inhaling air only before the next approach. Do pull-ups smoothly, without unnecessary jolts or swaying.
Horizontal block connection
- Connecting a horizontal block is an essential part of complex exercises. It is very similar to standard rowing in its movements and actions that the girl will do. Because your arms are in a position that also works your pectoral muscles, you can get twice the effect.
You need to select the weight you need, grab the handles harder, inhale strongly and pull the block towards you. The back must be straight. Try to bring your shoulder blades closer to each other. The number of repetitions must be observed, since the level of your training depends on this.
Strengthening the pectoral muscles
- The vertical connection of the load to the chest will help to work even those muscles that were previously impossible to use in other workouts. Grab the part specially designed for this in the simulator and pull the handle towards you, while exhaling air. It should touch the middle of the chest. Make sure that the shoulder blades are connected to each other. The back should be kept straight at this moment, without tilting. Also select the amplitude in accordance with your capabilities, and remember, if you do not make an effort, the muscles will not be able to get into sports shape, which means that you will subsequently have to devote even more time to training.
Vertical connection of the load to the chest
- Hyperextension with additional weight will help strengthen the lower back. If you are starting to work for the first time, then try not to overload yourself, do not add extra load, as this will only harm your posture.
You need to take a weight that does not exceed 2.5 kg and, pressing it to your chest, bend over and return to the starting position. The back should be kept straight at this moment. No deflections should be allowed. 3-4 sets of 20 repetitions will be enough for the first time, later you can increase the number of times.
If you want to achieve a greater effect, then we recommend that you study the video below in detail:
Back muscle exercises for girls
The back is one of the largest muscle groups in our body, and the overall athletic appearance can depend on proper training of the back muscles. This video provides a back complex consisting of 5 exercises.
Exercise and the menstrual cycle
Women's training and the menstrual cycle are directly interrelated concepts. This should be taken into account in the program. In the first weeks after ovulation, the female body is full of strength, when you need to increase the load and work intensively, 2 weeks before ovulation it is better to reduce the load and not overdo exercises on the lower body.
In the first days of menstruation, women's endurance decreases and fatigue appears. Therefore, it is better not to carry out heavy training at this time.
Naked fitness classes
The few clubs that conduct naked fitness classes naturally select, test, and weed out those who want to sign up for such training.
The halls for group classes are closed so that curious people do not have the opportunity to observe the training.
Girls do fitness completely naked, even without underwear, and the only clothing they wear is sports shoes, which is due to the safety rules for any type of training.
The fitness instructors themselves conduct classes at their own discretion - with or without clothes.
Owners of fitness clubs introduce such types of classes more according to the wishes of nudist clients. But the unusual nature of this type of training makes naked fitness a non-mass phenomenon and rarely found in sports clubs.
It is clear that naked fitness classes are not for everyone, but only for people without complexes, who are not subject to modesty and, importantly, do not have a tendency to stare at the naked bodies of other trainees.
This is a form of training for those who want to embrace new sensations!
Proper nutrition
Another commandment of all trainers is that without proper nutrition you cannot build a healthy, beautiful body and you will not get high-quality muscles. What does it mean?
If you are planning to lose weight, then prepare for a calorie deficit, but not for starvation.
You will have to give up sweets and fast carbohydrates (baked goods, bread, etc.) and replace them with slow carbohydrates, also fully consume protein and fiber, count calories and eat fractionally up to 5 times a day.
If you're bulking up, you'll have to do the same thing, but on a larger scale.
To gain quality mass, not fat, you cannot sit on buns and cakes, only proper nutrition with healthy foods, counting calories and no fasting.
The body must receive the full amount of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in the correct ratio.
How to meet a girl in a fitness club?
After analyzing the behavior of girls in the gym and identifying a potential girlfriend, the man needs to take active action. You can start your acquaintance with any original phrase and remark to cheer her up and attract attention. The main thing is not to be banal; most likely, a man is far from the first who “hits up” a girl with phrases like “does your mother need a son-in-law?”
The first thing you can start with is with a compliment about the girl’s sporting achievements, but so that the praise is natural, and not in the form of ingratiation and flattery. If you pay attention in advance to which area of the body the girl works the most, this will be the best option for a compliment. Here is a sample list of phrases for dating:
- “I would never break up with my ex-girlfriend if she was as skilled at squats as you are”;
- “I should teach you how to do deadlifts, you’ve clearly read all the bodybuilding textbooks”;
- “Does your boyfriend mind such long workouts in the gym? How come there is no boyfriend?! This can be fixed”;
- “It’s simply impossible to pump up such abs, have you tried steroids? No? My children would have such genes…”;
- “You can become an example for many girls who do not consider sports a feminine hobby”;
- “I don’t understand why you should torture yourself so much in the gym when your figure is already perfect?”
Particular attention should be paid to the presentation of the phrase; a man needs to be gallant, polite, smiling with a positive attitude. If a girl has been working out for quite a long time, which will be indicated by the state of her figure and physical fitness, you can ask her for advice and help in choosing exercise equipment. By nature, all girls love to help and advise, so this will be a great way to meet people.
Despite the girl's willingness to communicate, you shouldn't expect her to give up her workout to flirt with a guy. Most of the girls come here with their own goals, which means they can continue communication outside the hall. You can lure a girl to a meeting by offering to drink a protein shake, watching a new movie about anabolic steroids, etc., in order to consolidate the results of your training.
Results and time
With the right training program, taking into account nutrition and systematic training, the first results will appear within 2 months.
The body quickly adapts to the load, addiction occurs and progress stops. Trainers advise changing the program once every three months and be sure to increase the weights and load; in the process, you can also replace the exercises with similar ones so that there is no addictive effect.
To track your progress, be sure to keep a journal (as we discussed above).
If progress has stopped, we use 2 methods, increase the number of repetitions, or increase the weight if the number cannot be increased.
Naked Fitness: Pros and Cons
If fitness in its naked form is considered from a bourgeois point of view, then there will be obvious rejection and misunderstanding, and even more so its advantages will not be seen.
Although naked fitness has advantages:
- no material costs for fashionable and expensive sportswear;
- There is no need to be distracted during classes by uncomfortable items of clothing that pinch and pull somewhere or rise and expose something - after all, everything is naked here!
- An undoubted advantage is the pleasant and healthy air baths;
- after training, you don’t need to take off your sweaty and sticky clothes to go to the shower;
- An important advantage is a complete assessment of your own body and focus on working on problem areas;
- An interesting element of the classes will be the very naturalness and new sensations of freedom of the body, a new type of emotion when you are in a clearly non-standard situation.
Well, the benefits are quite noteworthy!
