Category: Women's Fitness

Aside from abs, the biggest complaints I hear about from women tend to be hips and the rear. I run a lot of road races and run them at a pretty decent pace. I have been passed by a number of women who, despite the fact that they are obviously in very good physical condition (after all, they are ahead of me), have large hips.

One girl wrote me and told me her exercise routine. It was one heck of a routine. She still had problems with her hips and thighs bulking up. With the routine she followed, it seems obvious this is just a troublesome area for many women. What can be done?

Edward Jackowski’s had some good advice in Hold It! You’re Exercising Wrong!.

For women or men with wide hips he recommends jumping rope. Start with 5- to 10-minute bouts, if you can, then work up to 20-minute sessions. Make sure you have a rope with swivel handles from a sporting-goods store, and wear well-cushioned shoes.

Another good one for hips and rears is to get on your hands and knees and slowly raise your right leg behind you and up as far as you can. Hold for a count, then slowly return. Do the left leg. Try working your way up to 3 sets of 10 – 15 reps.

Lunges are also good for firming the thighs.

1. You can never strength train your muscle in one day. Minimum time allocations of 24 to 36 hours must be followed. Consecutive days of doing the exercises can lead to muscle fatigue, possible injury, and over-training. Rests are required to regain lost energy.

2. You cannot lose your weight instantly. For example losing excess stomach fats cannot be achieved by doing only 100 crunches. Stomach flab doesn’t disappear that way. Overall reduction of body fats must be done combining proper rest, regular exercise, and eating well.

3. Your strength training programs should be consistent and done regularly to ensure successful results. Keep in mind that you have gained weight for years, so losing it also takes time. Your strength training requires a change in your lifestyle. Bad habits must be replaced with good ones.

4. Strength training requires changes every 4 to 6 weeks. It will prevent your body from getting bored and keep workouts more interesting. You need to change your exercise method, and intensity levels. Unchanged routines sometimes stop producing good results in the end. You need to grow from your daily workouts.

5. Your strength training programs need to be created according to your specific objectives. If you are interested in body fat loss, your strength training is different from trying to increase bulk in your muscles. You need specific goals to create the best possible strength training program.

6. Your regular routine should workout all your major muscles 2 to 3 times a week. Include the triceps, chest, shoulders, biceps, quads, calves, abs, hamstring, and gluts. It creates imbalance if you missed any one of the muscle groups.

Women who follow these guidelines can build an effective and decent strength training program. Achieving a healthy and fit body is also safe. So, be ready to achieve that beautiful body you have always dreamed of.