Girls, there’s a lot of information bouncing around the internet suggesting how women should train to get that figure look. A lot of it is really great. However, very few authors have put an entire program together for ya — one that tells you how to train, how to eat, and how to supplement. To help you cut through all the nonsense, let’s get right down to it. Here’s a figure program that’s designed for results — whether you want to compete as a figure athlete, or just look and feel like one.
Exercise
I love this quote:
“Movement is medicine for changing a person’s physical, emotional, and mental state.”
Indeed, recent research has demonstrated that exercise is more effective in treating depression than antidepressant medications! Beyond that, we all know that exercise helps us lose weight and build lean muscle. Hummm… exercise helps reshape the body, brighten the spirits, and sharpen the mind. I’m sold!
The biggest question I get about exercise is: “What type of exercise should I do if I want that figure athlete look?” Well, for starters, any exercise is better than none. The best exercise is the kind of exercise you’ll actually do. But if you want to really reshape your body, you’ll need to do mostly high intensity exercise.
Two types of high intensity exercise work best.
- Metabolic strength training
- High intensity interval cardio/conditioning
Strength training
While most women think of strength training as something reserved for bodybuilders and strongmen, nothing could be farther from the truth. While strength training can be done in the gym with weights, it also can be done with dumbbells, sandbags, old tractor tires, exercise bands, or even your own body weight. And all of this can be done at home, at a local park, or at a community centre. The real key is challenging your body through six key movement patterns:
- Pushing
- Pulling
- Twisting
- Squatting
- Bending
- Lunging
Here’s an example strength training program that would be great for most women, regardless of their level.
Workout 1
Warm-up – 2 minutes of light jogging
| Exercises | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
| sets x reps | sets x reps | sets x reps | sets x reps | |
| 1A Pushup w/ Rotation | 3 x 10 | 4 x 12 | 5 x 15 | 6 x 20 |
| 1B DB Row | 3 x 10 | 4 x 12 | 5 x 15 | 6 x 20 |
| 2A Standing DB shoulder press | 3 x 10 | 4 x 12 | 5 x 15 | 6 x 20 |
| 2B DB Squat w/ curl | 3 x 10 | 4 x 12 | 5 x 15 | 6 x 20 |
| 3A Lunge Jumps | 2 x 10 | 2 x 12 | 2 x 15 | 3 x 20 |
| 3B Plank Hold | 2 x 30 sec | 2 x 45 sec | 2 x 60 sec | 3 x 90 sec |
For an complete lean body nutrition system that I personally recommend and use, GO HERE
Stay Strong,
Doug
P.S. We also have tons of useful information on our studio website at http://www.hartlandpersonaltraining.com
