Entering a gym a lone as a woman can be pretty intimidating to say the least! A gym was once considered a very male dominant setting, so for women it can be a bit daunting. Anyway, if you are generally nervous, a little shy or a little under confident in social environments you won’t do yourself any favors by prancing about in a crop top and hot pants before achieving your ripped physique – a friendly bit of advice – YOU WILL BE JUDGED!
To transform my physique I trained hard for around a year and a half before completing a shred over the course of 15 weeks to reduce my body fat and expose the hard earned muscle underneath! How did I do it? Trained like a beast of course! Don’t be fooled I didn’t walk into the gym with a metal chain around my neck swinging two weight plates seductively while the light enhanced the sweat upon my brow. It’s not glamorous ladies it’s hard work! It’s sweaty hair, palms with callouses, split nails and chalk in places you didn’t know you had. If you want the body of a goddess you MUST train like a beast, want to know how? Put the nail polish down for now, sweep your hair up into a ponytail and put on your stringer vest…
Go hard or go home!
Ladies be prepared to grunt, scream, shout and look like a sweaty mess when you train. Forget that gym totty you are trying to impress because if you want those serious muscular GAINZ then you will have to trade them for blood sweat and tears. You need to be pushing yourself; if it’s not challenging and you’re not out of breath then the weight isn’t heavy enough. I want you groveling through a workout, screaming through the reps and shouting at your training partner because these are all signs of a successful workout! When it comes to leg day, if you don’t leave the gym in a mood with your trainer then you haven’t pushed hard enough.
Slam in the right foods for growth
So you have your training locked down now it’s time to sort out your food. When I first began training I must have wasted months not eating correctly and I still get a bit annoyed thinking about all those gains I could have made. Eating big isn’t just for the gents! Ladies if you want to achieve that goddess-like physique then you will have to up the intake of food. Forget about eating 3 meals a day followed by dessert you should be following a tailored nutrition plan that revolves around your training regime. It should include 5-6 meals a day, which you will prep in advance and all should contain a lean protein source, a slow digesting carbohydrate and a green, leafy vegetable in conjunction with a healthy fat. If you are a fan of Facebook and instagram you may feel the burning desire to take pictures of your food and post them as often as you can. If this helps with your motivation then go for it! If it irritates other people while they are munching away on their McDonalds, well that’s their problem isn’t it!
Look good, feel good
When you train it’s important to look good because if you look good you will feel good and this will empower you more to hit those extra reps and lift the heavier weights. Treat yourself to those new leggings and buy that lovely training vest. A benefit of buying a vest or muscle stringer to train in is not only for feel-good reasons, it also allows you to watch your form in the mirror and see those muscles working properly which will give you a better understanding of your muscle activation.
Most commonly asked questions and answers
Q – Won’t lifting heavy make me look big and bulky like a man?
A – No, most definitely not. Lifting heavy and training with weights will sculpt and tone your muscles enhancing your natural curves but wont turn you into the incredible hulk. Remember the huge and ripped bodybuilders you see on the TV and in magazines take anabolic steroids and growth hormone supplements to name but a few which gives them that super human size.
Q – I hate cardio is it really necessary?
A – If you want to reveal your muscle tone then cardio is unfortunately a necessary evil but you aren’t alone in your hate of it, hardly anyone enjoys cardio for weight loss. Resistance training tones your muscle whereas cardio is more effective at stripping back that body fat to reveal the muscle underneath so the two go hand in hand. Cardio is also necessary for maintaining your cardiovascular fitness levels too.
Q – How long do I have to train to get that bubble butt look?
A – Patience is a virtue! The big mistake a lot of women and men make is that they think by hitting the gym hard for a few months this will give them the figures of all the instagram stars they follow. Unfortunately this isn’t true. Building natural muscle takes time, focus dedication and most of all, patience! Be prepared to train for a few years before you see the bigger gains. Read my article on the dark side of bodybuilding.
Q – I am a vegetarian/vegan, does this mean I wont be able to do bodybuilding
A – If you are a vegetarian then you can definitely partake in bodybuilding training and make just as much muscular gain as a meat eater. It’s a misconception that all bodybuilders are meat eaters; many of them are vegetarians and vegans. There are many proteins to chose from that aren’t animal based such as tofu, quorn, soya, hemp and pea protein to name but a few. Read our article protein for vegan bodybuilders for more information. You can also purchase some excellent protein powders that are vegetarian society approved and vegan so you can reach all your macro requirements.
