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Training my GF

C

Chr1sG

Guest
Hi Guys/Gals

I've been training for a few years and recently my girlfriend has shown interest in training as she wants to lose a few kgs


She is 5'8 61kgs and basically wants to reach a goal weight of 55kgs

I've been doing intervel training with her and was curious how i should approach weight training. She currently has an hourglass shape and wants to keep this shape while losing the 5kgs. Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated.
 
I'm in the same boat but my GF is intent on loosing weight even though there is nothing on her to loose. I have got her doing those p90x training sessions including, abs, back/legs, yoga, x stretch and plyometrics. She is getting much fitter from it and getting better each week.

I once made a large chart. I cut out all the good exercises I could find in Womens health/ mens health magazines and pasted them together into a routine with instructions. That worked really well and it gave her the ability to be her own trainer.

Hope that helps
 
Compound exercises three times a week: squat pull push.
One to two sets max low weight high rep's
upper body: 12 to 15 rep's lower body twenty to thirty as a guide.

Or alternatively;

3×3 is a high intensity strength training routine consisting of three circuits or rounds of three compound (multi-joint) exercises performed non-stop to emphasize cardiovascular and metabolic conditioning. Each of the three exercises targets different muscle groups, usually starting with the hips and thighs, followed by upper body pushing and pulling movements, to work all of the major muscle groups and allow for little or no rest between exercises.

A higher number of repetitions is usually performed for the first circuit, with the repetitions dropping for the second and third circuits. A typical repetition scheme for a 3×3 routine is 20, 15 and 10 for the hip and thigh exercise, and 12, 10, and 8 for the upper body pushing and pulling exercises. For example:

Deadlifts 1×20
Dips 1×12
Chin-ups 1×12
Deadlifts 1×15
Dips 1×10
Chin-ups 1×10
Deadlifts 1×10
Dips 1×8
Chin-ups 1×8
While a similar conditioning effect could be achieved performing one set of nine different exercises addressing the same muscle groups, the advantage of a 3×3 is that it allows shorter rest periods since the bars or machines only need to be set up once. In most gyms it can be difficult to move quickly between different exercises during peak hours. Most 3×3 routines can be performed with minimal equipment in a single spot, without waiting for equipment or people getting in your way even if the gym is packed. The above routine is unlikely to be interrupted if you perform your deadlifts directly in front of the chin/dip station. A 3×3 consisting of front squats, standing presses and rows can be performed with a single barbell without switching weight and with no rest at all between exercises, although the reps for front squats may need to be much higher depending on how much weight you can press and row.

The following are just a few variations of the 3×3. Many more are possible depending on your capabilities and the available equipment.

Barbell or trap bar deadlift
Standing Press
Chin-ups
Squat
Dips
Rows
Bodyweight squats or alternating one-legged bodyweight squats (AKA pistols)
Handstand, incline or diamond push-ups or dips
Chin-ups or front lever pull-ups
Leg press machine
Shoulder or chest press machine
Pull-down or rowing machine
Some people may want to follow these with calf, grip or neck work, but I would not recommend performing any additional exercises for larger muscle groups. In fact, if you are capable of any additional multi-joint exercises afterwards you probably didn’t push yourself hard enough.

If performed regularly with a high level of effort and little or no rest between exercises these routines will produce a tremendous level of general cardiovascular/metabolic conditioning while also building a good degree of strength. Give them a try and post your feedback here, along with your own 3×3 routines.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
Do not train someone close to you.

Perhaps you're qualified/experienced and will give them good training, and they associate you with the pain of the workout, and argue with you about what's good for them, etc - bad for your relationship.

Or perhaps you're not qualified/experienced and will give them less than ideal training, and doesn't someone close to you deserve better? If you're having to ask on internet forums how to train the person, I would suggest that you are not qualified/experienced enough to do so.

Let an uninvolved professional do it. Better for their training, better for your relationship.
 
Do not train someone close to you ... Let an uninvolved professional do it. Better for their training, better for your relationship.

I could not agree more in most cases. It's like having driving lessons with someone in your family.

Someone uninvolved might also be able to help refine her objective of losing 5kg into more specific goals, like a % reduction of bodyfat, increasing strength, training with a sport or event in mind etc. You'll still be there to share progress, prepare meals and so on -- the good bits :).
 
Welcome Chris.

Can I suggest though, that your gf try to steer away from "losing weight"?

If she loses weight (and muscle mass) by doing too much cardio, not enough weights, and restricting her caloric intake, she will have a "skinny fat" physique...... ie. skinny but still with a high percentage of body fat.

I'm concerned that 55kg is too low a weight for her height. I'm 5"5 and 55kg would be too skinny for me, I'd have hardly any muscle mass on me.
 
I could not agree more in most cases. It's like having driving lessons with someone in your family.

Someone uninvolved might also be able to help refine her objective of losing 5kg into more specific goals, like a % reduction of bodyfat, increasing strength, training with a sport or event in mind etc. You'll still be there to share progress, prepare meals and so on -- the good bits :).

I guess it would depend on your relationship with your friend.

I would also be thinking the same if I'd spent thousands of dollars on certificates.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
I guess it would depend on your relationship with your friend.

I would also be thinking the same if I'd spent thousands of dollars on certificates.
Posted via Mobile Device

Agreed!

My partner and I have a great time connecting when we train. I really love seeing her fiery motivation come out.
 
I train my fiancee and my mum 2-3 days per week. They do boxing for cardio, push ups, bw squats, and bear complexes for strength. Just building a base at the moment, about a month in. I hope that in another 4-6 weeks they will be ready to add in some compound lifts, but i wont introduce them until i think they are ready.

So far my mum has lost a few cms of her waist. She hopes to lose about 15kg. My fiance isnt overweight, just looking to tone, and give mum company.

We all have a ball together.
 
Excellent.
for a training partner It's important to be there as a supportive role.
I tell people; success comes from good judgment, good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment.



I tell you- if there is ever a secret to biulding strength and health it's having a good training partner.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
ive just started training my girlfried as well. her current program looks like this:

Military Press 3 x 8
Squat 3 x 8
Bench Press 3 x 8
Kettlebell deadlift 24kg 3 x 10

then finish with either thrusters, burpees or similar cardio.

she is extremely untrained and weak, once she develops some strength we can change it around to suit her goals.
 
To be honest I'd rather trust someone close to me with no certificates than someone thats got 200 certificates, I have 2 mates that have both done PT courses and have certiciates, both of which I walk all over when it comes to personal fitness and nutritional knowledge.

But on the same token, my gf has asked for my help before, I try to push her but when they dont have the drive within themselves it can turn get a bit messy when you try to motivate them and they just give up because they are tired/lazy,, I'v supported her for a long time regarding fitness but girls have this thing for junk food.

All I know is on the off chance I do go to a gym and I see the personal trainers that look like they havent lifted anything more than 10kgs I think its funny, but the gyms near me arent that great anyway.

I'd rather go to PCYC.

See if your gf likes boxing, I'm thinking of getting some pads & gloves to try with mine, she hits pretty hard and seems to enjoy it alot more than weights.
 
To be honest I'd rather trust someone close to me with no certificates than someone thats got 200 certificates, I have 2 mates that have both done PT courses and have certiciates, both of which I walk all over when it comes to personal fitness and nutritional knowledge.
This says more about your choice in mates than the worth of qualifications.
 
Well thats the thing, they workout hard, they have done courses, yet they still dont know how to train properly, which does NOT make sense to me, and then all the really small trainer dudes at the gyms near mine that look like all they do is cardio yet they try and "personal train" the bigger guys only reinforces that belief, dont get me wrong I know there are some really good trainers out there with first hand knowledge, those are the ones I would trust, if I ever met any =/
 
Mate, school is only the beginning of your education.

You don't come straight out of trade school expecting to be a brilliant tradesperson straight away. You do the course, then go and get practical experience, get to know the industry, read a lot, talk to a lot of people more experienced than you, do a few small courses to fill in gaps, and so on.

Some people know this. Some don't. Your mates are obviously the type who don't. I saw those types in PT school, not only will they not learn much after school, they didn't learn much during it, either. They were the ones who showed up late quite a lot, had to be chased for assignments, and so on.

From what you're saying, it seems that your two mates with the PT courses are not employed as PTs. There's probably a reason for that. If employed, they are probably the ones who spend a lot of time in the office checking email, or if on the gym floor, a lot of time catching up with their bros.

School's only the beginning of your education. A sensible person tries to improve their knowledge all the time, but recognises the limits of their knowledge. For example, I would not now wander down to PTC and start trying to tell one of Markos' 200kg deadlifters how to deadlift. But if someone came in who'd never deadlifted before, and if Markos asked me to, then yeah, I can show the newbie.

In regards to improving knowledge, one thing I've found is that sometimes something looks stupid, but when you look more closely, it's not so stupid. For example, when you see trainers leading people through exercises in the gym, those exercises might seem stupid and pointless to you. But if you actually asked why they were doing these things, it might turn out there's a reason for it.

For example, you might see me in a gym training with someone, and they're doing knee pushups and bodyweight squats. You snort in derision - surely I should be putting them under a bar? Well, it turns out that the person can only do 3-5 knee pushups, how much do you think they could bench? Maybe better to get them to about 20 full pushups first. And their squat, well if they can't do one well with no weight on their back, what's going to happen to them if we whack a bar on their back? So we improve their form first. And it turns out that person has half a dozen health issues which means that we want to take it slow and steady.

But given time, they will get under the bar. Remember that 90% of new gym members quit within 3 months. That means that at any time in the gym, most of the people are unfit beginners. So they need the basics first.

Yes, a lot of trainers are idiots. Lots cruise through the courses and get jobs anyway. But reasonably often, when something looks stupid, if you take the trouble to ask about it, it turns out not to be stupid after all.

Realising that is how you keep learning after school finishes, or even learn despite no schooling. Lots don't realise it, which is why you get people who assume all PTs are stupid, and at the same time why many PTs are stupid.

Saying that because many PTs are stupid there is no sense in having a professional train your girlfriend and do it yourself is like saying that because many restaurants are crap you should just cook for her yourself. Well, that depends on how good a cook you are. A lot of the time you'd be better off just finding a good restaurant. She deserves better than grilled chops and boiled vegies.

In any case, I didn't say it has to be a PT training them. I said a qualified or experienced person. This could be a PT, a strength and conditioning coach, someone who's been going to the gym for years and obviously knows their sht, whatever. And I said it should be someone not involved intimately with them. A parent-child relationship is alright for training, because it's partly teacher-student already. But brothers and spouses and so on, usually it's a bad idea. There are occasionally people who can handle it. but they're a minority.
 
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I never give advice unless I am first asked and then I might or might not.

One thing I have learnt over the years Kyle is that we live in a society of "want it now" with the least amount of effort.
Lifting is a lifestyle and the only test one must pass is the test of time.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
To be honest I'd rather trust someone close to me with no certificates than someone thats got 200 certificates, I have 2 mates that have both done PT courses and have certiciates, both of which I walk all over when it comes to personal fitness and nutritional knowledge.

All good points.

I would expand and say that with any discipline[FONT=&quot] to find
someone who's 'walked the path and got the
results you want'.
. As they will know far more
than anyone (with / or without) formal qualifications.

Hence I'm here asking all you learned folks on this
forum. :D
[/FONT]
 
I already know there are people at lower levels of fitness that need to start with simple exercises to get going, I was more pointing at the "educated" PT's that try and train people bigger than they are.

I wasnt having a go at all PT's in general if you look at my post =P

I guess its sortof the same reason I dislike teachers that teach from textbook and act like their smarter than all their students in their given subject yet have little or no first hand knowledge. i.e. They scold a student misbehaving and say you need an education to get somewhere in life, yet actual teaching doesnt require years of study to qualify. Some require none at all.

You seen the gyms with PT's that are in their early 20's and they are up in the weights room spotting a dude pressing DB's they couldnt lift with both arms? lol

Anywho enough of that, regards to your post kyle I totally agree with you and I do understand that PT's do train newbies, I never mentioned beginners with PT's being a problem, it makes more sense to me when I see a young trainer with an older, unfit guy that looks like he's never done any training in his life.

It could just be my area..
 
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