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Massive amounts of synthol.

synthol-freak.jpg
 
Need some advice from the resident experts of this thread.

My girl friend has finally come around to wanting to lift seriously instead of just cardio, pump and spin classes.

Obviously she's not looking to get huge (just strong, fit and defined) so just wondering if there's anything to avoid.

Obviously I know definition (body fat) is governed by diet but I've never really weight trained with girls before so I'm not sure how their body reacts.

Basically want to know if there's any potential downside for her to train for strength, using normal safety precautions of course.
 
In my opinion this is the best advice for women who want to train.

Don't worry about getting too big. It is a very slow process and you'll have plenty of time to back off before you start looking like a boy.

Problem is that the only way to change your body is to force it to change so train like you want to be massive and your body will begin to change slowly. Keep an eye on the mirror and back off when you are happy with what you see.

I think you are on the right track. Just train and watch her progress.
 
In my opinion this is the best advice for women who want to train.

Don't worry about getting too big. It is a very slow process and you'll have plenty of time to back off before you start looking like a boy.

Problem is that the only way to change your body is to force it to change so train like you want to be massive and your body will begin to change slowly. Keep an eye on the mirror and back off when you are happy with what you see.

I think you are on the right track. Just train and watch her progress.

The thing is it never happens naturally. Most guys never even make noticeable progress at the gym. Girls with 10% of the testosterone don't have to worry about looking like a bloke. That's only an issue for chicks injecting gear.
 
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That's great news.
if she has minimal experience my advice is to start her off on mainly multi joint exercises, like:
squat
dead
leg press
SLDL
trap bar lift
pulldown
row
chest press and so-on

add a number of single joint movements too.

incorporate them all into workout, you could have them in one or have a workout A and B.

have her workout every day if possible using enough weight to comfortably perform 10 reps X 2 to 3 sets.

use this time to teach and establish which exercises fit best and to slowly incorporate intensity of work over time, DOMS can be crippling if you push to hard too soon.

depending on her condition this could take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks.
 
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Need some advice from the resident experts of this thread.

My girl friend has finally come around to wanting to lift seriously instead of just cardio, pump and spin classes.

Obviously she's not looking to get huge (just strong, fit and defined) so just wondering if there's anything to avoid.

Obviously I know definition (body fat) is governed by diet but I've never really weight trained with girls before so I'm not sure how their body reacts.

Basically want to know if there's any potential downside for her to train for strength, using normal safety precautions of course.

How often does she plan on going a week?

My girlfriend comes with me 1-2x a week. She's not really looking to turn it into anything other than getting a bit fitter and something to do a few nights a week after work. So based on this, I cut out all the fluff and only get her to do things that will be measurable. In an ideal world, you would get someone to do the main compound lifts, but some people just don't like some of them, or they're not prepared to put in the time to get the technique right. So when she's starting, get her to try a few things out, and stick with the ones she enjoys.

For example, I tried the following which don't and will never work for my girlfriend. If I keep forcing her she'll just not go to the gym:
- Squats - Long legs so feels awkward for her.
- Overhead press - shoulders click, regardless or arm width, elbow position, barbell or dumbbells.
- Side or rear shoulder raises - Just can't get the technique right and hurts her neck.

These are the replacements that she actually likes:
- Box jumps.
- Exercise ball wall squats.
- Deadlifts.
- Pull ups.
- Dips.

The above list is pretty much her full body workout I get her to do. Body weight and compound exercises get the most bang for your buck if you're only going a few times a week. If she does get bored, I'll get her to do an upper and lower day with a few machine exercises thrown in.
 
What do you need to know?

Sit the bar across the from delts.
I use a cross arm grip since I lack flexibility in the wrists.
Lower and raise.

Okay thanks. I did them today but bar was resting more-so on side delts, must have used wrong position.
 
how much can u front squat?

My shoulder won’t allow front squats right now, anyhow it’s irrelevant since I don’t train specifically for strength.
Can’t you get that through your skull that it’s not about numbers? It’s a bodybuilding thread not powerlifting.
 
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