Women's fitness
I’ll say right away that there is no exclusively women’s fitness ! There is effective fitness and ineffective fitness. All the basic patterns of training are absolutely the same for men and women. The only significant difference between men and women in fitness activities is the level of testosterone in the body. In women it is approximately 10 times less. Therefore, women in general are less muscular, have less strength, and are more likely to gain weight.
Therefore, all the newfangled programs with small dumbbells, hoops, gymnastic sticks, miracle exercise machines have nothing to do with real training, which really, in a matter of weeks, changes your body for the better.
I'd be happy to be wrong. But in practice, unfortunately, this is how it is. After spending several (tens) of thousands of rubles and several weeks of time, you will most likely be convinced that I am right. And perhaps you will begin to listen to my words.
Turn your workout into a game
Advice from the co-founder of New York's Throwback Fitness gym, Brian Gallagher.
There are hundreds of gyms in New York City, but Throwback Fitness has the best reviews in the city. Their secret is that they try to distract clients from the very fact of training with the help of team exercises and competitive elements.
This helps you work harder and get great results.
Fight with yourself
As a competition for one person, you can use a circuit training consisting of push-ups, crunches and squats with your body weight.
Do two more repetitions each round - 2, 4, 6 and so on. The training continues for 5 minutes. Rest - 1 minute.
After resting, start with the number of repetitions that you managed to do, but now reduce the repetitions - 12, 10, 8 and so on up to two. Your goal is to get back to two reps in less than five minutes.
Too easy? Then increase the training time to 10 minutes.
Compete with your friends
Each group at Throwback Fitness ranges from 6 to 16 people. Participants are divided into groups and compete with each other. One of our favorite competition games in the gym is the TBF Cup.
In this game, teams compete to throw balls into a net. To access the ball, the team must complete a circuit of four burpees, eight push-ups and twelve crunches. The faster you circle, the more attempts you will have to throw the ball. The team with the most balls in the net at the end of the session wins.
Can a woman lift weights?
Not only is it possible, but it is also necessary. Unless, of course, you really want to have a strong, elastic, toned body that is worth looking at. Lifting weights is the only means of complete and very effective muscle development. And elastic, strong enough muscles mean health, excellent well-being, reduced levels of body fat (even if you like to eat), beautiful body lines...
“What if I build up like a bodybuilder?...” Professional athletes spend many years trying to build up at least some muscle. It's all about testosterone again. A woman simply physiologically cannot “pump up”. Yes, the muscles will become denser, more elastic, and slightly increase in volume. But without hefty doses of chemistry, you won't get so pumped up that it becomes too noticeable. Coach's word!
By the way, here (on the right) is a very useful example of universal fitness with dumbbells.
Online magazine about sports and healthy lifestyle Body-Bar
We believe that every person deserves to be attractive. Since 2013, Body-Bar online magazine has been working to help you do just that. Do it yourself, but do it with our help!
The bodybar is a sports equipment with wide functionality, which makes it a universal and popular tool for practical sports activities.
Likewise, our resource strives to cover as much as possible in its field, to be as universal and useful as possible. As a project of enthusiasts, Body-Bar sees its goal as spreading knowledge about self-improvement, how to make yourself better, and your life more active and healthy. We try to meet the highest requirements for a web resource about sports - to post reliable information and do it in a way that makes reading our materials easy and comfortable. What types of articles can be found here?
A wide variety, ranging from training programs to reviews of the most popular diets. All materials are divided into appropriate categories :
Workout
One of the most voluminous sections on which we place the main emphasis. Types of group training, training programs and videos (including from famous personalities) - all this can be found in the “Training” section.
Exercises
The articles in this section analyze in detail all the most popular and effective exercises for different muscle groups, as well as exercises for home using available materials.
Theory
A collection of knowledge about bodybuilding, amateur fitness and a healthy lifestyle, about the most common mistakes of beginners, about injuries in sports and how to avoid it or recover from an unfortunate incident.
Goals
Losing weight, getting pumped up, or gaining flexibility are the three goals that we consider the main ones. The articles in this section tell you not only what you need to do in the gym, but also what you need to do outside of it, in your free time, if you are serious about losing weight, increasing the volume of your muscle mass, or doing the splits.
Psychology
Our thoughts make our life, it's no secret. Our mental state can help us achieve success, or it can, on the contrary, “put a spoke in our wheels.” How to “defeat your demons” - stress, depression, lack of motivation - look in the section materials.
Nutrition
Playing sports is, roughly speaking, half the success. Nutrition, the building material for body cells, is no less important for beauty, strength and health. Diets, the harm and benefits of certain foods, calorie tables, healthy eating recipes, sports nutrition and nutrients - the section has something to read and take note of.
Personalities
Articles about people who made a significant contribution to the development of bodybuilding, popularization of the ideas of a healthy lifestyle and a beautiful body, biographies of fitness stars and IFBB.
We reserve the right to add and/or change the content. This project is alive and it changes with us and with the world in which it exists. If you have something to offer or something to reprimand us about, welcome to our mailbox (look somewhere at the bottom of the site).
Fitness and cellulite
Doctors say that cellulite is a type of normal.
Cosmetologists say that only their expensive procedures in SPA salons can get rid of cellulite.
Trainers shout that their miracle exercise program will get rid of cellulite.
I say this is all a lie! None of these remedies can rid a woman of cellulite unless an integrated approach is used. Reasonable nutrition, special cosmetic procedures and competent physical exercise (set of exercises) are what will significantly reduce (and in many cases completely eliminate) the appearance of cellulite.
Medicine
Fitness “works” for health, so it is closely related to medicine.
Recommendations before you join fitness
You should undergo an examination, have your heart and spine checked by a therapist. You need to get tested .
If something specifically bothers you, you should contact a specialist (endocrinologist, traumatologist, etc.).
Come to us with inquiries.
The first time (1-2 months) you should study with a trainer. It is always advisable to work out with a trainer. However, in the first months this is vital.
Recommendations before, during and after training
Drink a lot.
Do not exhaust yourself to the point of exhaustion (if you want fitness for your health).
Work out personally with a trainer. Plan the training process with him.
Participate in competitions.
Menstruation
Medical studies have shown that it is during menstruation that women can perfectly tolerate high loads and engage in fitness with the greatest efficiency. This is explained by the fact that these days a woman’s hormonal background most closely resembles... a man’s. Contrary to the common misconception “when it hurts, you need to lie down,” adequate exercise will save you from abdominal pain and general weakness.
Exercise therapy – common ailments
Pressure. – Moderate and regular cardio exercise helps restore normal levels.
Heart. — In the absence of pathologies, cardio training is recommended for everyone.
Exercise therapy – after operations
The only effective methods of recovery after surgery involve carefully dosed physical activity.
Exercise therapy - pregnancy
Pregnancy is not a disease during which you need to lead a passive lifestyle and not make unnecessary movements. Moderate loads are safe for the fetus.
In specialized classes, expectant mothers not only strengthen their muscles, but also learn to be in contact with their baby.
The most important thing is to consult your doctor before starting classes!
Exercise therapy – after childbirth
Only those who were involved in fitness during and before pregnancy can remain slim after the birth of a child.
When and how to start. – Today, experts believe that if a woman trained during pregnancy and had an uncomplicated natural birth, she can start exercising a few days after giving birth or as soon as she feels ready for it.
Those who have had a cesarean section , multiple vaginal tears, or complicated labor should consult their physician before starting to exercise again.
Healthy women are recommended to exercise at least 150 minutes per week in the first months after childbirth.
Nursing mothers
Gone are the days when it was believed that a nursing mother should eat for two and in no case expose herself to physical exertion. Modern medicine believes that you can engage in fitness from the first days of a baby’s life. Swimming, yoga and Pilates are best.
To prevent lactic acid, which is produced in the muscles during exercise, from entering breast milk, it is necessary to engage in fitness during lactation immediately after feeding, or 1.5 hours before the next breastfeeding.
When training, a woman's body loses a large amount of fluid, which can affect the volume of breast milk. Therefore, you should not limit yourself to drinking during physical activity. When going to training, you should take a bottle of clean water with you and drink no more than 100 ml at a time, in small sips.
Infertility treatment
It has long been noted that fitness, or more precisely, carefully selected exercises, in particular yoga, solves the problems of infertility and hormonal cycle disorders.
Here's what one fitness trainer says:
, 127 people in my club . In our city, everyone already knows who is not succeeding and the problem is a woman, they come to me, and then after 3 months they come running with gifts and good news. Girls who have problems with irregular periods also restore them.”
Warning. – Loads should be moderate. Exercising to the point of exhaustion has the opposite effect on the female body, i.e. lead to infertility. So practice under the guidance of an experienced trainer.
Functional training
The bright, tight-fitting outfits of girls training in the gym perfectly emphasize the power and beauty of the exercises performed in CrossFit classes. All visitors to the fitness club admire the figures of strong and resilient girls, because their bodies are proportionally developed and toned.
“70% of my clients are women. They, first of all, want to get rid of excess weight through training, even if they have such problems,” says Oleg Demyanenko , personal trainer for functional training. “I see how in a short period of time functional training classes transform their bodies.”
By the way, many women are afraid to let their husbands go to the gym alone because it is full of seductive beauties doing barbell squats. “I once asked the regulars of our club in the men’s locker room why they watched my clients’ training with interest. It turns out that what attracts people is not only the excellent appearance of a sports woman, but also her perseverance and incredible willpower,” says Oleg Demyanenko.
Well, if you want the admiring glances of your loved one to be directed only at you, do CrossFit, or better yet, as a couple. Or train at home with Hollywood star trainer Jim Barcena's program from AnySports.
On this topic:
- Pilates and sex: 8 reasons to attend a workout
- The result is obvious: stars who do facial gymnastics
- Yoga for Women's Health: 5 Positive Effects
