Go Back   Bodybuilding.net - Bodybuilding Forum > Main Forums > Female Fitness


Help me put a routine together for my girlfriend?



Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12-18-2007, 09:34 PM
atclarkson's Avatar
atclarkson atclarkson is offline
Rank: New Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22
Default Help me put a routine together for my girlfriend?

Some background...

I have just started back into the gym, and so has my girlfriend. Last School year we went 2 times a week doing free weight (rippetoes based program) and both saw decent improvement (me gaining her losing)

Anyways, a new year is nearly upon us, and we are both going back to the gym. I have the school gym, and she has a membership to the Goodlife Fitness near her house.

Idea was, I would purchase several sessions of personal training so that they could set her up a routine very specific to her goals (lose approx 20 lbs and be happy enough with body to be comfortable on our vacation to cuba in april)

We both have a fairly cynical vision of Goodlife, as it exemplifies your typical corporate run gym, getting a new member is more important than keeping your current ones happy... And what are they trying to do? sell her THREE MONTHS of personal training at the LOW LOW price of 1500 dollars. (Oh, we're both 21 year old students, FWIW)

So, I come to you, the fine people of this board

As she will be going to the gym herself, she really likes the machines and so while I know free weights are better, I'd like to structure her routine around them.

Their 'Generic' routine, which they call the '20 minute Fit Fix' consists of

Stretching
Cardio

Back extension
Leg press
Seated Row
Seated Bench
Preacher Bicep Curls
Preacher Tricep extension
Shoulder machine of some sort
Lat pull down
Ab work

(each machine is to be worked at the rate of at the last rep you should not be able to do one more (close to failure) for one set)



She likes this, but we both think it can be improved upon.
Goodlife has pretty much all the machines/weights/contraptions going, so I'm sure if you suggest it, they have it.


My basic idea is 2-3 days per week

20-30 mins of cardio (eliptical is her fav)
Stretching

Full body workout (this is where I need help on the best setup)



I know freeweights are better, but shes more comfortable on the machines when I'm not there, and I think it's doable.

We're working on the diet side of things, and shes going ot be drinking lots of water. Any other suggestions would be awesome too!
__________________
Clarkson (jessca's bf
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
)
6'4 and 182...
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12-18-2007, 11:47 PM
TALO's Avatar
TALO TALO is offline
Rank: Light Heavyweight
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Alberta , Canada
Posts: 3,077
Default

If your going to do 2-3 days a week maybe do a upper/lower split.

Also, if you want to see improvements no matter what (gain or loose) 90% is diet. Write down what she's eating and give us some info on that.
__________________
Cheap and good bulk supplements from Canada Protein
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12-19-2007, 07:20 AM
atclarkson's Avatar
atclarkson atclarkson is offline
Rank: New Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22
Default

will do on diet.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12-19-2007, 08:25 AM
hrdgain81's Avatar
hrdgain81 hrdgain81 is offline
Rank: Light Heavyweight
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,713
Default

If ripptoe worked before, why not again?
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12-19-2007, 12:31 PM
atclarkson's Avatar
atclarkson atclarkson is offline
Rank: New Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22
Default

Shes hesitant to do it without me there to help her with the free weights, spotting and such.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 12-19-2007, 01:15 PM
hrdgain81's Avatar
hrdgain81 hrdgain81 is offline
Rank: Light Heavyweight
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,713
Default

gotcha, you could always just switch up the movements to machines, keep the same sort of set up. just a thought.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-20-2007, 06:58 AM
jessca jessca is offline
Rank: Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 58
Default

hey!
i'm the gf
i'll be trying to write down what i eat, i'm pretty much just trying to drink water and tea... i don't really eat a lot of garbage food to begin with... although sometimes its hard living at home and changing diets because my mom is a little less than accomidating when it comes to groceries.

we worked on a plan last night doing a push/pull-ish split
A:
cardio
leg press machine
back extension machine
chest press machine
military press free weights
tricep machine
calves machine
abs

B:
cardio
rows free weights
leg extension machine
leg curl machine
lat pull down machine
bicep machine
calves machine
abs

i'm not sure tho if i should be doing 1 set until failure or 3 sets of lower reps? they told me @ goodlife that 1 set at 12, where you should barely be able to do the last rep, is better than 3 sets of whatever... but because they confused the heck outta me with everything else... what is better?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-20-2007, 07:07 AM
hrdgain81's Avatar
hrdgain81 hrdgain81 is offline
Rank: Light Heavyweight
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,713
Default

Welcome to the board jessica!

I am not a fan of this one set of 12 till failure stuff, you should almost never train till failure, its a good way to get yourself hurt, and its a gateway to overtraining IMO.

I would much rather see you doing 3 sets of lower reps, with heavy wieghts, compared to what you would use for sets of 12. that being said I'm not a fan of push/pull splits, but to each his/her own.

I would also look at splitting your cardio and your lifting up, if you can do it schedule wise.
__________________
I don't do this for my family, my friends, women, accolades, pride, or ego. I do it for me and no one else, its just part of who I am.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12-20-2007, 07:26 AM
jessca jessca is offline
Rank: Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 58
Default

what's the reason for being against push/pull splits? i dont really know too much about splits and the pros and cons of them... how would you split it?

and thanks for the advice
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12-20-2007, 12:52 PM
hrdgain81's Avatar
hrdgain81 hrdgain81 is offline
Rank: Light Heavyweight
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,713
Default

My main reason for disliking push/pulls is you end up with bench and shoulder press on the same day. For me they are so similar, and use so many of the same muscles that it is impossible to hit both movements with optimal wieghts. Regardless of the order you do them in, you will tire out from doing one or the other first. I like having them on seperate days all together, but I suppose thats just personal prefrence.

I will admit I'm not the most well versed in how a female should lift, but IMO it shouldnt be much different then a male. I would do 3 full body workouts a week, similar to the starr or ripptoe 5x5, just using machines instead of free wieghts if thats how your comfortable.
Reply With Quote
Reply

  Bodybuilding.net - Bodybuilding Forum > Main Forums > Female Fitness


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes



 



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 10:37 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.