New Rules of Lifting for Women

[LilFox]

Ok, so I started a new program about 4 weeks ago. I got the book, New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess, sounds silly, but it's awesome and I've actually stuck to it for 4 weeks! It's incredible, first workout I bearly got through 2x15 squats with 55lbs, with a minute rest between. I truly thought I couldn't walk afterward, that I might just fall down in mush if I took a step. I think it was a little much for just starting over again but I lived.

I have since worked up to 85lbs, which is already exciting for me. But program then has me go back to original weight I started with and just do as many as I can (just as a one time workout to see your progress). I did 50 squats with 55lbs non-stop, and I walked just fine afterward! I think that's good, right? And all the exercises were like that, I improved so much. Well, upper body didn't improve as much as lower, but I started bearly getting 15 pushups on an incline done, and today I did 35 without a rest. I don't seem to have a lot of upper body strength, but I was able to do one pushup from the floor, which I haven't done in at least 6 years.

I ate terribly for that month, so I actually ended up gaining 5 pounds, but I cleaned up diet this week and lost those 5 pounds so far. (Probably a lot of water weight from salt.) I'm thinking I must have some muscle under this fat, I just hope I didn't do that month for nothing since I ate so bad. But no looking back I guess.

Has anyone heard of this book and do you think it's a good program? I'm getting ready to start Phase 2, I think it has 6 phases.

It's so hard to know who is right....they always say for women, lots of reps, low weight, blah, blah, blah. The personal trainers at the gym won't help me with program, they want me to follow their's, working one muscle at a time, different group everyday, whatever, so I'm not using them. I just hope I'm actually getting somewhere and I don't want to be all bulky, which I guess they say women won't, but why do you sometimes see women waaayyyy too muscular. I guess that's all personal preference, but I don't want thighs as big as mine are now, even if it IS all muscle. (Which mine is not of course.)

Anyway, just wondering if anyone has any opinion on that book if anyone has even read it. Thanks! (Sorry this is so long.)

BTW: I'm 43, 5'7" and 160lbs.

[Boss Man]

I don't really know about the book, but I wanted to say congratulations to you for sticking with this and for believing in yourself.

Really big women are often ones training for things like the M's O, but they are people taking fairly solid amounts of Steroids and lifting really heavily too.

Though there are people in the figure and fitness industries that take some Steroids too.

Muscle rowth in females is harder because of the Tesosterone levels. Men vary between 360 and around 1,000 ng/dl, nanograms per decilitre of blood, a nanogram being a billionth of a gram.

Females generally have 45-90 ng/dl, though some have a little more which can affect their voices slightly and cause little sprouts of hair in some places.

Men need the 360, because any less and it elevates heart attack risk.

So you will build muscle with the right diet, but it will take time.

Don't forget that an added lb of muscle burns an extra 45-50 calories per day, so that will help to lean you out.

Muscle on females is not only good looking, but it's normal and healthy, so don't let anyone tell you, you might look wrong, unnatural not normal etc, because that is absolute tosh, but people using closed / narrow minded judgements and also by people who probably have poor lifestyles and have absolutely no clue what it takes to get a lean strong female body.

I saw pictures about 4-5 years ago of a female who was 51, competing in a contest and she won. She had 10% fat from memory and looked about 41, so if you're thinking you can't achieve much physical change at your age, think again .

I'm not saying you should necessarily consider competing, though I would be happy for you if that was ever a choice in your life and this community will always support females who do, but the comparison made before, was to highlight that you are still young enough to make good physical progress so don't think you have left things too late to do much.

It seems like you are making good progress on this and I want you to be proud of yourself because I think you deserve it. I'm proud to see people like you getting the results they work for. I would say for many in your age range, It's easy to think that change will be very difficult and not much might happen, but it definitely still can and if a female can step on a stage at 51 with 10% fat, a 6-pac, look 10 years younger and win, that's proof enough of what you could achieve by believing in your chosen end goal and realising it is possible.

I wish you a lot of luck with what you are doing. I remember you from the past on here and your attitude was always really receptive and personable with people and any support you need, we will be more than happy to give.

Keep us updated won't you, because I'd like to know how you're doing and the more you tell us, the more we can do to supprot and encourage, which are two key cornerstones of this community.

It's great to see you around again Angela. You are a true Lady and a superb person.

.

P.S. anyone who tells you to do lots of reps and low weight wants firing. That will help you get nowhere, build about 0.1% muscle or some other poor amount and possibly lose less than 2% fat.

[Jentry07]

I have not heard of this book, but am now very interested! I do not want to look overly muscular? Does is just tone you up while strengthening? Or did you gain a lot of bulk from this so far?
Thanks for sharing this and for your help! I will have to look into it and find me a copy!