The Community for Buff Women

Personal trainer issues...

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:09:37 GMT

I've been lifting since January. My personal training membership is with the gym's in-house staff, which has serious issues hiring trainers they can keep. Therefore, I am on my 4th trainer in 6.5 months. I think this is mostly because the manager lacks the interpersonal skills necessary to hire and manage staff efficiently, his reaction to the smallest mistake or problem with a trainer is to fire them. (The last one gave himself a minor hernia and was told not to lift for 3 weeks. He was fired... that really wasn't his fault.)

I really should just hire a *real* trainer from a more reliable outfit, but that's more money that I currently have avaliable in my budget. I guess you get what you pay for.

Anyway, I find myself having a period of about a month where I have to "break in" a new trainer. It takes that long for it to sink in that, hey, while I am overweight and female, I can lift more than the majority of the other clients (some men included!), and I don't want to do 3 sets of 15 reps with small weights. Then next time I get handed a pair of 8 lb dumbells, I am going to use them to dent someone's skull.

I've tried calmly explaining my abilities, but it takes a month of demonstration before they get it. I don't understand this... a session or two and my abilities should be clear, yes? Anyone here have similar experiences they'd like to vent about, or tips on how to shorten the "break in" period?

I have started keeping a detailed workout journal for show & tell.

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:21:18 GMT

Hi all,
I'm looking for photos or posters (commercially available) of women lifting heavy. Figure/body building angle would be okay too, but ones that show strength and power are preferred. Do you know where I can find these? I've looked around on the internet and what I find is too "male-orientated" ie. sexy, come-hither look on a fitness model.

Thanks for your help!

And to get some activity here: post a recent accomplishment or what you hope to do in the next week.
My plan is on my next chest day to do bench presses for a 1 rep max and I'm hoping to break 100 for my first time. I did 2 reps at 95 this week (no spot), so I think I can. Also, I learned how to do a clean and press today and can't wait to do them again.

Finding a trainer that doesn’t suck..

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:12:23 GMT

I am currently in search of a trainer.

I have been working out a long time on my own, so I am not a complete newb… which just seems to confuse most trainers. With that being said, I am by no means an expert either. There are still a lot of aspects of lifting that are new to me, and that I am not comfortable with doing on my own. Honestly, I am feeling a bit lost, and somewhat intimidated by the entire thing. I desperately want to move forward…but I just don’t know how.

I have a lot of big goals, many of which are strength and vanity based, but I have no real idea of how to get there. I’ve tried on my own, and have made some progress but there is always this fear that I am “doing it wrong”. Honestly I feel like a fish out of water in the weight room sometimes…

I would really like to get into heavy lifting, and I am also aiming for a physique that is similar to a figure competitor’s. I want to be that good, that in shape, that strong. I know it is a crazy goal, and I know it will take a lot of work, and that I may never reach that, but I’m willing to try. I am willing to give it my all. I really, really am.

What I want is someone to show me the basics of what it takes. I don’t want to do squats and wonder if I am fucking it up. I want to know that I am not wasting my time. I want someone there to push me when I would normally stop. I want someone to show me what I don’t know, and make me feel confident that I am really doing what I should. I want someone to kick my ass in the gym, well above and beyond what I could do on my own.

Most trainers I have met seem to think I should be lifting 5lb dumbbells and doing 1hour of cardio. I tell them I want to use free weights, I ask them to teach me how to squat properly, do deadlifts etc, and instead I get circuit training on crappy machines. I explain my goals and they look at me like I am crazy

It pisses me off.

I’ve tried the cookie cutter guys/gals at my gym. They have the same plan for everyone, and they are used to training someone whose goals are no where near mine. They want to train me for a goal well below where I am already at! Talk about a waste.

I even did a local search for trainers… but it was just an overload of stuff. It was completely overwhelming. I mean trying an hour with a new trainer for 60-100$ seems wasteful especially if they are not going to help. Sadly, I just don’t know how to find what I need.

Anyone else have a similar problem? Any advice? I mean what is the best way to find a trainer who is really going to take me seriously? Anything I should look for specifically, questions to ask? Anything at all...

cross posted to gymrats

Greetings from Nowhere, Australia

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 12:12:24 GMT

Hi! I'm Jordan. I'm 16 years old and I come from Perth, Western Australia. I found female_muscle by clicking on "bodybuilding" in my list of interests in my user profile. I very much enjoy weightlifting and consider myself an amateur teen bodybuilder, although I have no intention of heading into competitive bodybuilding at present. I don't think I have the proper amount of discipline for competitive bodybuilding, which is one of the reasons I decided to join up here. I would love any advice you can give me regarding my workouts or any supplements I can take to help with my training. See below for one image of my arm, which I am quite proud of, and my workout regime.

Please excuse the shitty quality!

I use Bodybuilding.com as my guide for workouts and I do 3-5 sets of 10 reps for whatever exercises I choose to do. I do have preferred exercises but I try to have some variety in my workouts. Currently my regime is:

Monday — Shoulders. Some of the exercises I do are: Arnold Dumbbell Press, Barbell Rear Delt Row, Standing Overhead Dumbbell Press. I also incorporate Traps into Shoulders days.

Tuesday — Back. Some of the exercises I do are: Bent Over Barbell Row, Bent Over Two Arm Long Bar Row, Bent Over One Arm Long Bar Row, One Arm Dumbbell Row. I also incorporate Lats into Back days.

Wednesday — Biceps. Some of the exercises I do are: Dumbbell Bicep Curl, Two Arm Hammer Curl, Zottman Curl.

Thursday — Chest. Some of the exercises I do are: Bent-Arm Dumbbell Pullover, Butterfly Machine Press, Dumbbell Bench Press.

Friday — Triceps. Some of the exercises I do are: Bench Dips, Dumbbell Triceps Extension, Lying Across-Face Triceps Extension.

Saturday — Legs. Some of the exercises I do are: Barbell Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, Dumbbell Full Squat, Dumbbell Lunge, Lying Butt Lift, Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadlift, Leg Extensions w/ machine. A Legs day is probably the busiest as I work the glutes, hamstrings, calves and quads. Sometimes I alternate, so one week I may do lunges, another squats.

Sunday — Off, or if I choose, an additional biceps workout.

I also do Abs every day. I normally do 5 x 10 reps of crunches on a crunch bench and/or 5 x 10 reps of reverse crunches with an exercise ball.

My main problem is patience. I don't know whether I am doing enough sets, or enough different exercises, to achieve the results I want. Please tell me what I can do to improve. :) I also take a supplement -- Redbak Whey Protein. Are there any other supplements that I should be taking?

Cutting woes

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:12:47 GMT

Hey chica's. Slowly I've tapered from my bulking/I was sick/Stress of finals eating phase. This isn't my first experience with cutting, but I'm having the same unwanted side effects as most others: fatigue. That and I wake up crazy hungry. Right now the only carbs outside of veggies and fruits(low GI fruits) I consume in the am. Next week all carbs go out the window. I'd be fine moving around in slow mo if it wasn't for my two hardcore classes in school this summer semester. In class I have a hard time concentrating and when it comes to studies ... it's just hard to do.

Any suggestions on how to power through or other means of energy? One can only drink so many energizer bunny cans and I won't take caffeine pills. This is why I questioned if I wanted to try competing while still in college. I know there are girls/people out there that have... but med schools don't give a squat if I have a BS, they want a high GPA. That's not going to remain high enough if I can't get my energy back.

Thanks for listening :)

New Member

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:14:44 GMT

I figured I'd say hi and introduce myself. :)

I'm a computer programmer who tries to balance the sedentary part of my life with activity. I love lifting weights and work out with a personal trainer twice a week. Since I started (about 8 months ago?), I have gotten worlds stronger. It's hard to tell on the outside since my bodyfat percentage is still higher than I like, but I'm dealing with that by training for a marathon. I hate cardio for the most part, but it's a necessary evil for female leanness, IMO. The hardest part is making sure I eat enough to fuel everything properly (and am getting enough carbs to keep my blood sugar stable, which is a challenge sometimes), but not so much that I'm operating at a surplus all the time.

Sadly, I've been forced to take a break until I get some achilles pain sorted out (I think I'm developing tendonitis, but I'll know for sure after a sports medicine/podiatrist appointment next week), but I'm still lifting in the meantime.

Spring/summer is my endurance and balance training season, and fall/winter is for strength building.

I don't have any super recent fitness type photos, but I should take some to compare with ones I took back in July of last year before I started working out regularly. That winter was all about heavy squats, deadlifts, and power cleans. :D

I occasionally model in my spare time and would love to have a physique like Angela Basset or Madonna-- slender but ripped. Right now my weak points are my upper back and triceps. My trainer is helping me work on those so I'll eventually be able to chin up and dip my own bodyweight. Once I can do those, I want to start taking breakdancing and/or circus arts classes to build even more upper body strength while having fun.

Contests and Camps

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:53:15 GMT

This weekend I'll be attending the Mile High Natural BB&Figure Championships. The great thing about it is that I live within walking distance and this is my first time to one of these shows.

In a few weeks I'll be attending a seminar on contest poise and prep by Carla Sanchez. I'm kind of stoked and kind of nervous at the same time. I'm considering attending the Phat Camp held by Jenny Hendershott. Who wouldn't want to work out and hear from a Miss Fitness and Ms Olymipa?

Have any of you ever attended camps or seminars like these? If you have, what did you take away from your experience? If you had the option, would you attend another?

Xposted on gymrats

UpDate sorta

Sat, 24 May 2008 13:13:14 GMT

Hi ladies! =)

Haven't done progress pix in a while. Mainly because progress is slow coming as we've been moving and I'm settling into a 2-job schedule. But last night while working out, my hubby took some pictures, since my personal training director said it was time for me to put my bio up on the training wall...at first I was actually working out but I couldn't handle the camera on me while I was lifting~I was giggling too much!~so he had me "do" my fave exercises. Not very much of my tone is noticable, but that will come at a later photo shoot ;P

Research

Mon, 19 May 2008 15:22:35 GMT

So, I've been doing a lot of research on Protien, glutamine...a lot of other -ime's...and I think I've got an idea of what I'm supposed to do. At this point I'm really just looking for human imput. What are you ladies taking if any at all? Do you all recommend one brand/supplement over the other?

feels good to be strong again!!

Sat, 17 May 2008 02:00:28 GMT

Getting back into shape! Finally, i can do sets of 50 inclined situps again without getting tired, i can curl 30 lbs, do 10-12 pullups per set, and do 20 lbs in a forward shoulder raise. Much of this is in service of doing aerial dance, which is great for the arms, lats, and core... wednesday night i also did 3 sets of hand-over-hand climbs up the fabric in a pike! Felt good!

What doesn't show in this photo is today doing the shoulder raises i saw extra definition of all these little bands of muscle in the deltoid... That was such fun to see!! I'm told my back is getting the same. Now for that last stubborn fat over the tum and hips to go away and grow the 6-pack again...

Powerlifting Pictures

Fri, 16 May 2008 20:52:45 GMT

I yell. A lot. Loudly. When Deadlifting.

My hitch. Argh. What a bitch.

He's going to catch me if I fall. Riiiiiggghhttt.

Up we go.

Pause.....PRESS!!!! Guy in upper right corner in the back: "I see what you did there"

APA World's Championships: Fairhaven, Vermont

She's a whole team!!

Sun, 11 May 2008 16:55:00 GMT

I had to share this bit of inspirational news. This athlete amazes me! I've linked to a couple of news stories and excerpted from them.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/varsitynews/entries/2008/05/10/richardson_wins.html

"Rochelle [High School] junior Bonnie Richardson won five medals at the state track meet Saturday and her performance was enough to lead the Lady Hornets to the Class 1A girls state title. What made Rochelle’s team title stand out was that Richardson was the school’s lone state qualifier.

Rochelle finished with 42 points, six points better than Seymour and Chilton who finished in a tie for second place. Richardson won gold in the 200-meter and high jump, silver in the 100-meter and long jump and a bronze in the discus throw.

UIL officials were unsure when the last time a single athlete won a team title but believed that last occurrence was in the 1970s.

Asked afterwards how she was going to celebrate her feat, Richardson said with a laugh “I am going to eat something, I’m hungry.” "

http://sports.aol.com/story/_a/athlete-wins-team-title-all-by-herself/20080511002509990001?icid=1615984955x1202031700x1200305225

Rochelle is about 85 miles east of San Angelo, and Richardson's high school doesn't even have a real track. The football field has a ring of caliche and grass around it. So how does she train? "Watch for potholes," she joked. "We have a track about 10 miles down the road and train there usually."

Richardson also plays tennis and led her basketball team to the state semifinals last season. "I'd play football if my parents would let me," she said. "Not quarterback. Defense."

Progress and What Not

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:08:07 GMT

So, I'm the tard that decided she could train for a 1/2 marathon and still build muscle. That's not exactly going as I planned. I'm not gaining as much mass as I like, but I'm toning up pretty nice. When I get a hold of my camera, I'll have some progress pics. I am excited that my bicep went from 12 to 12.5 inches from my last post. :D AND I've moved up from curling 20lbs to 25lbs!!!! I can almost get through 3 sets of 12. Very exciting.

Found My Camera

Been a While

Wed, 07 May 2008 21:09:40 GMT

Hi chicas!

So I don't think these posts have been showing up on my "Friends Page". Any clue why?!?!?

Just wanted to say that I'm still here, lifting...been incorporating the 300 Routine and CrossFit into my workouts since I'm trying to cut fat...working a new job::anyone here near Colorado Springs?

I got 2 jobs::
1) Personal Trainer at the S. Academy Bally
2) Store manager for Lashley's Smoothies and Supplements, 1741 S. Academy in Bally Plaza

Come visit, say who ya're, and I'll hook ya up :)

Anywhoo, hope all lifting is getting you gains <3

Intro

Fri, 02 May 2008 00:23:36 GMT

I thought I would introduce myself. I am trying to get into really great shape and build some nice lean muscle mass. I thought you all would give me great motivation to kick everything up a notch. I really want to start lifting weights, well more weight, not just small weights with lots of reps.

Currently, I referee roller derby so that's a good bit of speed skating. I do hoop dance (hula hoops) and am training to be an instructor. I also am planning on taking other higher intensity group fitness instructor classes. I don't think I am in awful shape, but I have way too much fat and not enough visible muscle.

I guess that's it for now. But Hiya and I am enjoying reading everything and seeing all of the progression pics.

The eternal quandry: What to do about bad knees

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:02:45 GMT

I'm finally trying to get back into fighting shape, after three years of wrecking my body and losing a significant amount of what was once respectable muscle mass. I can't afford a gym membership, so I'm slowly learning the fine art of strength development without free weights, until I can afford to buy some.

I'm beginning with the basics (pushups, modified chin-ups, etc.) for now, but I've run into a big problem working my lower body. As the result of an injury from when I was a teenager, I have really bad knees -- which prevents me from feeling comfortable doing squats, climbing stairs, or anything else that could potentially require my knees to do a lot of work. Both knees were damaged in such a way as to destroy a lot of the cartilage underneath the kneecap; additionally, my left kneecap is displaced, which means that it sits off-center about an inch and doesn't interact with the joint like it should. It doesn't hurt to do squats, per say, but it's a range of motion I'm not used to and I'm afraid that I could aggravate the damage to my knees by repeatedly performing that motion. Unfortunately, I don't have access to a physical therapist, so I can't be sure what is and isn't okay for my specific situation.

Does anyone know of alternatives to work the glutes and other lower-body muscles that aren't likely to aggravate bad knees?

Hello!

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:39:00 GMT

Hey everyone,

It's great to find a group dedicated to buff women! I'm a former high school athlete and longtime runner/lifter/cross trainer and I'm looking to get back in the game. Just wanted to say hi to everyone in the community and thanks for helping women like me get back into training!

It's Been A While!

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:26:30 GMT

I've been wanting to keep up with the pic posting for progress, but time has not allowed it....

So I did my calculations last week, and I'm at 137, 16% body fat, which means I have 115 lbs of lean mass and 10 lbs-ish to get to my ideal body fat percent....by my birthday (June 7). Totally doable, and so psyched =)

Hope you're giving the guys something to be jealous of in the weight room <3

Newbie reading throught the memories

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:28:11 GMT

I just "found" this site, which I'm really happy about. I've been getting more serious about weight lifting this year, my main focus is long distance running - yeah I know not exactly helpful in terms of building muscle, but I refuse to give it up.
I was reading through the memories and came across danceswthcobras entry about cutting, and am wondering how its going. Did you make changes or did eating that amount of food get easier? Any other experiences with fat loss is helpful.

I just started a similar sort of plan, I'd like my body weight to be lower to be able to run easier and have better definition, but I really don't want to lose any muscle. I've never had bf measured but I have enough that I could stand to lose. My guess would be 22%.

I'm Bored...

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:26:31 GMT

I really can't work out without some driving beats to inspire me and right now, I'm tired of everything on my mp3. Can anyone recomend some good songs? Punk Rock songs really get me going, but I'm open to all suggestions.

Just to give an idea of some artists on my playlist:
Paramore                Controller Controller
Lil' Wayne                Lupe Fiasco
Say Anything           Dirtmits
Jay-Z                        Shiny Toy Guns
Sleater-Kinney       Tegan and Sara

Ya gotta like...

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:55:03 GMT

Pair of official Gliding Discs (no frills) -- $20

Pair or terrytowel face clothes that do the same thing on a hardwood floor -- $1 (in an economy bulk pack)

Introductions and a question

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:02:54 GMT

Hi! I'm Ashley and I'm pretty new to LJ. I love that there's a community dedicated to chicks with muscles! I've been working out on and off for about 7 years now. But I'm finally ready to totally transform my body and get super ripped. My goals are to lose 10lbs by July 21st, to eventually be able to bench 130lbs, and to run a 1/2 marathon with my sister and brother this February.
My question concerns muscle confusion. Does it really work? I can't find any scholarly literature on it and I don't really see a significant difference when I'm training. Has anyone else found that it works/doesn't work?

The Abs. Probably my weakest spot. (All of these were taken right after a workout)

I was making a weird face.....

I've actually never seen my back before....

PS!

If you want to add me to your friends list, I'm always up for meeting new people!

BWAHAHAHAHAHA

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:12:08 GMT

If you happen to be a burglar, and you think a woman's house might be an easy target even if she's in it and asleep, think again.

Shit like this just makes all those trips to the gym worthwhile.

http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/blogentry.php?entryid=1012

Dragging

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:09:46 GMT

Gym: It's been going all right. The full body workout has balanced out my body a bit; my legs are looking better. Since I've been off of Spring break my body has gone back to it's baseline. Currently 117.2lbs my measurements are 18%bf waist is 25.5". At the gym I've increased the weight or resistance on every lift I do. My calorie intake is around 1600-1800 now and I'm eating 5-g mini meals with emphasis on protein. The turkey meatloaf I made yesterday turned out really well and I made more protein brownies. Saving me moola from buying premade bars. My new whey powder is good too, cookies and creme 100% whey from GNC. I have a post workout shake everytime I have a lifting day, and I'm taking BCAA's without adverse effects. I'm not too sure how long I'll stay on the full body regimen.

This summer I'll be taking Physics and Ochem with an internship. All of this in 2 months and a figure/bikini competition... I don't know..

I need to work on posing and lighting and smiling. What do you guys think?

Hello and a question

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:18:34 GMT

Hi Like many i am a long time reader but have never posted. I was impressed with the responses of the last post, and have taken the advice of books to read and so forth. However unlike the last poster my problem spots are legs and bum. Particulary upper thigh at the back. Does that make sense? Anyway, since i am new to lifting what specific lifts/ actions should i be doing. I currently have a weight machine. (basic one though) It seems i am mainly doing arm lifts and the leg one where your sitting and you hook your legs in and push forward and up. (excuse my ignorance - explanation is the best i can do) This seems to mainly work the muscle on the top of the thigh. I am also running and granted have only just started so have not seen results yet. Oh i forgot to mention. I am what is considered a healthy weight for my height, like the other poster I have "pockets" of unwanted fat.

Any advice is VERY welcome.

Thanks for reading.