GET MENTAL! - By Krista Brittan

Originally posted on NaturalStrength.com on March 10, 2001, (Editors note: This could have gone in the Mind Strength section, but since it is primarally directed toward women, I put it in the Hard Training Women section.)

Ladies! Its time to get mental! If you don't already know it, your mental state is KEY to the success of your training, lifting and progress.

There is a whirlwind of information out there about diet and training and most of it is crap. (Editors note: Especially the zero and very low carb diets!) You wont find squat (pardon the pun) about getting mentally prepared for your workouts in the mainstream training magazines. (Only in the good magazines like the ones in NaturalStrength resource section.) Your state of mind is everything! If you tell yourself you cant do something than guess what? You cant! I know you have heard it before, but dont just hear the words, actually listen to them, understand them and actively change the way you prepare for your lifts as a result.

It doesnt even start first thing in the morning when you get up. It starts while you are going to bed and thinking about the day you have ahead of you. If you know the next day you will be taking on a new, challenging exercise or attempting a weight you havent achieved before, use visualization.

See yourself walking into the gym (or where ever you train) with confidence, knowing you are going to have an incredible workout. Dont bring with you memories of a past poor workout or lagging negativity about missing a new PR your last workout. Feel the surroundings; look and listen for any possible distractions and be aware of them so you cant use them as an excuse. Go through the motions of your workout. Load the bar or pick up the dumbbells or grip the handles. Choose your weapon that you will use to destroy the mental blocks that you have set up for yourself in the past. Visualize yourself just kicking the shit out of that weight! Perfect form, perfect execution you nailed it and focus for a few minutes on how great that feels.

Visualization is only one ingredient in the recipe of mental preparation. You have to take that vision and make it a reality. Do exactly that when you enter whatever pain domain you call your gym.

Refuse to believe any misconception, myth, stereotype and down right CRAP that you ever grew up believing about women and lifting about women and anything for that matter. Get utterly infuriated inside when you hear a fellow sister say, "I dont want to bulk up", "Women dont dead lift", "Chin ups are for men", "I just want to get toned" or "I really dont need any more than 5 lb. weights". Get mental when you hear anything remotely similar to that and use that frustration to fuel your workouts. Use those comments as a challenge to prove them wrong. Women ARE supposed to dead lift and squat and bleed and sweat and swear and be damn good at it!

Remember when you were a kid or a teenager and anything and everything you couldnt do or werent allowed to do, you wanted to do even more! But, when you did you always ended up in trouble, right? Now is the opportunity to do all the things you stereotypically shouldnt. Plus, the added bonus is you wont be "grounded" if you do. You will become a conqueror, a heroine, a fighter, a role model, and a stronger person both mentally and physically.

Getting mental is all about confidence in your abilities. You need to understand and believe that there is no threshold on what you can do or what you can lift. Believe that there is no maximum. With that state of mind you will be able to accomplish tasks and feats you never ever thought possible. The human psyche creates its own ceiling. When you mentally tell yourself, "I bet I can bench 125", even though that is a positive thought, you just set yourself up for not being able to lift 130. It is great to have a goal of a certain poundage but dont stop there. Tell yourself "I will be able to squat 200 by fall, and 225 by winter" and so on and so forth. Dont put a cap on it. Invincibility is the mind-set you want to establish for lifting. Only then can you truly start to discover what you are capable of lifting.

Confident is not a four-letter word. Do not confuse confidence with conceit. When someone calls you cocky, simply say, "thank you". Take that as a compliment.

Eliminate the words cant, wont, couldnt, wouldnt, shouldnt, will not from your vocabulary please. That is an excellent place to start on the road to positive thinking. Out loud, right now, say "cant" and be aware of the inner feelings that occur as a result. Negations produce similar type feelings within. They make you feel crappy. Now, out loud say "can". Feel the difference? Your head is held a bit higher, your heart feels a bit lighter yet stronger, and your posture is more erect. Keep that in mind. Make an effort to go about your day without using negations in your sentences. You can say the same thing as a positive. Rather than "I cant go for a walk tonight", say, "I will go for a walk tomorrow morning". Try it!

I want you to picture the most mental guy or gal at your gym. The one who walks in to the gym with a purpose and gets right to work. They dont socialize or really speak to anyone. They hardly even smile. They are focused and it is very obvious that they are thinking very hard and seriously about what they are about to do. They may make a lot of noise or deep breathing or have little rituals. They may stretch in the same order and place, they may have a very systematic approach and have to do everything a certain way. Or, diversely they may approach the bar with amazingly little noise, breathing or preparation. Basically, they are in the right state of mind for ultimate results. Try to get inside their head and think what they may be thinking. Give yourself the task of developing your own system for getting mental.

If your training and diet are right on track, you get ample rest, dont over train, you have great genetics, but you still feel like you are just spinning your wheels then you may need to get mental. You may be lacking a key ingredient in the training recipe mental preparation and self-confidence in your lifting.

The only way to gain self-confidence in your strength and abilities as a lifter is to overcome your fears. If you are telling yourself you cant do dumbbell presses with 40 lbs., then DO IT! Maybe it is only one rep, but next time it will be three, then five and before you know it youve done a set of 6-8 at a weight four weeks ago you told yourself you could never handle.

Most of our female role models are those who have achieved things we never would have thought possible. They take a challenge and make it a reality. They make us proud that they are women and that they represent us. They acquire possibly the physical, mental or emotional attributes we personally are lacking. They have no fear of their fears and are not hindered by their weaknesses. Learn from them. That is why we have role models. To use them as a source of inspiration and motivation to be more like them. Dont just watch them as they succeed and dream of being like that. Be like that. Everyone has the ability to be a role model for others too. That is the ultimate reward to have your accomplishments recognized and mimicked by others. In order to do that, you have to have what it takes mentally. Get metal, and know you can do it; whatever "it" may be or mean to you.

Although, remember that you are responsible for your state of mind only. We can try to be role models for others but each individual is 100% responsible for how they chose to think and feel. Once you have discovered the power of your positive thinking you will not be able to understand why others are so hard on themselves and negative. You will want to try and make everyone feel the way you do. Focus on yourself first. Confidence is very contagious. You will influence others without even trying.

I would like to share with you my own personal experience, a recent one where I was letting mental barriers block my progress:

I have always been very jealous of those who could perform wide grip pull ups on their own, especially women. It was a primary goal of mine to be able to do one, just one on my own. I had only been properly training my back for a short period of time and figured that it would be a year before I would see my vision as a reality. You see I put a mental block on my progress I told myself it would be a year. Mistake. For months I was doing bent over rows, chins and assisted wide grip pull-ups religiously. I was very pleased with my progress in the rows. I had excelled from doing reps of 5 at 25 lbs. to over 80 lbs. But, I was still only doing sets of 8 pull-ups with a chair. One day I was in my gym showing a friend of mine how to perform wide grip pull-ups. Without even thinking about it, I put my hands on the chin bar and without a wiggle or struggle lifted myself up to the bar and back down. After a few seconds I realized it "I just did one on my own holy shit!" I started jumping up and down in the gym and hugging my friend. I was elated. And I did it in about 3 months of me establishing that as a goal. I kept saying "I thought it would at least 6 more months before I would be able to do that." That was my problem. I never tried! I kept putting the chair under me because it wasnt enough time in my mind anyway. It wasnt until I literally forgot about the chair that I discovered I was underestimating my abilities. That was just last week. So tomorrow when I am scheduled to do chins I will not tell myself how many I will be able to do, I will tell myself I there is no limit to the number I can do! Ladies you really, truly can do whatever you set your mind to do. But that is the key, you must first set your mind to do it. All the old cliches are fact. My mother used to tell me "Krista, you must think before you act!" Usually my Mom was saying that because once again I messed up. Now, I consider that one the eleventh lifting commandment. I make a conscious effort to do exactly that before every lift I perform and every challenge I am faced with.

It is not about merely getting psyched. It is about sheer self confidence, absolute conviction and utter determination. Get Mental! Great things willfollow.

Think - Act - Achieve!



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Calling All Women: Get Fit, Get Strong - By Andrea Rippe

Most women are out to look good and hey, so am I. But I also like to be strong. And being strong will help any woman who wants to change her body.

Most women go to the gym because they want to lose weight, reduce the size of their thighs and get a flat tummy. If you want to change your body, you've got to have some muscle. A body without muscle is a bag of bones and that doesn't have much shape. Don't just strive to be thin, strive to be fit and strong. If you want to be fit and strong, you are going to have to work.Here is a list of things that need to happen if you really want to change your body:

1) It's going to mean feeling "a bit uncomfortable"(HIGH INTENSITY) and doing your workouts when you don't really feel like it (CONSISTENCY).

2) It also means eating what you should eat, in the amount you should eat, not just what you want to eat or what you are craving (DISCIPLINE).

3) It means not believing that if you lift heavy weights you will become big and bulky or look like a steroid freak.

4) It means that you forget terms like toning, sculpting and muscle lengthening.

5) It means learning how to do exercises that will actually change your body (CORE EXERCISES) not small ineffective exercises.

6) It means doing cardiovascular exercise. If you want to get fit and in good condition, you will have to work hard, that means using 70% to 80% of your maximum heart rate as a target range.

7) It means getting enough sleep to allow for recovery and basic health.

8) It means resting adequately between weight training sessions so your muscles have enough of a chance to grow stronger (INFREQUENCY) and yet not atrophy.

9) It means always trying to get stronger.

10) It means following Bob Whelan's Ten Commandments.

The bottom line is that women need to train intensely and consistently-but not to frequently--using basic exercises.

Intensity is the most important variable of a cardiovascular or weight training program. Your success in changing your body, specifically your muscles, will be determined by whether or not you lift with high intensity. What is high intensity training? High intensity means working to momentary muscular failure. That means you cannot perform another rep, with proper form. You must give 100% to each set of each exercise, continuing at full intensity until you can no longer achieve another repetition.

If you always lift the same amount of weight for the same number of repetitions, your body can obviously handle the stress. Therefore, it will make no changes since it doesn't need to change. If you increase the demands placed on your body, it will respond in turn. As you increase the amount of weight, you force the muscles to develop strength and eventually some size.

As females, we don't have the same potential as men to develop huge muscles; but muscle is a good thing, and to develop some that are visible to the naked eye is okay. You are developing your body to your potential. All women have different genetic potentials. You cannot look at someone and say, "I want her thighs or her shoulders". You need to say, "I want to develop my shoulders, my body". Even better than that, decide you want to be able to do a pull-up, or five pull-ups, or even ten or more pull-ups. Set concrete goals for yourself.

Consistently training with a high intensity is the only way your body will adapt and therefore change. One hard workout once or twice a month is not enough to create change. It's also not enough to keep you from getting sore, really sore all the time. I tend to get sore after most workouts. The idea is not to incapacitate yourself, but to challenge the muscles, and sometimes that will make you sore. Too much soreness does not allow for regular hard training.

Infrequent training means taking at least a couple of days off between weight workouts. Working out two times per week is plenty if you train intensely. If you train too often, your body will not have a chance to grow stronger and repair your muscles. This will lead to over training, which is a backward step. The common three-day-on/one- day-off split workouts do not allow you to train intensely without over training. Even though you're working different body parts, your body is a system: when you stress one part of it, especially the lower body, the rest of the body is affected. For example, if you're working your back and biceps using the pull-up or the pulldown, you may not know it but you're also using your chest, triceps and shoulders as well.

Use Core Exercises in your routines. Basic multi-joint exercises are more efficient, safer and allow the use of heavy weights. Heavy weights will build muscle and bone density. The basic exercises that build muscle and strength are the squat, dead lift, leg press, pull-up, pull-down, pullover, row, bench press, dip and overhead press. Include at least a push and a pull and a major leg movement.

Discipline in eating regularly and nutritionally is the only way to get and stay lean and provide the building blocks for a healthy, strong body. Food is a major issue for most women. Not just anorexics and bulemics, but a large percentage of the female population have issues with food. Food needs to become a more neutral topic. Eat to live, not live to eat. Eat because you are hungry and your body needs fuel. We have to stop eating because we're bored or stressed or because the food is there. Eat to restore the glycogen stores in your muscles after you work out. Eat to provide the protein your body needs to repair your muscles and build your new muscles. Refer to Nancy Clark's books and articles for information.

A fit body is flexible, strong, cardiovascularly fit and has a reasonable percentage of body fat. All of these aspects of fitness are important and you can't get fit without working. You may just find yourself addicted to looking and feeling and strong and healthy.


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Become an Athlete; The Secret to Goal Achievement - By Krista Schaus

Women seem to always be looking for the secret to attaining their fitness or weight loss goals. Well, the secret is out. It is virtually fool proof and almost guaranteed to bring the results you want. Become an athlete.

If you were to take a journey back to the roots of athleticism, you would likely start at 776 BC, the time of the first Olympic Games in Ancient Greece (No not 1923 when Joe Weider was born). The concept of sport, athleticism and training are not at all new. The Ancient Olympic Games went on for over 1100 years and were considered of such utmost importance that people ceased all warfare once every 4 years for the Games. In those times and up until this century, people did not "work out" for recreational or cosmetic purposes. They either trained in a given event or sport, worked in manual labor or actively performed day to day duties; there was no "working out". The ancient Greeks were highly competitive and believed strongly in the concept of agon or "competition," "contest." The goal was to be the best.

At what point the picture of peak athleticism transformed from that of an Olympian to that of Joe Weiders Mr. Olympia is unknown. By the early 1900s bodybuilding, as it is known today, emerged where physical appearance is more important than physical strength. Gone were the days of the strong men and emerged was a form of conditioning that when coupled with drugs, produced physiques that were larger although weaker. An unfortunate change occurred. People started training for more cosmetic purposes. Oddly, the training became the sport.

As a result, today the majority of people who engage in "exercise" do so primarily for improved physical appearance and vain purposes. If the main goal is physical appearance, the more likely one is to use dangerous drugs, supplements or dietary practices in order to attain that goal. It is much easier to take a magic potion, lotion or pill than utilize patient and progressive training practices. If something other than physical appearance is worked into the ultimate goal or vision, the results will be long standing and the personal worth felt, far greater.

Take a look at today's Olympic Creed. It reads as follows: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well." "To have fought well" is NOT the use of steroids or growth hormones, diets pills and cellulite creams, "lose 10 lbs. in a week" diets or liposuction.

Let society go back to that of Ancient Greece. More specifically, you go back to that era where athleticism was the main focus of life and become an athlete. No matter what your goals, they can be attained and maintained if you adopt this mentality.

Do not conjure up images of todays professional athletes who get paid millions and have three trainers, a physiotherapist and a chef. Seemingly, when there is more money to be earned, there is greater abuse of unsafe supplements, substances and training practices. Steroid abuse is rampant in almost every sport. The higher the level of competition, the greater the odds of abuse and corruption. That is not what athleticism is all about. Think of the amateurs who don't get paid a cent. They train and compete simply for the love of the sport. They train hard, and they train clean. The only results or gains they want come directly from them, not a bottle or syringe. And unlike most lines of work, you will get out of your training 100% of what you put into it. There is no politics, nepotism, sexist, racism, double standards or special treatment.

To become an athlete you must train in an activity or event you enjoy, simply love and can get obsessed with and addicted to. Those who lift know exactly what that obsession is all about. The Iron Game is a sport and one that everyone can become an avid athlete in. With lifting in mind, there are a variety of events or activities within the sport: Olympic lifting, Power lifting, Strength Competing, Discus, Javelin, Shot put, Arm Wrestling, Ultimate Fitness Challenges, Obstacle Courses, Strong Man Competition... Or you can use the same guidelines for other sports like soccer, martial arts, track and field, and endurance events.

Motivation. Motivation is a key stipulation to becoming an athlete. Where does the motivation come from? How do you acquire the extreme drive and dedication required? To this there is no simple answer; no detailed, outlined step by step guide. You first have to have a goal or a vision. Then you have to somehow muster up the necessary energy to get your butt off the couch and into action.

For the majority, the initial motivation usually comes from hitting your version of rock bottom. Maybe you can't really play with your kids anymore because you are too winded after 2minutes of a game of tag, or your favorite pair of jeans won't go past your hips anymore, or you saw yourself on a home video and were shocked at your own image. Take that initial frustration, disgust or negativity and turn it into positive energy and get started. Rather than falling into depression, do something about it. Get mad. Get even! Show your body exactly what you are cable of doing with it. Write down a plan of action that coincides with your goals and do it day by day, week by week, month by month.

If you are already in pretty decent shape and just want to be in the best shape you can, think of a sport or event you used to excel in. Pick something that you maybe once competed in and still have the medals or trophies in the basement to prove it. Go get those momentos, dust them off and hold them, feel them, smell them. Remember what it felt like to train, compete and even at times win. Use those memories of the past to motivate your training. Apply that energy to propel your mind, soul and body into action and achieving your goals.

If you still don't get it...think of the U.S. Women's Soccer team at the time of the winning goal. Do you recall Brandi Chastain kicking the winning goal? Where she, in a blaze of utter manic glory, ripped off her jersey and exposed the impressive physical results of her hard training and dedication to her sport? That is what being an athlete is all about. How could you not be impressed with that? Everyone watching experienced exactly what it feels like to be an athlete, at that moment. If that isn't motivation enough, what is?

Even if your immediate goal is to lose 15 lbs. or get back into your "skinny clothes" or to look good for your cruise coming up, set that goal on the back burner and use your primary goal as being the best athlete you can. Find a local contest, competition or a charity event as your challenge. If you can't find one, challenge your workout partner or a friend to a serious, yet fun competition. Dont make it "who can lose or gain the most weight in 3 months". Better yet, make it "who can improve their bench press the most", a body weight squat challenge, a race, fun obstacle course, or a some other form of a strength or endurance competition. Without a goal you can see down the road and know you have to prepare for, it is too easy to give up or put it off. Make the goal challenging and fun.

News Flash: "Weight training" and "Aerobics" are not sports or events. They are training methods and that is ALL they are. It is quite humorous that members of the "fitness industry" are pushing to have aerobics as an Olympic Demonstration sport. That would be like having stationary cycling, treadmill?! Can you see it now! "John Smith wins gold in the treadmill and sets a new Olympic record by beating last years gold medal time of 6 minutes at a 30% incline and 5.0 miles per hour!!" You get the point. Use a variety of training methods; if you so desire, as a further means of excelling in your sport, but the training is NOT the sport.

That is the difference between the way training used to be and the way it is now. Now everyone is "lifting weights", but there are very few true lifters left. There is a significant difference between "lifting weights" and being a Lifter. Lifting weights is a training type and Lifting (Power, Olympic) is a sport. Please dont confuse the two.

There is no reason why women in general cannot, will not or should not get actively involved in the sport of Lifting. It is not just for men, it will not make you more manly or masculine, and it is totally possible for the average woman to excel at Lifting. Lifting will give you the added benefit of true functional strength, and unbelievable confidence and inner strength - something one cannot attain from traditional "toning", "body conditioning" or "resistance training". Simply stated, toning is like taking the scenic route to attaining you goals. Strength training is like taking the express lane; it gets you where you want to go in far less time and with far less frustration. Why do 3 easy sets of 20 reps with little weight when one maximum effort set of 6-8 reps at 20 lbs. would give you the results you are seeking!

Don't allow negativity or excuses to set up mental or physical roadblocks. Athletes understand the importance of visualization and the power of positive thinking. This is absolutely essential and one aspect of training that many are hindered by. Even by training hard and consistently and eating properly, progress will be greatly hindered if negativity is involved in the equation. Focus on your strengths and let them overcome your weaknesses. Start out every day thinking about what you can and will do and you will mentally set the stage for the rest of the day. Do this everyday and positive thinking will become an old habit.

Diet. This also is simple. Would an athlete eat garbage or drink beer on the weekends? No. Plain and simple. Eat as an athlete. Eat quality, wholesome, clean foods in order to fuel your workouts and to achieve optimum results. Don't cut back on calories to the point that you have no energy, and don't stuff yourself to the point of being lethargic and couch ridden. Drink plenty of water for hydration and purification. The purpose of eating is fuel. Food is not social. Food is not a means of gratification and reward. Food is not an anti-depressant or a warm sweet friend. Food is fuel and energy. See is as such and use it as such.

Rest. Would an athlete stay out until 2:00 in the morning, then get up and train? Or worse yet, would they stay out until 2:00 in the morning, then not get up and train because they are too tired or hung over? A serious athlete would not, and you are a serious athlete. Simple.

Training. Training does not have to be difficult. Yes, physically it will not be a walk in the park (literally and figuratively), but it does not have to be technical. The more simple a training or workout program is, the more effective and the more likely one is to stick with it. Basically, pick your sport, do it consistently and get progressively better at it. Train specifically according to your sport. Do not waste your precious time and energy on exercises that have no real benefit to your athletic goals or your sport. Progressively get quicker, stronger, better. If you consider yourself an athlete, you are more likely to avoid injury. A main goal of an athlete is the avoidance of injury. Athletes will ensure they do a proper warm up by first preparing the body for activity. The will increase the body's temperature and adequately stretch the muscles before, during and/or after. An athlete will consciously think about over-training and get adequate rest in between training sessions. An athlete will think first before getting involved in spontaneous bouts of activity or brief encounters of immaturity or stupidity. Basically, an athlete will not take unnecessary risks. They think before they act.

By becoming an athlete, the goals you set on the back burner will magically be achieved as an added bonus. You will excel as an athlete in your chosen sport AND you will be stronger, slimmer and leaner. Change the focus and the results will not only make you look better, but also the attainment of those goals will make you feel better. Go back to the roots of athleticism, sport and physical activity. Reprogram your brain and rid yourself of the current brainwashed stereotypes and beliefs about "working out" and attaining the perfect body.

Become an athlete.


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Strength Basics For Women - By Cheryl Zovich

I lay crumpled on the gym floor having just finished a grueling set of squats when Donna Determined marched in. I rolled for cover. She strode fiercely toward the Smith machine and had I not moved, I'm certain she would have snarled and advanced right over me! It must be leg day, I thought.

I watched as she loaded the machine and warmed up with robot-like precision. My knees ached in sympathy as she pound out five progressive sets with moderate weight. Since I was close to finished and somewhat fascinated, I decided to casually observe the rest of her leg workout. Presses were next, followed by extensions, curls, lunges, SLDL and calves. Her entire leg routine took over an hour. Just watching her drained me, but not Miss Determined! She had energy to spare! Why? Because never once did she come close to challenging her muscles to the point of fatigue. I was perplexed.

I know Donna has the ability to build tremendous strength yet she fails to come close to tapping her full potential. Why is this? First, let me say that Donna is a seasoned lifter. She trains with determination and reliability. She has focus and concentrates hard on the job at hand. What she DOESN'T have is a good grasp of WHY she's training and how the LACK of that effects her results! Donna is not alone. My gym (and I'm sure yours too)! is filled with women who are certain they should be working out, but have not defined for themselves why. They're pretty sure that training has something to do with body shape (improving it) and if they read or watch TV they would have to be comatose not to get the message that exercise is healthy! But still, women are not sure just HOW lifting weights should be applied to their gender or why!

Primarily, I think women end up in a gym because no woman wants to be fat! This dread of fat is so intense that the very word BIG will send shivers of fear down the spine of even the most courageous woman. In fact, the actual lingo of a gym is probably enough to cause the majority of women to stampede toward the exit! Size, gain, big, increase, heavy, hard, squat, are words that by their description make the average woman shudder and recoil in horror. They invoke the image of stuff that men are made of, not ladies. Is it any wonder that the concept "tone" was conceived for women? Its such a kinder, gentler word for...Um, well. You know. EXERCISE!

Most women decide to join a gym with no actual plan in mind. When they first began to work out they were probably shown a ridiculous number of exercises by some idiot who initiated them with either too much weight or not enough. If she was positively a rookie, then she probably has no understanding of the connection between weights and strength and likely none was provided. Sounds odd, but I can't begin to tell you how many women think their arms got "toned" simply through osmosis. (Or some other scientific explanation.) Possibly, she might look around to see what other women are doing which of course, is a grave mistake. If she was unfortunate enough to be bunny of the week she might get lots of additional (bad) instruction and (stupid) advice from resident pumpers. Her prevailing objective for working out will most likely be to stay (or get) trim and "tone" her muscles, not to get bigger or stronger. Elementary, here. Given that she doesn't do anything to encourage strength, she’ll become trapped in "pumper hell" lifting the same weights forever, making little or no significant changes. Her entire routine eventually will become boring and her goals will remain undeveloped, making her another gym fatality.

I have actually overheard novice female lifters being told that lifting weights will not make them big. Well, duh! If you don’t lift ENOUGH weight, you’ll stay pretty much the same and if you don’t eat enough food to feed a starving bird, you won’t grow! If you’re not doing either, then why are you taking up space in a gym in the first place? For those women reading this who are currently hedging between lifting for strength or staying in pumper-toner hell, I have news for you. Getting stronger WILL require that you change your structure. Now, for those of you who have the spine to accept that, read on.

For those of you who don’t, this isn’t written for you. Go back to starving, lifting 5 lb. dumbbells and reading Shape.

Getting strong is going to make you larger. There is no avoiding that hurdle, so you may as well decide here and now if you are willing to take the leap. How you will look individually depends upon how much change you force your structure to undergo. There are women who are very strong and maintain a reasonably lean physique. There is also the opposite. All judgments aside, the only opinion that matters is your own. Unfortunately, too many women worry about what everyone from their male audience to their neighbors will think. Until you reach the point where you don’t give a hoot about pleasing the public, this will continue to be THE sticking point for 99% of all women who lift. Once a woman decides she wants to be strong, I have little doubt that she will ever really care what others think of her appearance. Now THAT’S freedom, ladies!

So what’s it going to take to get strong? First, at the very top of your list should be DESIRE. If you don’t want strength badly enough, all the other sacrifices you’ll need to make will feel like a burden when the time comes to make them. Second, if you don’t already own some patience I suggest you go out and buy some because getting strong, REALLY strong, takes time. And while you’re waiting in line to pay for that, grab a handful of common sense, because that will come in handy too.

Desire

OK. You’re over your fear of BIG, you have desire, patience and common sense. Now what? Well, the hard part! You lift! It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or advanced lifter, you need to pick about 5 core compound exercises and work the dickens out of them. I’m talking about the same core exercises MEN use, ladies. Squats, bench (or dips) chins, overhead presses and weighted abs. And when I say work, I mean WORK, as in adding weight to the bar as frequently as possible or adding a rep every workout. If you have any doubts as to the effectiveness of this type of training, try it for a few months and see for yourself! If you question just how tough lifting HARD should be, visualize lifting to the point where the mere THOUGHT of lifting more makes your stomach lurch and your mind reel. Then go back and DO IT!

Patience

As you begin to learn what real honest hard work is, make sure you take the time to educate yourself. Read, talk with other experienced, seasoned lifters. Evaluate your progress frequently. Make sure you log your workouts thoroughly. It doesn’t take a lot of smarts to lift, but you sure have to be smart to remember WHAT you lifted and how it felt! Don’t be quick to make changes in your routine or jump ship until you have a clear idea of how your training is working for you. Make changes only after you have been following a program long enough to see a documented disadvantage in an exercise.

Common Sense

Most women are more than able to handle lifting with focus and intensity. However, inadequate caloric and protein requirements coupled with insufficient rest are probably the two biggest stumbling blocks in progress.

Women have forgotten how to eat. Remember how you felt in your teens watching guys eat while you starved? Do you recall feeling envious of their metabolism? Well, pay back is a bitch! You need to start eating to fuel your lifting and the diet you want to follow isn’t recommended by Oprah! When I upped my average protein intake to a minimum of 1.5 grams per pound of lean body mass my strength and energy took off. You can’t imagine how nice it will be to EAT after years of thinking you couldn’t.

A word about rest. When I say rest, I don’t just mean the kind that you get at night but also the sort you get from taking more days off between workouts. Lifting more than three times a week is not only unnecessary, but damaging to your progress. Twice a week is even better once the weight begins to creep into the very heavy category. Remember, your body grows and repairs during the days you are not lifting. Make sure that you give yourself the advantage of enough rest between work sessions or you will risk over training your gains away. You can kiss those days of lifting four times a week and running five good-bye! (I’m not sure who started that guilt driven craze in the first place, but in my opinion when we find out, they ought to be shot.)

Women who want to get strong need to follow the same basic prescription for strength that men have been using for years. Lifting weights is not a gender specific endeavor. Don’t treat it as though it is. Make goals and get serious about them by doing what has to be done, which in short means NOT doing what everyone else is doing! And finally, seek support from like-minded lifters who will honor you for the creditable athlete that you are!


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WOMEN H.I.T. HARD TOO - By Dave Durell

Originally posted on NaturalStrength.com on June 30, 2000

Interview with Patty Durell

Q- When did you first start weight training?

A- I first started weight training in 1988 when I was approximately 22 years old.

Q- How did you train when you first started and what kind of results did you get?

A- I first started training in a place that had a lot of Nautilus equipment, so I would do their circuit, however it was lined up, and whatever the guy at the gym told me to do, or whatever my friends were doing, is how I would exercise. I would put the pin in the stack at a weight I could handle and do 3 sets of 10. I dont remember really getting results, other than a feeling of satisfaction that I was doing something good for myself. I would do some type of aerobic exercise, either on the stairstepper or the bike or play racquetball, and then whatever I felt like doing that day, whatever machines were open, is what I would do. Sometimes I was there like an hour and a half and I was a smoker at the time so I might take a break in the middle of my routine and go have a cigarette and then come back and play a game of racquetball or finish my circuit training. I dont smoke anymore.

Q- How were you first introduced to High Intensity Training (H.I.T.)?

A- I was first introduced to H.I.T. when I met Dave Durell, who is now my husband. That was in January of 1993. He introduced me to a different style of training, and I have used that style of training ever since.

Q- What kind of results have you gotten from H.I.T.?

A- Well, Im at least 20 pounds lighter than I was when I was when I first started doing this, and at the time when I met Dave I was teaching karate and working out in the gym daily for at least an hour, sometimes 2 hours, so I was doing a lot of aerobic activity and weight training on a daily basis in the gym, so I was training probably 5 days a week in the gym and doing 10 hours or more a week of aerobics. Now, Im about 20 pounds lighter and in the best shape Ive ever been. I workout about once every 5 days and I only do aerobic activity for pleasure. I like to ride my bike and it makes me feel good to get out and ride. When I first started training I remember doing leg extensions with 50 pounds. Im currently using 180 pounds on that machine (note: Patty's bodyweight is in the mid 120s). My strength has increased by leaps and bounds, and it continues to increase, although at a much slower rate now as Ive been training like this for 7 years now. In the beginning I just couldnt believe the strength gains I was making, or that I had the potential to lift such kinds of weights.

Q- What changes, if any, have you made in your training program as you've progressed?

A- When I first started doing this style of training I can remember working out every other day, which was a difficult step for me to make because I was working out every day for a lot of hours and all of a sudden I was working out every other day for maybe 45 minutes at a time. I noticed that I wasn't progressing like I would like to or like I thought I should, and after a lot of education Dave convinced me to decrease the amount of exercises I was doing and increase my rest time and increase the intensity of my workout, so I started to make gains again. We started to work out every 3rd day, and again reached a plateau, not increasing with strength, and then started to add more rest time again, cut out some of the single joint movements and put more compound movements in and just work at an all out intensity until you just cant work anymore. Now every 5th day seems to be working out well for us. I think the plateaus that we reach now are just the end of our genetic limits.

Q- Describe a typical workout.

A- A typical workout for me is, I might do a leg press, Im currently using 380 pounds on a Cybex leg press, and then Ill go to a seated calf raise and I'm currently using 135 pounds on that. Then I'll do a Hammer shrug, I'm currently using 135 on that. Hammer bench, currently using 70 pounds. Pulldowns, I can use 110 pounds. Although I have shoulder problems, I try to add a rear delt or lateral raise in after that exercise, and I try to do some kind of ab work either with that routine or the next routine. I have an A routine and a B routine that I typically use- that was my A routine. The B routine is, I use leg extension-180 pounds, hip abduction and adduction-120 pounds on both of those, Hammer decline-I'm up to 100 pounds on that, Hammer seated row-I'm doing 90 pounds, and again I'll either do a Hammer lateral or rear delt, whatever I didn't do on my A workout I'll do on this workout. Sometimes that's a little variable; it depends on how worn out I am. Sometimes out of boredom or just for a mental push we'll change up the routine and we'll do what we call crazy 5s where we'll maybe lower the weight a little bit and do a 5 second positive, hold for 5 seconds and a 5 second negative and do as many of those as we can. Or, we might do what we call 50 percent where well do as many reps as we can with the weight were using, rest one minute and then try to get at least half as many reps as we did the first set. It's just to try and keep it a little more interesting so you don't get bored with your workout. Other than that we warmup, maybe a little stretch before, maybe do half your weight for a couple of reps just so you're ready and you've got good form. Form is essential, to have proper form throughout the whole set. After warmup, just go for it, do as many reps asyou can with proper form.

Q- What kinds of psychological changes and/or benefits have taken place as a result of your training?

A- I'm definitely more confident in myself. I feel stronger, I don't have as many aches and pains as maybe I used to. I have a very physical job, so it makes my job easier. I've kept weight off, which has always been a struggle of mine, and I'm not doing aerobic activity on a regular basis, although my workouts are definitely getting my heart rate into its target heart rate zone every time I have just a weight training workout. I just overall feel like I'm in the best shape I've ever been in and I like the way I look a whole lot more than I did 7 or 8 years ago.

Q- How do you motivate yourself for your workouts?

A- If my husband isn't watching a H.I.T. training video right before we go to the gym, which will also motivate me, then I try to think about my workout. On the way to the gym I try to think about what exercises I'll be doing and how much weight I'll be lifting and I get psyched up knowing I can move that much weight around, so by the time I get to the gym I try to be in a zone, ready to workout and ready to push as hard as I can until I can't push anymore. I think knowing I only have to torture myself once every 5 days and push to my limit for only a half hour to 45 minutes also helps me get psyched up, knowing that I can handle that.

Q- What type of diet, if any, do you follow?

A- I follow just a well rounded, good eating diet. I would say I probably eat 60% carbohydrates, 25% protein and 15% fats. I try to stick to that and watch what I eat so that I can maintain the energy to get my workouts done but also maintain my physique. I drink a lot of water, I try to drink a gallon of ice cold water a day. I take a multi vitamin, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E.

Q- Whats the funniest thing thats happened to you in the gym?

A- I guess I would have to say there's two. The first time I was working out with my husband to the max (he was my boyfriend at the time) and I told him I felt like I was going to throw up, and he thought that was really cool, that I was going to throw up after one set of bicep curls. And in fact I did throw up, and when he realized I had done that he thought that was really cool. The second funniest thing was while I was doing a set of chest flyes on a machine and I was obviously working hard, working my butt off and gasping for every breath I could take, this woman was yelling at me during the set that if I decreased the range of motion on the lever arms and decreased the weight I wouldnt have to work so hard.

Q- What advice would you give women who read this interview who are interested in starting an exercise program?

A- The first advice I would give them is to get the "I want to tone" idea out of your head and that "if I lift heavy weights I'm going to look big". I think I'm pretty strong and I think I lift pretty heavy weights and I'm definitely not a Lenda Murray-looking woman. I would say you can lift heavy weights and achieve your desired results without bulking up- I think that's a genetic response only and not a response to lifting heavy weights. I also think it's very important to have a good, reliable training partner who has the same goals in mind as you do to achieve through weight training.

Q- What advice would you give women who have training experience but are not making progress?

A- I would say they have to take a close look at the 3 variables to weight training- that's intensity, duration and frequency. You really need to look hard at what your intensity level is. It's easy to think that you're putting an all-out effort into your workout, but I think we all have a little bit more in us that we can push through. So if you're not making progress, one of those variables needs to be changed. Either you have to increase your intensity, decrease your frequency or increase your rest time. Change those variables accordingly and you'll probably start to make progress again. You also probably need to take a look at your diet. Maybe youre not taking in enough energy or fuel to get the job done too. If you are training at a high intensity rate, maybe you just dont have enough gas in your tank to get your engine to run as hard as it can and as far as it can.

Q- Do you have any parting comments for the readers?

A- GET SERIOUS! Don't believe everything you see or read, especially when it comes to weight training. As with everything in life, you should apply logic and reason to your decisions. For a good basic understanding of diet and nutrition, I recommend reading Ellington Darden, especially his Body Defining book. I also recommend doing your own research on proper training techniques. A good place to start would be to read the articles on this website, Natural Strength; also, Cyberpump. And of course read articles written by my husband, Dave Durell, for a logical understanding of high intensity and proper training techniques.


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HIT and the Middle Aged Woman, A Brief Case Study - By Jay Trigg

Originally posted on NaturalStrength.com on June 19, 2000

Linda. White Female, age 42, starting BW approx. 154 lb. Height: 5’8", BF%, approx 34%

Linda came to me, as a referral from another client, and was looking to lose weight and increase her general sense of physical well-being. She has no sports aspirations, and has no desire to lift or compete competitively. Due to my exposure to Ken Leistner, the writings of Bob Whelan, Steve Baldwin (possibly the most under-recognized authority on training issue facing middle aged and older men and women) Ken Mannie, Fred Hatfield II, and Matt Bryzicki, as well as personal preferences, I train all clients as athletes, no matter what their "starting point". My opinion is that everyone benefits form a level of athletic preparation, which produces a greater positive effect than building "beach muscles", or attempting to "spot reduce". However, realizing her desire for a changed physical appearance I attempted to (as best I could) focus to some degree on her "problem areas", so that she could see a quick change in her body that would inspire hope and confidence. Recognizing her low level of existing physical fitness, I set a foundational routine to develop a base level of strength and conditioning, and would (and continue to) add more challenging lifts as her skills and confidence increase.

Lifts utilized between 3/31/00 and 5/26/00

Nautilus Leg Press
Stiff Leg Deadlift
Nautilus Pullover
Nautilus Overhead Press (Duo-Poly,
Parallel Grip Military Press (free weight)
Nautilus Compound Row (Duo-Poly)
High Pulley Triceps Push Down
Nautilus Preacher Curl
Nautilus Leg Extension
Trap Bar Deadlift
Nautilus Leg Curl
Nautilus Pulldown
Nautilus 10 Degree Chest (Flying movement)
Calf Press on Leg Press machine
Manual Resistance: front (deltoid) raise, military press, lateral (deltoid) raise

Initial Routine (3/31 through 4/28)

Day one:

Cycle three times through these exercises:

Leg extension
Leg Curl
Pulldown
10-degree chest

then abs and calf

Day Two

Leg Press
Stiff leg deadlift
Pullover
Nautilus Overhead press
Compound Row
Triceps push down
Preacher curl
Abs

Routine from 5/1/00 through 5/26/00

Day one:
Same as Day two above, only substituting parallel grip Military press for Nautilus overhead press beginning 5/19/00

Day two:

Trap Bar deadlift
Leg curl
Pulldown
10-degree chest
Manual Resistance: front (deltoid) raise, military press, lateral (deltoid) raise
Calves
Abs

The first two weeks of the routine were spent orienting Linda to the exercises and their performance. No sets were taken to failure, and multiple sets were used to determine strength levels and to provide some intensity over time, due to minimal intensity "per set". After 2 weeks, Linda began performing 1 set to failure in all machine exercises, and working a "non failure, planned progression" on stiff deadlifts. Meaning she does only 15 reps in that set, but adds 5 lb. per week to the lift. This protocol continues with the Trap Bar deadlifts and stiff deadlifts. Her initial "sets to failure" were stopped well short of true failure, but I couldn’t very well bully her into going further than she was mentally ready to at that time. Each week her tolerance to discomfort increased and her intensity increased as well. Currently she is working to within 2-3 reps of absolute total positive muscular failure, which (in my opinion) is well within the range of typical HIT protocol. While this may not sound "tough" to the uninitiated, it is quite an intense experience for her, with the last rep on most exercises taking 4-6 seconds to complete. I daresay she is working harder than most women in the local area, and possibly as hard as any "hard working woman (or man)" in the area as well.

On most exercises she progressed linearly, via a double progression, with no hitches. Due to my exuberance, I overloaded her on the 10-degree chest machine at week 4, and she stalled out week 5. I under-loaded her in week 6, and was more conservative in weight increases on that exercise afterwards. She has maintained a good progression since. I have found that none of the women make fast progression on this machine, likely due to a general lack of muscle mass across the pectorals.

Weight progression

4/11 - 4/14 Nautilus Leg Press: 135 x 27
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 50 x 15
Nautilus Pullover: 60 x 23
Nautilus Overhead Press (Duo-Poly): 35 x 14
Nautilus Compound Row (Duo-Poly): 60 x 19
High Pulley Triceps Push Down: 35 x 20
Nautilus Preacher Curl: 40 x 15
Nautilus Leg Extension: 75 x 22 (first set)
Nautilus Leg Curl: 65 x 40
Nautilus Pulldown: 80 x 27
Nautilus 10-Degree Chest: 45 x 11

5/24 - 5/26 Nautilus Leg Press: 235 x 25
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 85 x 15
Nautilus Pullover: 100 x 13
Parallel Grip Military Press: 32 ½ x 15
Nautilus Compound Row (Duo-Poly): 110 x 14
High Pulley Triceps Push Down: 80 x 13
Nautilus Preacher Curl: 65 x 16
Trap Bar Deadlift: 90 x 20
Nautilus Leg Curl: 100 x 20
Nautilus Pulldown: 110 x 18
Nautilus 10-Degree Chest: 55 x 10


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Weight Training and Women - By Jim Bryan

You could also say, “Strength Training or Resistance Training.” I didn’t say “Weight Lifting” because that can be confused with Olympic Lifting and Power Lifting. I’m not talking about either. I’m talking about prudent and productive workouts with some type of progressive resistance. The equipment could be bar bells, dumb bells (free weights), machines, resistance bands, and even some body weight exercises. The fact is resistance training is good for Women. Just as good as it is for Men. The problem is the Myth’s that surround the subject of Women and weights.

1. Weight Training will not give you “Man Muscles.” Men and Women both have “Human Muscle.” Women will not end up looking like a Man……………..Unless they take Body Building Drugs! Ladies, think “Toned.” This may help you understand what working out with weights can do for you.

2. You won’t end up “bigger” with large muscles. If you follow a good diet and exercise with weights you’ll become leaner and smaller. Once again think “Toned.” Think Fat/Big Muscle/smaller.

3. You don’t have to train every day for two hours. A half hour workout done 2 to 4 days a week including cardio work is sufficient. Some of this can be done at home. If you have a nice gym at home, all of it can be done there. Being active can be split between the gym and outdoor choices.

4. You don’t have to eat like a “weirdo.” You can eat regular foods like everybody else. Just be carful of over eating and junk food. Yes, twinkies are junk food. Fruits, vegetables, lean meat, you know the drill.

You’ll need to be consistent. It does take time. In the end you will have more strength, more energy, more endurance, and you’ll feel better. Not to mention you’ll look better. You will also help prevent muscle wasting and osteoporosis. Both are something to be concerned about if you are a woman.

Join a gym and find someone who can help you learn. This could be a “Personal Trainer” or a friend with experience. Just be careful of “gimmicks.” You won’t need to spend a bunch of money on supplements, and you sure don’t need “Fat Burners.” The exercises you do in the gym will be your “Fat Burners.”

We have Athletic types in both Women and Men. We also have Non Athletic types. Both will benefit. We also have plenty of excuses for not exercising. If you are serious, you can find a half hour a few times a week. You will be better for it if you do. You can end up looking “toned and fit.” AND younger!

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DINOSAUR WOMEN - By Bob Whelan

Reprinted with permission of Hardgainer, Vol. 8, No. 4 (January-February 1997)

It was a steamy early-September Saturday in Washington, D.C., and it would be hard not to break a sweat. I glanced at the day’s schedule and noticed that I had a great lineup of hard workers coming in, and most of them were women! Overall, about one third of my clients are women and they all train hard. They are tough and not looking for any mercy. (And they don’t get any.) They hate toning; they want to get strong. They are tired of being underestimated. They want to kick ass and take names! I train them the same as the guys, and they love it. As Charlene McNamara puts it, “Women are tired of being babied!”

I was fired up and really looking forward to getting “in the trenches.” I eagerly prepared for the day’s coming battles. I filled all the water bottles and put them in the fridge, turned on all the fans, and then got the day’s training logs ready. I put a US Marine Corps cadence tape in the stereo and upped the volume. We were ready for war, with women at the front lines!

All-out Effort!

First in would be Andrea Rippe. Andrea is 27 years old, 5’3’’ and about 134 lbs. She is tough, hard working, motivated and is stronger than most men her size. She is hardcore and wouldn’t be caught dead wearing lifting gloves! I put her on the Stairmaster for five minutes to elevate her core body temperature, and then had her do a few minutes of 20-second static-hold stretches. While she was doing this, I pre-loaded all the bars and Hammer machines so we could blast through the workout with minimum delay.

We started things off with the bench press. After warmups we progressively added weight for the first two sets, done to failure, and Andrea completed her last set of 3’’ monster-bar bench presses, going to failure on the eighth rep with 130 lbs.

Next was the Hammer Iso-Lateral Row with custom-made 2’’ handles. Andrea put some chalk on her hands and then went through a killer breakdown set of 110, 90 and 70 all done to high-rep failure. She only got enough rest for me to strip off the plates and it was go again. Her rear delts, forearms and lats were “cooked.”

Next was the deadlift with my Sutherland giant 100-lb Trap Bar with thick handles. After warmups, it was loaded to 175 lbs and Andrea took it to failure doing 19 reps. She had to lean against the Hammer Iso-Lateral Behind Neck Press machine to stay on her feet, and was breathing so hard that she could probably be heard on the next floor!

Next was the Hammer Pulldown for 3 sets of 10 with 80 lbs, and then it was over to the Hammer Iso-Lateral Behind Neck Press with a breakdown set of 80, 60 and 40, with each set going all out to failure. Her shoulders were smoking! I had her get right up for some manual resistance shoulder work, which made her scream. The place sounded more like a slaughter house than a gym! I let her take a minute’s rest to drink some water.

The next movement was standing reverse curls with a 2’’-diameter bar, and Andrea did 3 sets of 10 reps with 50 lbs. Then it was over to the Hammer Iso-Lateral Leg Press. She pounded out 2 sets of 20 with 190 lbs with a dead stop pause on every rep. No bouncing allowed! After the last set of leg presses she was very wobbly. I let her take a two-minute rest so she could complete the workout. The “main meal” was over and now it was time for “dessert.”

I grabbed the 2’’-diameter wrist roller that has a 15’-long rope, and we headed to the stairway banister. There is no air conditioning in the stairway and where Andrea was standing was like a sauna! After a few 15’ reps she was “fried” and drenched in sweat. Her forearms and 14’’ arms were swollen and gorged with blood. She was breathing like a freight train and struggling to suck in enough air to stay on her feet. She was determined to finish strong and not be KOed. She was soon ready to accept today’s final challenge.

At a bodyweight of only 134 lbs she was about to do battle with the 175-lb sandbag, to put the finish on a brutal one-hour high-intensity workout. If she got it, she would be the first woman to transport 175 lbs of sand all the way around the tough course.





Andrea loves the sandbag carry exercise and even has her own sandbag at her house that she practices with. (She is also one of several clients that I’ve had call Brooks Kubik to jokingly “cuss him out” for introducing me to this torturous device!) She is currently one of only two women with her name already on the 150-lb bag, Charlene McNamara being the other. They have a friendly rivalry that motivates each of them to work even harder.

Women can get their names on the sandbag, and a free workout, if they can carry 150 lbs around the course in under ten minutes. They are not allowed to drag the bag or to put it on their shoulders. It must be “carried” in bear-hug fashion.

My clients frequently make bets with each other, usually offering to pay for a workout, to see who is first to get a certain poiundage around the course in less than the ten-minute time limit. The time limit can make things interesting indeed!

A few months ago Charlene McNamara made a (workout) bet with Vern Veldekens that she would get 150 around in under ten minutes before Vern could get 225 around. Since clients can train on different days, the rule is that they have to match the bet on their very next workout to tie, or else they lose. Vern took the bet and, unexpectedly, Charlene got 150 all the way around the very next week. She immediately called Vern and really enjoyed giving him the news.

Vern had just got back from a month-long end-of-semester vacation, and was slightly out of shape. Since he had to do the sandbag carry at his very next workout, he looked doomed to lose this bet. But Vern was determined not to let Charlene beat him, and managed to get the 225-lb bag three quarters of the way around the course in quick time. But this great effort took its toll and when Vern collapsed, he could not even think of getting up for 7 minutes!

I warmed Vern of the time and he struggled to get up. He was operating on auto pilot and willed himself to get the bag to within 10’ of the finish line, before collapsing again. This time he was almost in a coma.

As the clock ticked away, it looked hopeless. I screamed, “Ten seconds, Vern. C’mon—finish it!” Somehow, Vern jumped up, grabbed the bag, took three big steps and then dove across the finishing line, bear-hugging the bag which landed on top of him as the clock ticked to zero! It was a tie and no one won the bet.

Vern stayed down on the floor for a long time and was breathing so hard that it sounded like a tornado, but he had a smile on his face. The first thing he did when he got up, twenty minutes later, was call Charlene.

I let Andrea rest for about three minutes to regain her strength and get her mind ready for combat. “C’mon Andrea, you made 150 look easy. Be the first woman to get 175. Let’s do it!”

Andrea attacked the bag and wrestled with it to get it into the clean position. She couldn’t quite lock her fingers around the bag, lost her balance and fell over backwards. She was okay, and we had a good laugh. Then she tried it again. Her whole body shook as she struggled to get the bag above her knees. She gave a great heave and screamed with concentrated anger at the bag! She finally had it where she wanted it, in a bear-hug position. This time, she managed to lock her fingers and began her walk around the third floor. She collapsed twice, each time requiring several minutes of rest to regain her sense. She managed to carry the bag more than three quarters of the way around the floor as the ten-minute time limit expired. This was a great workout and a tremendous effort. Andrea will soon get 175. It’s only a matter of time.

Muscle Fiber is Human

Charlene McNamara was next and she went through the same brutal one-hour workout that Andrea did, and ended up also trying to get the 175-lb bag around. She managed to get it about half of the way around, which was quite impressive since she almost killed herself when she got the 150.

Charlene is a hard worker and very competitive. The quickest way to get Charlene to do something is to tell her that she can’t. She is one of the most determined people I’ve met. She loves grip work and has an extremely strong handshake. She loves to crush men’s hands and make their eyeballs pop out! Ask Mike Thompson and Drew Israel about her vice handshake, as they both have met Charlene.

Stephanie Jirard and Rochelle Bratton are hot on the trail of Andrea and Charlene. They train extremely hard. In fact, most men have probably never trained as hard as any of them. It’s by word of mouth, but every week I get a new hardcore dinosaur woman come in who wants to train hard. It’s great!

Muscle tissue is not defined as male or female, but as human. The same principles of intensity and progression apply to training women as they do to training men. Women do not want to be babied! Women should not be embarrassed or afraid to develop strength or to maximize their physical potential. Toning is nothing more than low standards and surrendering to the norms of society. Toning is an inferior way to train with weights, and a growing number of women want nothing to do with it!

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RESULTS WANTED - By Andrea Rippe

Originally Posted on NaturalStrength.com on June 30, 2000

Many people stop working out because they cease getting results. Some will suddenly become inspired and come to me with questions about their workouts and say they are looking for results. I simply ask if they continually try to increase the weights or the reps. Usually the answer is no and there is typically an assumption that they should stay with lighter weights and do "more" reps. I also ask what exercises they are using and if they are using proper form on those exercises. Many times the exercises in their programs do not include some basic necessary movements.

The bottom line is the body responds to stresses imposed upon it. If you always use the same weights and use the same repetitions there is no need for your body to change. Create the need. First of all use proper form and keep it even though the body will try to break form in order to complete another rep. Lift the weight until you cannot lift it again. That means go to momentary muscular failure. If you take the muscle to the point of maximum effort it will overcompensate and get stronger so it can handle that weight the next time for possibly another repetition or at least part of one.

Most people will say they cannot do another rep when they actually have anywhere from one to ten or more repetitions left in them. There will be discomfort; there is no way around it. It is not comfortable to push the muscles to the point of failure. You really have to want to push the weight up as many times as possible. If you don't do as many reps as are possible you don't know what kind of effort level you are achieving. The body will respond to the stress. Increase the weight if you can achieve beyond 12 repetitions for the upper body and 20 for the lower. Work hard on increasing your weights and/or reps each time you enter the gym. If you want results the best way to succeed is to set concrete short term and long term goals. Don't waste your time.

In order to make your workouts more efficient, safer on the joints and more result producing it helps to choose basic core movements. Multi-joint exercises like the deadlift, squat, leg press, pull-ups, pulldowns, rows, dips, bench press, overhead press should comprise the basis for every workout program. These exercises allow for use of maximum resistance which load the most muscle mass possible. High quality machines like Hammer Strength and Nautilus equipment may be used instead of or to alternate with the free weight versions. There is a demand for variety as people get bored very easily. However, if you want result producing workouts stick with the basic exercises of which there are enough variations to keep your body doing different yet similar movements. For instance, you could do dumbbell overhead presses for your shoulders for a while, then switch to barbell overhead presses and then to Hammer Strength shoulder presses. There is no new revolutionary exercise that will transform you into something that the basic exercises can't.

If you use basic exercises with proper form in an intense manner consistently over time there will be changes in your physique. Given also that your diet and sleep patterns are as they should be your results may be dramatic. Make the commitment.

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