Body shaping training
As a woman I know that for most of us it’s all about the appearance.
I have been involved in this industry for 20 years and I can’t count how many times someone has come to me to ask me to “spot” reduce for them – either their bellies, bottoms, arms, thighs and many other areas. I know it’s my job to give women what they want but at the same time they need to be accountable for their actions as well. Most of the time this is in regards to their eating habits.
If you can manage your eating habits and change some of your diet to include and exclude certain foods, that is perfect because that is the most important part of the body shaping you need to get on top of.
In the gym I guide your training sessions to help create the appearance you are after.
If you work on creating a ‘V’ shape by building up the shoulders and upper back, this will give an appearance of a smaller waist.
If you want a ‘booty’ shape, we work on the back of the body and legs, focusing on some hamstring curls, box squats, kettlebell swings, deadlifts, glute bridges and lunges.
If it’s more the ‘flat stomach’ the focus needs to be inner core work.
Lift heavier to make the core stronger and target in on some specific core exercises.
You need to work on your posture – hold yourself tall, don’t hunch over –you’ll instantly look slimmer when standing more upright.
I know most of you want to work on your arms or legs, so you choose exercises like Bicep curls or calf raises to try to ‘tone’ those specific areas, but you need to work on exercises that engage more muscles so that you build a better muscle mass in your body to burn more calories and lean you down quicker.
Exercises like squats, bench press and lat pull downs recruit those areas you want PLUS more, so it’s a quality workout for you.
Increase your reps with moderate to heavy weights – the tiny weights are not going to help your body change.
Be mindful of your stances and correct lifts when completing an exercise – especially when you’re lifting with heavier weight than normal (have someone spot you if you’re not with a trainer).
As women we have greater joint mobility and flexibility than men, so squats may not be as heavy loaded, but your range and depth of squat should be good.
Interval work and sprints are more effective than your slower endurance runs.
The best advice I can give is focus on your goal, stop flitting from one idea to another and zone in on what you want to achieve.
You’re not going to get results trying to body shape and run a marathon at the same time; your body requires different fuel sources and recovery to benefit for either goal.
I see too many women (and men) trying to achieve everything with the only outcome – being let down – because your body can’t adapt to what you want, because your mind is doing the exact same thing!
Stop living in an instant world and start setting the little goals with adequate time frames to complete the full goal.
Good luck with your training.
