You know, it’s no secret…
I love to lift.
No, correction…
I LOVE TO LIFT.
And I get the same question over and over from women over the years. How did I build this body part, or how did I achieve such a strong, muscular, yet feminine physique. On that is both streamlined and powerful.
To be honest, many are shocked to hear that there’s no real secret.
The only true formula is that I’ve built this body on consistency, and continually raising the bar – both in and out of the gym. And of course by following a nutrition plan that works for MY body, and driven by my lifestyle focuses and choices.
But if I can share one thing with you, when it comes to what you’re doing in the gym, I would love to impart on you some real deal tips about what I personally feel can help you to truly improve.
So today, I want to look at training – and more specifically actual EXERCISES that I feel every woman who is…
- Serious about changing her body…
- Serious about getting stronger…
- Serious about really getting her MOST bang for her buck from her time in the gym.
Let’s dive head first into what I feel are 4 of the most crucial moves that every woman should include in her workout.
Deadlifts
If I were to call ANY exercise the “granddaddy” of all exercises, it would be this move.
A lot of folks think that deadlifts specifically target simply the glutes and the hams. But I’ll let you in on a little secret…
Deadlifts are AMAZING for building, stabilizing, and strengthening the entire posterior chain.
That means that all muscles from the top of your head, all the way down to your heels get some serious stimulation from deadlifting.
- Wanna build your glutes – deadlift!
- Wanna build your back – deadlift!
- Wanna improve your posture – DEADLIFT!
So if you aren’t including this already in your perfect program – you need to add them STAT!
Now, the one thing I will say, there are a few things I want you to consider when it comes to this move. First off, you don’t have to lift super heavy to see the benefits. And really that’s true for ANY exercise. Use a weight that works FOR YOU.
And next, make sure your form is impeccable. If you have issues executing this move properly, or you have some concerns about injuring your back, then seek the help of a trainer at your gym who can assist you on how to perform this best for YOUR body.
But once you get into the groove with this, I promise you – your body is going to thank you for it through some amazing development.
Squats
I’ll tell you what… I love squats.
And like most women, you probably include PLENTY in your current workout. So what I want to do for this exercise instead is encourage you to step up your squat game!
Squats, of course, are great for developing the entire leg musculature. And if you focus on hitting up different parts of the legs during the motion, you can REALLY see some awesome development going on.
What I want to encourage you to do is mix it up.
Try squatting through various positions and angles. For instance, hitting up Jefferson Squats (albeit a bit uncomfortable when you first do them) can help to develop the inner thighs, glutes, and really kick in that glute/hamstring tie-in (crucial for you competitors out there).
Sumo Squats (wide stance toes pointed slightly out) are great to hit up the glutes and inner thighs (once again) to a greater degree than just a simple and basic squat.
Front Squats are a great way to kick in some stimulation for the quads, and a great way of including squatting in your plan if you are someone who can’t load up back squats for any reason.
So as you can see, just to say to include squats isn’t enough!
I want you to focus on how you can include squats, but also on how you can make them better and more challenging. And to get a bigger bang for your buck in the gym.
Pull Ups
You know, I can remember a time when I simply COULD NOT do a pull-up! (I couldn’t do a push up either – but we’ll talk about that in a minute.)
You know what inspired me really early on in my fitness journey? Seeing Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2: Judgement Day bang out those pull-ups in the opening sequence of the movie.
From there, I KNEW that mastering pull-ups would make me a certified, bonafide BADASS! A
nd I HAD TO learn how to do them.
A lot of women find themselves in that dilemma.
And my GOSH, I would get so envious when I’d see women who COULD do pull-ups with ease.
How about you?
Well, guess what, you’ll never make that back strong unless you simply start doing them.
In all honesty, pull-ups are the BEST bang for your buck move for developing the upper back.
And if creating amazing detail in those muscles back there is something you really envy and crave – then you’ve GOT TO start doing these.
Depending on your grip, and how wide or narrow your arms are positioned, you can hit almost every single back muscle during this move.
And what’s incredible is that when you back really starts to develop, you can create the illusion of having a smaller waist by improving your V taper.
And what woman doesn’t want that?
If you want to think about overall health and performance, pull-ups (much like deadlifts) are important if you want to improve your posture and simply increase your upper body strength.
Now, a lot of women can’t do this move starting out.
So what you can do instead is try using the assisted pull up machine in your gym to get started. If that’s not available using these bands can help you to do full body weight pull-ups with ease by assisting you with the motion.
Add them to your workout, and watch your body take off!
And remember, try different grips:
- Wide Grip
- Narrow Grip
- Reverse Grip
All of these are crucial to helping you develop all of the muscles in your upper back, and give you an amazing all-round development.
Push Ups
Aaah, and finally, I’ve saved the best for last.
I tell you what, I have had a hate HATE relationship with push-ups for a long time. I mean I used to eat the floor whenever I tried to do them.
Until one day I decided to master them – and actually DO THEM and to become stronger at them.
Now I can bang them out without a problem and really enjoy keeping push-ups as a major part of my upper body training program.
So here’s something I want to encourage you to do…
Start adding push-ups to your workouts.
Even if you actually spend time doing bench pressing, or other work for your chest.
There’s nothing quite like being able to move the weight of your own body through space, and allow it to strengthen you like never before.
Need another incentive to do them?
Well, check out what the actual SCIENCE says.
A recent 2018 study has shown that doing just simple push-ups causes the same adaptation in strength gains as bench pressing!
So if you are looking to improve your bench, and up the weight on places where you feel you’ve plateaued, adding a few push-ups to the mix can help you.
Let alone the amazing development you’ll see in your upper body via your chest, shoulders, and arms.
Hey – There’s ONE More Thing Your Workout MUST Consider to be Effective Besides Our 4 Strength Moves…
So here’s the thing…
These 4 strength moves are GREAT for helping you to put on some muscle AND get stronger.
BUT, there’s one more element (and muscle) that you cannot tone through weight training. And that’s your MIND.
The truth of the matter is that no matter how hard you train if your MIND isn’t in the right place, you will absolutely NEVER EVER see any progress in the gym.
If you aren’t CRYSTAL CLEAR with your reasons WHY you’re doing any of this.
If you aren’t following a well-crafted ROADMAP, then you’re meandering along this journey with no beginning and no end. And your goals will never become your reality.
But what’s even worse…
If you don’t start to eliminate the limiting beliefs that hold you back from actually getting to your goals in the first place, you will NEVER see progress. Even worse off, you’ll quit long before you should. You’ve probably been down that road already.
I Want to Help You OFF of that Hamster Wheel of Mind Taffy
Before you step in that gym again, or even before you prep your next meal, I want to have a serious discussion with you about how you can finally start to get deeply connected to your goals on an EMOTIONAL level, and unlock the real magic that awaits when you take your fitness goals for real.
I have an amazing masterclass that I want you to check out literally RIGHT NOW.
Click here to sign up now – for FREE: https://www.roxstarfitness.com/yourbestbody
In 45 mins, I’ll reveal to you the MOST CRUCIAL first missing step that you’re probably not taking when it comes to your goals, and getting what you NEED AND WANT out of your program.
RESULTS!
Again, it’s totally free, and I’m here for you. To teach you, and to give you a little something to think about that can mean the difference between finally getting results – or simply staying the same.
Reserve your spot NOW – we’re starting up the next class soon: https://www.roxstarfitness.com/yourbestbody
