Girls: Ok, lots of women are scared to death that if they lift heavy they'll bulk up like a guy.
On the flipside, hot girls are not afraid of lifting heavy. Lifting heavy is usually how they got hot.
Guys: Ok dudes, if you can't bench press your bodyweight, then it's time to re-think your workout program. Maybe you should take a look at your workouts and try to figure out why LeAnn Rimes is pound for pound stronger than you are.
LeAnn Rimes in the lastest Shape Magazine mentions she loves how strong she is now, and that she can bench press her own bodyweight. And surprise, surprise - she looks wicked hot.
If you haven't noticed already, I'm a big fan of Shape Magazine. Why? Because typically they focus on celebrities had who had to work for the bodies they have. They do smart workouts, and work hard.
I think I read once that all Catherine Zeta Jones does is tango, and that she doesn't work out at all. Ok, mental note: Catherine Zeta Jones is genetically gifted. Nothing against that. I'm stoked for her. But I have a feeling that if all you had to do to look like that was tango, you probably wouldn't be reading my articles. You'd be tangoing.
No shock about the rest of LeAnn's workout details - big movements, circuit training, and intervals on the treadmill. Some things ALWAYS work. Why not put them all together at the same time? Works for LeAnn. Works for my clients.
To recap:
1.) If you want to get lean, you've got to focus on getting stronger.
That means you should be lifting progressively heavier weights. You might not go load up the barbell equal to your bodyweight and try to bench press it tomorrow... but why not work on benching your bodyweight in 2008? Why not have an eye on doing your first unassisted pullup? Or your tenth pullup? Or your first butt to the ground one legged squat?
2.) Circuit Training Works.
It does work - Do it. Circuits of full body movements (like squats, bench press, seated row) work better than circuits of small isolated movements (curls, tricep pushdowns, leg curls, leg extensions). Bodyweight circuits are awesome also (lunges, pushups, box jumps, inverted body rows).
By Josh Hillis
Author of How To Lose The Stubborn Seven Pounds: Take Your Body from Good to Rockstar.
Josh Hillis is a specialist in getting my clients lean, fast. Josh
usually works
with the hardest clients to lean out - women who are already in good
shape. He likes the challenge of burning off the stubborn fat. Josh's
book is about how anyone can get
that that lean rockstar body they've always wanted.
© Joshua Hillis 2007
