Student X: A Profile On Strength Training For Women…
Lately I have been getting a lot of questions from women on what they can do to accomplish this or that with their body. Ladies I decided to satisfy your curiosity by creating an imaginary profile called student X. Student X is a specific profile that I came up with based on the most common questions and needs that I have encountered over the years when doing an assessment on a female trainee. If you like results then this is strength training for women at it’s best! Keep reading.
Strength Training For Women…Student X
I like the title Student X! It kind of sounds like some sci-fi movie where an alien is going to pop out of somebody’s chest at any moment. No worries ladies I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that here. So what is the deal Brandon? Well in this latest blogisode I wanted to touch on some issues that I have encountered over the years that have involved some themes related to women, their questions on training, and some common problems I have addressed when assessing and training female populations.
I want to start out saying that my women students are special. They get beat up with the same tough love as my guys and keep coming back for more. My female athletes are especially tough when it comes to competing and will smoke most men on many of the kettlebell drills and even some of the more intense body weight hell that I put them through on a regular basis. The results show and when most other women see my female students they always ask about what kind of training they do. Well here is where it starts…
Profile
Name: Student X
Age: 30
Activity Level: Moderate
General Health: Good (No medications or inhibiting factors from injury)
Goals: Fat Loss
Assessment: Lacks core stability, lean muscle mass, upper body strength, coordination, general motor control, energy, and stamina
Strength Training For Women…The Solution
Like I said at the start ladies this is just an assessment. I do the same thing for guys. I know the assessment part may seem a bit cold and detached to most people, but I’m just merely stating the facts. There is no sugar coating when it comes to that whether you are a guy or a girl. Now that I have got the insensitive clause out of the way we can work on a solution for Student X.
In this particular case I will usually see how well the individual can move and function. What better way to do that than to ask them to perform one of 3 basic moves that I teach folks right off the bat on the first day? The first move that I like to look at is their squat. I’ll usually ask them to perform a squat on their own first without me showing them. Once they do so I always end up going into the whole correction of it by teaching them proper technique. Now in the case of student X she usually ends up struggling to complete a full range of motion with complete stability. Student X tends to fall off balance when descending down into the squat which tells me she could either have a mobility issue or a stability issue.
Now this is where it gets interesting. Like Dr. House I have deducted in the assessment that she lacks core stability, NOT mobility or flexibility. This also feeds into the other problems of having a lack of upper body strength, coordination, and general motor control. The lean muscle mass, energy, and stamina will come later on in time. For now though I need to work on stabilizing her during her movement of the squat.
Now wait a minute Brandon how can you tell the difference? How do you know that she lacks stability and not mobility? Well my young Jedi that is a very good question. First, I will simply have her lie on the ground on her back and tell student X to bring her legs into the same position of squatting as if she were standing. If she can do this with a satisfactory ROM then she doesn’t have a mobility issue. I’ll then stand her back up and usually have her hold a weight in front to counter balance (like a goblet squat) and PRESTO she can do it without wobbling all over the place like Kim Kardashian at a night club. Ok, maybe that was a bad comparison.
From here student X is well on her way to amping up her strength training program. Strength training for women is vital. I have encountered all the roadblocks concerning strength training for women and I am always having to knock down barriers. You’ve got to have strength to have a beach body and ladies your body will not develop the same as a guy’s as a result of doing so. Strength training is what builds lean muscle mass which speeds up the metabolism which turn results in fat loss! How many of those needs did I just knock out right then that were mentioned in the assessment? The point is that strength training for women or men has to be geared towards training the trainee for their needs and not their wants!
If you have a lack of core stability or mobility issues you’ve got to correct it before you can even get out of the gate to pursue anything else. There is a process and a method involved in your strength training program just like there is when building a house. You can’t just attempt to throw up the house without first putting in the electrical work and plumbing. Well I guess you could, but it wouldn’t function well either would it? Your body is the same way. Your NEEDS have to be addressed before you can get your wants.
If you NEED help with doing so then you need to get your copy of my Brandon Richey’s Better Than Steroids ebook! This can be your catalyst to get your strength training program on the right track.
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