Fast Fitness: Full Body Workout

My New Year's resolution is still going strong! I'm hitting the gym 2-3 times a week and practicing yoga at home an additional 1-2 times. I have also recently changed up my training routine by increasing my reps and introducing a bit of cardio (I HATE CARDIO). I'm working on getting leaner for my May trip to Malta, so I'm eating more fruit and veg, and am pumping that iron. I thought I'd share one of my sessions with you guys, so you can follow this routine, or pick and choose the parts that you like...

Squats 6-8 x3

Bent over row 18-20 x3

Stiff-legged deadlifts 15 x3

Standing shoulder press x15 - flies x10 - x3

Cable legs 10 each leg x3

Bicep curls with bar 10 x3

Glute holds 20 x2

Leg curls 15 x3

Feel free to use whatever size weights you feel comfortable with for these exercises - the trick is to maintain your technique, don't let this suffer because you are trying to go too high in weight! 

Finish the session off with some HIT training on a bike, cross trainer or treadmill. 20-30 seconds sprinting 30-40 seconds even-paced for a minimum of 5 minutes.

Why Girls are Different

So, I know the title of this post is a bit ambiguous, and you are probably wondering what on earth i'm going to say. Is this going to be a feminist rant? Am I going to be discussing deep political issues? Well i'm afraid not, in fact this post is all about exercise and fitness, and until recently, everyone was pretty sure that both men and women should train the same. Some may still believe this, but after some discussion, research and observation I believe girls  should train differently to guys. We are different, no matter how you look at it we are biologically different, our physicality's, how we store more fat for reproduction, differences in hormones, our menstrual cycle, these are just a few. So why do we try and exercise  the same way? Here are the reasons that I think us girls should have a different gym routine to the lads...

1. Women are more capable of training with higher reps

 In Training, specifically weight training, female muscle fibres are more likely to be converted to type 1 fibres (slow yet long lasting) or aren't converted at all, whereas in men they generally change to type 2 (faster but don't last as long). Female type 1 fibres are also proportionally bigger than men's, and show a high resistance to fatigue. Therefore, women can often achieve more reps than men. 

2.Women have been shown to recover faster

Research has shown that women not only need less rest-time between sets, but also recover faster between workout sessions, and therefore are capable of training more often than men. This is because of oestrogen. This female hormone helps muscle repair, and protects muscles by reducing the damage being caused to them during exercise. We are also capable of having less rest in-between sets due to more type 1 fibres, as they have a higher resistance and are less prone to fatigue.  


3. Explosive training doesn't work as well e.g HIIT

As Previously explained, females are better at endurance work, and can work better at a consistent and achievable level over longer periods of time. Men on the other hand deal better with explosive training, due to having more type 2 fibres that are stronger, but don't last as long. It has also been proven that men create significantly more muscle when completing high intensity training than women.

4. The menstrual cycle 

Last but not least, the menstrual cycle. Unfortunately, we can't escape it and we all know we have that time of the month that affects our mood and body pretty damn significantly. It affects some more than others but for around 4-6 days we have our periods, and some may say that whilst exercising in this time, you should do less intense workouts and not push yourself too much. Other research suggests that women may be stronger and more durable during menstruation, this might be something you might like to experiment with if you're looking to hit some pbs!

So here's a short summary of what us gals should do differently... Train high reps 
Do more sets
Rest less time
Train more often
and work with your period!

I hope this helps out anyone looking to change their gym routine.


K.