SubscribeThe New Rules of Lifting for Women
The New Rules of Lifting for Women is subtitled: "Lift like a man, look like a goddess". However, beneath the cover-page hyperbole is a book that is sensible, useful, and very much needed.
Lifting for Women essentially takes the very latest research into strength, conditioning, fitness, and weight loss and combines it into a direct and usable training manual for women.
Author Lou Schuler wastes no time in attacking the traditional diet mentality of today: "eat less, and keep eating less". Instead he argues for a sensible view of food; eat more of the right foods to power the workouts that you will be doing (a little like BFFM).
This book is aimed specifically at women (I guess the title gives that away) and carefully tackles all of the myths and misunderstandings surrounding women and weight-lifting. As for "bulking up" - Schuler concedes that it is very difficult for men to put on visible muscle - let alone women who have far less amounts of testosterone.
Schuler calls in Alwyn Cosgrove to create an entire workout schedule. This isn't about hours on the treadmill. It's about split-squats, stiff-legged deadlifts, and all those other incredibly useful weight-bearing exercises - all done with 60 seconds break between sets. As for straight-out cardio - Cosgrove offers a series of interval training plans.
What I liked about this book is the level of detail given to the workouts. Many times we are given an outline of the ideas, and the exercises - but left wondering exactly how to draw up a plan. This book has months and months of carefully scheduled workouts. There is also a section detailing basic nutrition plans (including recipes).
If you're a woman looking to get into some weight training but have a lot of questions - then this book will answer most, if not all of them.
Finally, maybe women will get the message and start lifting. A little muscle definition will not make you look like a man.
ReplyAmen! Women need to be less afraid of the weight room!
For me, it worked better than immense amounts of cardio for helping body composition and appearance.
ReplyThe combo of Schuler/Cosgrove usually produces very good material! I think they take it a step further in that not only is weight training great for gals, but the "big lifts" are incredibly effective. It flies in the face of many of the female-based fitness mags that have them doing tricep kickbacks and chest presses with vinyl-dipped 2 pound weights.
Very refreshing!
ReplyI have been looking for a book just like this one. So many women are afraid of weightlifting. Thanks for the review.
ReplyI love, love, love how I look after working out with weights. In the last year, I've lost 70 lbs (combination of eating right, cardio, and weight training). I get so tired of the women who whine that they don't want to "get all muscle-y". The look I have gotten from lifting has nothing to do with being muscle-bound and everything to do with defining the shape of my body - which has become much more feminine looking, IMO, than when I was flabby and out of shape. I plan to buy this book and hopefully add some good information to my current workout regimen.
Replyi LOVE weights. Cardio blows.
ReplyWomen do need to lift, my mother is so old school she thinks if she picks up a 2 pound weight she will be able to compete for Mr. Muscle. It's hard to changing women's total love of cardio to a more balance approach. Maybe this book could help.
ReplyI am a big fan of weight lifting, cardio and nutrition in combination. I work out with weights 3x a wks for 45 mins then do some cardio after and I feel as though my workout has been really effective. I have lost more inches with weight lifting than I did with cardio alone.
ReplyI've been a fan of weight lifting since high school (i'm now 44), and learned early on that lifting gave me much more results than cardio alone. I've never been one to be "afraid" of the weight room, and for a couple of years I was the only woman in an early morning weight training class offered at a local community college.
I now do a weight/cardio combination workout, and I'm excited to check out this book to see what new ideas I find!
ReplyI just started the workouts in this book and they rock! I love to lift weights, makes me feel sexy and strong! I would rather do weights 7 days a week if I didn't have to do cardio...blech..hate cardio.
Reply'As for "bulking up" - Schuler concedes that it is very difficult for men to put on visible muscle - let alone women who have far less amounts of testosterone.' Ain't it the truth! Unfortunately the myth of women get bulked persists.
ReplyYes some women do bulk up with weights, if you are tall and have big bones anyway, yes you can and will bulk up , because I did and I hate that I ever started weight trainning, because now Its hard to get rid of the big muscles that I gained. I wish people would stop saying that a woman cant get big from lifting as if every woman has the same body type. They dont, every body is different!
Now I need an expert to explain to me how to get back as I was before, my upper arms are bigger than they have ever been !
ReplyGreat to see a book like this.
I will also chime in and say that it's good to see a book targeting the "I don't want to bulk up" women who fear weight training. I see so many ladies in the gym doing leg press, for example, with 0 weight on it. Simple, no weight, squats would even be harder. Yet they do perfect form with perfect breathing for 3x12 of the easiest set/reps I've ever seen.
ReplyIt's those damn steroid circus freaks, with horse faces and hoarser voices.
If they wanted more women to lift weights, they should really stop parading around. It's grossing everyone out.
ReplyAmen! Go heavy, ladies, you won't faint! My bad knee never felt better than after I started a freeweight regimen--too much cardio made it worse. Nothing makes me feel more in touch with my body than working through several sets of the heaviest weight I can manage for 3-5 slow reps. Nothing says "I ain't scared" like loading 170 pounds onto the squat bar. Those little fitness mag regimens annoy the crap out of me with their pink little 2.5 pound puffy-weights. That makes about as much sense to me as pink powertools. Or a shampoo cocktail.
That said, Kailash is on the money--the horsey steroid freaks give female lifting a bad rap.
ReplyKailish, what good is insulting doing? I haven't noticed them "parading around" though they do get press for competing in the sport of their choice. Now the myth you can get there without a lot of hard work, good genetic potential, and in some cases a little extra help, that is ridiculous. I'm not sure why you feel the need to insult someone who makes a different choice in profession, hobby, and personal appearance than you do. I personally am not attracted to overly muscular woman, but it's unfair to say they are "disgusting everybody". You need to consider that being hurtful does not help everyone share information and reach goals. (And I assume you are talking about female bodybuilders.. there are clean female body builders as well.. not all on steroids.)
ReplyYuk..I hate lifting. I am a runner; all I want to do is run. But...I am going to start next week to give up a few of my precious miles and start lifting at the Y. (Not just because of this article, but because this advice seems to be everywhere these days.) I'm going to move out of my comfort zone.
ReplyHowever, even most of the fitness models are too bulky for my tastes...if they want to get more women lifting, then they should show more ultra-toned-but-not-bulky women.
p.s. I have lots of natural muscle tone and I guess that's part of my arrogance/procrastination, but I am starting to see the need in my newly-over-40 body.
Women approach me on a daily basis, at the gym, work, stores, etc. & ask what I do to look like I do (I'm a fit 35yr old). I've been telling them it's 80% nutrition & to pick up a copy of Tosca Reno's "The Eat Clean Diet". However, I'm on page 70 of this book & already I can say I would almost buy them a copy of NROL for Women myself! If a woman follows the this book for a month or two she will see results she only dreamed of. I'm learning so much & understanding more of why what I do works & how to tweak it. Try it ladies, stop all the other crazy diets & pick up a copy!
ReplyThank you for putting so many words in my mouth.
I hope that people will read my posts to see what Kailash actually said, rather than those of any interpreters.
Reply99% of men don't like female bodybuilders. They like women who are fit and have some amount of muscle tone. Anything more is not feminine.
ReplyWhere do men come into it? I'm willing to bet that female bodybuilders, steroids or clean, have more than men on their mind when they go to lift.
Maybe the problem is women keep looking to everyone else for justification, especially when it comes to not doing something. 'Oh, well, so-and-so that female bodybuilder looks sooo manly, eww, forget lifting, I'll just pick up a magazine and cycle for a few minutes.'
ReplyHere's what Kailish actually said that I responded to, in case anyone needed clarification. :) Steroid circus freaks with horse faces, parading around, grossing everyone out. ... Check.
:) But here's my response again - where I do not put words in anyone's mouth (I did say "disgusting people" instead of "grossing people out" but I think the message is still the same.
"Kailish, what good is insulting doing? I haven't noticed them "parading around" though they do get press for competing in the sport of their choice. Now the myth you can get there without a lot of hard work, good genetic potential, and in some cases a little extra help, that is ridiculous. I'm not sure why you feel the need to insult someone who makes a different choice in profession, hobby, and personal appearance than you do. I personally am not attracted to overly muscular woman, but it's unfair to say they are "disgusting everybody". You need to consider that being hurtful does not help everyone share information and reach goals. (And I assume you are talking about female bodybuilders.. there are clean female body builders as well.. not all on steroids.)"
ReplyExactly!!!!!!
ReplyGood for you, Marie! Will you keep us posted on how it goes? The "comfort zone" idea is key here... my flexibility is quite poor, ergo I tend to skip or disregard this part of my workout. Conversely, I'll see very flexible people spend inordinate amounts of time stretching and taking yoga classes.. It's the same with the lifters (re: the guy who used to play high school football). They won't miss a "chest day" in 10 years, but I've had to drag a few of them (figuratively speaking) to the stationary bikes kicking and screaming...
Sorry for the rant... good on you!
ReplyHeather, you can defend female body builders all you want, but the simple fact remains that even male bodybuilders aren't interested in them.
ReplyI am not interested in lifting, but I hope everyone here have a healthy 2008, and make regular exercise a part of your life!
ReplyThe fact is, it is a sport, and not about attracting a mate. Women can be judged on more than their ability to get a mate, just as men can. Judging a woman solely on their attractiveness is quite sexist.
These women compete in their sport.
And I doubt they care if they can gather ANOTHER mate as most are married, and most look like the image you see only at competition when they do all they can to look the most muscular possible.
Anyways, I'm defending body-builders. I was defending HUMAN BEINGS against insult. No one, and may I repeat, NO ONE deserves to be attacked and criticized for their appearance like that.
ReplyThere are, in fact, public decency laws that should perhaps be a bit more stringent.
And I never said "bodybuilders". I said "steroid circus freaks".
You see, "Not all meeps are moops", and I never said they were. That was your doing.
ReplyI should agree with Kailash, natural female body builders are ok, but I don't like the steroid circus freaks, male or female.
ReplyAnd again you don't see the harm in using derogatory phrasing. I must wonder if you really are as dense in these matters at it appears, or if you are merely a troll. I suppose I should assume the latter and ignore.
ReplyMaybe, but if they were applied to the internet as well, you'd be in trouble.
ReplyNo, I just happen to have opinions which aren't PC squeaky clean like the Miss Manners you make yourself out to be.
The funny thing is that I never mentioned bodybuilders in my original post. The only way you could derive that they were the ones I was talking about (were they?), was that you yourself had the same bias!! You were the one who took them to task!
It's your inability to accept your own biases, which makes you so adamantly against mine. I'm reminded of a speck and a mote...
You do have a point :>
ReplyKailash,
ReplyI am not PC. I simply do not enjoy hurting people. I am done with you. Some people are just not worth the effort. May everything you put out in this world come back to you!
I have the men's version, and I love it. It is very no-nonsense and the workouts are intense. I am currently doing a modified version of the break-in workout. I did the fat loss workouts last year, and they floored me. I can only imagine that women's version is just as excellent, and I am considering buying this for my wife.
ReplyGreat post. I was reading a similar topic on www.thedailyskinny.com that went into how to lose belly fat first and why certain types of foods and exercise aren't really as effective as most people would like to believe. Thanks again for the info
Replywhat business is it of yours!? Oh wait, you still operate on the idea that women who appeal to men are the real women. Thank goodness I don’t take femininity that seriously, or else I would be looking to emulate a big boobed, blonde cosmetic freak aiming to look as thin as a leaf! Instead, they allow their mind and their body to take them where THEY WANT TO GO!
ReplyThank you for standing up to everyone who says all women should look the same. Now I don't necessarily want to be extremely muscular but it would be my right if I wanted to. Men can be any size and no one says anything. But when a woman wants to put on muscle then everyone starts critizing her. Sexist!! Come on people! You live in America where you are free. If women want to be muscular then go for it. Screw what everyone else thinks. They are the same people who want everyone to be size 0. Yuk!
ReplyI am in Phase 3 right now. I've been lifting since 1999, but mostly machines. I am in awe of how much stronger my legs are - and they weren't weak before, what with my being a long-distance cyclist, and also someone who has always paid attention to leg strength.
I've had back and knee surgery, so I was a bit hesitant to begin squats, step-ups, and lunges. But, done correctly, they have helped, not hurt me.
I highly recommend this book, and this program. My only issue is, what am I going to do after I finish all the phases?
Reply