15 Fitness Tips for Women

*Photo Credit: tnation.com

 

Half of my clients are women.

It’s been like that since I first started training people (and I wouldn’t have it any other way…women are awesome!).

As such, I felt like sharing some of what I’ve learned over the years in the hopes that it’ll make your fitness journey significantly easier.

So, down below, you’ll find 15 of my top tips pertaining to women’s fitness.

I hope you enjoy them.

If you have any questions, feel free to send them my way.

 

Tip #1 – Don’t Compare Yourself to Other Women

This is arguably the most important tip in this article.

Comparing yourself to other women – beyond genuine admiration or interest in the methods they used to achieve whatever physique or level of performance you’d like to have – is harmful, and will only lead to negative results in the long run.

Why?

Because comparisons don’t stop once you’ve caught up with the first person you compared yourself to.

There’s always someone better, so once you’ve caught up with one person, you immediately start comparing yourself to someone else.

And this creates a cycle.

A cycle that 1.) Always keeps your finish line slightly out of reach (which is frustrating and discouraging), and 2.) Makes you feel like giving up (because you eventually realize you’re chasing an unobtainable target).

Instead of comparing yourself to other women, your best bet is to focus on yourself and what you bring to the table.

This doesn’t mean you can’t admire, or learn from, other women (you definitely should).

But if you truly want to be the best that you can be, you need to focus all of your energy on being the best that YOU can be.

 

(This applies to men as well) 

 

Tip #2 – Lift Weights

Not only because lifting weights will help you build muscle (which speeds up your metabolism, helps you lose body fat, and is the foundation of your physique…as well as the only tissue on your body that you can “tone”), but also because it’ll make you stronger, more confident, and more self-sufficient.

It’ll also turn you in to a badass (more so than you already are).

And it’ll create an “I can do anything” attitude that’ll radiate in to every other area of your life.

 

(For a step-by-step guide on setting up a strength training routine, download my FREE E-book at the bottom of this page).

 

Tip #3 – Be Aggressive

Branching off of the point above, when you are lifting weights, make sure you’re aggressive.

A lot of women tend to lift weights slowly and with no real sense of purpose (they just go through the motions).

Although that’s OK – and lifting weights in any fashion is better than not lifting weights at all – you’ll get much more out of your training sessions – and get a whole lot stronger – if you lift with a little more aggressiveness (while still maintaining control).

 

Tip #4 – Rest

For some reason, women tend to be able to tolerate more training volume than men (I guess because they’re tougher than us).

But, just because you can tolerate more volume doesn’t mean you should try to tolerate an insane amount of volume.

Rest is important too.

And since it’s during rest – not training – that you grow and get stronger (training sets up the environment for adaptions; rest is where those adaptions actually take place), you should:

1. Have at least 1-2 rest days per week (where you don’t do any structured exercise).
2. Try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
3. Manage stress (by doing whatever it is you like to do to unwind and relax).

 

 Tip #5 – Don’t Do Excessive Cardio

Unless of course you like doing cardio (I don’t know why you would), or you’re an endurance athlete who needs to do a lot of cardio for competition.

Cardio has benefits.

But, it’s not the end-all-be-all method of improving your health, performance, or body composition.

I’d recommend performing 1-3 cardio sessions per week, and then spending the rest of your time focusing on something else…like strength training.

 

Tip #6 – Don’t Eat Like a Bird

Just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean you need to starve yourself.

Most women can’t eat as much food as men (because they’re smaller and don’t have as much muscle mass…although that isn’t always the case), but you should still eat as much food as possible that still allows you to reach your fitness goals.

Your food intake should NOT revolve solely around salads, Greek yogurt, or bite-sized pieces of dark chocolate (milk chocolate is WAY better anyway).

 

Tip #7 – Eat Protein

Speaking of food, you should eat a decent amount of protein (1-2 palm-sized portions of meat per meal should be plenty).

Protein’s the building block of muscle tissue.

It’s also the most satiating macronutrient (meaning it keeps you fuller longer), and has a high thermic effect of food (meaning a lot of it’s calories get burned up in digestion).

This holds true regardless of the gender of the person consuming it.

 

Tip #8 – Eat Carbs

Believe it or not, carbs are your friend (not the devil).

They’re your brain’s main energy source, your body’s main energy source during high intensity activity and exercise, and they have a huge impact on your metabolism (oh, and they also taste freaking amazing).

They’re important.

Eat more carbs, and not only will you feel better on a regular basis, but your performance – and consequently your physique – will improve dramatically.

 

(With the above being said, you still need to match your carb intake to your current fitness goals.  If you’re trying to gain or maintain weight, you’ll be able to eat more carbs than if you’re trying to lose weight.  The point of the tip above is simply to make you aware that you shouldn’t go out of your way to avoid carbs). 

 

Tip #9 – Don’t Weigh Yourself if You’re Emotional About the Scale

Trust me – it’s not worth it.

The scale isn’t that accurate anyway, so if you’re sensitive to the number on the scale, you’re better off just finding alternate forms of measurement (such as photos or tape measurements).

 

Tip #10 – Don’t Weigh Yourself When It’s “That Time of the Month.” 

It never ends well.

Weighing yourself when it’s “that time of the month” is like weighing yourself after you’ve done damage at a Chinese buffet.

The number’s going to skyrocket.

And although you know it’s not accurate (and mostly just water weight), it’s going to create some serious mental turmoil that, when repeated on a regular basis, may lead to frustration – and a higher risk of you giving up – in the long run.

 

Tip #11 – Don’t Stretch So Much

Just because in most cases, you ladies already have plenty of flexibility (if not too much).

Nine times out of ten, it’s strength and stability that you’re missing – and that’s limiting your performance – not a lack of flexibility.

Focus on getting stronger (and stretch every now and again if you really need to).

 

Tip #12 – Track Your Progress (with a Training Journal and Food Log)

“If you don’t know where you’ve been, you can’t adjust to get to where you’re going.”

That’s one of my favorite quotes.

And although some people can reach their goals by winging it and not keeping track of progress, most people can’t.

Track your progress.

It’s one of the simplest – yet most beneficial – things you can do to help you reach your fitness goals, and it doesn’t require a large time investment.

 

Tip # 13 – Don’t Listen to the Haters

Everyone has haters.

Women just seem to have more of them than everyone else.

But, if someone’s hating on you, it means they’re noticing you.

It means they’ve been impacted by you so much that they feel compelled to stop what they’re doing to send you a message

That’s a compliment.

Accept it as a compliment, and move on (and keep doing what you’re doing).

 

Tip #14 – Strike a Balance Between What You Need and What You Want

Make sure your training is fun and enjoyable (i.e. it includes exercises and programming structures that you like, and plays to your strengths).

But, also make sure it’s hard and challenging (i.e. it tackles your weaknesses and the things you DON’T want to do because that’s what’ll make you better).

Never lose that balance.

 

Tip #15 – Stay Consistent 

Lastly, understand that it’s not what you do today that matters, but what you do over the course of weeks, months, and years that matters.

…Keep grinding.