This post is for all the ladies out there that need to tone up and get into shape. One of the biggest troubles with training women is that they only want to do cardio because weight training will make you "get big" or "bulk up". Well I got news for you all, that is completely false! Now your probably thinking to yourself that I've seen plenty of buff chicks and bodybuilding women that look like men.

Almost all of the women who are buff or big like bodybuilders are taking testosterone supplements. The reason they need these testosterone supplements to gain muscle mass is because women naturally have a small amount of of this hormone, only a tiny fraction of the amount men have. This is a fact, therefore if your reading this you now know that weight training is ok to do and actually can produce much better results then cardio can if performed right. There are plenty of studies that show and prove that men and women don't even need to train differently to get good results. This also goes for the diet aspect, for the most part men and women don't need to eat differently either. The metabolisms of men and women are very much alike except in the fact that women burn a greater ratio of fat to carbs then men do. This is one reason why low carb diets are popular with women and tend to work better for them. Women also usually need to have a lower calorik intake then men do because of the fact that men have more muscle mass and less fat then women. Now I am going to break it down for you into the essential rules when it comes to women getting in shape and burning fat, from the diet to the workout.

Nobody likes getting injured, whether you play a sport or are just an active person it is important to stay healthy and functionable so you can carry on with your life as normal. There are two components when it comes to injuries, care and prevention. Most people focus on the caring aspect so they can get back to a normal state once they become injured, but why not prevent it in the first place? Thats why training in movement patterns and focusing on compound lifts that use multiple joints are two great ways to stay functioning good and also to prevent injuries. The body has 5 major movements which are; push, pull, hip hinge, bend at the knee, and twist at the core/mid section. If your program hits all 5 of these movements not only will you have performed and practiced the body's proper movement patterns, which will in turn create better movement and prevent injury much better then any isolation exercise, but you will have also used just about every muscle in your body by the end of your workout. The best piece of information you can possibly use to prevent injury and understand how the body and joints work/move is the Mobility Stability Continuum (As seen below).

    A lot of people train hard but eat like crap and dont end up seeing the results their looking for. There are also some who eat great but dont workout or be active at all. Training and nutrition go hand in hand and result only come when you put them together. The best way to get into this type of lifestyle is to ease into it. Someone who eats a lot of junk food or drinks a lot of soda isn't going to want to put it all down instantly, but if they slow it down until those types of foods and beverages are completely out of their diet they will see results more easily. People who do drop all junk out of their diet immidiately are likely to end up binge eating after a small while. Training should also be eased into because a beginner can be easily overtrained. Start with a couple days a week and gradually increase the amount of workouts you do per week. Another great way to get into it is to hire a personal trainer (a good one!). Hiring a personal trainer is going to decrease your risk of injury tremendously because they will ensure that you perform correct form at all times (if their a good personal trainer). Not only will it decrease injury rate but it will also show you a lot of different exercises so when you do have to workout without a trainer, you know what to do.