Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Train Like A Man, Look Like A Goddess

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Almost a year ago to the day, I wrote:
Women, you need to put down those pink dumbbells, throw that Shape Magazine in the trash can and stop with this nonsense. You seem to believe that the modest amount of strain will cause you to wake up looking like a bodybuilder in the morning. Horseshit.
...What you need to do is slap yourself and start training for real.

Fuckarounditis. (#10.)


Truth to be told not a lot has changed since then. It never will, because if you have insight and knowledge of how this machine works, well, you can forget about change within.

What you can do is simple, because I did it too when no one believed in intermittent fasting.

You show them that good things will come to those who dare to break a way from the norm a little bit.

I wrote this post for little more than a month ago once Facebook and people quite liked it. Then I suddenly started added things, making it all seem so obscure and serious, like some sociology paper on women's fitness, societal norms, Special K and




Woah there what the hell was that, anyway...

...Well, let's just say that women need role models, community and sensible get-it-done type rules on lifting.

Now, Isa has been putting up with so much shit from my side about the industry (behind-the-scenes-stuff) that I'm afraid I might have drained her energy for the competition she's at today, and you need to give her a lift.

I want you to leave her a message, ok?

At Barbella's Universe


By the way, I'm really sorry in messsing up this post. Will fix.



Strong Women







I made this album to make yet another point about women and weight training. Isa competes in strongman, took two gold medals in the recent European Powerlifting Championsship, and squats, deadlifts, presses, throws tires and runs around with some heavy shit I don't even know the name of.


Not an ounce of bulky muscle or a iota of freakishness to her. In spite of doing the complete opposite of what most are told on how to train - in the media, womens mags, by friends, but also within communities that should know better (i.e. physique competitors). The result is a good and healthy look. Leaner than most, and most definitely stronger. No cardio, just heavy weights 3x/week and no soy cracker and tofu style diet.




Decent muscularity for a female with her training background (a year or so), but a far cry for the fantasyland make-believe look of bulky muscles supposed to result from such training. Thats because it's all horseshit, of course.





Point being, train heavy, eat well and I guarantee that you will get hotter with each 10 lbs extra you put on the bar. As long as you stay away from the roids, because that's where the myth of freakish muscles on women comes from. The masculinizing effects of steroids on woman are profound and devastating, aestethically (subjective sure, but still) and socially. Be aware of it - and don't worry about the BS you hear and read about how women should train.

Regrettably, you're bound to hear BS and opinions about your training almost every damn day, if you're going against the grain and doing the unexpected - grunting females, lifting heavier weights than most men, are frowned upon by the mediocre and weak majority that makes up both of the genders - in our society.

Throw away the pink dumbbells, stay away from the treadmill, start lifting some real weight. If that means quitting your gym, because people look at you funny (an issue that really holds women back) when you grunt or sweat, do it. 




Pro tip, girls. ***bonus***

If hard training means joining a CrossFit class, do it. One thing CrossFit does right is providing the right environment, friendship, encouragement and attitude for girls who want to train hard without being stared at. That is worth far far more than an "optimal" weight training routine in a shitty commercial gym where people are clueless, mediocre and easily intimidated, almost offended, by hard training females.

I'm not a fan of CrossFit the way it's generally used, the marketing, or its use by people with vague objectives. However, for women specifically, it can really make all the difference.

...Another great thing you can do is encourage Isa to start her blog, so she can get her thumbs out the ass, and start serving as the good role model for weight training women that I think she is (my opinion, not hers).

Her attitude and looks is a statement and a point that needs to be made many times over. It ain't exactly like it's raining hot and feminine looking female strongman competitors these days. It's a sport plagued by an unfortunate stereotype, which unfortunately is true to a large extent. To Hell with that though, because the butch look is a consequence of steroids, girls, and you need not concern yourself with it.

Concern yourself with 250-300 lbs deadlifts and 200-250 lbs squats, avoid starvation diets, and enjoy the ride. You'll be much happier with the outcome of that, than say crackers and yoghurt, 2 hr daily cardio sessions and those mickey mouse curls you read about in Cosmo.

Eat like a man, train like a man, and look like a goddess. Would be a fairly accurate and true quote, if it wasn't for the fact that most men train like retards.

Anyway, here's a few resources that you should read, regardless of gender, but very relevant to the topic:

http://www.leangains.com/2011/09/fuckarounditis.html

http://www.leangains.com/2010/01/how-to-look-awesome-every-day.html

http://www.leangains.com/2008/12/reverse-pyramid-revisited.html


87 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice, I certainly hope this helps break the current trend that has been set.

The leangains guide might be a good link at the bottom of the article as well, no?

Opal said...

Thank you for this post Martin. This is the second time I've had a point along these lines drummed into my head today and the absolute sense of it has really stuck with me.

Its crazy that we women seem to fear our own strength, as if 'strong' is a purely masculine trait, and we seem to think that self-deprivation is a more suitably feminine 'strength'. But its not so. We need to allow ourselves to be actually powerful and turn our willpower towards real achievements rather than pristine abstinence.

Tiffany said...

Isa, we need you!! What holds most of us back, myself included, IS all the other BS that we are fed literally day in and day out just being women. We need REAL, we need YOU. YOU are a badass AND a goddess!! Show us the way!

Anonymous said...

Well, this is a new low.

Article quality has gone downhill DRASTICALLY as you've gotten more popular. Great job with the diet... but stop wasting our time with this shit.

Hassan Mouline said...

Superwoman! _/

giggy said...

lazy! j/k, my gf will like this article

K. said...

Thanks for sharing this! As a woman who has been pursuing fitness forever with limited success, it's so hard to "step away from the cardio" and trust that weight training is going to get the results I want. So it's great to see it in action!

Natasha said...

Isa...please use your thumbs to blog about getting ripped instead of using them in the depraved way Martin described ;)

I'd definitely be one of your first readers as I'm on my way to a ripped 15% BFP by next summer.

Keep going, Isa and thanks for the post, Martin!

siddharta1979 said...

What your stance on boxing training? I'm just starting out; twice a week, lots of crunches, push-ups, and conditioning. Other 2 days a week I lift reverse pyramid style. What would you suggest in terms of nutrition? Should I consider boxing days +20?

Ryan said...

Cool article, my biggest improvements were when I was doing leangains full-time. I have recently hit a bit of a road block (strained my back on a deadlift 3 weeks ago / have been sick for the past two weeks) and since my eating habits have also fallen off. How do you avoid injury when pulling such big weights? I have looked at proper form for lifts on youtube but it is harder to maintain form when lifting 3-5 max... do weight belts help or are they just a gimmick?

Anonymous said...

Amen to that brother! I've been telling women the same thing for years now. It's hard to for them to understand, but it's true. Good stuff right there buddy.
Bob Russell

Mark said...

Great job as always Martin. This will be the go-to post for any woman that is concerned about lifting heavy. Add it to the list that I always go back to: 10 Random Thoughts on Weight Lifting (Part 1 & 2), Fuckarounditis, Reverse Pyramid Revisited, Maximum Muscular Potential of Drug-Free Athletes, and How To Walk The Talk and Unlock Your True Potential. Thanks for all that you have done and continue to do.

Martin H said...

HURRAH!!
A place where I can send my female clients who are skeptical about my Heavy Duty Training for them.
I cant deadlift, Ill get big and bulky. I must not squat because i'll get muscley legs.
No my young Jedi's you must squat and you must deadlift.
My fiance gets bertstared in the gym when shes deadlifting,chinning,bb rowing & squatting.
Most of the time it's the same retards who look like an apple. (although once a female competitor in the IFBB tried to question her training and add more volume and lighter weight :| ) anyway..
Left a blog comment for her.
You Sir Berkhan..I hold you in as a high a regard as Mike Mentzer. Two men who went against everything held as sacrosanct.

free weight loss ebook said...

I think its each to her own. Some women simply prefer looking like a skinny girl, but that's their choice. But most don't train because they are afraid of gaining too much muscle size and definition and lose their feminity. What they do not realize is that due to their much lower levels of testosterones as opposed to guys, they will not be looking that muscular naturally even if women were to train like a man.

J Trott said...

I think that many people are scared to lift heavy but especially women. I can sympathize with this, plates on a bar can be intimidating. How do you get past this initial barrier?

Anonymous said...

Great return article

Anonymous said...

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5iw29QCaE1qljo34o1_500.gif This should be quite inspirational

Derek Martin said...

Thanks for doing this Martin. I have been looking for a good role model I can point to when asked about female body builders.

I read her blog and really like the articles. Thanks again man. You have helped change my life and continue to help me reach others who are in need.

Anonymous said...

I have been trying to get my wife to try the leangains style of training/eating for a few months now. Like most women she wants a high booty but is 5'10" and weighs 106 (and looks more like a victoria secrets model - poor me). After my annoying nagging she finally warmed up to ditching cardio altogether and replacing it with more food and heavier weights for things like hip thrusts and romanian deads. Still, like a lot of thin (but muscular) girls she is hypoglycemic and afraid to try IF. I see lots of studies for the benefits of fasting for diabetics, anything for the opposite? She thinks that if the low blood sugar from the fast doesn't kill her the insulin spike when she breaks it will.

L.J. Glover said...

Love it love it love it! I do just this, lift heavy and fast intermittently (16/8), and I'm loving it. I love the sneers I get at the gym for lifting heavy, and I smile whenever I see some guy rolling his eyes at me, because I know my form is perfect and I know I'm getting more results than he is.

I owe you a debt of gratitude, Martin. I had been on the fabled "weight loss journey" for SEVEN months before I came across your site and had lost a whopping eleven pounds. My boyfriend, also on "the journey," started after me and had been easily dropping weight, his progress lapping mine. I read about your method, started lifting heavy and skipping breakfast (like I always wanted to but felt guilty for doing before), and BAM. 25 lbs in 4 months. Not to mention 24 of those pounds were body fat. I have since read every article on the site, and send all my friends links to the site.

I still have about 30 to go (yeah, I was pretty damn fat), but it won't take me another 10 months to accomplish, and I'll never stuff an unwanted breakfast in my face again. I love seeing women like her, they are so rare. I still do run for cardio (see: pretty damn fat), but I am not a runner. I am a lifter; I am strong, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Elana said...

Thank you for writing this and for sharing Isa's story. They were very inspirational for me and it's really nice to read about people succeeding against the mental grain after you've convinced yourself that no one else knows how it feels (at least, not anyone you know personally). I look forward to reflecting on rereading this a few weeks later when I've gotten more goddess training under my belt and I can deserve more of a right to freak out about how awesome I feel and look. Thank you so much again for all of this!

Anonymous said...

I've been lifting heavy and IFing for 15 weeks now, very happy with my body, and ecstatic to have stopped killing my hormones/joints/bones with tons of cardio. BUT here's something that's been bugging me as a lady lifter:

My small chest has gotten even smaller and way more muscular since I started lifting (from a decent B to a small A). I notice Isa is clearly very well-endowed, and that a lot of other LG/heavy lifting women end up with implants (no judgments, just not my style).

Like I said, I love lifting heavy, eating big meals of real food in a condensed feeding window, but I am mourning the loss of my boobs, and my chest does look man-ish. Since breasts are mostly fat, do I need to eat more fat to maintain those stores? Or is it leanness OR boobs, but not both?

Any other women out there feel me on this?

Joshua Palmieri said...

I have been telling my wife this same thing for years now! Chicks that lift (heavy) are hot!

Joshua Palmieri said...

I have been telling my wife this same thing for years! Chicks that lift (heavy) are hot! and they get results!

Anonymous said...

She's hot

jesse said...

can you please explain to me why we take bcaa right before a fasted training session when bcca are extremely insulinogenic? wont this negate the hgh increase we are hoping to obtain?
thanks

RunDiscoDave said...

Cracking post mate

anjuli said...

Thank you, Martin. I agree, us women need more role models like her. She looks amazing! Do you have a sample workout plan that would work for novice lifters for strength and definitely, fat loss purpose. I understand diet is the key. Would appreciate it. Thanks!

AndyL said...

Wow! Everything I read on the site seemed to make perfect sense up until this point and lost all confidence in your diet & training recommendations!

As a man, I am personally seeking a strong muscular physique and you've gone out of your way to prove that your training/diet recommendation will not give you this(unless you take steroids).

I'm hope that maybe it's a wording issue or maybe you can elaborate how a woman can follow the same regime as a man and get a completely different effect??

Anonymous said...

This is a really great post. I've been following leangains and RPT style workouts for 6 months, and the results have been outstanding. Upon switching gyms recently, I've gotten a lot of comments, not always positive. A lot of guys thinking they need to correct my routine. It takes a lot of confidence in yourself and your workout to have the strength to put the earplugs back in and shut them out. Girls who are intimated to start should really shop around for a good gym and good environment, they are out there!

This dynamic is real. Some girls don't face it, some girls handle it better, but it is a real issue in my opinion, when I see and experience guys criticizing e a woman's routine but not a man doing the same thing. It is a mentality we have to fight against and stand up to, especially when the fitness world is absolutely full of misinformation.

Thanks for the post dedicated to the ladies.

Anonymous said...

I don't understand. If a women can eat like a man and train like a man but end up looking like a goddess, how the hell does a man end up looking like a God and not a Goddess???

Hansen Kenimer said...

I miss the gorgeous and inspiring lady bodybuilders of the 80's and early 90's...especially Cory Everson. IMO, she was the paragon of beauty AND strength. She has always been and will always be the type of physique I strive for.

DavidHill76 said...

If you really look, the hottest women in the gym are on the weights, and smirk at the mice on the treadmills in a sly way of saying, "I figured it out."

Biggie said...

Hate to say this but I showed the pics to my girlfriend, to whom I have been advocating and teaching IF and RPT, and she said she wanted to quit. This is not an attempt to say what looks are right and wrong, but when I showed her the video of the woman doing chins in the fuckarounditis-post, she was amazed. Perhaps post some better pics? Thanks for all your work. I mean absolutely no offense, just my gf's opinion.

Unknown said...

I've just started a personal training business and have been trying to get girls into heavy weight training by outlining the benefits and trying to convince them they won't get "masculine looking". "It's not easy" is an understatement.

I hope you don't mind me linking/using this post as an informational resource for my potential clients.

Also, your leangains IF protocols have made a huge difference in my life and I want to thank you from the pit of my soul. Your blog has helped me grow (mentally) immensely and I can't thank you enough for that. I have been able to implement the eating routine (and variations) into my clients' lives with great results.
I understand you're very busy however, I'd like to learn more about how you communicate with your clients to achieve the desired behavioural changes. Please, write me if you see this and get the chance.

Thanks again, Martin.

Unknown said...

Hi Martin,

Another great read!

I've just started a personal training business and have been trying to get girls into heavy weight training by outlining the benefits and trying to convince them they won't get "masculine looking". "It's not easy" is an understatement.

I hope you don't mind me linking/using this post as an informational resource for my potential clients.

Also, your leangains IF protocols have made a huge difference in my life and I want to thank you from the pit of my soul. Your blog has helped me grow (mentally) immensely and I can't thank you enough for that. I have been able to implement the eating routine (and variations) into my clients' lives with great results.
I understand you're very busy however, I'd like to learn more about how you communicate with your clients to achieve the desired behavioural changes. Please, write me if you see this and get the chance.

Thanks again, Martin.

Wendy said...

Thanks Martin, this is just what I needed to read. I have been IF and leangains for about 2 and a half months. Making gains nooo problem, having harder time cutting the fat which shits me a great deal. I LOVE the lifting, no doubt, I HATE the bulkiness that goes with muscled but fat. Am consulting with Andy Morgan to tighten up the eating - I must be doing it wrong. I want to be surprised that no-one has commented but I'm not really - further testament to the lack of women doing stuff like this. Fucking frustrating. Please keep up the encouragment - I laughed out loud about the crack about men training like retards - so funny, so true. I don't give a fuck if they stare - at least my form is right. Wendy

Anonymous said...

Great post as usual, Martin. I would like to ask you on your thoughts about the Dukan diet. It seems to be the latest diet in fashion, with celebrities like the Middletons using it. Is this high protein diet only with 4 phases a good one to follow, or are there dire side effects? Can I combine it with Intermittent fasting?

Maria

Anonymous said...

nice comeback article

Anonymous said...

I feel there is a misunderstanding regarding some forms of women's exercise. My wife looks fantastic, has maintained a size 4 for two years after having our baby boy and isn't a fanatic about cardio or diet.

Diet is portion control, no macro counting. And for exercise, cardio barre classes 3x a week (that I think you'd take issue with.) It's far from powerlifting but she absolutely loves the classes and is consistent, which I think is key to success.

One of the husbands, an avid Crossfit guy, threw down the gauntlet and took one of his wife's classes, and the class kicked his ass. In relation to functional strength, he couldn't compete (in that environment.) No, I don't expect my wife to do weighted chin-ups but I also don't think I could do her classes. I would encourage anyone that thinks cardio barre is easy to take a class.

My point is, I don't think a women has to power lift to be in shape. Many women that are in shape don't power lift, but it doesn't negate the intensity of the exercise they do. I have a tremendous amount of respect for women who choose to power lift, but I don't see it as necessary. It wasn't necessary for my wife. Consistency was necessary though, and she picked a form of exercise that delivered in that respect. Maybe she would have got to where she needed quicker with heavy lifting, but I don't know post pregnancy (and a knee surgery) if that would have been practical for her. I reserve the right to be wrong on all of the above though, just relaying our personal experience.

Anyway, great blog -- I owe a lot to you and your site and just want to say thanks. I've been following Leangains principals for the last month and the results have been nothing short of dramatic. My wife appreciates it too, so thank you. :)

sondra said...

Oh I love this post!!
I am a young women looking to lose fat... but gait muscle... and I was always a stick until I started reading advise written for men to build muscle... I started eating a ton of meat and lifting heavy and I started to have great shape thanks to the muscle :)

Anonymous said...

This is my comment.....no comments?

rogerQ said...

Why do you recommend weight training before cardio in general? For severly obese people cardio is a good option. For women in general I recommend a combination of cardio and weight training to get that athletic fit body like the track and field super stars (eg. Kallur sisters). And why do you pick on BioLayne? He hasn't done anything wrong. To become a PhD takes a lot of time and engagement. The academia is a strong force against quackery. And yes I will continue with powerwalks in the morning before breakfast. And yes, I will continue with eating breakfast.

SR said...

Hey Martin! Glad to see a new post. I"d love to see even more about girls following leangains and their workout schedules. I know you mentioned some women have had to shorten the fasting window due to hormonal differences, any chance we might get to see an article about that?

Thanks for the great site!

sea wall dreams said...

Great article!

Steve said...

Martin,

I'll start by saying I'm a big fan. At 33 I'd been training on and off for years before I came across your website last Dec. Since then I've been following leangains and it has delivered better results than anything I've done previously.

Your fuckarounditis post made me look hard at my own workouts (which were ok, but not focussed enough and with no real tracking of progress). I've basically now built a programme around deadlifting, squatting, benching and chinning, with dips also a favourite.

I fast 14-18 hours almost every day (but without getting to anal about occasional variances), and generally try to follow the macro and food timing guidelines on the site.

To give you an idea, I'm 5"10, 70kg, I'm deadlifting sets of 3 at 142kg, squatting 102kgs for 8, benching 82kgs for 8, and can manage about 18 bodyweight chins now. I also dip with a 20kg dumbell between my feet for 12. About 8/9% bodyfat I reckon - I can see 6 pack and have veins in lower and upper abs. I'm not yet as shredded as I'd like to be, and to be honest I'm finding it hard to lose the last few %, but that's partly because I eat out a lot with work and socially, and I enjoy a few drinks, so maybe its just a trade-off I'll live with.

I've also encouraged my girlfriend to look at her own workouts. Previously these were based on 'time on treadmill'. I now have her squatting and benching (with the weight slowly growing) for at least some of her workouts + focussing on eating a decent amount of protein. She still has some 'cosmo workout' tendencies but I'll keep chipping away.

One question on this post. The girl who's blog you link to does have a good figure. But some of the other girls in the photos on her blog are more muscular than I think many women would want to be (eg. the lady in the Jesus top has properly powerful shoulders and arms). Do you think these other girls have been on the roids? Or is is possible for girls to take muscle buidling too far even if they are natural?

Cheers
S

Steve said...

Sorry - having re-read her blog its clear that some of the other girls are using 'additional supplementation'. So I guess that answers my question!!

Cheers
Steve

Anonymous said...

Yeah ! Yaboylilwill is in dis ish ! First!

Anonymous said...

great post! as a women who trains and gets most all fitness advice from men, its great to hear there are people out there who really know what they are doing!

Anonymous said...

dude, are you 'back', or what?

Evan said...

hey Martin,

I was looking at your site, and I would love to speak to you about maybe buying some advertising on your site and working out a deal that would be fair to both of us.

What’s the best way we can talk about this?

Thanks so much, and have a sunny day..:)!

Evan Dako
Cell 650-222-7923

Neil said...

The few roided up female bodybuilders seem to be enough to scare women from giving it a shot. It's the job of educated men to educate their women who can then educate each other . On the other hand, looking At a victoria secret model which most women aspire to doesn't look like one that can be attained through heavy lifting. .. What you say is true tho, women need better role models.. And women need to lay off the test. so they don't scare all the females in the gym away from the squat rack.

Cal said...

Is there any reason you recommend Chin ups as opposed to pull ups? I know the military prefers pull ups in testing...

Unknown said...

Great article any woman who wants to look good should read. Isa looks great!

Unknown said...

Great read...Any woman who wants to look good and be healthy should read this. Isa looks amazing!

Barry Bliss said...

Isa, start that blog.

Michelle said...

Yes! I have been training with heavy weights naturally for 22 years. And the one thing I know for sure it's near impossible to get a manly muscular physique but it's pretty much guaranteed that you'll look healthy and ten years younger. I do at age 39!

Anonymous said...

http://fitnessbloggen.no/tren-som-en-mann-og-se-ut-som-en-gudinne/

Anonymous said...

I'm all for this. I've tried to convince ladies around me (including women I've dated) to do strength training...seriously. Instead they've read about yoga (great as PART of an exercise routine), running and (best case scenario) 5 pound dumbells with really careful form for sets of 20. Ugh. I'm pretty sure I've never seen a hard lifting woman who was all natural, reasonably fit body fat percentage-wise who looked "bulky." Strength training makes everyone hotter, men and women. Women just don't have the testosterone to bulk like men, but most just won't even do the experiment to find out. It's a shame.

Steve said...

She is gorgeous. I went over to Barbella's: she is the most gorgeous (and cutest--there's a diff.) girl in all the pictures and the most feminine as well. Amazing how someone can be that strong and that slender and attractive.

Unknown said...

I have been thinking about joining a Crossfit gym. My thought was developing a strong body, opposed to the superficial muscles one get's from the gym.

You mention that Crossfit has few objectives. You don't seem to motivate your opinion?

I would be glad to hear what you think about Crossfit/Caveman training etc. Crossfit training seems to attack the body on such different levels through various forms of training, it's not just weights. My opinion is that such forms of training would make a person utilize their body better in real life strength scenarios when comparing to bodybuilders.

As for women, I think a more developed lower body is more sexy on a woman than a built up upper body. I think that's where most women go wrong.

BTW: I still eat dinner before bedtime;)

Anastasia said...

Great article! I've been lifting heavy for almost 2 years now, doing a lot of compound lifts. Can honestly say I've never looked better and more feminine than I do now. This myth about weight training making girls need to go, the quicker the better.

There's a topic I'D REALLY love if you could bring up; The effect intermittent fasting has in women. Lately I've stumbled across articles suggesting that women doesn't get the same benefits from IF, especially as men as far as insulin snesitivity goes. How is it with women and growth hormone when fasting, do we get the same hormonal benefits?

Again, great post and great blog! Keep the good work up!

/Anastasia

Anonymous said...

Great post. As a female that has been lifting weights for 20 years, I couldn't agree more with the things you have said. There is no faster, better way to transform your body. And the way I look isn't even the best part - I feel great every single day.

I would argue that "Eat like a man, train like a man, and look like a goddess" should be changed to simply, "Eat. Train hard. Look like a goddess."

Chris said...

Martin,

Long time reader, first time commenter. I feel it necessary to take the time to thank you. Personally, you've changed my life and my entire philosophy towards nutrition and physiology in general, but I'd like to share with you that after showing this article to a ladyfriend of mine, she now shows a huge interest in leangains and, because of what you've provided, she has seen more results in the last month of training than in the entire year prior.

You're certainly an incredible individual, sir, and I thank you for the tenacious amount of wisdom you selflessly bestow on people like us. Thanks, man.

Daniel Caveira said...

Don't let the page fall into the obscurity of no posts haha

Gabe Adams said...

MARRRRRRRRRRTIIIIIIIIIN!!! When's the book coming out and how many times do you get asked this question every day? Just FYI, I would buy the crap out of any book you put out and give it to everyone I know. I am truly thankful for exposing the lies, breaking the myths, and freeing us to EAT!

Human Growth Hormone said...

Very impressive article, I am really surprised that a girl could do such hard exercises.

Anonymous said...

Huh? Funny how ol' Berkhan gets a ton of comments on here when there's a bunch of dudes flexing their ripped, stripped, and striated physiques but none when he posts pics of this hot, healthy, weightliftin' woman. My wife as well, squats, deadlifts, presses, pulls and runs fast..., really fast, a couple times a week and looks great. Not much is needed. Nothing fancy. It's all about the basics. As always, great stuff Martin!

Anonymous said...

Great article!

I need to refer this to more of my female friends who are afraid of waking up "bulky" one day...

Anonymous said...

Any advice for women who do get5 bulky. i have been lifting for a while now and I get quite bulky. Anything i google says women done bit since i do. Would you advise like a 4 day split moderate reps moderate weight. Typical liuke deadlift would be 165 - 12 reps X 4 sets with Squats at 150lbs 15 reps 3 sets ...

Bucketface said...

why didn't you use a picture of yourself you goddess you

Anonymous said...

I have been thinking about joining a Crossfit gym. My thought was developing a strong body, opposed to the superficial muscles one get's from the gym.

You mention that Crossfit has few objectives. You don't seem to motivate your opinion?

I would be glad to hear what you think about Crossfit/Caveman training etc. Crossfit training seems to attack the body on such different levels through various forms of training, it's not just weights. My opinion is that such forms of training would make a person utilize their body better in real life strength scenarios when comparing to bodybuilders.

As for women, I think a more developed lower body is more sexy on a woman than a built up upper body. I think that's where most women go wrong.

BTW: I still eat dinner before bedtime;)

Nina said...

is it REALLY possible for a obese woman to lost weight without cardio? I mean REALLY and not some bullshit for already stick figure girls out there?

Jewel said...

So, do you believe in women in MMA, as well, then? :)

Anonymous said...

Leigh Peele wrote a post about women, bulkiness and training and I think she is the only one who hit the nail on its head.

What Leigh says is that while "bulky" is a subjective term if some women say "I don't like that kind of physique" there's no reason to train them in a way that would be conductive to that physique.

She made the example that both Megan Fox and Hilary Swank are feminine, not bulky, lean and what not but many women don't like the body of Hilary Swank and wouldn't want to look like her. And it's their right too.

Isa might look like a goddess but a lot of women and female clients woulnd't want to look like that, they might like to have less thighs and shoulders, more body fat without looking like plump and so on. They might prefer a Megan Fox body. And if they're out of shape and want that kind of body it's dishonest and irresponsible to lead them to a different body type when they can be health and lean with a different body as well.

Women can build muscles, some of them buil them very fast expecially in the calves and shoulders. And while the result is not freaky or masculine, they might consider that too much for the kind of physique they strive for.

So it's up to trainers to be honest about the fact that women training in a certain way might end up with a kind of physique they like even less than what they had before. And it's not about becoming like a bodybuilder or anything like that. Just the like of Hilary Swank or Jessica Biel is too much for some women who prefer a softer body but still want to be health and lean. I suggest also the article "debunking the bulking myth - you're doing it wrong"

Anonymous said...

WORD!
No pink dumbbells over here :-)
Regards Maja

Mike said...

Hi Martin,

I was comparing Muscle Gaining Secrets with the new "2.0" version of the same book, and I noticed in the first book, he swears up and down that you only need to train 3 days a week with low reps. But in the 2.0 version, he has changed to to 4 days a week with increased reps as well. What are your thoughts on this?

Anonymous said...

You haven't updated this site in months.

Anonymous said...

At least she is damn hot =)

Samantha said...

Lol martin I love your dry sarcastic sense of humor and bluntness.. I agree we should train same as men but why stay away from treadmill? I've been doing weights a month now, upping each week and this week starting a 4 day split. I've also started running 3 weeks ago and loving it as I could never run so easy and free let alone enjoy..

JB said...

Hello, Martin. First of all, congratulations for your work. I started IF here in Brazil thanks to you, and don´t regret. But people still think that I'm crazy whenever I commit the imprudence of telling about my current diet approach. Plainly wrong, at least.

I appologize by comment is this post, seemed the most direct approach to me.
I have a doubt about the morning fast.
I recently started to include about 30g of protein from whey sometime in the morning. I know you recommend BCAA or whey pre-workout, but I do not necessarily workout in the morning. Anyway, this experience seemed to really accelerate my fat loss. I started to do this based on an article by Ori Hofmekler:

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/09/14/intermittent-fasting-benefits.aspx

Below “Foods That Can Be Safely Consumed During Fasting”. Not worried about Ori´s whole defense off one meal a day over other types of fasting, but that part is interesting.
Do you think he maybe has a point in telling whey could enhance the effects of fasting?

I also customarily consume a lemonade made ​​with a whole lemon in the morning to help detoxify the liver. Can this interfere with the fasting in some way?

Again, thanks for your work. And happy new year!

Armi Legge said...

Outstanding article Martin.

Are there any major differences in the final few weeks of how you prepare males and females for a figure contest in terms of training and diet?

- Armi

Anonymous said...

I'm a fan of your work... If'er since long...
I would like to see this site come to life.
Maybe training ?... Maybe more intermediate to advanced lever tips.... I have learned many lessons& still do... Kinda of shame to see the site be so inactive

Anonymous said...

Hi, Martin.

Thanks for the site: it's fantastic. I have one question: what do you think about Timothy Ferriss' 30 within 30? (Consuming 30g of protein within 30 minutes of waking). He seems a guy who's pretty open to scientific/unusual diet advice. Is it possible to incorporate this with IF (without shifting the fast to the evening)?

Many thanks.

Anonymous said...

good insight into what it is to be a trailblazer/leader... you take all the arrows as you head into the frontier...

it was funny to see snipits of your conversations i actually know who Don is...

Barry Bliss said...

Good article.
I sent the link to a female friend.
Keep up the good work, Martin.
Barry

Unknown said...

Really great post, I love a woman with definition. Most girls seem to revel in the fact that they can't even do a single pull up these days and giggle about how weak they are. Some I know are always going on about their bullshit diets and how they're fat (even when they're not) it really grates on me how people don't look further than horseshit magazines and 1st page Google results.




My name is Martin Berkhan and I work as a nutritional consultant, magazine writer and personal trainer.

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