Getting My Wife to Try New Exercises

I am a regular reader of T-Nation, but this is my first time seeking feedback. My problem is convincing my wife to try new exercises. She refuses to read MWA articles. I’ll do my best to break down the issues facing her workouts.

My wife is 5’11 and 165lbs. She started training 12 yrs. ago on the basic exercises and has stuck with them ever since just because it’s easier for her to remember the finer points of each move she performs.

Her body can be described as brachiomorphic (short torso, long thin arms,38DD bust, full glutes, very long thin thighs), but her upper chest is flat with very little muscle and she carries bodyfat mostly around her inner thighs and on her quadriceps. Her arms and delts, upper and lower back, hamstrings and calves are very lean.

I’ve learned through much research that she should be incorporating more unilateral movements into her routine, not only for variety, but also because her body-type demands it. What, if anything, can be said or done to convince her that these moves will benefit her physique and that they are not ‘nothing’ exercises.

Not to be a dick, but it sounds almost like she needs to get over herself before she can move on. My father was the same way, he would never do anything I recommended to him until he fucked his back up. Now he actively reads articles and is fully involved with planning and adjusting his own workouts. He just had to get over the “I know what I’m doing, leave me alone” attitude.

this is a tough situation. if you say the wrong thing, then it could prove disastrous. you should, however, tell her to not be so stubborn and set in her ways. the same program for 12 years…that’s kinda crazy.

what are her goals? does she have any? go from there. ask her about her goals and build your argument around that.