Ok guys. My wife is 5’ 7" and about 110 lbs…and to her she would like to be about 125 and more toned. Obivous areas of all women are thighs, butt, and legs. She by no means looks bad now she just wants to gain some weight and tone. So what are some good things for her to do to gain weight…I know muscle gain is one thing…but she is acutally looking to gain some fat as well.
I suggested a weight training routine that works the whole body…but in seperate days…upper one lower next…etc…etc.
I suggested since this is her first time working out…to maybe do 80grams of protien and we can work up from there.
I don’t think gaining weight if it’s fat is the best idea. Is there a reason why she wants to weigh more? Does she feel she’s too thin? Does she eat 5-7 meals per day? Does she currently workout and lift weights?
To gain healthy weight, she should definitely start a weight training program 3-4 days a week and increase her calories. She’ll gain lean muscle mass and not appear “skinny” as she may think she is now (because of her height/weight ratio). If she’s not afraid of gaining weight (rare for a woman), have her eat plenty of good, healthy whole foods like beef, chicken, fish, raw nuts, cottage cheese, whole eggs, plenty of vegetables, some fruit, beans, etc. (Check out JB’s stuff - Massive Eating and Lonnie’s stuff - Temporal Nutrition).
I’d keep the training program simple. Either three whole-body workouts each week, or an upper body/lower body split. She may do well with something along the lines of what Chad Waterbury recommends in his Big Boy Basics article.
And keep the cardio on the minimum side so she doesn’t eat up all the extra calories. Two-three sessions per week for 20-30 minutes will be enough for cardiovascular benefits.
First of all: “tone” is actually a cute PC term for, “gaining LBM”.
And since we’re here on T-Mag and we’re into the straight talk of training/nutrition and NOT into “cute and PC” terminology, dump “tone” from the vocabulary. ;-))
Women vary in the areas of where they store bodyfat, believe it or not. While most do gain in the areas you outlined, not all do.
First thing: what’s your wife’s training/athletic background? If she has absolutely no weight training experience, have her (and you) read, “Dawg School: Beginner Blast Off Program”. That should do it. Another one, is CT’s “Fun with Women”. AND any/all articles by John Berardi as well as the “Looking Good Nekkid” for ideas about nutrition.
Have her begin a Diet/Training log. That’s going to be a must do. Another thing to do in the next two weeks is have her log EVERYTHING she’s eating and at what time. THIS should allow you to find out how much she’s eating in a day and what needs to be modified.
I say two weeks, since that’ll provide you enough info. Usually someone fluctuates on days, due to holidays, weekends, being sick, etc.
I’m not one of those people who say, “begin a full overhaul of your diet NOW!!!” I say, have her begin training and modify (increase protein, adjust carbs, etc.) accordingly. Training for newbies is new territory and requires alot of concentration - have her begin training, just being used to the whole new environment. And that by just becoming physically active alone, newbies do see results.
Wow guys thanks a ton for the quick responses. To clear up a couple things…other than the ocasional walk thru the neighborhood, or playing volleyball she has never worked out with weights.
So starting her off slow is a for sure must.
Only thing I can imagine is her metabolism must be high…its very hard for her to gain. I agree to that I would rather her not just pack on fat…but would perfer her to pack on some muscle. Thats what she wants is to increase her LBM
She has to be the first person a girl who actually wants to gain weight…kinda funny. I think like said with the proper blend of protien and carbs she should be able to pack on a couple extra pounds before summer.
When I get a chance I will do before and after shots of both of us.
Looking into those articles now. Thanks
I have to disagree with Patricia here,
“Tone” refers to “neurogenic tone” and is achieved via low rep, high weight training (i.e. less than 5 reps, more than 80% of 1RM). These, unfortunately, are the exact prescriptions that people are afraid are going to “bulk” them.
Look at the difference in muscle quality between a very ripped Oly or powerlifter (in the lighter weight classes) and some of the high rep pro-bodybuilder types (not all of them fit into this category). The Oly and Powerlifters have more “tone”. Why? Because they lift heavy.
That’s all I really have to add, except more LBM looks good on most people, so Patricia’s more than half right.
Actually fusion, I meet many a woman who tell me, “I eat and I eat, and can never seem to gain weight” - so your wife is one of many. However, after I see the actual amount these women are really eating, I find that it just ain’t the case: they are NOT eating enough to even maintain, let alone gain.
Which is why I suggest your wife does not modify a thing right now, have her just spend the first two weeks documenting it. I gaurantee you’re going to find some interesting things, like maybe, just maybe she hasn’t been eating enough in the first place.
P-Dog, you’ve brought up a very good point and something that I’ve “touched” upon in the past here in the forum. WHY can’t these women just become involved in their OWN desire/want to adapt to a life of physical culture? All it means now is to register and then post a question in a faceless internet forum.
How hard is that? As compared to having to walk into a gym - not at all. It’s the new “first step”. And a step I wish MORE girlfriends and wives would consider to do themselves. I betcha that by becoming more involved in their own process, they’d stick to it longer (perhaps the rest of their lives?) and realize even more, that this is really for them, and them only.
Which is probably why I’ve stuck to this for a wee bit over 20-years now. I chose to begin, had the gumption to take control of my own life and have remained ever committed. No boyfriend holding my hand, just all by my lonesome. And am I glad that was the case!
Hi fusioncom, I identify with your wife. I began lifting because I wanted to gain weight; at 5’7" I was down to 107. I didn’t feel confident in learning the form just by reading about it, so I joined a gym to get 3 free consultations with a trainer. Luckily, I got a pretty good trainer. He wrote up a simple program with mostly machine exercises (probably because I was SO weak) and told me to eat as much as I could. I didn’t keep a food log, and I was eating a completely vegetarian diet – but I gained 30 pounds the first 12 weeks.
On a different note, “tone” has a legitimate, non-PC meaning in muscle physiology: “the natural firmness of muscles when they are not being flexed.” Everyone on this board who wants harder muscles or greater “density” is looking to increase resting tone.
You forgot to separate neurogenic and myogenic tone there buddy.
Besides, when people use that word “tone” if they haven’t included the “neuro” or “myo” in front of it they’re usually refering to a lean, moderately muscular look.
Kind of like the way people keep trying to tell me that the term “muscle memory” refers to the ability to perform a skill without thinking about it (throwing a baseball) whereas that’s called a “motor pattern” or “motor schema”. . . Anyway, end hijack.
There were actually some articles on here specifically on training women, I agree that slowly is the way to start. The hardest thing with a new lifter is keeping them coming back and too much (massive eating, ABBH) too soon will definetly chase them out of the gym.
She’s probably like this guy I know. Back in high school he would eat 1/2 lb of bacon for breakfast and would consume about 1 gallon of whole milk a day. This was just a start really. He used to knock down 4-6 Whoppers from Burger King in a sitting. He couldn’t gain weight to save his ass. He started lifting weights and was drinking some weight gainer shake with an absurd amount of calories and didn’t get much bigger, only stronger. He was beside himself in euphoria when he gained like 2-3 lbs.
Hey, there, I’d recommend that you and your girlfriend just start with the basics, have some fun and settle into a routine, one that she is likely to continue and can build upon.
If the goal were to put on muscle, instead of generic “weight,” which usually involves a higher degree of fat gain than any of us would really like, I’d recommend that she increase calories enough to gain 1/2 pound of scale weight per week in conjunction with a 3- or 4-day-a-week weight lifting program. Food should come from clean sources, and protein requirements should be met; i.e., 1.5g x LBM. Start by reading John Berardi’s article, “7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs.”
The program she uses (and there are plenty here on T-Mag) shouldn’t be that much of an issue. Experiment and try different programs. As I said, find something she likes and can have fun with because if she doesn’t like the program, she’s not likely to continue.
If she’d like a role model or some motivation, find some of Patricia’s pics here on the forum.
Good luck to you, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!!!
