Hard Body Training for Women

Even though the T in T-Nation stands for testosterone, and has pics like this:

I love this freaking site! Tons of great info. Here's a great article for women who want to train:
http://www.t-nation.com/workouts/hard-body-training-for-women

Another one is Breaking Muscle.com. They have a ton of FREE workouts - all with a PLAN of getting better and stronger and therefore leaner. Here's a sample. How cool is that?

Also, I have a week's long worth of workout challenges for you guys to try. These are not workouts in themselves, but rather a challenge you can add onto your workouts each day.

Day 1: Squat Tabata Challenge:4 minutes of work - 20 seconds 'on' followed by 10 seconds 'off' for a total of 4 minutes.

 Perform bodyweight squats for 20 seconds, during the 10 second 'rest' hold in the bottom position of the squat, repeat for a total of 8 rounds = until the 4 minutes is up.

 

Day 2: Plank Challenge:

Get into a forearm plank and hold for 30 seconds, go to right side forearm plank for 30 seconds, back to center for 30 seconds, left side for 30 seconds, back to center for 30 seconds - without ever letting your knees touch the ground, then lay down on your belly and lift up into superman pose and hold for the last 30 seconds. Takes 3 minutes!

 

Day 3: Pull Up Challenge:

Try and do 30 pull ups throughout the day. Do 1 here, 3 there, etc, throughout the whole day. Don't worry about the time between sets. Just do a random few here and there throughout your day.

Don't have a pull up bar? use a broomstick between 2 chairs, or do the door knob version.  Can't do pull ups? Do assisted ones with a chair underneath you, or jump up into the pull ups.

 

Day 4: Is a bodyweight hip thruster challenge. How many can you do before stopping? These make my glutes BURN like nothing else. Try to do 100!

 

Day 5: Handstand Hold Tabata

Kick up into a handstand against a wall, hold for 20 seconds, rest for 10 - using the tabata protocol.

If you cannot do a handstand, do an elevated plank with your feet on a table or half way up the wall, on your bed, etc.....

Great for shoulders, triceps and core work.

 

Day 6: Kettlebell swing challenge. Try to do anywhere between 100 and 200 swings without stopping.

 

Day 7: Yoga Lunge Challenge: Get into crescent lunge and hold for one minute, then immediately get into standing frog and hold for one minute, back into crescent lunge - other leg - and hold for one minute. Adjust your stance once again and immediately get back into standing frog and hold for one minute. 4 minutes of static holds on the legs is harder than it seems. Then finally straighten your legs and come into a wide legged forward fold and hold the stretch for one minute.

ENJOY!