workouts for an out of shape girl

[coreyb]

A friend of mine, who is a girl and extremely out of shape wants me to help her out. I'm pretty in shape (do muay thai, run, lift weights, etc) but I'm not sure where I should start with her.

I want to start doing some HIIT runs with her and teach her some boxing but I don't want to burn her out. I've never been SO out of shape so I don't know what she's capable of doing at first.

any suggestions?

 

[dealmaster00]

First, it's worthy to note that men and women should train the same way. If she's out of shape and physically capable, get her on a beginner's strength training program. This will be the most efficient use of her time getting back into shape. One popular example is http://stronglifts.com/strongl...ngth-training-program/ . After she cannot progress any further on this routine she could begin training for a specific sport or for overall fitness (http://www.crossfit.com ).

 

[StageLeft]

A badly out of shape girl will be winded running a lap around a track, so I'd think about fast walking along with very aggressive diet, or elliptical. Again, aggressive diet is key, because it will make her ability to do cardio better, plus the scale is how she'll track progress first and foremost.
Although strength training is important, in my experience it takes a second, and far backseat to simply losing weight for girls. They appear generally to abhor strength training, partly because of how it feels and partly because its benefits are very slow (although that last part is equally applicable to men). They also don't like working around lots of guys, very often.

If she has guts, bring her to the track or somewhere and see how much she can put down. It will be pitiful. Record it, then tell her in a month you're coming back.

A word of warning: most people who are out of shape will stay that way. There is only so much prodding you can do or should do. As with any "hobby" getting others into it is very difficult. Be positive and helpful, but if she starts to wane and slack off a lot, I'd cut that rope immediately because it will be frustrating to see her go down the same path of apathy and frankly there's nothing you can do if she does (chances are she will, but give benefit of the doubt).

 

[BeauJangles]

Before anybody starts giving you advice, you need to figure out how out of shape she is and how much she wants to get into shape. My favorite assessment workout is the Crossfit workout "Cindy:"

20 minutes AMRAP (as many rounds as possible):
5 pullups
10 pushups
15 air squats

Cindy rocks because

A) It's self-scaling. Can't do pullups? Go band-assisted or jumping. Can't do pushups? Cut 2 - 4 out per round.
B) No complicated lifts or ridiculous equipment needed.
C) Assess upper body and lower body strength and gives you an idea of her cardiovascular conditioning.
D) AMRAP means that the trainee works at their own pace.

 

[KoolDrew]

What exactly is her goal?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Everyone here seems to have something different to say. Don't do HIIT to start. That would be demotivating and could actually strain her heart with how unfit you say she is.

You really have to ask her what she likes. If she doesn't know, try some different things. Ideally, if her goal is to firm up and lose weight, getting her diet in check and getting her on a lifting program would be best. If she doesn't like that as much, you can try to have her do that ~2 times a week along with some sort of cardio. Women are infamous for doing cardio upon cardio. Be sure that she knows that weightlifting is going to be the thing that helps her decrease just her body fat rather than both fat and muscle. If she asks why she should be lifting, tell her that you want to make sure that she doesn't end up with the same body composition (body fat %, lean muscle mass) at just a lighter weight since it would look very similar.

So simply put:
1) Fix diet and track calories.
2) Lift 2-3x a week.
3) Cardio when she feels like it.

She WILL lose weight like this. Also, I don't feel a diagnostic of her overall shape is necessary. You know where she's at. When you teach her exercises, just make sure to scale it back. I'm sure you'll learn her strength and cardio limits rather quickly.

And BeauJangles... I think that's a terrible assessment of those who don't exercise. Most girls can't do many assisted pullups/pushups. And it really doesn't tell the OP much about her strength, which is ideally what should be focused on for maintaining lean muscle mass and decreasing body fat %. It tests endurance of muscles and cardio - doesn't test strength much at all. Two people could get the exact number of sets in the 20 minutes, but could lift very, very different numbers.

 

[Kipper]

Slow & steady. She will likely burn out psychologically after a week if you have her going into the gym to lift weights 3x a week off the bat. See if she has friends she can go with, because that seems to yield a better result in the studies I have seen.

If someone is looking for general fitness I really think that finding something physical they enjoy is a good launching point (dancing, marital arts, tennis, etc.) because it encourages them to stick with it. You can work on more detailed workouts (weights, etc.) as you advance, but sedentary people do not go from sedentary to proficient overnight - and an physical-psychological experience as intense as the gym off the bat is likely to cause someone to jump ship after a while.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Kipper
Slow & steady. She will likely burn out psychologically after a week if you have her going into the gym to lift weights 3x a week off the bat. See if she has friends she can go with, because that seems to yield a better result in the studies I have seen.

If someone is looking for general fitness I really think that finding something physical they enjoy is a good launching point (dancing, marital arts, tennis, etc.) because it encourages them to stick with it. You can work on more detailed workouts (weights, etc.) as you advance, but sedentary people do not go from sedentary to proficient overnight - and an physical-psychological experience as intense as the gym off the bat is likely to cause someone to jump ship after a while.

Since when did going to the gym become an intense experience? I've brought many people into the gym and, as long as you make them feel comfortable in the environment and address some gym quirks with humor, they'll be pretty open and driven if they are goal-oriented. Nobody asked her to be proficient - the point is to introduce her to some new things and the thought that if she wants to get in better shape, she's going to have to do a few things that she might not fully enjoy. She'll enjoy the results very much though. If the OP is understanding, not overbearing, and makes the gym a fun experience, then there's no worries with going there to work out.

 

[dealmaster00]

Originally posted by: Kipper
Slow & steady. She will likely burn out psychologically after a week if you have her going into the gym to lift weights 3x a week off the bat. See if she has friends she can go with, because that seems to yield a better result in the studies I have seen.

If someone is looking for general fitness I really think that finding something physical they enjoy is a good launching point (dancing, marital arts, tennis, etc.) because it encourages them to stick with it. You can work on more detailed workouts (weights, etc.) as you advance, but sedentary people do not go from sedentary to proficient overnight - and an physical-psychological experience as intense as the gym off the bat is likely to cause someone to jump ship after a while.

Lifting for the first few weeks tends to be light since the trainee will be learning proper form.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
What exactly is her goal?

 

[Kipper]

Originally posted by: dealmaster00

Lifting for the first few weeks tends to be light since the trainee will be learning proper form.

I wasn't referring to the physical exertion as much as doing something you're not used to, period. Going directly from sedentary lifestyle -> weights might be too much of a jump for a person if their fitness level is rather low.

We are talking about making major changes to a lifestyle, and making all of those changes at once is pretty much guaranteed to not last.

 

[Kipper]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Since when did going to the gym become an intense experience? I've brought many people into the gym and, as long as you make them feel comfortable in the environment and address some gym quirks with humor, they'll be pretty open and driven if they are goal-oriented. Nobody asked her to be proficient - the point is to introduce her to some new things and the thought that if she wants to get in better shape, she's going to have to do a few things that she might not fully enjoy. She'll enjoy the results very much though. If the OP is understanding, not overbearing, and makes the gym a fun experience, then there's no worries with going there to work out.

In my experience people who step into a gym for the first time (particularly women) can be intimidated and overly self-conscious - the same is true of men, but of both genders especially if they are sedentary and/or out of shape. Add to this someone who is untrained, and you have an pretty elevated level of psychological and physical stress...hence: "intense."

Call me a pessimist, but I've seen and spoken to far too many people who tried to get into working out, signed up for gym memberships with friends, and by two months they'd quit. Why? Too many changes all at once, they didn't feel comfortable, intimidated by other people working out, too much exertion, blah blah blah - a dozen different justifications for quitting. That's why I think some physical activity you enjoy is a good place to start.

You have suggested her fixing her diet, lifting 2-3 times a week, and cardio all at once. This is someone who, presumably, needs a lot of changes. Far too much at once.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Kipper

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Since when did going to the gym become an intense experience? I've brought many people into the gym and, as long as you make them feel comfortable in the environment and address some gym quirks with humor, they'll be pretty open and driven if they are goal-oriented. Nobody asked her to be proficient - the point is to introduce her to some new things and the thought that if she wants to get in better shape, she's going to have to do a few things that she might not fully enjoy. She'll enjoy the results very much though. If the OP is understanding, not overbearing, and makes the gym a fun experience, then there's no worries with going there to work out.

In my experience people who step into a gym for the first time (particularly women) can be intimidated and overly self-conscious - the same is true of men, but of both genders especially if they are sedentary and/or out of shape. Add to this someone who is untrained, and you have an pretty elevated level of psychological and physical stress...hence: "intense."

Call me a pessimist, but I've seen and spoken to far too many people who tried to get into working out, signed up for gym memberships with friends, and by two months they'd quit. Why? Too many changes all at once, they didn't feel comfortable, intimidated by other people working out, too much exertion, blah blah blah - a dozen different justifications for quitting. That's why I think some physical activity you enjoy is a good place to start.

You have suggested her fixing her diet, lifting 2-3 times a week, and cardio all at once. This is someone who, presumably, needs a lot of changes. Far too much at once.

I think it can go that way, but the OP has a say in preventing that.

I agree about the last part though and in the fat loss sticky suggest taking on one thing at a time. To be perfectly honest, I would have her modify her diet first for 4-8 weeks alone then introduce something she liked most for a few more weeks, then see if I could get her into the gym. By the time I would be getting her into the gym, she would already have increased confidence because of the results via diet and enjoyable exercise that she would have few problems in the gym. I've done this with quite a few people and it's a nice transition.

 

[alkemyst]

not enough info.

HIIT is not for everyone though. I'd keep it more conventional at first.

 

[coreyb]

Her goal is to lose like 15-20lbs. That's all she's really worried about ATM. I'm not expecting a lot out of her but she's helping me with some personal stuff so this is the only way I can return the favour.

 

[alkemyst]

what is her diet like, activity now, etc....

 

[coreyb]

I was thinking of getting her started with the warmups we do in muay thai. Lot's of skipping and between rounds do some squats, pushups, situps, etc. It's not super hard but will be a good start for her. All girls know how to skip (from what ive seen) so i think she'd like doing that.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: coreyb
Her goal is to lose like 15-20lbs. That's all she's really worried about ATM. I'm not expecting a lot out of her but she's helping me with some personal stuff so this is the only way I can return the favour.

If she wants to lose weight, you'd be doing her much more of a favor by helping her with her diet. See the fat loss sticky for more info.

 

[The Sauce]

Pick up this month's edition of On Fitness mag and try out the compact chains workout.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: coreyb
I was thinking of getting her started with the warmups we do in muay thai. Lot's of skipping and between rounds do some squats, pushups, situps, etc. It's not super hard but will be a good start for her. All girls know how to skip (from what ive seen) so i think she'd like doing that.

The thing is, she cannot do that by herself because she won't know what to do. It also has the potential to be pretty tough. I'd drop her on an elliptical or treadmill for initial cardio.