Have a target, a goal, a vision…

One of the main downfalls in people achieving their goals is that they don’t see themselves achieving them. That could be down to the Goal being set unrealistically due to the amount of work needed or in the timeframe it takes to achieve it. Alternatively, it could be down to the lack of confidence and self-belief. Remember, results don’t happen overnight. You need to be consistent.


Women ExerciseThis article will be able to help you with that.
Many women want to look good. They want to feel confident going out with friends, fit into that tight fitted dress, they want to make people jealous when they wear a bikini on holiday and walk along the beach. They want heads to turn when they elegantly walk passed in a nice restaurant. I’m sure you can all relate.
Like being a man, it’s not easy. I’m joking. What we experience is actually a viscous circle. We train hard to look good for an event, a wedding, a holiday etc then afterwards we let ourselves go a little bit by putting on weight, then we start to train hard again to look good. In an ideal world we would remain the same bodyweight and keep our perfect body shape all year round…but that’s not the case.
In reality, women are faced with obstacles such as falling pregnant, being ill, not having the time to train to name a few. But we can still achieve a good physique and be happy with the way we look.

The Perfect Shape
What is the Perfect shape?
What does that mean to you?
Close your eyes and visualise what you want. Think of what you look like now and imagine the perfect you, what would you like to improve?

People will often choose to be like the models or celebrities they see on TV or in magazines. This is down to the misconception that we see. We are lead to believe, that the person looks like that ‘all year round’ which is not true.

For example, people don’t see the intimating fasting, hardcore dieting, double PT sessions, makeup and grooming, airbrushing, liposuction etc that takes place before appearing on TV or for a magazine shoot.
What have I learnt?

In my years of experience as a Personal Trainer and Fitness Professional in the industry, I have worked with lots of women of different ages, sizes and abilities. The majority of them that I have trained, want to lose weight or tone up. The area’s where they want to target and focus on are –

• Legs (Thigh’s)
• Stomach
• Arms (Back – Triceps)

They want their legs to be thinner, their stomach to be flatter and the back of their arms not to be saggy.


Women ExerciseHowever, recently, women want to gain too. They want a bigger, more curved, peachy bum. The narrow waist and bigger bum look means ‘Growing the Glutes!’

Therefore, you must understand that as a woman, if you lift weights, you will not get big and muscular. This is a fear which puts people off resistance and weight training. In order to become muscular, you must first increase your calorie intake and you must perform weights at a high volume. This is called Bodybuilding and takes years of practice, which will not occur when you are lifting weights or following this programme.…is a great reminder of the factors we need to think about when setting a goal. If we have something to aim for we are more likely to achieve. I will give you a basic analogy and make it Dubai specific. For example, you are in a desert, it is 45 degrees and you need to find shade. You look around but can’t find anything. Then you notice a tree in the distance. You keep your eyes poised on the tree and walk directly towards it. Then you find your shade. During the walk you can track your progress as you start to get closer to your goal…which is the tree. You gain confidence and become motivated as you get closer and closer to what you want which is the shade. If you didn’t have anything to aim for, then you would have no direction. No structure, no plan or target. You may start by looking at the tree but you may get distracted. This means you lose focus, direction and it will take you longer to get to where you want. In fact, you would probably still be looking for that tree now, unless you came across it through perseverance or luck. Which we sometimes do, but having a structure for you goal shows consistency. That is the difference between achieving your goal once or achieving your goal more than once.

Training Programme
Here are some exercises which you can try, that will help you get fitter and stronger. It will also help you target the areas women want to improve.
You can do this workout on your own or with a partner.

Warm Up: 5-10 mins
• Bike
• Treadmill
• Cross Trainer.
Stretch: All main muscles
Main Session: 15-20 mins Cardio

• Treadmill: Incline walk min of 5km/h at 3-8% gradient
• Rower intervals: 100m row 30secs rest x10 sets
• Cross Trainer: Steady pace Level 5-10 at 120spm

Resistance
Legs

• Squats: 15-20 reps x3 sets. Start Bodyweight then progress to barbell
• Glute bridge: 20 reps x3 sets, using both legs. Progress to single leg
• Split stance single leg Lunge: 10 reps each leg x3 sets. Start Bodyweight then progress to dumbbells in each hand Stomach
• Plank: 30-45 seconds hold x3 sets
• Side Oblique crunches: 10 reps each side x3 sets
• Scissor Crossovers: 20-30 secs x3 sets, straight legs

Arms – Triceps
• Tricep dips: 20 reps x3 sets
• Overhead extensions: 10-15 reps x3 sets with 5kg plate or dumbbell
• Tricep kickback: 10 reps x3 sets each side with 3-5kg dumbbell
Now to grow the bum or tone your Gluteus Maximus, you can follow the exercises below:
• Lateral half squat walks: 10 steps right then 10 steps left x3 sets. Start Bodyweight then progress to using resistance band
• Curtsy squat: 10 reps x3 sets each leg. Start Bodyweight then progress to using barbell
• Kneeling reverse leg kick back: 10 reps x3 sets each side. Start Bodyweight then progress to resistance band.

Rest period between sets should be 30-60 seconds. When completing the resistance ex-ercises, focus on the area you are working. Think about contracting the muscle each rep so you feel the movement and isolation. Keep the reps controlled and challenge yourself so you feel the burn on the last few reps or toward the end of the set. ■


Nicky Holland Personal TrainerNicky Holland
Personal Trainer
Website: www.nicky-fitness.com
Instagram: @nicky__fitness


Words by: Nicky Holland (Personal Trainer)