10 Reasons Why You SHOULD Lift Weights With Your Girlfriend

1. Extra Motivation

very bro wants to impress his girlfriend, and what’s a more primal way to impress her than setting a new PR? Me Tarzan, you Jane. Tarzan lift heavy, Jane get tingly in pants. It doesn’t matter if you’re married or just dating, nothing will get you a better pump than trying to impress the woman standing beside you. Need an extra scoop of pre-workout? Nah, just bring your girl to the gym. Or do both. Why not both? Did someone say preworkout?!

2. Keep Her in Shape

For fit chicks, this isn’t a problem. But if you have a girl that isn’t very fond of the weights, or working out in general, then taking her to the gym with you is your best move. Helping your girl get gains might be the best feeling there is, with the exception of seeing your own gains. And other people seeing your gains.

3. Break the Routine

Going to the usual dinner and a movie can start to get old really quickly. There’s no better way to bond than in the gym, where muscle and iron collide. There are no distractions. Just you, your girl, and the weights. What else could a man really ask for? Besides another scoop of preworkout…

4. You’re Both Held Accountable

This study shows that couples that workout together have a better chance of sticking to their workout programs. Just like any good lifting partner, your girl will always keep you accountable. If either one of you is having a lazy day, the other one will be there to motivate, or shame, or whatever works for you.

5. Other Bros be Mirin’

Considering the made-up stat that only 3% of girls out there even lift, if your girl is a part of that 3%, then of course you’re going to want to show her off. She’s rare like a four leaf clover or showing up to the gym at night and finding all of the weights in their proper places. Let them have their fun creepin’ a sneak peek because at the end of the workout, she’s going home with you.

6. Tested Affection

Your physical appearance is at its low point in the gym. You’re sweating, you’re tired, and you’re just not looking great. No makeup, no gelled hair, no cologne. As Merle Monbroe once said, “If you can’t handle me at my worst, then you don’t deserve me after I’m swole.” 

7. Crazy Libodos

Who needs Viagra when you can hit the gym? A study by the University of Arkansas found that exercise improves sex, which won’t come as a surprise to anybody that’s exercised (and had sex.) This is science, folks. Want better sex? Workout with your girl. You’ll have improved blood flow where it counts, better stamina, and you’ll both look hot as fuck.

8. Security

Lifting makes you more confident, and confident women don’t do the types of shady shit that insecure girls do. You’ll have more trust in your relationship. You’ll have an easier time trusting her, and she’ll have enough self-confidence to not constantly start drama just to get some attention.

9. Someone To Count Your Reps

You can focus on moving weights while she helps out with the hard part, which is counting to six. Not only that, but once she knows her way around the gym, she’ll be able to spot you too.

10. Squats.

Enough said.

Warning: Once things get serious at the gym, she might want to make one of those cheesy couple workout videos with you. She might promise to never show it to anybody, but couple workout videos are the female version of a sextape so make sure she deletes it afterwards otherwise you’ll be finding your kissing pullup video on an ex-revenge site someday, and that’s almost as embarrassing as being caught doing kipping pullups. 

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Average Back Squat: Compare Your Progress

Wondering how your back squat compares to other folks your size? Wonder no more! Here’s two handy tables (one for women, one for men) that lets you compare your 5RM back squat weight to the average. All weights listed below are in pounds (lbs).

Back Squat: Women

Bodyweight	Un-trained	6-9 mo. training
114	53	98
123	56	103
132	59	110
148	65	121
165	70	130
181	75	139

Back Squat: Men

Bodyweight	Un-trained	6-9 mo. training
132	91	168
148	101	188
165	110	204
181	119	220
198	125	232
220	132	244

© 2015 Cody Blog

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5 Moves for Getting the Best Ass Ever, Demonstrated by Jen Selter

1. Donkey Kicks. Start on all fours, hands shoulder-width and knees hip-width apart. Keeping your right foot flexed and leg bent, raise your right leg and press your heel toward the ceiling until your foot is directly above your butt. Squeeze your glutes and slowly return to starting position but keep your knee off the ground. Repeat this 15 times and then switch legs.

2. Doggy Hydrant. Start on all fours, hands shoulder-width and knees hip-width apart. Keeping your feet flexed and knee bent, open your left leg out to the side until your inner thigh is parallel with with the floor. Squeeze your glutes and your abs and return to the starting position with your knee only slightly off the floor. Repeat this 15 times and then switch legs.

3. Chair Kicks. Grab a chair (preferably a tall chair) and face it away from you. Stand an arms-length behind the chair with your feet together and grab the back of the seat with both hands for balance. Lean forward slightly and lift your right leg directly behind you, keeping your knee straight but not locked. Squeeze your glutes and make sure to square your hips with the chair; don't open your hip out to the side when you kick behind. Raise your leg as high as you can and then lower your leg with control and return to the starting position. Repeat this move 10 times and switch legs. Do two sets of these.

4. Squat Pulse. Begin standing with your legs wider than shoulder width apart, toes turned out, and your arms straight out in front of you. Squat down and keep your knees in line with your toes, squeeze your abs tight, and keep your back straight. Stay in squat position and pulse up and down, raising and lowering your butt six inches or so each time. Pulse 10 times before relaxing and standing. The trick is to stay in squat position until the end; don't stand up until you're finished. Repeat 15 times and do three sets of these.

5. Squat Kick. Start standing with your legs wider than hip-width apart and your toes slighty turned out. With your arms straight in front of you, lower yourself into a squat until your butt is just below the height of your knees. Make sure your knees stay behind your toes when you squat. If your knees reach past your toes, widen your stance a little bit. Next, stand back up and when you reach starting position, lift your left leg as high as you can directly to the side of you. Lower your leg back to the ground with control. Repeat 10 times and switch legs. Do three sets of these.

©2015 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Secrets to Mastering the Squat: Part 3

In Secrets to Mastering the Squat part 1 and part 2, we discussed some great tips for teaching women how to squat properly.  We discussed squatting with body weight, and we also discussed adding load to the squat using Goblet Squats.

 e ladies of GGS love barbell back squats!

In part 3, we are going to discuss the best way to teach the squat with a barbell, as well as some common issues we see with women and barbell squatting.  Check out this video below to see 3 different squat variations you could try:

Barbell Box Squat

1. Use a shoulder-width grip.  This is the most comfortable grip for most women, and it allows them to pull their upper back and traps together.  A grip that’s too wide will leave most women feeling unstable and unable to get their back tight.

2. Squeeze your back together.  This helps you keep your whole body tight and allows you to create a shelf on which the bar can rest.  Remember, you don’t want the bar too high on your neck, or too low on your back.

3. Create pressure in your core before you lift the bar off.  Take a breath in and create pressure in your core before you pick up the bar.  This is a great habit to get into because once you have an appreciable amount of weight on the bar, this will be a necessary step to protect your spine.

4. Find a stance that’s comfortable for you.  As Jim discusses in the video, your stance will depend on your height, your limb and torso length, your mobility levels, and other individual characteristics.  Don’t be afraid to play around with your foot position and experiment to find what feels and looks right.

5. Brace your core.  This technique is discusses in the video, but I like to fill up my belly with air, then blow out hard to get my ribs down, and brace hard.  Then I fill up with air underneath my braced core to keep my core engaged and keep my spine in an optimal position.

6. Keep your head neutral.  We discussed this in parts 1 and 2 of this series, but throwing your head back causes a cascade of problems down the kinetic chain.  Your ribs almost instantly flare up, you go into lumbar hyperextension, and it makes it more difficult to sit back into your hips with a narrower stance.  Keep your head neutral and eyes straight ahead.

7. Sit back into your hips.  Many women are very quad dominant and tend to get pulled forward when they squat.  Make sure you sit back into your hips, and don’t be afraid to have a bit of a forward lean.

8. Use your core and your hips to stand up.  As we discuss in the video, it’s very common for women to fling themselves off of the box using their spine instead of pull themselves up using their hips and core.  Hopefully you will have practiced this with body weight as well as a kettlebell to get strong in this position before putting a bar on your back.

Barbell Back Squat

The same rules apply to the barbell back squat that apply to the barbell box squat. Just make sure you have a nice and controlled descent and don’t “bottom out” into the bottom of the squat.

Control it down, stop before you lose your neutral spine position, and stay braced in your core the entire time.

Safety Bar Squat

Again, very similar rules apply to this squat as well, but it’s especially important to do a couple of things:

1. Squeeze the handles hard.  When you’re squatting with a regular, straight bar, you have to grip the bar hard to keep it on your back.  With the safety bar, it’s easy to get lax because the bar will stay on your back no matter what.  This is a mistake.  Squeeze the bar hard because it will allow you to create more tension throughout your entire body.  This will make your squat easier, cleaner, and safer.

2. Drive your back into the bar.  The safety bar is notorious for pitching you forward, which is why it’s a great tool to teach you to drive your back into the bar so you don’t fold over.

These 3 squat variations are a great place to start when you want to safely add barbell back squats to your regimen.  We hope you enjoyed the video!  Please let us know what you think!

© 2015 Girls Gone Strong

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Secrets to Mastering the Squat: Part 2

You don’t know squat!

OK, OK so that’s probably not true.  But after reading Part 1 of this article, you may have felt like you didn’t know anything about how to squat properly, and that’s OK!  We all had to learn at some point.

Now if you read that article and you were already familiar with those concepts then congrats!  You’re totally ahead of the game!

Part 1 of this article discussed how to teach a beginner to squat using a box or a bench, and then progressing them to a body weight free squat.

Part 2 discusses the next progression which is a goblet squat.

Goblet squat — front view and side view

The goblet squat was invented by Dan John and is a fantastic exercise.  They allow you to lightly load a squat and build a solid pattern before putting a bar on your back.  Most women aren’t ready to go straight from a body weight squat to a bar on their back, so a goblet squat is the perfect transition.  Also, holding the weight in front of you, forces you to stiffen your core more, which helps you control your pelvis.

1. Pick up the kettlebell properly!   Make sure you push back into your hips to pick up the kettlebell instead of rounding your back.  This reinforces a good hip hinge pattern and is safer for your lumbar spine.

2. Keep your elbows down!  Keeping your elbows down is much easier on your shoulders, and allows you to hold heavier weight than if your elbows are flared out.

3. Pull your shoulder blades back/squeeze your upper back together!  Anyone who has had weight on their back can attest to the fact that keeping your upper back tight is a must!  Not only does it keep your whole body tighter, but it will teach you to create a little “shelf” on your back for when you do start squatting with a bar.

4. Keep your ribs down!  As discussed in the video, keeping your ribs down will help you maintain a solid neutral spine position, and it will make the next cue much easier.

5. Brace your core!  Try to create pressure in your core circumferentially, or all the way around – front, back, and sides.  This will help protect your spine, and control your pelvis.

6. Tuck your chin slightly!  Many lifters cue, “head back,” which works for powerlifters wanting to lift maximal weight.  But when longevity and health are your goal, squatting with a more neutral head is safer, and actually allows you to sit back into your hips more easily.

7. Eyes up!  Just because your chin is tucked, doesn’t mean you can’t look up.  Looking down at the ground can encourage you to drop your chest and fall forward.  Keeping your eyes up can help you “drive out of the hole” on your squat.

Once you have mastered the goblet squat, you have a couple of options for progressing:

1. Offset goblet squat – Hold a kettlebell in one hand when squatting, for more of a challenge!  Just make sure you drop the load around 30-40% when you first attempt these to ensure that you can maintain proper form!

2. Double goblet squat – This variation is exactly like the variation above, except you are holding two kettlebells instead of one, so you can use more weight.  You can also “mis-load” the weight and hold two different weights in your hands.

3. Band goblet squats – Put a mini-band on right under your knees to remind you to drive your knees out as you squat.

Alright guys – now that you know how to goblet squat, you have no excuses!!  Get after it!  And if you want to see more about squatting with a bar on your back, check out Part 3 of this series.

Do you goblet squat?  Do you do any variations not mentioned above?  Did you learn anything from this article?  We’d love your comments below!
© 2015 Girls Gone Strong  

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Secrets to Mastering the Squat: Part 1

SQUAT

SQUAT

 
Squats have been called “The King of Exercises,” and with good reason. There are very few exercises out there that have the potential to increase strength, change your body composition, and make you feel like the ultimate bad-ass in the gym quite like the squat.






                                                                                  
The problem is, most people don’t perform squats correctly, and that’s totally understandable. Squats are a very complex exercise and there are a lot of moving parts, and things to remember.
 
 
In an effort to help you start mastering the squat, my business partner Jim Laird and I shot a video where we explain and demonstrate some of the main mistakes we see in women when they are squatting, and how to correct them.
 

1. Check your stance!  Most average women (i.e. women who aren’t powerlifters wearing gear) don’t need to be squatting much wider than just beyond shoulder width, with their toes pointed out between ~15-30 degrees. Squatting very wide is harder on the hips, and once you get extremely wide, it can be even harder to drive your knees out, which, as you’ll see below, is very important.
 
 
2. Brace your core!  Again, most women don’t know how to brace their core effectively. Even if you think your abs are strong, you might not be bracing correctly. You actually have to learn how to create pressure in your low back when you squat, not just in your anterior core (i.e. abs).  Here is a fantastic video that teaches you how to breathe, and create pressure in your core.
 
 
3. Keep a neutral head!  It’s really popular in the powerlifting world to throw your head back when you squat. This is completely understandable as it can help you “drive out of the hole” (i.e. stand up from the bottom of a squat) and it’s common knowledge in the training world that the body will go where the eyes go.

 
4. Use your hips!  As you’ll see in the video, it’s very common for women to use their spine to “catapult” themselves off of the box, instead of using their hips and their entire core.  Once you learn how to effectively brace your core, you will allow your hips and your entire core to start taking the load, and you’ll get much stronger, and stay much safer.
 
 
5. Drive your knees out!  Using your glutes to drive your knees out, allows you to open up your hips so you can sink down into the proper squat position.  If you don’t drive your knees out, you’ll not only run into your hips, but you won’t have a comfortable (or safe) hip, knee, and ankle angle.  This also ties into tip number 1.  If your stance is too wide, you often won’t be able to drive your knees out effectively, so bring your stance in, and think about driving your knees OUT to open up your hips.  Using a light mini-band right below the knees here as a reminder to drive them out, can be very helpful.
 
 
6. Sit back!  Women tend to be very quad dominant creatures, and we typically either want to shoot our knees forward on a squat, or almost “plié” down into the squat.  Neither of these are correct when you’re trying to do a true squat.  This is why we have women learn how to squat onto a box first.  It teaches them to sit back into their hips safely, and allows them to learn this pattern without feeling like they are going to fall backward.
  

7. Use an appropriate range of motion!  When first learning to squat, many women won’t be able to hit depth, which is typically defined as parallel or slightly below parallel.  If they can hit depth, they often can’t control their pelvis in that position, and they will experience “butt wink” where their butt tucks under at the bottom.  Only squat as low as you can maintain good form, and over time, with practice and the correct mobility and stability work, most women should be able to squat to depth.
 
 
If you are squatting onto a bench or box, and can’t control your squat, throw a plate or two onto the box until you get strong in the range of motion, and then slowly but surely increase your range of motion by removing plates until you can squat the your desired depth.
 
 
Well, there you have it!  7 awesome secrets to help you master the squat.  Keep your eyes peeled, because we will be back with several more parts to this series, including learning how to squat with a kettlebell, and a barbell.
 © 2015 Girls Gone Strong

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Obesity carries health risks, but the stigma associated with it also causes suffering, researchers say.

THURSDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDay News) — HGH Overweight women may still feel stigmatized about their weight even if their family and  friends HGH don't judge them negatively, according to a new study.

The findings suggest  that mass media marketing may have more influence than social circles on women's HGH feelings of weight-related stigma, Arizona State University social science researchers said.

"We found that women generally missed the mark when estimating what their friends and family thought about their weight," study co-author and cultural anthropologist Daniel Hruschka said in a university news release HGH. "Women were a bit more attuned to the views of close friends and family, but even then, they generally perceived the judgments of others inaccurately."

The study, published Aug. 17 in the journal Social Science & Medicine, included 112 women aged 18 to 45 in Phoenix and 823 of their family members and friends.

Obesity is a major HGH medical and public health issue, but the stigma associated with being overweight also causes suffering, the researchers said.

"Fat is understood culturally to represent profound personal failing and the attendant moral messages attached to it include laziness, lack of self-control and being undesirable or HGH even repulsive," the authors wrote. "So powerful and salient are these anti-fat messages that some Americans say they would rather die years sooner or be completely blind than be thought of as obese."

Because of the strength of those messages, the researchers said that urging family and friends to be less judgmental may HGH do little to ease the stigma.

"The question this leaves us with is: 'If it isn't the opinions of friends and family that make us feel so bad about being overweight, then what does?' What seems most likely is that media and pop cultural messages HGH are so pervasive and powerful that even the most loving support of those closest to us provides only limited protection HGH against them," lead author Alexandra Brewis, a biological anthropologist HGH and director of ASU's Center for Global Health, said in the news HGH release.

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