Body for Life?

[jamie S]

Hi i'm a 24 yr old female - Please advise!!

I brought the body for life book - am impressed with it BUT the exercise program looks tailored to men? i.e its pyramids right (heavy weights and low reps)

My question is - should i follow his program to a T...
I dont want to get bulky - i know you will say women dont get bulky -its not possible - but i SEE them in the gym WOMEN with bulky quads and shoulders.

Its not the look I want. Can you please advise as to whether to do BillPhillips way or to modify it?
Also is 20 mins cardio on an empty stomach reallyenuf to burn up sig fat?

anyone done the program...appreaciate your help ,,,

ps - i'm 5'7, 132 lbs and 21.5 % body fat.
I want to tone/sculpt - and get rid of the lower ab pooch

 

[flex4life]

Congrats on starting a program!
see thread 'when 30+ 30 does not equal 60' for your cardio question- great info on effective cardio
also, cruise the women's board for more info on how women train, diets, etc...
heavy weights build more muscle which is metabolically expensive- a more more muscular physique will burn more cal even at rest & make fat loss easier- ie: more lean mass=decreased bf%
Women do not make enough testosterone to build big muscles without some sort of enhancment.
Good luck & welcome to the boards.

 

[Onenameleft]

20 min of cardio is enough to burn fat, but there's no reason for you to stop there if you can do more. The more you do (within reason), the better. An hour of cardio isn't overdoing it and as long as you are in good enough shape to handle it, you'll be fine. Remember that Bill Phillips tailored his book to beginners just getting into working out, and at that level 20 min is a good place to start. If you are just starting out, do 20 min a day, and work you way up maybe 5 minutes each week. Try to think of fitness as a marathon and not a sprint. Long term changes and progress are best. As far as lifting, his routine will not bulk you if you eat as he prescribes. Adding muscle is very much a product of diet, and for women to gain significant bulk, they have to eat a lot. As long as you are eating below or at your maintanence calories, you don't need to worry about getting 'bulky'. Those women that have muscular physiques at the gym have worked hard TRYING to build them. You won't get muscular by accident. Follow his program. Watch your diet, and you'll be fine.