“Las mujeres no se portan así,” your grandmother would say, always. Women don’t act like that. This was usually in reference to doing something in an unsightly way, saying something profane or acting as a man would. That may have made you into the wonderful woman you are today except for one thing: You want to be leaner, sexier and fit.
And guess what. Going to the gym and working out como un hombre might just make those wishes come true.
So let’s talk about working out like a man and see where it gets you. Si no te cae bien, don’t do it. But here are some simple rules to live by for a sexier physique.
Rule 1: Stick to the Basics
Stick to what you know. You may see some crazy new move that you want to add something to in order to make it fun and enjoyable. Although that’s great, try sticking to the multi-muscle exercises like our popular squats and deadlifts. The more muscles you use and get working together, the more fat you will burn.
Though these exercises seem like they’re for men only, lessen the weight, even though heavier weights don’t necessarily make you bulk. Different versions of these exercises are extremely efficient. These include Bulgarian split squats, one leg squats and twist squats.
Rule 2: Less Cardio
Although women are prone to getting on that stair master for at least 30 minutes every time they’re at the gym, it’s not always the answer to burn calories and lose weight. At least, it’s not the most efficient way to do it.
Any cardio workout will burn calories and working with weights is more likely to burn fat. If you are going to do any cardio at all, make it secondary to weight training. This means, do cardio on a different day than your weight training or if you do it the same day, do it after your weight workout. The best thing about lifting weights is that your body works and adapts with the muscle mass that you build, meaning an increase in your metabolism, the burning of more calories and even change your hormones to be able to handle your favorite foods.
Rule 3: More Intensity
The typical male mentality at the gym is “go big or go home.” Guys usually want to work it so that they feel the burn the next day. Just remember, longer workouts are not better workouts. It’s the intensity in the work out that works.
Remember to elevate your heart rate. You should be sweating and feeling your muscles work. Transforming your body doesn’t take a lot of time, however it does take a lot of effort.
If you want an idea of what all out effort feels like, try this simple two-exercise sequence. It’s called a countdown. It might only take 10 minutes, but it might feel like the hardest workout you’ve ever performed. Use this as a baseline for how hard you should be pushing to get the body you want.
Countdown Workout
Perform 10 reps of a kettlebell (or dumbbell) swing
Without rest, do 10 reps of burpees
Still without resting, do 9 reps of the swings
Now do 9 reps of burpees
Continue this pattern until you do just 1 rep of each exercise, trying to rest as little as possible between moves.