Fear of the Iron

[Qaash]

I'm trying to go into the PT biz part-time and imagine I'll be dealing with more women as clients than men and would like to know if any of you ladies started off adverse to lifting iron? If so, how did you overcome this, what convinced you you wouldn't turn into Ronnie Coleman overnight?

[MRT]

My Mr's has a fear of the iron, my wrinkled up clothes have been sitting in that basket for a week!!!!!

[GirlyMuscle]

Wish I could help you but I always wanted muscle. I was never askeerd of the iron.

[Gaoshang Xiongshou]

My Mr's has a fear of the iron, my wrinkled up clothes have been sitting in that basket for a week!!!!!


I hope you never catch that iron across the face :p

[sassy69]

If you can show them how to incorporate straight lifting into a program that isn't focused on lifting - i.e. demonstrate that it is a tool vs "turning into a man", by including a variety of training methods - e.g. core training w/ bosu ball, kettlebells, etc. A whole bunch of the trainers at my gym do this. You rarely see the women using straight up weight eqpt. But given that, I wish they'd incorporate more in so it is just another part of the program vs OMG I"M GONNA TURN INTO A MAN.

The simple answer re: too much muscle, is that they don't naturally produce enough testosterone to build that much mass naturally. It would take years of muscle maturity & targeted dieting & hypertrophy training to get that look.

[Qaash]

My Mr's has a fear of the iron, my wrinkled up clothes have been sitting in that basket for a week!!!!!

That was funny...

[MRT]

Tell them the more muscle they gain, the quicker they will lose the fat

[Qaash]

If you can show them how to incorporate straight lifting into a program that isn't focused on lifting - i.e. demonstrate that it is a tool vs "turning into a man", by including a variety of training methods - e.g. core training w/ bosu ball, kettlebells, etc. A whole bunch of the trainers at my gym do this. You rarely see the women using straight up weight eqpt. But given that, I wish they'd incorporate more in so it is just another part of the program vs OMG I"M GONNA TURN INTO A MAN.

The simple answer re: too much muscle, is that they don't naturally produce enough testosterone to build that much mass naturally. It would take years of muscle maturity & targeted dieting & hypertrophy training to get that look.

True and I know this, the problem is convincing my clients of this as well.

[MRT]

heres a good one tell them if they train with weights the food will feed the muscle and not the fat

[Angela123]

my gosh...it is so hard to convince women. i never was scared of it, so i cant give you my personal story. i hear women all the time say, "i want to get tight and toned but not big." so, so funny. its almost that they have to find out themselves. they have to go through the countless hours of being a cardio bunny and starvation and dropping lots of weight but still realizing they are soft and flabby. its always after all of that, that they then say, "ok...im ready to tone up now." lol...so funny...they dont realize they could have been losing weight as well as toning up, all while not doing as much cardio and eatign more, if they just would have lifted weights in the first place.

the best is they say they dont want to get big like me. then i nicely point out how small i actually am. this comment is always said by a women bigger than me. i dont get it. i guess they just associate big arms as big all over. bc it's always the ones who have big asses, thick waists and fat legs who say this...yet dont want to get big like me lol.

but yes...like sassy said...you have to get it through their head that women simply dont have the test in their system to bulk up quick. plus its not like they are going to be spending 4 or 5 exercises on each bodypart. most likely they will want a circuit program. they simply cannot get big by doing one set of light db curls once a week. and you should explain to them that when bb gain muscle...they are eating lots. these women wont be eating a whole lot to even gain a lot of muscle. yes they will put on some lean muscle weight...but they wont be packing it on and getting all bulky. you also should explain to them that when they see pix of or see a bb in person, when they are prepping...they actually are at their smallest...they arent putting on more muscle then just shedding all fat...they just are ripped like crazy and have no bodyfat, so they have nothing covering their muscles. mainly they only put on msucle in offseason when they are laying on the carido and eating lots. and again...these women will be doing cardio and on a sensible diet to lose fat...so let them know it wil be pretty hard to pack on the bulk muscle that way.

if you still cant convince them to try weights...then do simply corre movement or moves using the buso ball. ive also found that kettleballs are good to use. it tricks them. women are used to looking at a db and thinking, "that is bad, it will get me big." they dont have that same connection to a kettleball. so while a kettleball weights just as much as a db..they dont associate it with big muscles lol.

[sassy69]

True and I know this, the problem is convincing my clients of this as well.


Then ask them why they think that will happen? If its based on nothing but crap they heard, then they are being stupid. Tell them to think about it.... If women could get big from throwing around the pink weights don't you think you'd see a lot more big beefy women around? Jeezus.. a baby weighs more than any weights they'll ever pick up & you don't see new mommies w/ thick backs & 18" biceps. Explain how nutrition works. These are the same people who think all carbs are bad & starving yourself will help you lose weight.

[NJMuscle]

Not afraid of the Iron....looking for a GF whos not either.