Can ladies get a REAL six pack?

[Shotokan-kez]

I'm a woman and only 5ft 1 and weigh in at 8st 13lb so i am very small. I am into weight training and have quite muscley legs and a good strong torso. Unfortunatly i still would like much more muscle. I can't really afford a proper gym, and since my youngest is only 2 years old on no-one to look after him i can't go regulary. Can anyone suggest any healthy good ways of building muscles at home in a safe manner?

Kez

[Aodhan]

Get a bench and a set of adjustable dumbbells such as powerblocks. There are absolutely dozens of different exercises you can do with a good set of dumbbells.

Aodhan

[Meguro]

You may already have a six-pack. It might just be hidden under a layer of fat. You might have already noticed some muscular definition in your arms or legs. That's because you are carrying less fat there beneath the skin. To reveal the six-pack within you get a baby jogger, one of those strollers with big wheels you can push your child around in as you run. Make sure you get a helmet for the baby. Or you can get a rope and start skipping as you watch your child play in the yard.

I'd be cautious about getting complicated exercise equipment for the home if there's going to be a baby crawling about.

[Shotokan-kez]

Thanks for those tips. I am actually considering turning my garage into a gym but it's going to take a lot of hard work and money as it is a mess. I have heard though that my local gym has a creche so i'm going to look into that. Another thing i was worried about is that i am very small and slim, how can i do all this without loosing any weight?

[Orion]

You'll notice that once you start to exercise you get really hungry. Make sure you eat more but eat the right things.

[marie curie]

Yes, and if you aren't a big eater- then be sure to eat some high-calorie foods, meat, and carbs.

[Shotokan-kez]

Yeah i'm not a big eater at all but when i have been karate i feel starving. There is a macdonalds on my way home from karate and i always end up popping in there for a burger lol naughty i know. I do eat lots of pasta, potatoes and salmon with salad.

[Meguro]

Thanks for those tips. I am actually considering turning my garage into a gym but it's going to take a lot of hard work and money as it is a mess. I have heard though that my local gym has a creche so i'm going to look into that. Another thing i was worried about is that i am very small and slim, how can i do all this without loosing any weight?

You can get by without investing a lot of money on exercise equipment that might end up just gathering dust. How many body-weight squats can you do? How many can you do whilst holding your baby? How long can you stand in a horse stance? How long can you do it whilst holding your baby? How many press-ups can you do? How many press-ups can you do with your feet propped up on a chair? As you can see, there are lots of ways to work-out at home without incurring too much expense.

Don't worry about losing too much weight. My philosphy is, I work out hard enough so that I can eat what I want, when I want. Stay away from McD's. Get a stack of fresh fruit as well as frozen berries and protein powder and make sourself some protein shakes.

[Shotokan-kez]

wow yeah, i am very good with stances, all those excersices i can do at home and baby Ethan can help too lol. I had a check up recently with my nurse and she says i have a high metabolism because like you i can eat what i like and then i burn it all off with all the exercise i do. My cholesteral level is low too which is a good thing.

[Aodhan]

As far as the weight loss, you need to figure out how much you burn in a day. There are lots of calculators on the web that will tell you (Approximately) how many calories you need in a day to just and breathe.

Then you figure out how much you burn in exercise, work, etc. and you have your daily caloric needs.

Also, you may notice a slight weight drop initially as you lose body fat, but if you add muscle, you will actually end up gaining weight.

Be careful how much bodyfat you lose. Once you start getting below about 15-17%, you'll notice your chest will decrease in size, you may experience amenorrhea, things of that nature.

turning your garage into a gym is a good goal, and you don't really need a lot of space initially. Again, just a good set of dumbbells and a good bench, and you can do a LOT of exercises.

Aodhan