Training routine for girlfriend

[everlastb2000]

I need any suggestions I can get for a routine for my girlfriend. Recently she has been going to the gym with me and haunting me to death. She claims to want to "tone up" but to her that means walking/jogging on the treadmill for 2 hours with her cell phone attached to her ear then doing endless crunches. I say it like that in order to really get across that she is a girly girl. I have tried getting her to do light resistence training but anything involving a bar is too much because its too heavy and 5lb dumbbells are about the max. I dont know if she is really that weak or if shes exerting 0 effort to portray the helpless girl image. Regardless I would like to be able to give her some advice and get her into a routine that works for her and she enjoys.

[Hawkwind]

I've always pretty much put my female friends on whatever routine I happen to be doing (if they plan on training with me) and just adjust to their limitations.

See if your gym has 'body bars' They range in weight from 8 pounds and up. She can learn the dynamics of correct squat and dead posture with one of those.

She may be a girly-girl...but do her a favor and tell her to get serious if she wants to train with you. Training is enjoyable when you are serious about it. If she wants to spend time with you...then she needs to focus a bit on her training as well and let you focus on yours. Trust me...lay the law down on this one now if you intend to stay with this women for any length of time.

I tend to like 2-3 exercises per body part. 1-3 sets for 8-15 reps depending on what I'm doing. (Calves higher reps - Squats lower reps) I train 4 days a week.

She can also train using machines as she builds up her strength. As for things like the hack sled and 45 degree sled...if she can only move the sled...then by all means...at least get her used to the movement and correct posture and foot placement by pushing just the sled. Add 5 pound increments if that's all she can handle each week.

Same principles of training apply to a woman. If she can only do a one-arm row with 5-10 pounds then so be it...but tell her to work for an increase of a little bit of weight and one more rep on that final set each week. She still needs to work towards her max. Lifting will do her no favors if she sticks to the little colored dumbbells.

So basically...do your set, then coach her to do an identical lighter set, got back to your next set ...etc. That way you can teach her correct form during her set and if she really takes to lifting she'll be on her own in no-time once she gets the gist of things.

The only way she's going to 'tone up' is to put some effort into it.

Sounds to me like part of what she is doing is trying to monopolize your time in the gym a bit. Don't let her get away with it. If she wants to train...she trains the same. (Just lighter)

One last thing...tell her for all the rest of us in the gym...the phone gets shut off and stuffed in the gym bag. Nothing worse than someone blathering along endlessly on their cell next to you.

Good luck with her!