Wini Linguvic - Lean, Long & Strong: The 6-Week Strength-Training, Fat-Burning Program for Women

Notice

This book is intended as a reference volume only, not as a medical manual. The information given here is designed to help you make informed decisions about your health, diet, fitness, and exercise program. It is not intended as a substitute for professional fitness and medical advice. If you suspect that you have a medical problem, we urge you to seek competent medical help. As with all exercise programs, you should seek your doctors approval before you begin.

Mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this book does not imply endorsement by the publisher, nor does mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities imply that they endorse this book.

Internet addresses given in this book were accurate at the time it went to press.

2005 by Wini Linguvic

Photographs 2005 by Rodale Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

Interior photographs by Mitch Mandel

Book design by Christina Gaugler

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Linguvic, Wini.

Lean, long, and strong : the 6-week strength-training, fat-burning program for women / Wini Linguvic ; foreword by Montel Williams.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 9781609616229 ebook

ISBN 9781579549565 paperback

ISBN 9781594864643 hardcover

1. Weight training for women. 2. Exercise for women. 3. Physical fitness for women. 4. Muscle strength. I. Title.

GV546.6.W64L56 2005

613.7'045dc22

2004018459

We inspire and enable people to improve their lives and the world around them.

rodalebooks.com

For all the women who are just beginning to discover how strong they truly are.

If youre like me, you can count on one hand, maybe two, the number of people whove changed your life. And if your list is like mine, it probably includes your spouse, your kids, a favorite teacher, a dear relative, your mentor, and your best friend. But I have someone on my list that I dont think most people domy personal trainer. I started working out with Wini Linguvic 9 years ago when she introduced me to a fitness philosophy that mirrored my own approach to life. She said that if you believe in yourself, take control of your mind and body, and go outside of your comfort zone, you can move any mountain.

Since weve begun working out together, that mountain has been everything from bench-pressing 10 pounds more than I ever thought I could to living with the challenges, pains, and fears brought on by multiple sclerosis. In 2001, Wini and I wrote the book Body Change, demonstrating how you can change your body in 21 days. We firmly believe thats all it takes to begin changing how you look to the world. But of equal or even greater benefit is that it changes how you look at the world.

Now Wini has designed a precision strength-training program especially for women, and if shes not already on the list of people who have changed your life, I guarantee she will be when you start using this book. No list should be complete without her. But keep in mind that theres only one person who could ever be at the top of that listthats you! If youre reading this book, youve already taken the first step. And with Wini in your corner, youre well on your way.

Montel Williams

In case youre wondering, Im here to give you some answers:

Yes, you can be strong and be graceful.

Yes, you can get fit and still have time for the rest of your life.

Yes, you can enjoy a workout that makes you feel energized and balanced, and sculpts lean, long muscles.

Now, how about some questions: Have you been doing the same workouts for weeks or even months without getting noticeable results? Did you work out regularly in the past, but now feel like you have too little timeor energyto devote to exercise? Have you been spending a lot of time doing cardio workouts, but youre still waiting for your body to improve? Do you love how stretch class or Pilates makes you feel but also want to sculpt your body or firm up certain trouble spots?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, its time to shake up the way you look at your exercise goals. Its time to work out smarter, not harder.

As a personal trainer for more than 20 years, I have had the opportunity to observe a lot of people as they work out. And Ive noticed a frequent pattern: Despite showing up at the gym regularly and completing demanding workouts, many women are getting minimal returns for their efforts. Their bodies dont change. Stomachs dont get flatter. Legs dont get leaner. Arms dont get cut and toned. Yet, amazingly, these women dont question their workouts. Instead, they blame themselves, believing that theyre somehow at fault for not working out hard enough or long enough.

I say its time to place the blame where it really belongs: on the workout. After all, if you had a recipe for Cajun fish and it tasted terrible every time you tried it, wouldnt you conclude that the recipe was flawed? Well, perhaps the recipeyouve been following for flat abs, a firm butt, or shapely legs is flawed as well. In fact, if youre concentrating on just one aspect of fitness, I can guarantee you that it is.

When most women choose an exercise program, they pick a cardio (also known as aerobic) activity, such as walking, running, Spinning, or working out on a stairclimber or rowing machine. Cardio workouts are great for you, no doubt about it. They strengthen your heart and lungs, burn calories, and increase your endurance. But the truth is, they can do only so much; they cant sculpt your body, increase your flexibility, or improve your strength and posture.

Likewise, many women are devoted to their stretching or mind-body classes. Stretching lengthens your muscles, making you more flexible and graceful. But it doesnt burn a lot of calories or fat, and it doesnt give your cardiovascular system a workout. And while mind-body classes offer a great meditative aspect and teach you to connect to your breath, their potential for reshaping the body is limited.

Finally, theres strength training, which is using some form of resistance, such as dumbbells or your bodyweight, to challenge and build muscle. Unfortunately, strength training (also known as weight training) seems to suffer from bad P.R. Somehow, women got the notion that working out with weights would leave them looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger. As a result, very few women do it, but those who do find that it sculpts and firms up their bodies in a way that nothing else can. But as good as it is, it doesnt improve your endurance, increase your lung capacity, or necessarily make you more flexible and graceful.