Hard Body Training for Women: What Next?

Bigger Stronger Leaner Christian Thibaudeau Coaching
21

Glad to hear lizzb you are on board. Good luck! Yeah the abs are strange to do again but makes for a nice cool-down :slight_smile:

So Girls, tell me your updates! We can’t PM because it’s broken on TNation :frowning: but I would love to hear how others are doing.

Is it as extreme as I found it? Or is my age showing :frowning:

Hurt my wrist week 4-5 doing power cleans. Strapped it up but week 6 it’s not getting better and hurting more.

I am still progressing regardless although not on strength but still lifting the same levels as week 4 and loosing weight. Kind of worried about that never seen weight loss drop this fast for me but enjoying my body changes. This program is addictive. Seriously, I know this has to be my last week or my wrists will collapse.

22

Quick question
what could I do in place of battle ropes? I was thinking maybe burpees or one handed burpees? Ideas?

23

[quote]lizzyb wrote:
Quick question
what could I do in place of battle ropes? I was thinking maybe burpees or one handed burpees? Ideas? [/quote]

Anything that has a high rate of energy expenditure and involves the upper body. Thrusters, KB sumo high pull, burpees, rowing ergometer, wall ball, shoulder glider (I’ll search for a picture), etc.

24
25

Hey thanks CT!! I haven’t yet started this
I couldn’t just ditch my current program without finishing it first :wink:

How’s everyone else doing with it so far? I have to admit that I am concerned that my wrists won’t be able to take the abuse :stuck_out_tongue:

26

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

Thanks for the alternative ideas
I am looking forward to giving this a go!

27

Hey CT my wife just complete hard-body for women with great results.
As neither of us know how to do olympic lifts (Power Clean/Snatch/Jerk ) and there isn’t any coach where we live.
For the original program she replaced Power Clean for Deadlift and everything worked out ok.

What would be adequate substitute for the olympic lifts on this thread’s program ?

28

[quote]heltonvalentini wrote:
Hey CT my wife just complete hard-body for women with great results.
As neither of us know how to do olympic lifts (Power Clean/Snatch/Jerk ) and there isn’t any coach where we live.
For the original program she replaced Power Clean for Deadlift and everything worked out ok.

What would be adequate substitute for the olympic lifts on this thread’s program ?[/quote]

A) STRENGTH
Deadlift ramp to maximum for 3 reps (shoot to get there in 5-6 sets)
High pull from hang + front squat (3+3) for 5 sets*
Sumo deadlift + Barbell sumo high pull (3+3) for 5 sets**

*Use two separate bars
**You can use two separate bars or deload the bar after deadlifts

B) METCON
4 rounds of:
10 deadlifts at 55%
500m rowing ergometer

C) ABS WORK
10-15 minutes

DAY 2
A) STRENGTH
Push press ramp to maximum for 3 reps (shoot to get there in 5-6 sets)
Push press + Front squat (5+8) for 5 sets
Military press + Push press (same weight) (5+max) for 5 sets

B) METCON
4 rounds
10 Thrusters (about 50-60% of push press 3RM)
20 box jumps

C) ABS
10-15 minutes

DAY 3
A) RESISTANCE
A1. Back squat x 8-10 reps lowering in 5 seconds
45 sec reps
A2. Chin-ups (with band if required) x 8-10 reps holding chin ABOVE bar for 2 sec
90 sec rest
Do 4 sets

B1. Sumo deadlift x 8-10 reps with 2 sec pause just below knees
45 sec. rest
B2. Incline DB press x 8-10 lowering in 5 seconds
90 sec rest
Do 4 sets

B) METCON #1 (ANAEROBIC POWER)
KB swing max (russian swing, no higher than eyes) max reps in 15 seconds, 45 sec of rest
 do 8 sets

C) METCON #2 (ANAEROBIC CAPACITY)
Stationary bike 
 TONS of resistance
 the most resistance you can use while still being fluid
60 seconds on/45 seconds off for 4 sets

DAY 4
A) POWER
A1. Barbell Jump squat (20% of max squat) + Push press (3+3)
30 sec rest
A2. Box squat 5 jumps
90 sec rest
Do 5 sets

B) HYPERTROPHY
B1. Preacher curl x 8-10 lowered in 4 seconds
30 sec rest
B2. Lying DB triceps extension x 8-10 lowered in 4 seconds
30 sec rest
B3. DB hammer curl x 8-10 hold peak 2 seconds
30 sec rest
B4. Max push-ups
90 sec rest

4 sets

C1. DB lateral raise x 8-10 lowered in 4 seconds
30 sec rest
C2. DB front raise x 8-10 lowered in 4 seconds
30 sec rest
C3. DB shoulder press x 8-10
90 sec rest

4 sets

C) ABS
10-15 minutes

D) CARDIO
20-30 minutes at about 140 BPM

DAY 5
A) GIANT METCON
4 rounds
10 high pull from hang @ 60%
10 push press @ 60%
20 front squats (same weight as push press)
Battle rope 1 minute
Rowing ergometer 500m
3 minutes of rest

2 Likes
29

Thanks for helping out again. She’s gonna start it next week.

Just for some feedback she lost 4kg of fat and gained 1kg of muscle on 10 weeks of original Hard-body for Women. Dropped from 24% to 21% BF.
Your training programs are helping us a lot !!

30

Christian you are amazing. I like the changes you added to the program. It’s an interesting adaption to the problem I currently have.

Question; I have always had weak wrists but I love power cleans. They seem to be the bread and butter for my body/strength changes. Can you suggest any exercises that I can do to improve my flexibility and strength in my wrists for power cleans?

31

Well talk about luck! I was just about to come in here and update saying that perhaps this wasn’t going to be the best fit for me. I have freakishly small wrists, just the way I am made and after a week of this program my wrists were getting quite cranky. I thought that I was just going to have to go look up a different program to suit my needs, but these new alternatives above may just be cure!

I just want to be sure that I am understanding the layout
where it states say sumo deads + sumo high pull (3+3) for 5 sets
do you do 3 reps of the dead then 3 reps of the pulls, or is it deads to pulls as one rep in of itself?

32

Hey CT,
Would you recommend the original Hard Body Training program for men to?

Thank you!

33

[quote]Mr. 47 wrote:
Hey CT,
Would you recommend the original Hard Body Training program for men to?

Thank you![/quote]

If they are tough enough, sure

34

Did day one of the revised version on this Page and I have to say that was a much better fit for me. I did the “A” portion as a flow rather than separating and treating as supersets because I wasn’t clear and yet flowing the two together seemed logical (?). Of course, since it was done like that, I had to drop the weight in order to flow
but I still think my ar$e is gonna be sore tomorrow, lol!

35

I’m so glad I found this!! I’m on week 8 of Hard body and I like having my new program lined up. I have really enjoyed incorporating complexes to my workout routine. I don’t ever get on the scale, but many folks have told me I’ve lost weight, so it must be working well. I can see more difinition in my shoulders and arms and bigger hammys too. I have loved the program so far, so I think this new variety will be the perfect program once I finish with hard body. Thanks CT! Can’t wait to try this.

36

Hi there
Are you using the 3 rep max weight for the workouts? Or is this a percentage of 1 rep max?
For example on Monday with power cleans are you using the weight you ramped up to for the 5 sets of 3+3 power clean front squat?

37

@wyomountains
You ramp up to your three rep max. Use that weight for the push press/front squat combo. You do not use a percentage. Be conservative at first, if need be, to get quality work in.

38

On mil press push press combo, is it 5 reps mil, then 5 reps push with max push press weight?

39

5 reps military then max reps push press with same weight as military press

40

@Christian_Thibaudeau In the original program, is there any issue with swapping the bent BB rows with chest supported db rows?