Mom Needs Help!

My mom just got a gym membership to the local gym and she has no idea what to do. She asked me what would be a good routine for cardio/toning. I don’t know anything about lighter weights and cardio so I need some help!

She is 54 years old, 5’6"?, 180’ish. It won’t take too much for her to get rockin, she just needs the right direction. Are there any good articles she can read? Any info that I can tell her?

Thanks!

You don’t need to know anything about light weight and “toning”.
Just have her train the way you do, with a weight load she can handle.

Might I suggest
“The New Rules of Lifting for Women”
by Lou Schuler/Cassandra Forsythe,M.S.
workout Programs by Alwyn Cosgrove
Dr. Tim

How to offend the women on this forum 101:

[quote]billaJ wrote:
She asked me what would be a good routine for cardio/toning. I don’t know anything about lighter weights and cardio so I need some help! [/quote]

[quote]Court wrote:
How to offend the women on this forum 101:

billaJ wrote:
She asked me what would be a good routine for cardio/toning. I don’t know anything about lighter weights and cardio so I need some help!

[/quote]

LOL! That is what I thought. I guess he never actually read any of the threads…

Hello. It sounds like you are very concerned about your mom’s health and well being as well as her getting in shape in the safest and most effective way. also, i commend your mom’s for having the motivation to wanting to get healthier and stronger. With that said, let me offer a few tidbits:

  1. You seem to be a avid member of T-Nation. Look up all the articles you can find on Interval Training or Energy System Training. Don’t let her fall into the “cardio” trap.

  2. Research all articles by Casandra Forsythe, Christian Thibadeau, and/or the Fitness Model forums on this site.

  3. Research all articles pertaining to proper eating. No velocity diets, mass increasing diets, or contest preparation diets. She needs a basic foundation in proper meal frequency, consumption, and food chices. After she gets the basics down then you can “shake” things up with one of the specializing diet plans.

  4. Develop a plan for yourself from the information on this site and you two can follow it together. Eating the same and training the same will build comraderie and instill confidence and adherence to the program you two set. .

  5. Measure your progress by how stronger you are getting, how “cute” you look in anew pair of jeans or blouse. Don’t let her get hung up on what she may see on the scale. If she sees a new muscle in the mirror, congragulate her and encourage her to keep up the good work.

I hope this helps a little. Good luck

[quote]rondastarr wrote:
Court wrote:
How to offend the women on this forum 101:

billaJ wrote:
She asked me what would be a good routine for cardio/toning. I don’t know anything about lighter weights and cardio so I need some help!

LOL! That is what I thought. I guess he never actually read any of the threads…[/quote]

Yeah, me too.
And I’m the same age as his mother.

But I would add that most women my age greatly underestimate their strength, and what they are capable of lifting in the weight room. How heavy do they think that full bag of groceries is, when they carry several of them into the house from the car? But they shy away from a 35 pound plate?

[quote]Yo Momma wrote:
rondastarr wrote:
Court wrote:
How to offend the women on this forum 101:

billaJ wrote:
She asked me what would be a good routine for cardio/toning. I don’t know anything about lighter weights and cardio so I need some help!

LOL! That is what I thought. I guess he never actually read any of the threads…

Yeah, me too.
And I’m the same age as his mother.

But I would add that most women my age greatly underestimate their strength, and what they are capable of lifting in the weight room. How heavy do they think that full bag of groceries is, when they carry several of them into the house from the car? But they shy away from a 35 pound plate?
[/quote]

I think that most WOMEN underestimate their strength.

[quote]Christine wrote:
Yo Momma wrote:
rondastarr wrote:
Court wrote:
How to offend the women on this forum 101:

billaJ wrote:
She asked me what would be a good routine for cardio/toning. I don’t know anything about lighter weights and cardio so I need some help!

LOL! That is what I thought. I guess he never actually read any of the threads…

Yeah, me too.
And I’m the same age as his mother.

But I would add that most women my age greatly underestimate their strength, and what they are capable of lifting in the weight room. How heavy do they think that full bag of groceries is, when they carry several of them into the house from the car? But they shy away from a 35 pound plate?

I think that most WOMEN underestimate their strength.

[/quote]

I don’t think Princess Leia did. She’s pretty hard core :slight_smile:

[quote]ouroboro_s wrote:
Christine wrote:
Yo Momma wrote:
rondastarr wrote:
Court wrote:
How to offend the women on this forum 101:

billaJ wrote:
She asked me what would be a good routine for cardio/toning. I don’t know anything about lighter weights and cardio so I need some help!

LOL! That is what I thought. I guess he never actually read any of the threads…

Yeah, me too.
And I’m the same age as his mother.

But I would add that most women my age greatly underestimate their strength, and what they are capable of lifting in the weight room. How heavy do they think that full bag of groceries is, when they carry several of them into the house from the car? But they shy away from a 35 pound plate?

I think that most WOMEN underestimate their strength.

I don’t think Princess Leia did. She’s pretty hard core :slight_smile:
[/quote]

Woman + PMS + gun = your worst nightmare.

[quote]Truet wrote:
Hello. It sounds like you are very concerned about your mom’s health and well being as well as her getting in shape in the safest and most effective way. also, i commend your mom’s for having the motivation to wanting to get healthier and stronger. With that said, let me offer a few tidbits:

  1. You seem to be a avid member of T-Nation. Look up all the articles you can find on Interval Training or Energy System Training. Don’t let her fall into the “cardio” trap.

  2. Research all articles by Casandra Forsythe, Christian Thibadeau, and/or the Fitness Model forums on this site.

  3. Research all articles pertaining to proper eating. No velocity diets, mass increasing diets, or contest preparation diets. She needs a basic foundation in proper meal frequency, consumption, and food chices. After she gets the basics down then you can “shake” things up with one of the specializing diet plans.

  4. Develop a plan for yourself from the information on this site and you two can follow it together. Eating the same and training the same will build comraderie and instill confidence and adherence to the program you two set. .

  5. Measure your progress by how stronger you are getting, how “cute” you look in anew pair of jeans or blouse. Don’t let her get hung up on what she may see on the scale. If she sees a new muscle in the mirror, congragulate her and encourage her to keep up the good work.

I hope this helps a little. Good luck[/quote]

Thanks truet. You offered good advice for me helping my mom out.

As to the other people, you’re funny.

She needs LIGHTWEIGHT she had a fkin hysterectomy a little over a year ago. Her muscles are all fked up now.

[quote]billaJ wrote:
She needs LIGHTWEIGHT she had a fkin hysterectomy a little over a year ago. Her muscles are all fked up now.[/quote]

Point is that she really shouldn’t train differently than you other than her weights are lighter than yours (I assume).

She should train with some intensity.

I assume that she is fully recovered after one year.

I wasn’t being funny.
Christine made the same point.
Same lifts, lighter load, use progression.

Ok. Same lifts, lighter load, gotcha. I can’t train with her due to conflicting schedules, so its hard to show her what to do :confused: I’ll just have to research some good articles for her I guess.

Dianab, watch that arch! My friend hurt his back BAD lifting like that!

[quote]billaJ wrote:
Ok. Same lifts, lighter load, gotcha. I can’t train with her due to conflicting schedules, so its hard to show her what to do :confused: I’ll just have to research some good articles for her I guess.

Dianab, watch that arch! My friend hurt his back BAD lifting like that! [/quote]

That is a powerlifting arch she is doing and a damn good one. If your friend hurt himself it was not because of arching like that.

My friend must suck ass apparently and dianab must kick ass

I kick ass AND take names.

I am a power lifter. This is how we do it baby.

[quote]billaJ wrote:
My friend must suck ass apparently and dianab must kick ass[/quote]

Yes, that is most likely a true statement. Or maybe your friend just has really bad form?