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Reddit mentions of Strong Curves: A Woman's Guide to Building a Better Butt and Body

Sentiment score: 50
Reddit mentions: 75

We found 75 Reddit mentions of Strong Curves: A Woman's Guide to Building a Better Butt and Body. Here are the top ones.

Strong Curves: A Woman's Guide to Building a Better Butt and Body
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Specs:
ColorMulticolor
Height10.85 Inches
Length8.55 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateApril 2013
Weight2.56618072968 Pounds
Width0.75 Inches

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Found 75 comments on Strong Curves: A Woman's Guide to Building a Better Butt and Body:

u/Aggie05 · 48 pointsr/xxfitness

I don’t know if anyone can say what your body could look like since everyone distributes muscle and fat differently. All you can really do is diet and exercise in a way that is in line with your goals. For building a curvier, more muscular butt and legs I recommend r/StrongCurves. This is the program created by Bret Contreras and there is a Book by the same name. I am on week 5 and have noticed growth in my hamstrings and booty already. Good luck!

u/Durshka · 31 pointsr/Fitness

Can confirm, I'm a girl, I bought Strong Curves, it is all about butts. The first half of the book is basically "Butt this, glute that, you need a great butt, general fitness, butt butt butt". Well.. it worked, my ass got much perkier after the first programme. I had a nice round bottom. Then running season restarted and I've run most of it off :( Can't wait to restart into my butt training for winter! :D

u/FitCalan · 13 pointsr/Fitness

I can't believe nobody has mentioned the Strong Curves book yet.

Yes, a lot is genetic, butt! you can get a more shapely ass with exercise too!

u/EntropyFighter · 11 pointsr/progresspics

Great progress! A few unsolicited thoughts on how to break through your road block. This advice comes from stuff you'd find in /r/fitness or /r/startingstrength.

  1. As much as weight matters, tone and body composition are just as important. Bottom line, more muscle in the right places is a good thing. Strength is good. You need protein to get those muscles. The rule of thumb (especially if you go to the gym) is 1 gram per pound of body weight. For most, that means adding in a protein shake or two per day. If you can't do a regular protein powder because it comes from cows, it's possible to get a complete vegan protein. Just stay away from the raw stuff. It tastes absolutely awful. If you're willing to consider a protein powder from milk, you might consider this one. Grass-fed, hormone free, whey protein isolate.
  2. Consider a strength program. I'm a fan of Starting Strength because it's easy to get started and it works fast. Plus Mark Rippetoe, the man behind the program, is like a real life Ron Swanson. My gf (who has also done Starting Strength) also got a lot of mileage out of Strong Curves.
  3. If you take up a strength program, sleep is the single best thing you can do for yourself for body recomposition.

    The reason a strength training program (specifically a barbell program that uses compound movements - squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press) is so effective is because it gets your body to squirt out all of these good growth hormones. It's the hormones that trigger all of the changes. It drives this cycle: stress -> recover -> adapt.

    Essentially, if you lift 3 times a week and put just a little more weight on the bar each time your body will adjust and be able to do the load for several months without having to change your program.

    The gym is the stress part, the food and sleep is the recovery part, and doing both will result in your body adapting to being able to lift more weight.

    In so doing, everything gets stronger: your muscles, bones, ligaments, cardiovascular system... you name it. Even your VO2 max goes up, which means you'll be able to run further and faster without even doing cardio in the first place.

    As a companion to that whole idea, I'll leave you with this article: Everything You Know About Fitness is a Lie.

    Congrats on the progress thus far! Best of luck crushing your goals!
u/twoowuv · 10 pointsr/StrongCurves

Hi! Everyone is talking about this book by Bret Contreras. It's a great resource for everything you need to know and also has a workout routine designed for those that don't have access to a gym!

You can also find a TON of articles Bret has written on his website. I also follow him on instagram, he posts regularly and I find it helps to keep me motivated.

Hope this helps!

u/Br0nichiwa · 10 pointsr/Fitness

You threw your money away to begin with, when you fell for the "cleanse". Cleanses are bullshit. You lose a lot of weight in the first 1-3 days, because your body dumps 4-10lbs of water weight you were retaining. Thos IG models photoshop the LIVING SHIT out of their pictures. A lot are also on low doses of winstrol (a more mild steroid that women use to lean out, but not look bulky). Their workout programs, and supplements are bullshit as well. I'd suggest something like strong curves, getting your estimated bf% measured, and using something like a tdee calculator to know what you need to lose fat.

u/hermionebutwithmath · 9 pointsr/xxfitness
  1. Use an app like Libra (android) or Happy Scale (iOS). They average out your weight (see more about this in the Hacker's Diet) and give you a trend line, which helps you to not worry about random fluctuations. Libra doesn't attach photos, but it also doesn't connect to anything. I still highly recommend MFP for calorie tracking, but I don't really log my weight on it.

  2. Amazon music on my phone. If you get bluetooth headphones, they'll usually have buttons you can use to control your music. I don't know how big your phone actually is, but you could always get a flipbelt and put it in there. I have a flipbelt and it will fit a phone with a 5" screen easily.

  3. Do you need GPS functionality? If so, I don't have any recommendations. However, I have owned a fitbit charge HR for about nine months (which you can get for <$100 if you look on ebay, etc.) and I highly recommend it, although it's still a good idea to keep track of your rate of weight loss to compare how your fitbit calorie burn compares to your actual TDEE.

  4. I don't like most apps for tracking lifting workouts. I think they're a pain. I use this notebook off Amazon. Very easy to use.

    I can give you more advice on a routine if you tell me your goals. For a weight training beginner who's looking to get stronger, you can't get much simpler than Stronglifts 5x5. If you're interested in a little more hypertrophy work, something like Ice Cream Fitness 5x5 (basically Stronglifts + accessories) or any of the Strong Curves programs are also good.

    If you want a single trustworthy place to look for information about weight training and nutrition, I can't recommend strengtheory and anything written by Greg Nuckols highly enough. Very informative, clear, science-backed, no bullshit, and the Art and Science of Lifting ebooks, if you're willing to put down a little cash, are the best all-in-one resource for someone looking to "keep track of it all" that I know of.
u/pm-me-neckbeards · 6 pointsr/TwoXChromosomes

You look fine. But if you want to improve your shape, build some muscle.

Glute bridges, side laying abductions and squats will all fill out your hip area.

Look into the Strong Curves program perhaps? You gotta eat to build that muscle though.

It sounds like your problem goes deeper than just the shape of your body. Maybe youshould consider seeing a counselor too?

u/crispypretzel · 6 pointsr/weightroom

IME this is a lost cause, ladies who think this way will squat for a week and then become absolutely convinced that their thighs have "bulked up". I don't try to convince them of anything. Maybe suggest a program like Strong Curves?

u/UnderAmour · 6 pointsr/xxfitness

I'll venture a guess that the routine the trainer gave you is probably not that great and utilizes a lot of the circuit machines.

3-4 gym visits a week is perfect for getting into weight training, if you want to mix in cardio I suggest you do it on your rest days so you can really focus on your gym work. Typically most people separate their workouts by Push, Pull, and Leg days. Push for upper body workouts that utilize the chest, shoulders and triceps. Pull for upper body workotus that utilize the back and biceps. Leg day is all lower body work like your quads, hamstrings and calves.

Since you're just starting out, this is the best time to get on a program. There are quite a few different routines out there and they all have different benefits so you need to know what your goals are. Do you want raw strength, general muscle tone etc? I would suggest you look into Strong Curves first. Check out some of the reviews and do a little research to see if it is right for you. If that isn't your cup of tea than I'd also suggest reading up on Strong Lifts 5x5 and even the 5/3/1 routines as these seem to some of the most popular around here.

From my personal experience, and keep in mind I'm a guy, Strong Lifts was a great starting point for getting myself going in the gym since as you get stronger and more used to the program you can start adding in accessory lifts and finding out what works best for you.

u/StijnvWilligen · 6 pointsr/xxfitness

Hello incognitoplant!


  • Training-wise, I recommend getting on a great, balanced program of progressive weight training. I advise doing a template of Bret Contreras' Strong Curves program, and training 2-3 times a week. For more info on the philosophy around the program, you could consider reading his book.
  • Additionally, it is KEY that you track your strength on all of the exercises, as strength is highly indicative of muscle gains. If you plateau, don't try to push through and get yourself into overtraining, but take a step back by lowering the weights and slowly building up to your old weights.



  • HIIT isn't very specific, and progress is hard to measure. Because of its intense nature, it could interfere with your recovery from strength training. I would advise not to do it anymore.



  • Low-intensity cardio is just fine! And good for the mind as well. However, limit this to about 2-3 times per week, 20-30 mins, to prevent it from sabotaging your strength/muscle gains.



  • Eating-wise, I advise eating +0% on your training days, making sure you center your calories and protein around your workout, while you eat -20% (in your case, -340 calories a day) on your rest days.
    This way, you're slowly losing fat, while giving the body enough resources to build muscle in the same time frame.



    Watch your weight once a week:
    If you're staying the same weight or losing weight consistently while you're getting stronger at all your exercises: you're doing it right. You're losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time!


    Best of luck!
u/cheald · 6 pointsr/Stronglifts5x5

You might check out Strong Curves, which is basically an adaptation of Stronglifts geared towards women with a bigger focus on aesthetics than SL5x5.

My wife ran SL5x5 with me for about 6 months, then switched to SC. She hit a ceiling on SL5x5 that she was having a lot of trouble breaking through (mostly owing to the fact that she's a tiny woman and it's just hard to add linear gains when you're as small as she is), which was frustrating to her. Strong Curves is less focused on moving as much weight as possible. She is enjoying it a lot more, and it's working her a lot harder. It's most of the same movements, but it's lower weight/higher reps, and it has you doing supersets, all of which will definitely help produce better aesthetic results.

u/madbrick10 · 5 pointsr/weddingplanning

I love Strong Curves for this reason! It focuses on waist, butt, arms, & back - everything else follows.

u/Kittenkajira · 5 pointsr/veganfitness

I've been using this shake recipe, adding protein powder, and replacing the coconut oil with peanut butter. It's a 500 calorie drink, and I seem to workout better if I drink it first. And a tip for using chia seeds - grind a bunch in your coffee grinder and store them that way. They have a consistency like tapioca if you don't grind them first, which I found weird to drink.

Track your calories and set it to "gain weight". I like cronometer. Also, Strong Curves is a great program for building a booty! See also /r/StrongCurves.

u/tarakyoko · 4 pointsr/xxfitness

As I'm sure you've heard before, you can't target fat loss from a particular part of your body. Your best bet is to eat at a caloric deficit to reduce overall body fat - in time you'll start shedding fat from your arms and tummy. Look over the FAQ on fat loss if you're not sure where to start.

As a fellow apple-shape, I totally feel your pain. Stubborn belly fat can feel IMPOSSIBLE to get rid of. One thing that can definitely help achieve a more balanced look though is to focus on lower body weight training. A lot of ladies on the sub seem to have had great success with Bret Contrera's Strong Curves program

u/explos-ment · 4 pointsr/ketogains

Strong Curves is the workout program they talk about all the time over on r/fitness so maybe try that one? You might be able to find it for free online through their guides page.

u/MarriedLifter · 4 pointsr/fatlogic

I agree with u/loonie_toonie_rooney: If you want to look lean and athletic, your best bet at BMI 22 and 30%BF is almost certainly "recomp": You can remove fat and add muscle. This will make you look toned. And the easiest way to recomp is to lift weights.

Don't worry about looking "too muscley"—even men with their much higher testosterone levels have to work incredibly hard to get big (sigh, I have tiny little arms). Women who lift hard typically end up looking like fitness models instead. (Those bodybuilding women who look like guys are either using steroids, or they're 1-in-a-thousand genetic outliers.)

To learn more about weight training and recomp, see r/fitness, and especially their FAQ. A lot of women also say good things about Strong Curves, although you could get perfectly good results with something simpler. And it's possible to make some very nice progress in about 3 months with a good beginner program.

CICO is about looking good with your clothes on. Strength training and recomp is about looking good in less.

u/HerbalTeaParty · 4 pointsr/StrongCurves

Hi there!

Have you picked up the Strong Curves book yet? If not, that will be a good place for you to start. The book answers pretty much all of your questions for you and gives you a 3- or 4-times a week workout schedule that takes the thought out of "how often should I do x, y, or z?" as well as tips on what to do about calories and nutrition. The program includes upper body workouts for your arms, shoulders, and core. On active rest days (2-3 times per week on the program,) you can do any kind of cardio training such as HIIT, jogging, walking, or yoga. So if you like cardio, you can do it then. Personally, I like yoga to help keep the muscles limber as they grow.

In short for calories, you have three options:

  • Cut: eat 100-200 less calories than your maintenance. You will build less muscle but lose more fat.
  • Bulk: eat 100-200 more calories than your maintenance amount. You will build more muscle but also gain some fat. Many people do cut/bulk cycles to first gain muscle, then lose fat, etc.
  • Recomposition: eat your maintenance amount of calories with high levels of protein. Your body will build muscle and lose fat at the same time, but likely more slowly.

    More information about general fitness tips is available at the great guides at r/xxfitness.

    If you have never done any strength training before, especially with free weights, getting a personal trainer is helpful to get started. But since you're not able to do that, google each movement on Youtube to watch proper form so you don't hurt yourself. Each movement is also described in the book.
u/det7408 · 4 pointsr/StrongCurves

It does. Strong Curves is a book. Many of the exercises can be found by googling and/or spreadsheets other users have created to track their workouts. In fact, googling Strong Curves workout template should yield a link to the website where Bret (the author) offers the spreadsheets for free. Then its just some googling...

A lot of people find they once they've started, they want to read the book. And we always recommend it. (But it is entirely possible to do the program without it)

u/wheniristhrows · 4 pointsr/normalnudes

I'm going to recommend an exercise program to you called Strong Curves. It's designed specifically for women and focuses on building lower-body strength (specifically in the butt) to enhance our figures.

It has its own subreddit, /r/strongcurves, and the community there is very helpful. The sidebar has tons of useful information to help you get started. If you want to see some butt transformations, just search the word "progress" in the subreddit search and you'll see people going from butts like yours to really very substantial butts.

The SC book outlines about 5 different plans that range from plans for complete beginners, to plans for people without access to a gym, to plans for people that want to go all out. All the exercises in each plan are described in details with pictures in the book. You can also Youtube each exercise for in depth descriptions of how to do each one correctly.

More about the book: you can buy/pirate/borrow/check out from the library. Here's a link to amazon. I found my first copy on piratebay, but bought a used copy online because it's nice to have a physical book to reference.

I've seen a lot of progress using it and I'm a couple months in. The beginner's plan suggests an hour long session 4 times a week. You can totally skip the warmups at first just to get a feel for everything. With a set of dumbells (I have these), it's extremely approachable and very effective. I think it will give you a lot of confidence.

u/[deleted] · 4 pointsr/loseit

I bet you look pretty good. That said, a lot of women focus exclusively on losing fat and not enough on building their body shape. Fat doesn't look so fat when it's shaped by supple muscles underneath it.

http://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better/dp/1936608642

u/joshhillis · 4 pointsr/bodyweightfitness

So, since you're all done with your physical therapy, you're totally set to go for some legit strength training.

Glute training is the one thing that bodyweight training doesn't do exceptionally well. At least, there's nothing at the level of say barbell hip thrusts.

https://bretcontreras.com/how-to-hip-thrust/

If I were you, I'd check out Strong Curves by Brett Contreras.

Brett has a Phd and does research on muscle activation and joint angles, and he's known for helping fitness models rock their butt.

If you don't mind that it's "for women" Strong Curves is a really intelligently put together strength training program, with an emphasis on exactly the kind of gluteal muscle hypertrophy you're looking for:

https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better/dp/1936608642

u/muppetsinspacelol · 4 pointsr/progresspics

http://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better/dp/1936608642

It's a workout program :) I highly suggest the book! It talks all about nutrition and stuff. It was recommended to me on /r/xxfitness :)

u/lindseysometimes · 4 pointsr/xxfitness

Really sorry that I'm not being more helpful to you OP, but for anyone who hadn't heard about Strong Curves:

Amazon

Template PDF

u/Dirtgr · 3 pointsr/xxfitness

High fives for same height and weight! It looks like you are already sort of doing the [Strong Curves] (http://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better/dp/1936608642) program. It's pretty similar to what you are working on - lower weights/bodyweight movements and one compound lift each day. There's tons of information on this subreddit as well as the fitness one, if you search for it. The book is currently on sale on Amazon, sounds like a perfect Christmas gift to yourself.

As for increasing weight, I increase weight if I can finish my set without struggling. There is no optimal weight, it will just depend on what your strength goals are.

u/benthebull · 3 pointsr/ttcafterloss

Dang it that sucks. It all sucks. All I can offer is my recommendation of Strong curves. I bought the book and there's very little or no discussion of new post-partum. (Co-author does have 2 kids and describes how she gained weight with pregnancy, but that's the intro and not part of the important part of the book)

I'm enjoying it because it's very focused on let's get fit, and not really focusing on the why you want to be fit. (for your own sake, to have an amazing booty, to compete in fitness, to do a different training program etc etc) It's still lady focused which is really helpful.

u/larimari · 3 pointsr/DesiTwoX

There's a book! And you need a gym to do the main program, although there is a home based program in the book as well. If you're super new to all things gym and fitness I'd recommend buying the book. Else, you can search for spreadsheets people made of the program.

u/poindexter1985 · 3 pointsr/Fitness

Bret Contreras is the "Glute Guy" and has written guides on the topic. Apparently he also has a book specifically aimed at women, though I have no idea if it's any good. Please excuse me if I've incorrectly guessed your gender.

u/Mango_Punch · 3 pointsr/Fitness

THIS is the definitive guide to getting a nice butt. Don't let the title fool you, is 100% as effective for men. One key a lot of people forget is a nice butt is not just big glutes (squats, DLs etc) but also the line separating the glutes and the hamstring. Well developed glutes and hamstrings are ideal for this.

u/OhHelloGhost · 3 pointsr/xxfitness

I recommend having a look at Bret Contreras' and Kellie Davis' book Strong Curves. It's very nicely written and contains a ton of exercises designed to build a butt. Spoiler: weighted glute bridges and hip thrusts give fantastic results and everyone should do them.

Squats, deadlifts and lunges are great too of course! Apparently, though, most people don't engage their glutes properly when doing these exercises. Make sure to squeeze 'em! heheh.

u/DREADLOCKSS · 3 pointsr/overcominggravity

Steve is right on i think, just wanted to add that another option is Strong Curves by Bret Contreras, it is aimed specifically at women and includes (and argues for) more intense glute focused training. Because of how it is aimed at women you might have here more intrigued by it but i can't speak from personal experience if its better than something like starting strength for women. Steve do you have any experience with strong curves?

Each workout on Strong Curves follows this template

  • Glute Dominant Exercise
  • Horizontal Pull or Vertical Pull Exercise
  • Quad Dominant Exercise
  • Horizontal Press or Vertical Press Exercise
  • Hip Dominant, Straight-Leg Hip Dominant, or Hamstring Dominant Exercise
  • Glute Accessory Exercise
  • Linear Core Exercise
  • Lateral or Rotary Core Exercise
u/jeepers222 · 3 pointsr/loseit

For me, I really started noticing after I got below 135. You might be getting to the point where you'd get the results that you're looking for more from focusing more on body composition as opposed to just weight loss. I started really getting happier with my body once I got below 135 and incorporated a resistance training routine (I love Brett Contreras' Strong Curves program and am super happy with the results I've gotten).

u/redtonks · 2 pointsr/xxfitness

Sure! I bought the book, and I honestly think the book is worth the purchase because there's a lot of good information in there in addition to pictures/descriptions of all the workouts. I knew how to do some of the exercises, but not all of them. There were two in fact that even my trainer had to look at and sort.

What I did was I took the book to him, said I wanted to do this program and could he read the book and then could we do it together. He and I have a really good relationship, He's trained with me through half of my major weightloss (24kg), and now through my beginning bodybuilding, so he knew I was quite firm on finding a new fitness challenge. But the reason I picked him in the first place was because he listened to me when I told him what I wanted to work towards, and he only pushes me in regards to finishing sets or putting in that bit extra when I'm failing, etc. There's all sorts of trainers out there, and I think their willingness to try something like this is a good test factor. He was a bit skeptical at first (in that he wanted to make sure it was a complete program), but when I explained why and he read the science in the book, it's actually sparked some really great conversations between sets.

You can do the exercises at home, as there's a way to do them at home and at the gym, but having him there to do them with me 1-2 times a week really makes a difference. We rack more weight and he can help me set up better (more equipment), and he's great for checking my form and spotting me if I'm tiring hard at the end, which finally happened the past couple of weeks.

Current results as I now went into the second 'round' of doing the sessions and also upped to twice a week PT: I went from lifting 130lbs to 270 lbs for my hip thrusts, 40ish lbs to now 70 lbs for the straight leg deadlifts, I use the 12kg weights now for individual arm stuff as opposed to the 8kg, and my marine presses/etc went way up as well, but I didn't log at the beginning, so I can't tell you other than I added at least 10kg on them.

You can buy the book here at Amazon.

I hope some of this helps.

u/vvaif · 2 pointsr/xxketo

Cardio can be achieved via strength training. Try the book Strong Curves I use the plans in that book, and I can say that by the end of a 30 min workout I am sweating and huffing and puffing.

u/Johnny_Couger · 2 pointsr/stopdrinkingfitness

Also sober 3 years. I'm pretty sure 98% of recovering alcoholics are all or nothing people...we struggle with moderation in so many things.

I hate counting calories. Its just another goddamn thing to frustrate me. A few months ago I decided I'd focus on getting stronger rather than lighter. I spent the first month lifting weights 3 times a week but not eating healthy. Fuck it, pizza? Sounds good. Burgers? Yep!

I followed a plan called StrongLifts 5X5. You start off low weight and add 5lbs per workout. Before I knew it, I had some muscle under my flab. Then I started realizing I wanted to SEE those muscles. At that point I started taking my diet more seriously. I learned a lot about how to train and use my food to support that training. I'm not all the way there, but I like the results so far.

I have gotten numerous compliments from coworkers, women have started flirting with me a little, my girlfriend has been VERY happy with the changes AND I have a ton of energy to play with my kids. I also dropped 25lbs and got some definition in my arms and legs. For me, Lifting weights>losing weight

I also incorporate at least one hot yoga class into my routine. The yoga is great for mindfulness (which has been mentioned in other comments). You are stuck in a hot room, sweating your ass off, standing in strange positions and its hard for anything else to invade your thoughts. Even an hour of clear thought is super beneficial. My girlfriend does 2-3 a week, she loves it.

I know a lot of women think that weight training will make you bulky, but its all about choosing what you want. You can hit the weights and keep a slim female figure. I have read some really great things about [Strong Curves] (https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better/dp/1936608642) and Lift like a Man Look Like a Goddess ( Book Link).

If counting calories doesn't make you happy just try something new. Find a healthy thing that makes you feel good and do THAT thing, then do that and try add another healthy thing. See what sticks and focus on that.

You got this!

Sorry for the wall of text! Sobriety and exercise are 2 VERY important things in my life and I love talking about them.

u/prsplayer15 · 2 pointsr/ketogains

I'd check out strong curves. A lot of females like this routine and it helps build the physique you're going for. As far as recomping, I'd just eat maintenance and lift heavy and see where it takes you. If you eat 1g protein per lb of lean mass, that gives you a macro split of 103p 25nc 111f. I prefer to stay under 20 net myself, but to each their own. That puts you at 1511cal not eating back exercise calories. I'd say that's a safe place to start. You should be able to progress on your lifts and stay around the same weight, but these calculators are estimates, so you'll just have to listen to your body. I'm a fan of using nsuns TDEE spreadsheet and logging daily calories and weights to get a good idea of my realistic TDEE, but it takes about 4 weeks to get enough data for a good calculation

u/bigblondewolf · 2 pointsr/TheGirlSurvivalGuide

Like others have said, unfortunately you can't spot reduce. But you can definitely drop some extra weight without losing your butt and chest. If you have access to the equipment (or even some space at home to do a bodyweight workout) you should check out Strong Curves.

I dropped a bunch of weight following the workouts and ended up with a nicer butt because of the squats and others moves. And no, the lifting didn't make me bulky lol.

u/sjthree · 2 pointsr/xxfitness

>In terms of exercise, I want to target slimming down my waist and thighs but grow my glutes and abs? How would I even start going about this?

You can't spot reduce fat. You can do some reshaping with overall fat loss (which comes from a calorie deficit) and strength training, but you can only change your natural body shape so much. Make sure that your expectations are realistic. Find a beginner weightlifting program (looks like someone else recommended Strong Curves), eat lots of protein, and stick to an appropriate calorie goal (not too low, not too high). I have a few books with weightlifting programs and I highly recommend getting a book. It will give you some background on the importance of weightlifting.

Strong Curves is $22 on Amazon I've never read it but it is highly recommended by many. I am doing the program from Strong and loving it! It utilizes a variety of equipment and supersets, so it isn't for everyone. The book is a quick read and I liked it.

u/bluetagine · 2 pointsr/trollfitness

Strong Curves! An exercise book/sets of plans that focuses on glute strength.

u/saleelsol · 2 pointsr/xxfitness

Yeah, getting into a mindset and routine that minimized the possibility of failure helped a lot.

Lifting is essentially about lifting heavier and heavier things to build strength. I started out reading all of Starting Strength before I even picked up a barbell. The book is very detailed and the program is pretty simple and popular, so altogether it helped keep me from second guessing whether or not my workouts were enough/safe/functional. It focuses on barbell work, but if all you have are light dumbbells at home, you could do very similar movements with them before you decide if you want to invest in heavier weights or a gym membership. Another popular program is Strong Curves, it sounds very good as well, but I'm not very familiar with it myself.

Oh, I love poutine. I've never been a big breakfast person, and I always find myself pretty unsatisfied with small, low calorie meals so I started doing intermittent fasting so I can have one big late lunch/early dinner and some lighter snacks at night if I need them. I don't count calories anymore but did at first to make sure I was not only not over eating, but also to make sure I was eating enough calories each day. I try to eat less junk food, but also don't cut anything out entirely, and having one main meal a day lets me include a more satisfying amount of calorie dense food when I'm really craving it, but also keeps me from sneaking snacks throughout the day. It takes some getting used to and isn't for everyone, but it's what I've found to be the most sustainable and effective.

u/LurkingReligion · 2 pointsr/StrongCurves

I picked mine up at Barnes and Noble but you can find it online too. Here's the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better/dp/1936608642

u/silentsybil · 2 pointsr/loseit

Strong Curves by Bret Contreras. He has an amazing program that is adaptable for any goal, including muscle gain and he breaks down how to calculate your calories for your goals. Or the book 'The new rules of weightlifting for women.' I love both and have linked them on Amazon for you here: Strong Curves: A Woman's Guide to Building a Better Butt and Body https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936608642/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_o5Dszb8RJXVTA
The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess https://www.amazon.com/dp/1583333398/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_I6DszbVY1A4RJ

New rules of lifting might be more of what you're looking for and it has a great section on optimal protien intake for muscle growth but the strong curves workout is great for the glutes:) good luck!

u/dontforgetpants · 2 pointsr/xxfitness

No problem! Free weights are definitely going to be better than machines for building muscle and improving balance/posture/etc., lots of studies show this. Actually, one of the reasons I started lifting was because osteoporosis runs in my family, and a new study recently came out showing that machines are basically 100% useless in building bone density. There are some machines that can be handy as accessories, but for the most part you'll have better luck with dumbbells and barbells.

HOWEVER, that's kind of beside the point! It sounds like you have two problems.

  1. You're intimidated by starting a program or trying new things with the free weights.

  2. Maybe (not sure, but humor me) you don't know what your goals are?

    For either of these reasons, you're currently experiencing what we usually call "fuckarounditis," the period of time that you look back on a year or more from now and wish you hadn't wasted, and just gotten started on accomplishing your goals. You'll often see posts saying, "I've been lifting for 8 months, but only seriously for the last 3." Those first 5 months were fuckarounditis, the latter three were productive.

    If (1): Check out some of these threads. Read, be inspired, and realize you're brave! You can always practice the moves at home in front of a mirror, and work with dumbbells at first. Nobody's expecting you to go nuts on day one. If you want to try stuff with free weights, find a program, and then start small. You can always start with dumbbells, nobody will think twice about it.

    If (2): think about your goals. Not sure? Brainstorm some ideas. Since you're already playing around with the bar a little, and the leg press, I'm assuming you have some strength goals. There are some great strength programs out there, some are listed in the FAQ (read the rest of the faq too if you haven't already, it is aweosme). StrongCurves has a beginner program for aesthetics and strength, Starting Strength is more just strength. StrongLifts is very straightforward, and there's a free phone app you can do that helps you track workouts that's pretty sweet. A lot of people on reddit are doing Ice Cream Fitness (ICF), that is also very straightforward, and people seem to really like it (actually, it honestly looks easier to follow than Starting Strength).

    So yeah, take a couple days to read over some of those, and see if there's one that sounds interesting. If you do Strong Curves, buy the Amazon book, or for Starting Strength there's a book, or you can find coughtorrentcough the pdf online. For ICF, StrongLifts, and other programs, if there's any move you don't know how to do, just check a tutorial on youtube or on the bodybuilding.com exercise database, which is a great resource).

    Still feeling like you're not ready to take that step? Remember this. ;)
u/Lilia42 · 2 pointsr/RedPillWomen

Check out /r/xxfitness

I also recomend the book New Rules of Lifting for Women or Strong Curves.

I did NROLFW, and really enjoyed it, and at some point in the future I look forward to trying out Strong Curves.

u/Blanche_ · 2 pointsr/xxfitness

It's program for this book (the full body advanced one): https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better/dp/1936608642

u/heroette · 2 pointsr/progresspics

aww thank you! i answered this in another comment but i will quote below, too. let me know if you have more specific questions or need clarification - i would love to share more information and support you however i can!

>i was a cardio bunny for years, often sinking an hour on the elliptical 5 or 6 days a week, and was really unsatisfied with my overall appearance. so i started strength training last fall, using dumbbells at home, and was both excited and encouraged by my results to get more serious about it!

>more specifically, i've been on bret contreras' r/strongcurves program for about 8 weeks. i highly recommend the book, which you can buy on amazon. the first 3 weeks i used the "best butt" at-home bodyweight program, then decided to switch to the "bootyful beginnings" program, which requires weights, once i felt i had a better understanding of movements, muscle activation, and incorporating more equipment. i am beyond thrilled with the results i'm seeing so far, which includes growth in my glutes, hams, quads, and arms as well as an overall "tightening up" everywhere else, so i look much leaner.

>i mentioned this in another comment, but something i didn't understand at the beginning of my health journey is that our overall body shape and appearance of fitness has so much more to do with body composition than weight. my figure was much more soft and round the first time i hit 132 pounds because i had no underlying muscle and was "skinny fat" with high body fat percentage, but low overall weight. even though my weight is the same on the scale today, i have more lean, muscle mass than squishy, fat mass. if you want to learn more, you can find a wealth of wonderful information about body composition and recompositioning here on reddit in r/fitness and r/xxfitness, but i'm happy to answer any other questions you have and share any additional anecdotal experience!

u/1fastRN · 2 pointsr/xxfitness

There is a book https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better/dp/1936608642
It's $9.99 for the kindle version (the kindle app is free for smart phones). I've never read it but I've heard great things.


But there's also a whole subreddit ( https://m.reddit.com/r/StrongCurves )and lots of info online. Check this out here_are_the_correct_strong_curves_workouts_in


As far as diet, if you eat whatever you want you will still see results but it may hold you back a bit. Honestly, you're young and you can still get away with a relaxed diet...so I wouldn't sweat it too much until you're ready to. I played sports in college and ate whatever I wanted and looked great. I miss those days. But at 21 I really got into lifting, decided to clean up my diet, and I took my physique to a level I didn't know I was capable with. Maybe focus on eating meals with lean protein and fresh food for the most part if you want to fuel your body a little better but still live a little, especially while you've got the metabolism. Often times working out motivates you to want to eat better.

If you were ever interested in tracking your nutrition a little better you can download an app like My Fitness Pal (free) to see how much your eating as well as an estimation of how much you should be eating. You can plug in your stats and it'll give you an estimate.

So in short, you don't necessarily need to change your current diet but it will definitely help you with your goals. Proper nutrition will not only improve your physique, but also your performance, recovery, and overall health. As they often say "you can't outrun a bad diet".

u/Raidingreaper · 2 pointsr/100DaysofKeto

/r/StrongCurves It's a lifting/workout program that focuses more on the ladies. Since ladies can't get as many gains in our upperbody, we should be focusing lowerbody stuff. So Booty gains! It's based on a book Bret Conteras wrote.

u/Corricon · 2 pointsr/fatlogic

i'm sorry if that's true :( and feel free to take a break from exercise, but once you get back you might want to get the book Strong Curves, it's exercises designed to make a feminine body. Some ab exercises actually make the waist wider, so it avoids those. The sub is r/strongcurves

sleep comes first 100%

u/PatBrahh · 1 pointr/Fitness

The recommended routine for women in the wiki is Strongcurves. For meals, just eat healthy and up the calories a bit more as you'll need it to fuel your body. Meal ideas are easily found with a google search.

u/bernadine77 · 1 pointr/xxfitness

A couple that are fairly popular among the crowd at r/xxfitness are Thinner, Leaner, Stronger, or Strong Curves.

They have a list of beginner lifting programs here as well.

u/ImSkylerWhite_Yo · 1 pointr/xxfitness

Here ya go.

u/touchmestepthru · 1 pointr/steroids

My wife has run it a few times at 20mg. 10mg for 6 weeks won't be that dramatic but it will be decent. Most newer women can build muscle while cutting on Var, but once they are more advanced it just spares muscle while cutting. Make sure she takes TUDCA and Niacin for Liver and Lipid Support.

This is an awesome program for the donk. http://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better/dp/1936608642


u/Freakin_A · 1 pointr/xxfitness

You don't necessarily have to do lower weight if you're going ATG on squats. I actually find that I have an easier time squatting ATG than just below parallel. As you get lower your hamstrings stretch like a spring and allow you to use them to power out of the bottom of the squat.

StrongCurves is Bret Contreras's book on building a butt. He is considered to be something of an expert on the topic. He is a huge proponent of barbell hip thrusts.
http://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better/dp/1936608642

I also agree that you're probably not activating your glutes enough on squats. Hip thrusts are a great exercise to add into your routine

u/Grebyb · 1 pointr/Fitness

If you are looking to get out of the class and do your own lifting, my girlfriend has had fun with a program called Strong Curves. If you are not into buying a book, you should be able to find cheat sheets online, and research the movements yourself.

u/jags70 · 1 pointr/xxfitness

Here’s two great programs you could check out. They are both books but you could probably buy used or get at library.


New Rules of Lifting for Women
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1583333398/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_HqX1Bb5M5JZVQ

Strong Curves
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936608642/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_fpX1BbGS3YMP3

u/counttess · 1 pointr/xxfitness

Yep, though you can get an e-book too (but I like the real book because it's easier to look through the exercises, I just take pictures of the ones I want to take with me to the gym)

https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better/dp/1936608642

u/GhostBond · 1 pointr/Fitness

Just wanted to mention there is an /r/xxfitness/ that's fitness specifically for women.

There's a book I've seen recommended there:
https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better/dp/1936608642/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487544070&sr=8-2&keywords=curves+fitness+book

Looking back, I feel like I maybe went a bit over the top. Sorry. Just used to seeing lifting recommended for everyone no matter what.

If you've been doing something for a while and it's not working, try something else. The root is my problem was posture:

  • Muscles that didn't activate
  • Muscles that were to long, to short, bunched up, etc

    I got a lot out of Allen Thrall's video on APT, and Kelly Starret's couch stretch. You might be thinking "what does this have to do with slimming down?", but just doing p90x stuff after those gave me a lot bigger benefits because I was able to engage the muscles I was supposed to, rather than just flopping around.

    Nothing wrong with just trying a lifting program either. I just caution that doing squats and deadlifts is a shitty idea that leads to injury for a lot of people because they have nowhere near the flexibility and mobility to do them right...and even for people who do it's a higher injury exercise. Perhaps /r/xxfitness would have some better more specific advice.
u/arlnebulas · 1 pointr/Fitness

Also here is the link for the book.

u/andalite_bandit97 · 1 pointr/crossdressing

You might like the Strong Curves program!

It's focused on developing the butt, but it also gives some attention to arms/shoulders... the idea being that if your shoulders and thighs are muscular, it will make your waist smaller in comparison and give you that overall hourglass shape.

I'm cis female but I had great results with the program!

u/worthaconversation · 1 pointr/Rateme

OK, seems you want to increase the curvature of your butt, above it seemed you were saying you wanted to reduce it because it was massive.

Bret Contreras ('the glute guy' corny name but a highly respected trainer nationally and a PhD (or a PhD candidate) ) is one great place to start.

His book here would be your Bible -http://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better/dp/1936608642#productDescription_secondary_view_div_1462669142756 though you can get pretty far starting with just a few of the exercises he tends to recommend and using good weight / reps for your goals. You can check his site or his YouTube channel for 'hip thrusts' and start perfecting your technique.

The real question is are you motivated enough to follow thru with a good workout 3 days a week plus good nutrition. Do you have access to a gym as you need and access to good food and the time set aside to follow thru. That's where many people fail. If you want more specifics, just hit me up.

u/Truly8900 · 1 pointr/progresspics

Thanks for the reply!!

Just curious is it this book?

http://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better/dp/1936608642?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I want to research it a bit more but I want to be sure I'm researching the right thing. Thanks!

u/kasittig · 1 pointr/Fitness

Starting Strength is fine, but she could also try NROLFW for a female-focused strength / aesthetics program. There's also Strong Curves if her main goal is to improve the look of her butt.

She should stick to whatever program she picks and not mess around with various squat variations. Women's bodies aren't different enough to merit entirely different programming, she just won't see the huge strength gains that a man would see. If she's not trying to break any weightlifting records, biomechanics won't be a game changer - and if she decides at a later date that she is trying to break some weightlifting records, she should get a good coach who can help her figure out what works best for her body.

edit: she / you could also check out the FAQ on /r/xxfitness

u/founddumbded · 1 pointr/gifs

If they're a lady, this is not the place to start. I can't even squat a barbell. Read the book, moved on to Strong Curves. It's unassuming and a great place to start.

u/SherpaLali · 1 pointr/xxfitness

You can't reduce the size of your upper body without losing fat, and if you can already see ribs it sounds like you don't have much fat to lose.

Strong Curves is a mostly butt/legs focused program. I haven't done it but have heard good reviews from other people here.

u/SquidFarts · 1 pointr/TryingForABaby

It's a weight lifting program aimed at women. If you search around reddit folks have posted their before and afters (with lots of nutrition, too), and holy shit it's amazing.