"Weight Training Routines for Women - Women Building Muscle 1950s Style"

Learn how 50s weight training routines for women transformed "Mighty Mannequin" into professional model.

Women Building Muscle 1950s Style

Women building muscle isn't something new. Back in the 1950s, women strongmen routinely amazed theater goers with their incredible feats of strength.

One such lady who drew thousands to her shows, was the lovely and very glamorous Joan Rhodes.

Here is her story.

Mighty Mannequin

Looking every bit the blonde bombshell, the "Mighty Mannequin" Joan Rhodes would astound audiences with displays that most men twice her size would struggle to perform.

Belying her slender frame, Joan would twist bars, snap six-inch nails, and rip telephone books in half.

Leaving home at the age of 14, Joan joined the circus where she was "adopted" by a professional strongman and his wife. She stayed with them for 2 years, during which time she began her strength training.

Joan soon blazed a trail with her act, and would appear in circuses, on the stage, and in films - she would also feature in magazine articles, such was her fame.

Standing a striking 5 ft 8 inches tall with a slim, athletic figure, this strongwoman would also become a much sought after professional model - proof positive that muscles and beauty go together.

Weight Training Exercises for Women

So does this mean you should run away and join the circus?

As tempting as this childhood fantasy might sound, you can achieve the same weight training benefits in your own home or local gym.

All you require is an effective weight training routine tailored to the demands of the 21st Century woman.

Here is where abbreviated training can help you, by providing effective weight training routines for women.

Weight Training Routines for Women - Women Building Muscle 1950s Style

1. Weight training exercises for women.

The best exercises to build strength are compound movements. Unlike isolation exercises, these movements train the core muscles thereby triggering the muscle building process in the most effective manner.

If you are a beginner trainee, consider free weight training exercises. You can create an excellent starter home workout featuring compound movements using a basic barbell or hand-weights.

2. Practice the fitness habit.

An effective weight training routine should be tailored to your requirements. Since every trainee will have different wants and needs, adjust your routine and exercise choices so that it becomes a fitness habit.

For example: are you a stressed-out mom? Then you will struggle to build muscle if you exercise too much and don't get enough rest. In this case, it is better to select a full body ultra-abbreviated routine you train only once a week, thereby allowing plenty of recovery time between workouts.

If worked progressively, this style of training soon becomes an easy-to-follow fitness habit and yields remarkable results. The trick is to be consistent in your methods, adding repetitions and resistance slowly. Just remember that small gains added to over time, soon build into impressive gains.

To learn more, see how Velma Garnes went from an overweight trainer to a lean fitness competitor.

3. Weight training routines for women.

While we can't teach you how to snap six-inch nails like Joan Rhodes, we CAN show you the types of weight training routines that build functional strength.

Despite what you may have read, you can achieve a productive weight training routine quickly and efficiently. For now, forget the glossy magazines with their marathon routines, and instead focus on an abbreviated routine which contains a handful of proven muscle building exercises.