Baby Blues (B/F Trying to Help)

[GnatsKnackers]

Hi

Seems a bit strange me posting in this section but anyway.

I've been training (properly) for about 4 months and this site has been a great help and all the people give you that extra bit of a boost you need.

My partner gave birth to my little boy nearly 10 weeks ago and wants to get fit and to gain her figure back. I was really hoping that someone could offer me a bit of help in creating (or pointing me to) a great routine for beginers. I have looked at the transformations of the week and the worout routines they have been doing and believe that my partner would pass out if I gave that to her.

I am starting out with her diet (this is also great for me to lose the extra fat) More meals, and less of it. No fats, and very few sugars. with a cheat meal at the end of the week so she still loves me after all of this.

Lots of cardio starting out with pushing the pram all around the village, and eventually moving on to rowing and cycling. We used to do karate but have stopped until we can commit to it again. I know she wants to build her strength up for when we return to this.

So far this is what i've got, please be truthful and tell me if its a bag of poo (this is the weight training not the cardio and this is 2 sets of 12).

Day:- Tuesday

Exercise
Squats
Deadlift
Calf Raise
Back Extensions

Day:- Thursday

Exercise
Lat Pulldown
Overhead Press
"One Arm Dumbell
Row"
Bench Press
Ab Crunches

Day:- Saturday

Exercise
Lunge
Lateral Raise
Tricep Extension
Back Extensions
Dumbell Curls


Any help would be greatly appreciated, and sorry for going on alot.

[Amanda76]

Looks like you're on the right track with diet. Just make sure that when you eat "less" you don't go too low on calories. Really, simply cleaning things up normally helps quite a bit.

I think the way you have her split set up is kind of odd. Why not go with a more conventional 3 day push-pull split with a day devoted to legs?

[GnatsKnackers]

Wow, thanks for the quick reply. It does seem a little odd but didn't want to have a day of just anything as she still needs to be able to get up and move around to look after my boy.

What do you mean by push/pull split?

[izzadawn]

Please be careful!!! Sound as if your partner may just be asking for reassurance that you still love her and find her attractive. If she was not very active before the baby and you were, this maybe her way of reaching out to you. Pushing her toward an all out scheduled workout routine may just reinforce her insecurities. Giving birth is one of the most joyous and emotionally taxing events in a womens life, Creating a new little person combined with hormones makes a rollercoaster of emotional ups and Downs. you may want to start by giving her a hug and telling her you Love her then sit down and ask her what she wants to do.
This is my 2 cents.

[Amanda76]

Push-Pull splits are based on muscle functions. Chest is a "push" muscle group, and whenever you work it, shoulders and triceps assist. Back is a "pull" muscle group and whenever you work back your biceps and rear delts assist (as such, you can also break your shoulder workout up accordingly if you choose to...but most people do their entire deltoid area on chest day because back day is more fatiguing). You can also split legs up into that if you do a 2 day split (while the entire leg assists with push movements like squats, hamstrings normally go on a pull day and quads and calves normally go on a push day). There are a few ways you can split push-pull workouts up, but this would be a pretty common way:

Back/Biceps

Quads/Hamstrings/Calves

Chest/Shoulders/Triceps

Splitting things up that way also would help her learn the functions of each muscle group.

No matter what you do, when she first starts out, she's going to be a little sore. Keeping things as light as you plan to, that will keep it to a minimum. No matter how sore I've gotten, I would have always been able to take care of an infant, so I wouldn't worry much about that. Entertaining and chasing after toddlers on the other hand...that's a bit more difficult. ;)

I think it's great that you are going to help give your wife the "me" time she needs to get back into shape. There's not much that's more depressing than a lot of lifestyle changes in addition to feeling trapped in a body that's not "yours."

[gfundaro]

No fat?!?!?!

Please, please, PLEASE don't do that. That's one of the top rules in losing fat...EAT IT. If you don't know the importance of fat in a diet, you shouldn't be creating a diet plan for another human being. You could make your partner very ill if you have her eating incorrectly.

[Amanda76]

No fat?!?!?!

Please, please, PLEASE don't do that. That's one of the top rules in losing fat...EAT IT. If you don't know the importance of fat in a diet, you shouldn't be creating a diet plan for another human being. You could make your partner very ill if you have her eating incorrectly.

I must have read over the "NO fat" part...big x2, there. I think when I read it coupled with a sugar reference I thought of junk food (fats from fried foods and things of that nature -- stay away from that stuff). Fat from the right sources (nuts, fish, etc) is important.

[Eileen]

Big question here. Is she breastfeeding? If so, that will help you get back into shape, but it has to be taken into account when drawing up a diet. For one thing, breastmilk is a high fat food (breastfed babies spend the first six months of their life in ketosis), so a low fat diet is a disaster.

[eminva]

Exercise is great, but I would consult a nutritionist about diet, especially if she's breastfeeding. She'll need lots of nutrients (and yes, healthy fat is neccesary for life!) or she'll get worn down and sick, which is easy enough with a new baby.

Good luck!

Ps- Definitely tell her that you think she looks great as is but you'd like to support her in her new fitness goals as well.

[GnatsKnackers]

Hi

Thanks for all the great replys.

Firstly she knows that I still think shes attractive and that I love her, so its not a confidence thing.

Secondly, sorry about the no fat in the diet comment. I mean't no fatty junk food, my mistake. After Callum (my little boy) started feeding every 30 minutes on the breast decided he should go on milk, so she doesn't breast feed anymore.

gfundaro I would never do anything to make her ill and its not so much creating a diet plan as a gentle nudge in the right direction, but thanks for the concern.

Amanda thanks for the help will try and split the workout into those groups and see what happens.

[JerrysGirl]

Great that you are wanting to help her and that you support her by dieting with her...however...you will probably be able to drop weight at a faster rate than her and that might be "discouraging". I sure was not elated when DH lost 20lbs by just WALKING more. Didn't even cut the booze. I tried to be happy for him but for a woman it is much harder to lose weight than for a man. So, when you drop weight it might be better to be subtle about it. I know it would be hard b/c you will be proud of it, too...anyway, just wait and see how her weight loss goes before telling how much you have lost. :)

[GnatsKnackers]

Grr can't believe it, I posted on this last night and it hasn't shown up........ anyway.

Hi Jerrysgirl

Luckily I am trying to gain muscle so hopefully I shouldn't lose to much weight. I was going to go more on the measurement loss not the weight loss.

Does anyone know the best form of cardio to do for a beginner?

Regards

[izzadawn]

Does anyone know the best form of cardio to do for a beginner?

Walking