That's Fit

'The Female Body Breakthrough': Rachel Cosgrove's Program for Looking, Feeling Great

Mary Kearl — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST

Rachel Cosgrove, Certified Trainer, Co-founder of Results Fitness in California and Author of "The Female Body Breakthrough" No matter how much cardio Rachel Cosgrove, a former aerobics instructor and Ironman triathlete, worked into her fitness routine, she never achieved what she calls the "fit female body." Finally she discovered her "female body breakthrough" -- weight-training -- and it helped her realize her personal goals, as well as those of her clients at Results Fitness in Southern California. "I was an aerobics instructor for quite a long time, so I did cardio for hours and hours at a time, and saw what my body looked like, and as I really started to add a full-body program specifically for females, I really started to see my body change," Cosgrove said. As she incorporated more weight-lifting into her clients routines, she got them to realize they needed to shift their fitness paradigms. "At first cardio works, because it's different from what they've been doing -- sitting on the couch -- but after a while their body gets used to the challenge. But after time [the physical changes] get hard to maintain, often because you're not eating as much. But with strength-training it gets easier, because your metabolism is increasing and you can eat more." Below she explains what you need to change in your mindset and routine "to see the results you want." That's Fit: How do your strength-training workouts for women differ from traditional weight-lifting plans? Rachel Cosgrove: With traditional strength training you're isolating different body parts, the goal being to really build muscle. The overall goal isn't to boost metabolism and change your body. My goal involves no isolating. My program includes more-bang-for-your-buck exercises. You're going to work more than one muscle group. You're going to burn a lot of calories. You're going to have that boost in your metabolism. It's about really achieving that "fit female body," that's fit and toned, but not [like] a body builder. Women shouldn't be afraid to lift weights -- and that you might bulk up. You have to challenge your body and put a demand on it so it changes.

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That's Fit

'The Female Body Breakthrough': Rachel Cosgrove's Program for Looking, Feeling Great

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