When trying to lose weight or just maintain your shape, consider cutting back on cardio for a few weeks in order to concentrate on these strength training routines for women that enhance metabolism and develop lean muscle.
Are you working out so hard that you’re going to die? Yes, regular exercise such as jogging, cycling, and using the elliptical machine may undoubtedly help you achieve your objectives, especially if you’re trying to shed some weight. However, as Holly Perkins, C.S.C.S., creator of Women’s Strength Nation and author of Lift to Get Lean, explains, at some time you will reach a plateau.
You must include strength training in your life in order to overcome it. Why? Lifting weights helps to increase your metabolism for a lengthy period of time after your gym session has ended since the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn when working out and even while you are sitting motionless. Not to add, strength training is an excellent strategy for women (and, really, everyone) to avoid injury; the stronger the muscles surrounding and supporting your joints, the better your chances are of maintaining good form and staying out of harm’s way. Lifting weights, on the other hand, can — and can — make you incredibly powerful (without causing you to “bulk up”). (See also: 11 Major Health and Fitness Benefits of Lifting Weights for more information.)
Don’t be concerned if you’re a novice to weight training. Perkins designed this four-week introductory strength training exercise for women to assist them in establishing a strong foundation of strength training and shifting their body into a new position after all of that cardiovascular activity. The truly wonderful piece of news? You simply need to perform this workout twice a week to see results. Each week, the motions will remain the same, but the routine will get more difficult as a result of the shifting program variables (i.e. rest, sets, reps, or load).
Make sure to give yourself at least two days of recovery between strength training sessions, although you may perform cardio on those days off (to be clear, cardio isn’t bad; it’s just that it’s not the ideal strategy for long-term weight reduction or maintenance, or simply remaining fit).
Here is a breakdown of the weekly gym routines so you can get up and running like a pro in no time.
Women’s Strength Training Program (four-week duration)
Week 1 of the school year
Straight sets are the only way to complete the exercises in each program. For example, you might perform one set of leg presses, then pause for 30 seconds, then perform a second set, then pause, and then perform a third set. After that, proceed to the next exercise. You’ll be able to perform all of the moves in both of the women’s strength workouts this way.
Carry out 12 reps of each movement for three sets each, with a 30-second break in between each set to allow your body to recover. Choose a weight load that makes the final two repetitions of every set extremely difficult, to the point where you would be unable to complete the thirteenth rep. It is possible that you may find yourself increasing the weight load for each set while maintaining the 12 reps for all three sets. (Are you new to weightlifting? Look no farther than this strength training program for ladies, which is also suitable for novices.)
Week 2 of the school year
As with the previous week, both strength training routines will be performed in a straight-set manner this week as well. However, you will only be allowed to rest for 15 seconds between each set, and you will perform 15 reps of each activity for three sets in total. As a result, you’ll be able to finish more work in less time this week. This is an excellent motivational tool for taking your fitness to the next level.
Week three is upon us.
It’s time to shake things up this week. A circuit-style strength training routine for women will be used to finish your strength training session instead of straight sets.
This week, you’ll perform one set of each exercise for a total of 15 repetitions, then quickly go on to the next activity with no time to rest between movements. For example, on day 1 of the workout, you will execute your first set of leg presses for 15 reps, then immediately go on to the goblet squat for 15 reps, and so on until you have completed all of the exercises with no break in between movements. After completing these four motions, you’ll take a one-minute break before repeating the circuit two more times.
Week 4 of the school year
Continuing with the circuit-style sets, you’ll do just 12 reps of each action this week; however, there are two (difficult!) modifications: first, you’ll perform only 12 reps of each movement; second, you’ll perform only 12 reps of each movement After completing four full circuits (that is, four sets of each exercise for both exercises), you will be required to take a short break between each circuit. Keeping you on your feet is the order of the week. In either workout, once you’ve completed the last movement, you’ll instantly return to the initial movement and begin a new circuit.
Have you grasped the concept? The following are the moves for women’s strength training: Workout 1 consists of four weightlifting routines, and Workout 2 consists of five actions, all of which are demonstrated in the video below. Watch and study, then put a reminder on your calendar – you won’t believe how much stronger you’ll feel in four weeks when you finish.
The leg press is the first exercise in the Women’s Strength Training program.
Leg Workout
Lifting a Goblet
Rope Pulley Seated
Hammer Curls using Dumbbells
Exercise 2 of the Leg Press Strength Training for Women Workout
Lunges while pacing
Dumbbell Side Raise with Bent Arms and Dumbbells
Flying Dumbbells From a Lying Position
Downward Straight Bar Triceps Press