Written by Kirsten Yovino | CPT Brookbush Institute
Fact checked by Samuel Coleman, Co-founder
FACT CHECKED
We're well into the 2000s, and thankfully, the gym is no longer dominated by guys. As research continues to identify multiple amazing benefits associated with women and strength training, it's led to an influx of strong female athletes. But as women continue searching for the best and most effective workouts, it has led to some discrepancies regarding how ladies should exercise.
On one hand, marketing has led some women to think they need a completely different program from men. This can even include special "women protein" (please insert eye roll here). On the other hand, we have those who say women should work out exactly as men do, with no consideration for any differences.
We believe that for the majority of women, the truth lies somewhere in the middle of these two. This article will wade through the science and misinformation to provide you with accurate facts and the ideal workout program for women.
This post will discuss:
- Common misconceptions regarding women and workouts
- Benefits of exercise (including women-specific!)
- Research on women and training
- Variables important to a woman's workout
- A complete workout program for women
Women, Exercise, and How To Train
There always seems to be some disconnect between men and women going to the gym. Even though women exercising has been common since the 1950s, an underlying message has always existed that suggests ladies need a special type of workout.
Taking a brief look at exercise history, examples of this include Jazzercise in the 80s and the plethora of "bun blasting and thigh sculpting" programs and equipment sold in the 90s. Suzanne Summers' Thighmaster ring a bell?
Even today, there still seems to be an idea that women shouldn't train like men.
Common Misconceptions About Women And Training
We believe that women should train "more like men" in exercise selection and the loads used. At the same time, we understand that real barriers and common misbeliefs exist. We want to address those now.
Here are some common misconceptions regarding women and exercise.
1. Women Who Lift Weights Get Bulky And Have Too Much Muscle Mass.
The first major issue for women is their fear of getting bulky. And this fear of gaining massive guns has led some women to follow inadequate training plans.
The fact is that women are not going to gain nearly as much muscle as they think they might, unless you're one of these top female bodybuilders. Look at guys who spend years in the gym building muscle. Now, understand it's going to be even harder for women.
Of course, women can still gain muscle, but the point here is that muscle gain for anyone does not happen overnight. In fact, it would take years of dedicated training to reach any point that may be described as "bulky."
A great example of how weight training tones and slims you is Khloe Kardashian, an avid resister trainer. Check out the Khloe Kardashian Weight Loss Journey to learn more about her routine!
2. Workout Routines For Women Should Only Have Weight Loss In Mind.
While the importance of building muscle for women is finally becoming better understood by the public, most programs still have one ultimate goal: to burn fat. Weight loss is obviously a huge goal for many, but the fact is you're more likely to achieve that with nutrition.
A hard workout will increase total calories burned but will come nowhere close to saving as many calories as a healthy diet.
A woman's workout program, like this arm workout or these bicep workouts for women, for example, should be constructed to build muscle and improve cardio variables. The calorie expenditure that comes with it will then complement the calories lost through diet, creating a true fat-burning program.
3. There's too much Focus On Light Weights And High Reps.
Due to this fear of getting bulky, some women shy away from "heavy" loads with fewer reps. Many women are also led to believe this type of training is better at burning fat, which feeds into insecurities about body weight.
We should note that the term heavy is relative. What's heavy for your average lifter will be light for a professional powerlifter.
While there's nothing wrong with knocking out high-rep lateral raises once in a while, which can be good for improving muscular endurance, most of your training should be done in the 6-12 rep range. In fact, going even heavier with fewer reps a couple of times a week doesn't hurt either. Simply put, women need a broader rep range than just 15 plus.
4. There's too Much Time Spent On Cardio-Focused Group Training (No Heavy Lifting!).
Speaking of fitness trends, classes have taken the fitness industry by storm. Whether this is group classes offered in a gym or an entire brand, like Orange Theory and SoulCycle, they have proven to be an effective way to provide basic levels of fitness.
It's easy to examine these classes and realize that most trainees are women. Research supports this, showing that women make up almost 80% of group class participants. The reasons for this are varied but can be because of one or more of the following:
- It's seen as a social gathering with friends.
- They're challenging and offer a slightly competitive atmosphere.
- Some women feel safer working out with other women.
- It's harder to stand out in a crowd.
- The programming is done for you, so there's no confusion.
We understand why women love them. As mentioned, they can be effective for basic fitness. However, these classes almost always focus entirely on cardio, fat loss, and muscle endurance.
While some say may market themselves as "strength training," lifting the same small dumbbells every week does not implore progressive overload and is generally far too light. To build muscle, you're much better off picking a workout split and sticking to it.
To be clear, if you are involved in group training and love it, this is not putting this type of training down. We just want to address some issues and how you can improve upon them, which we'll do below.
Exercise Health Benefits For Women
We all know that physical activity is good for the body. But its benefits are far more significant than many of us realize. For example, some of the most profound benefits, apart from improved body weight and physique, include decreasing the risk of a host of chronic diseases, like helping prevent breast cancer, improving sleep, boosting immunity, increasing mood and mental state, and neuroprotection.
Women will see all of the above when they begin following a regular workout routine. In addition, exercise also provides many benefits that are especially important for women.
These include:
1. Stronger Bones:
Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by weak bones. Unfortunately, this ailment is seen in women to a higher degree.
Some people may think there's really not much we can do about it, but this isn't the case. Amazingly, resistance training can build bigger and stronger bones similar to building strong muscles. They go through a cycle of becoming stressed, having minor "breaks," and then being repaired.
Multiple studies support this and show strength training is so impactful for strengthening bones that researchers can see differences in bone strength when looking at swimmers, triathletes, and runners¹.
The one variable that must occur to build stronger bones is using load-bearing exercises. For example, just performing leg extensions and cable leg abductions isn't going to help. The load must be placed directly on your bones.
This is important for every woman regardless of age, so don't think that it doesn't apply because you're young. In fact, it could be argued it's more important as the younger you are, the more optimal the time is to grow your bones so that they're big and strong once you get older².
This is best achieved with exercises like squats and even the leg press.
2. Reduced Migraine Symptoms:
Men also suffer from migraines, but the risk for women experiencing migraines is 3 times greater. Researchers still aren't entirely sure why this difference exists, but common explanations are stress and hormones. Regardless of why they occur, they do.
Fortunately, a recent meta-analysis found that exercise effectively treats the symptoms and onset of migraines³.
And as far as which types of exercise, strength training was the most effective, with HIIT being second in line.
3. Decreased Cancer Risk:
Physical activity can be more effective than any prescription you can take to prevent chronic illnesses. Recent research has shown that resistance training can strongly decrease the risk of ovarian and breast cancer⁴.
The mechanisms are believed to be due to weight training's effect on decreasing inflammation and oxidative stress. Interested in learning more? We've got a great breast cancer prevention workout plan that discusses this in more detail.
4. Healthier Pregnancies And Birth:
As beautiful as giving birth is, it can also be quite trying on a woman's body.
However, increasing the level of physical activity and exercise will produce dramatic improvements in the birth itself and its outcome.
Studies have shown that exercise helps with hormone balance, a decreased risk of gestational diabetes, and increased hip and pelvis strength⁵. So if you're wondering if you can and should work out when pregnant, the answer is a resounding yes!
Weight Training: Men vs Women
To further convince you of the importance of strength training for women, let's examine a few studies that review training adaptions strictly from a physiological perspective. In other words, putting body image or fear of gyms aside, let's dig into the question: How do women typically respond to the same weight training as men?
1) Research shows training adaptations are similar between genders.
A 1994 study examined the adaptations of training in men and women when following a lower-body resistance training plan⁶. Participants performed 3 different exercises: the leg press, back squat, and leg extension.
They trained twice a week in a progressive manner. While there were some trivial differences regarding when adaptations were seen, the adaptations seen in week 8 were similar. This included absolute strength, relative strength, and muscle growth. We don't know about you, but that's enough to convince us to hit the gym and start performing those back exercises!
2) Studies show similar muscle growth between genders.
A study from 2000 examined the effect of a 12-week workout routine⁷. The primary variables included 6 compound movements, a load equal to 8-12RM, having participants perform to fatigue, and training 3 days a week.
At the end of this study, men saw their upper body muscle thickness increase by 12 to 21% and their lower body thickness increase by 7 to 9%. Women saw an increase in upper body muscle thickness of 10 to 31% and 7 to 8% in the lower body.
Again, some minor differences were seen in some specific exercises, but nothing to suggest the training was less effective.
3) Research shows both genders benefit from periodized strength training.
A study from 2011 examined the effects of a periodized strength training program⁸. Periodization refers to a training method of altering the load and volume of your training in blocks of time. The study concentrated on using big compound lifts with barbells, including the back squat, and also utilizing machines, like the lat pulldown, as well as isolation exercises and core work.
Both men and women saw significant gains in strength throughout the programs. And while men were stronger in absolute, women saw a greater increase in strength percentage (25% vs. 30%). Further, when examining exercise specifics, men saw greater relative strength in the lat pulldown and shoulder dumbbell press.
The greater strength increase in women may be due to previous training experience. On the other hand, the greater strength in upper body exercises in men is due to their greater relative strength. Apart from these minimal issues, the study shows there's no reason women should train differently from men as far as physiological needs are concerned.
Related: Should Women Lift Heavy Weights
Variables For A Woman's Workout Routine
We're now going to go through some important variables that need to be present in a woman's workout routine.
The workout routine we're featuring later on in this article takes everything we know about proper weight training while addressing some of the nuances present with women and training. We will explain this in detail shortly, but just know your workout plan will consist of various training styles.
We are also setting this program up so that different workout plans can be created using the same base plan. While the core will be similar, we understand that different women have different fitness goals and preferences.
All the workout routines include 3 days of resistance training. However, after that, women will add various cardio days, group classes, or even yoga based on their goals. So whether you're hoping to lose weight, gain muscle, or even improve your anaerobic conditioning (we love assault bike workouts for this!), we've got you covered with this versatile program.
Here are the variables the workout program includes.
1. Strength Training:
Above we showed the importance of strength training in a woman's gym routine. This is why our woman's workout plan will include 3 weight lifting sessions a week. When running a 3-day split, performing a full body workout routine each session is ideal.
This allows the most volume to be put on each muscle group while still allowing an adequate amount of exercise.
Your full body workout will be built around the big compound movements, which will create a strong foundation that you can build on. To do this, you'll use smaller accessory exercises and some isolation moves.
Keep in mind, there are many different workout splits to choose from, and you can even focus on one body part per workout if you'd like to spend more time weight lifting each week. Check out our Leg Workouts For Women for additional workout inspiration!
2. Circuit Training:
At the end of each training session, there will be a mini circuit training routine, focusing on the smaller exercises and core. We like using circuit training workouts as it lets you get in a lot of volume while allowing you to train with an elevated heart rate.
If you'd like a routine that combines resistance training and circuit training, we highly recommend checking out Khloe Kardashian's workout routine!
3. Yoga Class, Barre Exercises, Or Pilates:
Three strength workout sessions per week leaves plenty of time to add some flexibility and mobility training (if you don't spend much time on mobility currently, we highly recommend testing your mobility to see where you stand). You have 3 main options: yoga practice, barre class, and pilates.
As for what you do, that is totally up to you. Each practice uses different mediums to provide similar results: improve flexibility, mobility, and strength through a range of motion. We're sure you can find someone who would claim one is better than the other, but enjoyability is the number one priority. As for comfort, make sure you have a good yoga mat for both yoga and pilates.
Also, remember that your purpose is shifting, and these classes are no longer your primary means of exercising. Instead, it's meant to complement your strength training. With that said, if you really do not enjoy yoga, barre, or pilates, there's no need to do any, as we're providing other forms of exercise below.
Related: Pilates Body vs Gym Body
4. Cardio:
Cardio is usually associated with weight loss, but its main focus is to improve your cardiovascular system. This includes a whole range of health and fitness variables, including:
- Increases VO2max (ability to utilize oxygen)
- Increases workload (ability to do work without fatigue)
- Strengthens heart and lungs
- Improves blood flow
- Improves recovery rate
There are even more benefits than this, but you get the idea. Now when it comes to what type of cardio to perform, there is an ongoing debate about it, particularly between HIIT vs. steady-state cardio and which is better.
But it shouldn't be one or the other. Both a HIIT workout and steady state are excellent modes to improve different areas of your cardio system, and most people will benefit from having both in their routine. Consider including 1-2 HIIT workouts per week and fill in the rest of your cardio workout time with steady-state training.
We like adding some cardio taken from Strongman training. Don't let the name scare you, as it's just the name of the sport. These exercises include farmer's carries and sled push and pull exercises.
These are all very simple exercises to do yet are highly effective at providing whole-body conditioning.
5. Daily Movement & Physical Activity:
When we speak about physical activity, we are referring to increasing your daily movement. While this may seem like exercise, the difference comes from the purpose.
The purpose of exercising is to improve body composition and fitness level. The purpose of physical activity is varied but can be summed up as doing something you enjoy or finding ways to incorporate more movement into daily activities.
An example may be taking your dog for a walk on the beach, visiting a museum and walking around, or going for a hike.
6. Sports:
We also strongly recommend getting involved with a sport if you can. This includes activities such as playing tennis, learning self-defense or martial arts, or getting into stand-up paddle boarding.
Obviously, there's overlap with the above "physical activity," but sports provide unique benefits. These benefits include:
- Finding an enjoyable activity that you can improve in and learn skills.
- Provides a social outlet as many sports, even solo sports such as running usually have clubs.
- Provides a dose of friendly competition.
- When you find a sport you like, it's a lot of fun.
- It can serve as cross-training.
Regardless, if possible, we suggest getting involved in some sport in your fitness journey. It will make adhering to a healthy lifestyle much easier.
Women's Bodies and Fat Loss Goals
Many women in the gym have similar goals for a few body parts. These include increasing muscle mass in the glutes, tightening the inner thighs, eliminating saddlebags and hip dips, tightening the triceps, and building a tight core.
When it comes to hitting specific areas, it's a lot easier to choose where you want to build muscle fibers than where you want to lose fat. For example, everyone wants to lose belly fat. But unfortunately, your body burns fat in the reverse order that it gains fat.
This is because our bodies store fat easier in some places than others. This is based on genetics and your body type. Remember that you ultimately just need to concentrate on fat loss everywhere. Regardless, we can still provide exercises to try and sculpt these places the best we can, so as you lose weight, their muscle definition can shine through.
The Best Workout Plan For Women
We're now going to lay out an entire week of training. It can be a 7 day workout routine if you opt for the low intensity mobility session on your rest day. This is intended to be a versatile plan, so adjust as you need to, whether that's making it a 5 day workout routine, 6 day split, or 7 days of training.
Remember that this isn't just weight lifting but also cardio and other types of training, like mobility. A program like this will help with building muscle, gaining strength, and losing weight (if that's your goal and your diet aligns with it).
The strength training should remain no matter what. If you want to exclude mobility training like yoga and barre, consider replacing those sessions with LISS cardio to support any weight loss or cardiovascular goals you may have.
Ladies, the wait is over. Let's get into the best workout routine for women!
Day 1: Strength Training
- Back Squat: 4X8 @ 2:00 Rest
- Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press: 3X8 @ 2:00 Rest
- Dumbbell Row: 3X8/Arm @ 1:30/Arm Rest
- Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift: 3X10-12 @ 1:30 Rest
- Leg Abductions: 3X12-15 @ 1:00 Rest
After this strength training routine, perform the following circuit three times.
Circuit:
- Rope Crunch X 10
- Rope Tricep Pushdown X 10
- Rope Palloff Press X 10
- Ropee Front Pulldown X 10
- Body Squats X 10
Day 2: LISS
- Either at home or the gym
- 45-60 minutes of steady-state cardio
- Low heart rate (60-70%)
- Home: Brisk walking or light cycling (or something similar)
- Gym: Incline treadmill or light spin (or something similar)
- If you have time, add in a low-intensity mobility class such as yoga, barre, or pilates (i.e. 60-minute brisk walk in the AM followed by barre in the evening.)
Day 3: Group Class
This class should include a mixture of weights and cardio. If you don't enjoy group classes, swap this out with a LISS session followed by a brief weight circuit or a HIIT routine.
- Les Mills
- Orange Theory
- Similar classes at your gym
Day 4: Strength Training
- Bench Press: 4X6 @ 2:00 Rest
- Barbell Hip Thrust: 4X8 @ 2:00 Rest
- Seated Back Row: 3X10-12 @ 1:30 Rest
- Leg Press: 5X10-15 @ 1:30 Rest
After these strength training exercises, perform the following circuit three times.
Circuit:
- Walking Lunges X 10-20
- Flutter Kicks X 50
- Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension X 10
- Step-Ups X20
- Dumbbell Curl X10
Day 5: Rest Or Low Intensity Group Class
- Total Rest
- Mobility class, such as yoga, barre, pilates
Day 6: Strength Training
- Trap Bar Deadlift: 3X6 @ 2:00 Rest
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3X8 @ 2:00 Rest
- Plie Squats: 3X10-12 @ 1:30 Rest
- Lat Pull-Down: 3X10-12 @ 1:30 Rest
- Rope Lateral Raises: 2X12-15/Arm, @ 1:30 Rest
After these strength training exercises, perform the following circuit three times.
Circuit:
- Push-Ups X 10
- Rope Face Pull X 10
- Reverse Lunges X 10-20
- Rope High Row X 10
- Hollow Rocks for 30 seconds
Day 7: Gym Cardio & Anaerobic Conditioning
This day will consist of more intense forms of cardio. Here's a routine to try:
- 20 minutes of stationary cycling
- Sled push 10-minute intervals:30/:30
- Sled pull 10-minute intervals:30/:30
- Farmer Carries: 5X10
- Stair Climber: 5 minutes (climb as many flights as possible)
Or
- An intense cardio class, such as spinning
- HIIT workout
Progressions
Building muscle and improving on a training program is relatively easy. The industry likes to make it seem as though there are a ton of secrets, but the true secret is that there is no secret. You just need a proper plan, aligned nutrition, and some dedication.
When you start, use a load that's challenging but not overly strenuous. You should not be grunting to get your reps done.
From here, add a minimal amount of weight every week. This is a principle called progressive overload, which is the heart of resistance training.
Workout Programs For Women: Parting Tips
If you are new to training, you may want to hire a personal trainer to show you the ropes. Think about it as an investment in your health, as it quite literally is.
Further, be prepared to invest some time before you begin seeing significant progress. This is true for all workout programs, as nothing sustainable will occur quickly. Unfortunately, this is one of the reasons many people cancel their gym membership as they have been sucked into believing all the "get shredded in 30 days" fitness workouts on the market.
It's Time For Women To Get In The Gym
It's becoming more commonplace to see women at the gym, which is awesome. While there are still plenty of issues with inaccurate marketing and inadequate workouts designed only for women, there's also plenty of great information and options to benefit women, as you saw in this article.
All women should 100% be in the gym and lifting weights for muscle hypertrophy as this is the optimal method for creating a truly strong body.
Related:
- The Best Shoulder Workout For Women
- The Ultimate Upper Body Workouts For Women
- Top 10 Tips To Help With Weight Loss For Women
Prepare to maximize your gains with our exclusive 12-week hypertrophy training program. Choose between a 4 or 5 day training split and gain 2-12 pounds of muscle over 90 days...
References:
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- Layne JE, Nelson ME. The effects of progressive resistance training on bone density: a review. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 1999 Jan;31(1):25-30. DOI: 10.1097/00005768-199901000-00006. PMID: 9927006.
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- Perales M, Santos-Lozano A, Ruiz JR, Lucia A, Barakat R. Benefits of aerobic or resistance training during pregnancy on maternal health and perinatal outcomes: A systematic review. Early Human Development. 2016;94:43-48. doi:10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2016.01.004
- Staron RS, Karapondo DL, Kraemer WJ, et al. Skeletal muscle adaptations during early phase of heavy-resistance training in men and women. Journal of Applied Physiology. 1994;76(3):1247-1255. doi:10.1152/jappl.1994.76.3.1247
- Kell, Robert T. The Influence of Periodized Resistance Training on Strength Changes in Men and Women. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: March 2011 - Volume 25 - Issue 3 - p 735-744 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c69f22
- Abe, T., DeHoyos, D., Pollock, M. et al. Time course for strength and muscle thickness changes following upper and lower body resistance training in men and women. Eur J Appl Physiol 81, 174–180 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004210050027
Kirsten Yovino
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