Women need to be lifting weights. It’s as simple as that.
Strength training not only makes you stronger and look better, it’s also good for you. Strength training is good for your bones, increasing bone mineral density and protecting against osteopenia and osteoporosis. Strength training increases lean mass, which in turn increases your resting metabolic rate, or the number of calories you burn on a given day just laying around doing nothing. Strength training is good for your self-esteem, and can improve both body image and overall perceptions of well-being.
Wanna start strength training but have no idea where to start?
Well, to start, get off the treadmill and into the weight room! Check out what the guys in the gym are doing, at least the ones who look like they have a clue. Chances are, if it works for the guys, it will work for you too. But don’t worry, you aren’t going to get huge if you lift like a man – guaranteed. That’s just not possible. You simply don’t have the testosterone levels and never will. You will get stronger though, and particularly if you squat regularly, you’ll end up with a firm, rounded posterior that will be the envy of all those cardio queens. If you want to be stronger than ever, have more defined muscles, and an athletic physique, then look no further. This 4-week intro to strength training for women program will put you on the right track, because let’s face it ladies, strong is the new sexy!
4-Week Strength Training for Women Program
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Below is an example of how you might strength train each week. You don’t have to do MWF, but you should strength train on non-consecutive days since you’ll be hitting all of the major muscle groups each time you lift. 48-72 hours between strength training sessions is sufficient, but don’t be alarmed if you are still experiencing some muscle soreness from the previous workout, especially if you are a beginner. When in doubt, consult a certified personal trainer or strength and conditioning specialist to advise you on form and technique. Or just ask one of the gym rats, they’ve been wanting to talk to you anyway.
What about the Weights?
Start with a light warm up set before moving into your work sets. That is, use the empty bar or a light weight you can easily lift for 10-15 repetitions just to get the movement down and prepare your muscles to do work. Mondays will involve sets of 10-12 repetitions of each exercise (for one arm row, that’s 10-12 per arm) with a weight that just allows you to finish the prescribed number of reps, but not more than that. This will take some trial and error initially, but you’ll figure it out pretty quickly and build from there. Rest 60 s between exercises/sets. Core work will always be a higher number of repetitions (15-20 per set) for any given workout, as you want to develop local muscular endurance in this region that will improve core stability and help with the rest of your lifts.
Time to get STRONG!
Wednesdays are sets of 8 repetitions with 1-2 minutes rest between exercises/sets, using a moderately heavy weight that just allows you to complete 8 reps but no more than that. Fridays will be your heaviest weight lifting days, don’t be afraid! You’ll only be doing 6 repetitions, but it should be challenging, i.e. don’t use the same weight you used Monday. You get to rest for 2-3 minutes, which is plenty of time to recover even though the weight is heavy. Be certain to focus on proper lifting technique and breathing.
The 2 X 2 Rule
Use the 2 x 2 rule for increasing weight on a particular exercise (don’t know the 2 x 2 rule? Check it out here ) so that you continue to build strength each week. As long as you’re making progress (increasing the amount of weight lifted on a given exercise) you may choose to repeat this 4-week cycle using 3-4 sets once you’ve finished the initial one.
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