Best woman's strength training workout?

fitforlife34
fitforlife34 Posts: 331 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi. I just started working out for the first time in months. Already I can feel my mood and energy raise. So I have been doing cardio, but I have always loved weight lifting. Not only does it burn more calories at rest and raise your metabolism, but it also boosts my mood. And I want to be toned in tanktops and stuff.

I went through the internet and didn't see anyting real useful. Wondering if you had any strength workout regimens you follow? I'm good at routines, and I have a gym with all the equipment. It can be a combo of machines, free weights, or anything else. Also ab exercises (my biggest troublespot).Looking for workouts no more than 45-60min 2-3 times a week.
(since I am already muscular, and don't want to bulk myself up. Especially my legs, because I am biking and running, which can bulk up the calf muscles. And they are too big.)

Please share! :)

Oh, and I want to get started ASAP!

Replies

  • shanae727
    shanae727 Posts: 546 Member
    Hi, have you heard of body pump or athletic conditioning? "Body Pump" is working with weights (smaller) and more reps. You'll see quick results like that, muscle wise. With athletic conditioning you are basically adding weights to your cardio (ie, medicine ball while running, ankle weights, wrist weights) but you are pushing your heart rate to the max. These are all ways to enhance strength training. Some gyms have group classes if you want to get a "taste" first or you can try to do some freestyle workouts at home. Or you can just add a medicine ball or resistance bands/tubes to any workout. For abs, I use a medicine ball at the gym, flat weights and tubes. For example, sitting on a mat, with legs bent knees upward heels on floor and toes to the sky. I hold a 6-8lb medicine ball at my breast, elbows tucked down by my obliques and twist. Only twisting my upper body and using my obliques to twist, not my arms or shoulders. I do reps of 15 with each size ball, break and do it again. Youtube "Mens Health Ab workout" there's a trainer that gives ab exercises with a medicine ball. :) Hope this helps!
  • fitforlife34
    fitforlife34 Posts: 331 Member
    Yeah, I do those as well. Thank you, I'll check out that video
  • realrayne10
    realrayne10 Posts: 388 Member
    You should check out New Rules on Lifting for Women. I have been doing it for about 6 weeks and loving it so far!
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    New Rules of Lifting for Women or StrongLifts 5 x 5.
  • shoegazer7
    shoegazer7 Posts: 10
    I really like "Get Ripped! Slim and Lean, with Jari Love." It also burns about 700 calories.
  • taxidermist15
    taxidermist15 Posts: 677 Member
    any of the men's strength training programmes.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    I like the blogilates workouts for variety. Lots of things like planks, squats, lunges, burpees, pilates moves, yoga moves and other stuff.
  • ThinUpGirl
    ThinUpGirl Posts: 397
    Bump for later
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    dont worry about getting bulky.

    i'm primarily a mesomorph so technically i'm the type who can look at a weight and will gain muscle easily. in the past i intentionally bulked and that wasnt because of the weights i was lifting but the food i was eating.

    now that i'm tying to lose weight, i lift heavy but i'm getting slimmer because i'm not eating to bulk. bulk has more to do with the fat over the muscles than the muscles themselves.
  • CountDown321
    CountDown321 Posts: 117 Member
    I'm doing Starting Strength (check out the wiki and/or get the book). Its a relatively quick trip to the gym because its mostly compound lifts. So you can spend less time working more muscles at a time.

    Im on my 4th week and I already can do a lot that I couldn't before. And I feel great.
  • fitforlife34
    fitforlife34 Posts: 331 Member
    dont worry about getting bulky.

    i'm primarily a mesomorph so technically i'm the type who can look at a weight and will gain muscle easily. in the past i intentionally bulked and that wasnt because of the weights i was lifting but the food i was eating.

    now that i'm tying to lose weight, i lift heavy but i'm getting slimmer because i'm not eating to bulk. bulk has more to do with the fat over the muscles than the muscles themselves.


    I am the same way!! And I know that it has a lot to do with the fat over the muscle. So I guess that's just my genes. But I notice when I weight lift I look way more deifned (especially if I do more reps, and less weight.) then gradually build up.
  • fitforlife34
    fitforlife34 Posts: 331 Member
    I like the blogilates workouts for variety. Lots of things like planks, squats, lunges, burpees, pilates moves, yoga moves and other stuff.








    I checked that out. looks really interesting. i might do it, but it doesn't utilize what I have in my gym though. :(
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    New Rules of Lifting for Women or StrongLifts 5 x 5.

    Or Starting Strength by Mark Rippletoe.
  • pudadough
    pudadough Posts: 1,271 Member
    I love Chalean Extreme. It's mostly weights, with a few cardio sessions thrown in. I've seen great new definition and I'm just now on my third month.
  • shobelitz
    shobelitz Posts: 34
    i like to mix/switch everything up so i don't bore myself quickly from time to time.. lol..P90x, physique 57, biggest loser weight loss yoga (one of the best yoga vids in my opinion), blogilates on youtube, and zumba.. ^^

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