Women, tell me your weight lifting routine.

desiv2

I'm getting a bench with 100 lbs worth of free weights at the end of this month. I really want to work on strength and lifting to build muscle. (I mean, I really could use it.. haha)

So, when you began what did you do? What do you do now?

I'm looking for some advice on exactly what kind of exercise to do, how many reps and sets, etc. If you have any suggestions for books or websites, please tell them.

SoDamnHungry

B-b-b-b-b-b-bump!

Mutant13

I do three different full body workouts at least three times a week, but sometimes I double up and do more

Workout A-
Squats
Stiff leg dead lifts
Upright rows
Close grip bench press
Standing calf raises
Barbell curls

Workout B-
Bench press
Bent over rows
Shoulder press
Overhead extensions
Seated calf raises
Lateral raises

Workout C
Dead lifts
Seated rows
Cable pulley crossover
Tricep pushdown
Hammer curls
Leg extensions
Hamstring curls

The most important part of my workouts are the big compound lifts such as squats and deadlifts. The others are complimentary.

Simply start at a weight that you can manage but find challenging and progressively move up from there

desiv2

Thank you! Though, now I'm going to go look up what half of those mean. Haha!

Mutant13

Good luck!

wareagle8706

WARNING: VERY LONG POST

I created this for a few other people on here that are also new to weight lifting. Hope it helps. Please excuse any typo's.

Weight lifting routine for a new lifter

My suggestion is to do three sets of three different exercises per muscle group. I will arrange them in this fashion for you here.

• Each set should contain anywhere from 10-12 reps with the last three reps being fairly difficult to complete.
• If you don’t struggle to complete the last three reps then you need to consider going up in weight.
• Always make sure that FORM COMES FIRST. If you are struggling to keep your form correct during your set then you need to lower the weight.
• While you are doing each exercise, keep in mind which muscle you are exercising. Always focus your energy on that muscle and contracting that muscle. Too many people think they can just go through the motion of moving the weight around without paying attention to which muscle they are using to move it.
• I highly recommend using Google to search for the proper form for each of these exercises as I will be unable to explain the form to you well enough through text.
• Always remember while doing exercises where you are standing you need to keep your knees soft. NEVER lock your knees. Especially while doing squats as this puts a lots of extra pressure on them.
• While using machines, do not let the weight “clap” during every rep. If you let the weights meet that means your letting your muscles go to rest between sets.
• Always try to use a 2 count. Two counts in one direction, two counts in the other. Example: For a bicep curl, curl it up for 2, lower the weight for two. Do not every swing weights. Always keep them under control.
• Always inhale on the easy part of the lift and exhale on the hard part. Paying attention to breathing also helps you not do the move too fast. If you do it too fast you'll breath too fast and hyperventilate. Don't do that (haha).

Three day a week workout:

Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

Chest:
1. Bench Press
2. Dumbbell Press (Can substitute seated fly machine if your gym has one)
3. Incline Dumbbell Press

Shoulders:
1. Standing overhead dumbbell press
2. Arnold’s (Google this. Seated dumbbell press but when you bring them down you twist them to face you in front of your chest)
3. Straight arm in and out fly (you’ll lose pretty light weight on these. I only use 5 lb. dumbbells)

Triceps:
1. Kickbacks (one arm at a time or two, either way, just Google correct form)
2. Overhead tricep extension (hold one dumbbell with both hands)
3. Tricep push downs (if you have cables in your gym, otherwise you could do dumbbell or barbell skull crushers)

Day 2: Legs

1. Squats (You can do these with the barbell or dumbbells with DON’T lock your legs out at the top and try to get your thighs parallel to the floor every time!)
2. Walking Lunges (Holding dumbbells, keeping both legs at around 90 degrees when you take a step, and push off with your back leg to work your glutes more. Also, don’t step your feet together between steps, just take long strides into the lunge each time)
3. Leg extension machine (do not swing the weight up as you do this, make it a two count up and a two count down)
4. Leg curl machine (Don’t swing the weight or kick yourself in the butt)
5. Standing calf raises (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQxv2AkNHcE uses this youtube video as a guide for the form, but don’t lock your legs like this guy does. But for this exercise you should do 15 slow, 10 fast for each direction (toes out, forward, and in)

Day 3: Back and Biceps

Back:
1. Lat pull downs (lats are those “wings” that men get when they’re really big, google it so you know which muscle you’re concentrating on)
2. Seated row (don’t lock your knees!)
3. Bent over barbell row (definitely google for form)
4. Back extension

Biceps:
1. Alternating bicep curls (elbows stay glued to your side, your arms only move from the elbows down, only bring your arm up a little past parallel to the floor)
2. Concentration curls
3. Static Arm Curls (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF5L3bkDPak Here is a youtube video to use to understand WHAT you’re doing but DO NOT have the bad form this girl does. She is swinging her body, using her shoulders A LOT and going WAY TOO FAST. So this is an example of how to perform the exercise, albeit badly)


If you only lift weights two days a week then just combine Legs with Back and Biceps.

This is a lot of information but I hope it helps!!! Please let me know if you have questions about ANY of these exercises and I can go into more detail.

epcorne

I'm following Jamie Eason's fat burning 12-week workout on www.bodybuilding.com
They have awesome work-outs.

Erica262

Bump!

I've seen many people recommend the book The New Rules of Lifting for Women

shirleygirl910

New rules of weight lifting for women. Best book you can have. Great reference.

shaffy08

bump

extraordinary_machine

Stronglifts 5x5

Goosiesnougs

My best advice to you is goole exercises for mass (ard the specific body part) Figure out what the exercise is called.....Then utube it so you can see it in action.
May I suggest one legged Romanian dead lifts? Your hamstrings will scream for days. (4 sets holding 25lbs, 10 reps each leg)
Thank me when you're not sore in 7 days :happy:

erincampbell9

Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength....just google them.

MelStren

bump

jennaworksout

bumppppppppp!!!

dahkneeka

Im terrible with routines, so perhaps I am not the best person to answer...

I found lifting 5lb dumbells for 3 sets of 12 pretty ineffective.

Once I starting lifting HEAVY (for me) weights for 3 sets of 5 or 6 reps (or as much as possible before losing good form) I started to see results and my workouts became much shorter, thus keeping my attention.

Key exercises though would be squats and deadlifts.

crazy4lulu

when i first stepped foot into a gym... i could bench 15 lb d bs to start. yesterday i did 75 lb dbs!!! stick with it .....it works!!!

ChitownFoodie

New rules of weight lifting for women. Best book you can have. Great reference.

I LOVE New Rules of Lifting for Women. When it's over I think I am going to start New Rules of Lifting Supercharged. The Supercharged version is for both men and women.

lacurandera1

When I started, i used free weights for mainly bent and upright rows, shrugs, curls chest, shoulder and tricep presses.

Now I still do all those things, but I've added squats and deadlifts. Let me encourage you to squat. in fact, I'd shout it from the roof tops. SQUAT!!!!! It;'s fantastically killer for your bum and legs. And don't be afraid to deadlift. Awesome for your bum and legs, too, but killer for your core.

Sometimes I do leg extensions or curls or hip ad or abductions but...the squats and deads are really all my legs need.

sherborg

Thank you!! I had a (ladies group) trainer for a few years and this definitely is helping me remember what and how to do routines.

cbrrabbit25

WARNING: VERY LONG POST

I created this for a few other people on here that are also new to weight lifting. Hope it helps. Please excuse any typo's.

Weight lifting routine for a new lifter

My suggestion is to do three sets of three different exercises per muscle group. I will arrange them in this fashion for you here.

• Each set should contain anywhere from 10-12 reps with the last three reps being fairly difficult to complete.
• If you don’t struggle to complete the last three reps then you need to consider going up in weight.
• Always make sure that FORM COMES FIRST. If you are struggling to keep your form correct during your set then you need to lower the weight.
• While you are doing each exercise, keep in mind which muscle you are exercising. Always focus your energy on that muscle and contracting that muscle. Too many people think they can just go through the motion of moving the weight around without paying attention to which muscle they are using to move it.
• I highly recommend using Google to search for the proper form for each of these exercises as I will be unable to explain the form to you well enough through text.
• Always remember while doing exercises where you are standing you need to keep your knees soft. NEVER lock your knees. Especially while doing squats as this puts a lots of extra pressure on them.
• While using machines, do not let the weight “clap” during every rep. If you let the weights meet that means your letting your muscles go to rest between sets.
• Always try to use a 2 count. Two counts in one direction, two counts in the other. Example: For a bicep curl, curl it up for 2, lower the weight for two. Do not every swing weights. Always keep them under control.
• Always inhale on the easy part of the lift and exhale on the hard part. Paying attention to breathing also helps you not do the move too fast. If you do it too fast you'll breath too fast and hyperventilate. Don't do that (haha).

Three day a week workout:

Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

Chest:
1. Bench Press
2. Dumbbell Press (Can substitute seated fly machine if your gym has one)
3. Incline Dumbbell Press

Shoulders:
1. Standing overhead dumbbell press
2. Arnold’s (Google this. Seated dumbbell press but when you bring them down you twist them to face you in front of your chest)
3. Straight arm in and out fly (you’ll lose pretty light weight on these. I only use 5 lb. dumbbells)

Triceps:
1. Kickbacks (one arm at a time or two, either way, just Google correct form)
2. Overhead tricep extension (hold one dumbbell with both hands)
3. Tricep push downs (if you have cables in your gym, otherwise you could do dumbbell or barbell skull crushers)

Day 2: Legs

1. Squats (You can do these with the barbell or dumbbells with DON’T lock your legs out at the top and try to get your thighs parallel to the floor every time!)
2. Walking Lunges (Holding dumbbells, keeping both legs at around 90 degrees when you take a step, and push off with your back leg to work your glutes more. Also, don’t step your feet together between steps, just take long strides into the lunge each time)
3. Leg extension machine (do not swing the weight up as you do this, make it a two count up and a two count down)
4. Leg curl machine (Don’t swing the weight or kick yourself in the butt)
5. Standing calf raises (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQxv2AkNHcE uses this youtube video as a guide for the form, but don’t lock your legs like this guy does. But for this exercise you should do 15 slow, 10 fast for each direction (toes out, forward, and in)

Day 3: Back and Biceps

Back:
1. Lat pull downs (lats are those “wings” that men get when they’re really big, google it so you know which muscle you’re concentrating on)
2. Seated row (don’t lock your knees!)
3. Bent over barbell row (definitely google for form)
4. Back extension

Biceps:
1. Alternating bicep curls (elbows stay glued to your side, your arms only move from the elbows down, only bring your arm up a little past parallel to the floor)
2. Concentration curls
3. Static Arm Curls (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF5L3bkDPak Here is a youtube video to use to understand WHAT you’re doing but DO NOT have the bad form this girl does. She is swinging her body, using her shoulders A LOT and going WAY TOO FAST. So this is an example of how to perform the exercise, albeit badly)


If you only lift weights two days a week then just combine Legs with Back and Biceps.

This is a lot of information but I hope it helps!!! Please let me know if you have questions about ANY of these exercises and I can go into more detail.

This is good ^

_SusieQ_

Stronglifts is a simple but effective routine for beginners

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

mine is concentrated on full body compound moves using free weights.

squats - 5x5, 70kg or 155lbs
lunges - 4x4, 70kg or 155lbs
deadlifts - 5x5, 66kg or 150lbs.
bench press - 3x5, 36kg or 80lbs.
overhead press - 3x5, 36kg or 80lbs.
barbell rows - 5x5, 36kg or 80lbs.
weighted planks - 3x40-60 sec. w/ 20kg or 44 lb plate on back
woodchops - 3x10, 40lb dumbbell or 15 kg (about 38 lbs.) plate
pushups - 3x15
pullups/chinups - 3x5
chest dips - 3x10
chair dips - 3x20

JoleneCooper

WAREAGLE8706: Thank you so much for the rules!!! It's been a while since I lifted and its a great refresher!

lese1030

I've been following Jamie Eason's bodybuilding.com workouts! But I'm going to look at the book that everyone is recommending!

AlsDonkBoxSquat

My foundation is NROL4W, I love it and go back there frequently. I've also done SL 5x5. currently I'm on the "Big Al picks things up and puts them down" program where I make it up as I go along. I am looking at PHAT, so maybe when I'm done with this or feel like I'm spinning my wheels or not making any progress I'll try that. I like variety.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Stronglifts is a simple but effective routine for beginners

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary

This. Or Starting Strength, or New Rules.

jtslim42

I have been following the New Rulesof Weight Lifting for Women. I absolutely love it so far. And the routines do not take very long.

trizzell79

I just started stronglifts 5x5. I'm just 3 sessions in, and loving it. Super simple and effective!

Abells

New rules of weight lifting for women. Best book you can have. Great reference.

Absolutely support this post over anything else. Compound lifts are your best friend....deadlifts, squats, snatches, cleans, thrusters

goooooooooood luck -- what else you can do is going onto Crossfit websites and use their workout routines

desiv2

Thanks everyone! I'll defiantly look up the new rules for women book.