Weight lifting for women

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whitneylcripps
whitneylcripps Posts: 14
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey guys! I am looking for help with my weight lifting routine, with minimal cardio included. I try to isolate certain body parts per day, Monday/Friday- legs, Tuesday - tri's and bi's Wednesday - Back and Chest, Thursday - shoulders. My question is, does this schedule look good? And how many different excercises should I do per body part? For example, would front raise, lateral raise, shoulder press and shoulder shrugs/ 3 sets of 10 reps each be an adequate shoulder workout?
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  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
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    Are you new to lifting? If so, you'll get much better results from a Full Body routine x2-3/week. Body Part Splits like you're running are more for the advanced lifter. That said, there's tons of proven Full Body routines all over the internet.
  • whitneylcripps
    whitneylcripps Posts: 14
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    I'm somewhat new. I've been lifting off and on for the past few months, I've never really stuck to a certain routine schedule for very long
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    Your best bet as a beginner is to stick to a routine such as Stronglifts or Starting Strength or New Rules of Lifting for Women. Worry about switching to a split routine after you start to plateau out from a program like that. Skipping straight to a split routine as a beginner will yield sub-optimal results.
  • Terpnista84
    Terpnista84 Posts: 517 Member
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    Are you new to lifting? If so, you'll get much better results from a Full Body routine x2-3/week. Body Part Splits like you're running are more for the advanced lifter. That said, there's tons of proven Full Body routines all over the internet.

    Define new... I am no stranger to lifting but I don't consider myself advanced. I just decided to split my routines because I felt it would be more effective and I would have more energy to dedicate to that muscle group.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
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    Define new... I am no stranger to lifting but I don't consider myself advanced. I just decided to split my routines because I felt it would be more effective and I would have more energy to dedicate to that muscle group.

    IMO a newbie is someone who hasn't been lifting for at least 6 months - and by 6 months I mean consistency on a good lifting program with progression. Not running from machine to machine in a gym or doing a Jillian Michaels DVD program.

    Protein Synthesis (rebuilding of muscle) takes 48 hours, 72 hours tops if you're really using a lot of volume. That said, you will see the best results working a muscle group every 2-3 days, not every 7 days. Of course like anything, everyone is different and there are exceptions. But for most newbies, a Full Body workout 2-3x/week is a good start, then progress to Upper/Lower 2x week and go from there. FWIW - I've been lifting for years and I do an Upper/Lower split.
  • whitneylcripps
    whitneylcripps Posts: 14
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    I'm not big on doing primarily full body workouts. I do agree that a split routine may not be my best option right now. I so consider myself immediate and not a beginner. What do you think of maybe a lower/upper body split instead?
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    I'm not big on doing primarily full body workouts. I do agree that a split routine may not be my best option right now. I so consider myself immediate and not a beginner. What do you think of maybe a lower/upper body split instead?

    Why the issue with full body workouts? The issue is if you work in splits you won't be focusing as much on compounds as much as a beginner should. And yes, you are a beginner if you haven't been consistent about it.
  • corgarian
    corgarian Posts: 366 Member
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    I lift 3 days a week and have derby practice 3 days a week. So for my lifting days I do upper body split Pull/Push, and a leg day.
    So this week looks a little like this:
    Monday: rest
    tuesday: upper body push (takes me about 45 min)
    wednesday: Roller Derby Practice (2 and a half hours)
    thursday: Roller Derby practice
    Friday: Upper body Pull (45 min)
    Saturday: Leg Day
    Sunday: Roller Derby practice.

    I will admit if I'm feeling tired and need an extra day off I will sacrafice my leg day because I work my legs so much at practice.
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
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    I'm not big on doing primarily full body workouts. I do agree that a split routine may not be my best option right now. I so consider myself immediate and not a beginner. What do you think of maybe a lower/upper body split instead?
    Why are you against full body workouts? Compound moves like deadlifts, squats, standing overhead press, etc will often give you much better results than doing a bunch of tricep dips or leg lifts.
  • whitneylcripps
    whitneylcripps Posts: 14
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    I understand what you're saying, in that case I'm a beginner! What are some full body workouts that you recommend? I'm willing to give them a shot
  • whitneylcripps
    whitneylcripps Posts: 14
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    I guess I'm not so much against them, I just don't know how to effectively put together a full body workout routine. If anyone has a detailed one they would like to send me, I would greatly appreciate it!
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
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    Check out StrongLifts 5x5 (website) or New Rules of Lifting for Women (book). Very different approaches, but both have great progressive full body routines.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    I guess I'm not so much against them, I just don't know how to effectively put together a full body workout routine. If anyone has a detailed one they would like to send me, I would greatly appreciate it!

    so use one already put together like
    Starting Strength
    strong lifts
    new rules of lifting
    strong curves
    wendler 5/3/1

    no reason to try to reinvent the wheel. :)
  • corgarian
    corgarian Posts: 366 Member
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    This could be legnthy, and I'm sure there are people here with better plans, but I consider myself beginner/intermediate.
    My lifting routines are loong, most of my male lifting friends dont do nearly this much, but they may do more weight, and more sets. you are absolutly allowed to edit this.

    Upper Body Push:
    Cable flys: 4x10
    Front raises: 4x10 (sometimes I'll 5x5 this)
    lateral raises: 4x10 (sometimes I'll 5x5 this)
    Dumbbell bench press: 4x10 (sometimes I'll 5x5 this)
    arnold press: 4x10 (sometimes I'll 5x5 this)
    lying down flys: 4x10
    shoulder press: 4x10 (sometimes I'll 5x5 this)
    tricep pull downs: 4x10
    tricep dips:4x10
    pull ups: to fail

    Upper Body Pull:
    Wide grip pull down: 4x10
    reverse grip pull down: 4x10
    upright rows: 4x10 (sometimes I'll 5x5 this)
    bent over row: 4x10
    Row machine: 4x10 (sometimes I'll 5x5 this)
    bicep curls: 4x10
    wide grip pull ups: 4x10

    Leg Day:
    Weighted squats: 4x10
    deadlifts: 4x10
    dumbbell lunges: 4x10
    donkey kicks: 4x10
    leg press: 4x10
    weighted calf raises: 4x10

    On days I lift I MAYBE so 20 min of cardio, I prefer stair master.
  • mandeenicoleb
    mandeenicoleb Posts: 479 Member
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    I started on Stronglifts and it was a great simple plan to begin with!
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    I understand what you're saying, in that case I'm a beginner! What are some full body workouts that you recommend? I'm willing to give them a shot

    The ones I mentioned such as New Rules of Lifting for Women, Stronglifts, and Starting Strength are what's ideal for you.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Also- forgot to mention.

    Weight lifting is weight lifting


    there is no weight lifting for men- or weight lifting for women. There is no difference- it's a shame we have so much marketting splitting them apart because really it's just weight lifting- I hate even saying "look for a man's program" because it's NOT a man's program. It's just a lifting program!!!
  • whitneylcripps
    whitneylcripps Posts: 14
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    Which would be better to start with between strong lifts and new rules of lifting for women?
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1308750-so-you-want-to-start-lifting-great
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Which would be better to start with between strong lifts and new rules of lifting for women?

    either one.

    I've heard New Rules can be wordy- but it's a solid book- if I didn't know anything about lifting I would totally read it.

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