Mainly for women in the gym

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ckay220
ckay220 Posts: 271 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I was wondering, what is your gym routine? I try to incorporate HiiT cardio training, Strength training and abs..but I just wanted to know what's been working for you so I can try and tailor my routine & make it even better.
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Replies

  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    try starting strength
    strong lifts
    new rules of lifting for women
    strong curves

    program is a program,pick one that fits your goals
    What is good for a man is good for a woman if their goals are the same.

    Edit- I'm doing a Russian power lifting program- but I wouldn't recommend it.

    But... I do recommend barbell training- see above.
  • tihi18
    tihi18 Posts: 102 Member
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    Since I finally starting lift I am seeing great results.

    I do cardio twice a week(3 mile)
    I lift 3 times a week, increasingly heavier and I do quick fast run for a mile twice a week after I lift.
    I do abs twice a week.
  • AlliSteff
    AlliSteff Posts: 211 Member
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    I've recently switched up my routine

    Monday: kickboxing
    Tuesday: Strong lifts follwoed by HIIT
    Thursday: kickboxing
    Friday: Strong lifts
    Sunday: Strong lifts followed by Spin
  • aylajane
    aylajane Posts: 979 Member
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    I do 2-3 days a week with a trainer doing all the heavy stuff. The other days I do on my own are mostly accessory work and cardio. I always incorporate these (but every day is a different variation of each):

    pushups (sometimes with feet on bosu, or alternating hands on step, or on barbells, or part of burpees, etc.)
    pullups (or chinups, or the middle one etc)
    lunges or squats (lots of variety here, keep it vaguely light since i work legs on heavy days)
    ab/core work (different every time, tucks on stab ball, weighted crunches, hanging crunches, bicycle, various planks etc).

    Usually I make a little circuit - do 6-7 individual activities including all of the above plus shoulders or whatever the accessory is that day, then run 0.25 miles on the treadmill (2-3 minutes), then repeat the whole thing like 4-5 times. The running gets my heart up and it stays there pretty well through the other activities, plus i like sweating :)

    Its actually kind of fun coming up with a new way to do each of the items above.
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
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    I lift weights in the gym. I do everything else out of the gym. If I have to cardio, I do it outside. Abs are easy enough to do in my living room or wherever.
  • ckay220
    ckay220 Posts: 271 Member
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    How much do you lift? The only weights I've been doing (I don't even know if these count) are the shoulder press machines (30 lbs) and the hip abduction (60/70 lbs)
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
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    I do New Rules of Lifting for Women 2 days a week, cardio 3-4 days a week, and yoga twice a week. My cardio consists of hiking, walking and elliptical
  • Aliciaaah
    Aliciaaah Posts: 379 Member
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    I lift every day.

    I do lower body 3 times a week
    Upper body 2 times a week
    cardio/abs focus once a week

    ^^ Those are rough averages, I try to take off one day a week or so, sometimes I don't.. I prefer an upper/lower split because I get longer workouts which is what I go for, and you have more freedom to choose and switch between lifts.

    In addition to the lifting I do at least 20 minutes of mid-high intensity cardio work on the treadmill or stairs or something. A lot of days I'll do 20 minutes before and after if I have it in me. I've seen great results since I started incorporating slightly more cardio.
  • leannems
    leannems Posts: 516 Member
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    I recently started New rules of Lifting for women, and really love it. I don't have access to a squat rack, so I use dumbbells for everything. The dumbbell weight varies on the exercise (everything from one 15 to two 30's).
  • greentart
    greentart Posts: 411 Member
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    I use the Nerd Fitness workout, and I'm currently doing Bodyweight Level 3. I've also included working on my bench press and dumbbells, along with doing the C210K program.

    I'm going to add in either yoga or Pilates as well.
  • janatarnhem
    janatarnhem Posts: 669 Member
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    Just restarting out after an illness:-
    Cardio x 30 mins - 10 x treadmill, 10 x Xtrainer, 10 x sitting bike
    Weights - 10 x 3 chest press - 21 kg
    10 x 2 flys - 10 kg
    12 x 3 tricep "v rope" - 10 kg
    10 x 3 lat pulldowns -15.5 kg
    10 x 3 reverse lat pulldowns - 15.5 kg
    10 x 2 leg extensions - 15.5 kg

    Then go for a swim 20 - 30 mins.

    Aim to try to do this 3 - 4 times week, hopefully building up the weights.


    (Not wishing to hijack this thread, but anyone out there with any tips on my regime?
    I have changed to a gym with a pool as when ill, with joint issues! There is no personal trainer and the gym is tiny, with different equipment and I have had to adapt the regime from the old gym!
    Advice from the experienced, gratefully received!!)
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Sun - run
    Mon - pilates + bodyweight strength
    Tues - run (sometimes HIIT sometimes a regular run)
    Wed - pilates + bodyweight strength
    Thurs - run
    Fri - rest
    Sat - pilates + bodyweight strength

    My bodyweight routine is based on Start Bodyweight (http://www.startbodyweight.com/p/start-bodyweight-basic-routine.html.) I've added glute bridges, wall sits, one arm dumbbell rows, and (dumbbell) overhead presses.
  • Rose6300
    Rose6300 Posts: 232 Member
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    I started with kettlebell (video) every other day and a kickboxing video on the intervening days, occasionally taking a day off entirely but not every week. After 13 weeks, I'd lost 13 pounds. I then bought a barbell and bench and started Stronglifts 5x5, which I did MWF for 12 weeks (still using kickboxing video intervening days). I lost 17 more pounds. I then switched my heavy lifting to Strong Curves, and dropped kickboxing as I had only 7 pounds till goal exercising every day was beginning to feel like a grind. I still ride my bike, garden, etc. on some off days, but I don't do formal exercise. Now I'm at goal and am going to stick to Strong Curves MWF and start inching up my calories. I'd like to lose 5 more pounds so that should do it.
  • alska
    alska Posts: 299 Member
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    Thank you for asking this. I always wondered what others did.

    I just go to the YMCA and either do the treadmill, one of the elliptical machines or one of the bikes ... theres so many different ones to choose from at mine .. so whichever I feel like doing lol .. I go for 35 mins ... 5 of which is a cool down ... sometimes I'll do another machine for another 35 mins or I'll go play with the weight machines (12 to 15 reps, 3 sets each) instead of an extra 30 mins on another. When I don't feel like going ... I walk 4 miles at a mod pace.

    I was doing the bikini body mommy challenge but I think I am going to stop and just make up my own esp after todays workout (day 8 if anyone knows) ... it just seemed too much but a waste at the same time, plus I just don't like the feeling that i "have to" instead of want to like I felt before I started that :\

    Does the weight machines count as lifting weights? The never really say how much I am lifting ... its just numbers but not numbers of lbs .. at least i don't think.
  • Amitysk
    Amitysk Posts: 705 Member
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    My current schedule is:

    Monday: cardio (3 mile walk)
    Tuesday: bootcamp, yoga
    Wednesday: cardio (intervals- about 3 miles)
    Thursday: bootcamp, kickboxing
    Friday: cardio (3 mile walk)

    Additionally I usually go on a 6+ mile bike ride around the lake with my hunnie. On the weekends we are trying to incorporate more stuff together like more bike rides, running together (working up to that one! Lol). The bootcamps alternate weekly between being strength or cardio based. I need to incorporate more strength training into my routine.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
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    Lift 4-5x/week
    Cardio 1-2x/week
  • ibach08
    ibach08 Posts: 61 Member
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    I recently started Ashley Conrad's "Clutch Cut" program (available for free at bodybuilding.com) and I really like it.
    So a week goes like this:
    Lift
    Cardio
    Break
    Lift
    Cardio
    Break
    Lift

    On lifting days you do a quick "warmup" with HIIT circuits and then a full body circuit lifting circuit.
    On cardio days you to HIIT circuits + some steady state cardio.
    I like alternating a being able to focus on one or the other and you can challenge yourself by adding more weight and/or taking shorter breaks between exercises.
  • sistrsprkl
    sistrsprkl Posts: 1,013 Member
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    Thank you OP for asking, this thread is helpful. Right now this is what I do although I'm still figuring it out so thanks for asking!
    At the gym, I do yoga + short HIIT twice a week and longer HIIT with weights 2-3 times a week. I supplement with running with my kids in double stroller, long walks, bodyweight exercises at playground :)
  • ckay220
    ckay220 Posts: 271 Member
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    Awesome ideas guys! For those who lift, is this with dumbells and the like? In my gym, we only have the machines (shoulder press, lateral pulldown, etc)
  • Rose6300
    Rose6300 Posts: 232 Member
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    Awesome ideas guys! For those who lift, is this with dumbells and the like? In my gym, we only have the machines (shoulder press, lateral pulldown, etc)

    The machines are better than nothing, and if that's what you have, just use them for now. You could always invest in some dumbbells (if you're short on space) or a barbell and bench (if you have more space) and do them at home. The advantage of lifting free weights is that you work many more muscles with each lift, as you're using muscles to stabilize the rest of your body as you lift. It's much more efficient.

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