A Weight Training Program For WomenA well-designed weight training program For women can turn a mediocre athlete into a great one and vastly improve her performance. It can also build true strength that is applicable to real life. I have yet to see someone use a static, non-weighted bun-blaster exercise move outside of a fru-fru gym setting. You can tell what I think of, or think less of, those exercises. So weight lifting's the ticket for you!
This may surprise you, but a functional workout that is effective for men is also effective for women. A real workout is a real workout regardless of your sex. Also, a crappy workout designed to just make you look better will not bring your strength anywhere near its potential. Focus on results, not looks! The major differences between a man or woman strength training workout are how fast you see gains and weight is increased. Men have much higher levels of testosterone which allows them to recover & make gains faster than women. Sorry, that’s just how it is. However, something you can think of is that women have much higher endurance, and can lift a 5 or 10 rep maximum lift much closer to their 1 rep max. So, you won’t have as much raw strength compared to a similarly trained male of the same weight, but your endurance is much higher.
So, here it is. The press, squat, and deadlift (awesome, full body exercises!) give great gains whether you’re a girl or guy, so they're the meat of the program. The changes I made were to focus more on chin-ups and to eliminate the Farmer's Walk. The chin-ups will work your grip as well as being endurance work. Once you've got the grip-work on the chin-ups strong, then add the Farmer's Walks to the routine.
Also, another thing to keep in mind is that most women in the U.S. are iron and calcium deficient; taking a supplement can help your training and get you lifting heavier faster. This is a simple thing, easy to overlook, but can really help.
So, now go out there and sweat. It’s also good to add some aerobics to your workout to get a complete routine that will improve your endurance as well as strength. Also, make sure you have a strength training log to record your workouts on, and a good workout plan to follow. This way, you can easily see your progress week to week, month to month. Or, if your progress isn't what you would like, you can switch up your workout with new ideas or exercises. It takes hard work no matter who does the workout, guy or girl, but I have no doubt that you can get way stronger. And, because of that, get much better at whatever sport or activities you’re doing. Oh, and be sure to sign up for the e-zine Starting Strong to get monthly strength training, exercise, and diet tips e-mailed to you - and access to the free e-book Train Smart, Eat Smart: Exercise Nutrition Hacks! OR • Click HERE to go back to the HOME-PAGE for more info about strength training!
Rippetoe, Mark, Lon Kilgore, and Glenn Pendlay. 2006. Practical Programming For Strength Training. Wichita Falls, Tex: Aasgaard Co. Rippetoe, Mark. 2007. Strong Enough?: Thoughts From Thirty Years of Barbell Training. Wichita Falls, TX: Aasgaard Co. New! CommentsHave your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below. |
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