If you are a woman looking to build your muscles and strength through regular workouts, then the 12 week strength training program and women workout tips in this post should prove to be very useful to your bodybuilding and performance-enhancing needs.
What you need to know before starting a workout?
Before you start any workout program, there are a few things you need to do in order to improve your success rate.
#1. Set About a Goal
Without a training goal, your workout efforts are as good as dead on arrival. You could be left frustrated, since you never worked out your training goals which gives you direction, and helps to drive your day to day workout routine.
#2. Check your Health
Your health should take precedent before any bodybuilding goal. So make sure you schedule an appointment with your physician for a thorough checkup before you start the best women workout program that suits your bodybuilding needs.
#3. Align yourself with a Mentor
If you have little or no experience in bodybuilding, it is advisable to search for and find a mentor that would help you to get started. This mentor may act as a personal coach providing women workout tips that will guarantee you success.
#4. Learn and Understand the Importance of Proper Form
One critical mistake most beginners make when they start a workout program is not understanding and appreciating the importance of proper form in the execution of the different exercises involved in their respective training regimen.
Poor form can lead to minor and severe injuries, so make sure that you fully understand the required form for every exercise you intend to implement in your program, especially when it involves lifting weights.
#5. Educate yourself on Muscle Groups
Before you start any exercise, it is vitally important for you to know what muscle group the exercise will target and train. This will help you to know if you are on course to building targeted muscles whenever you workout.
#6. Keep a Log Book
It is also important to document your workout program. You need to keep a thorough record of your daily training routines including information on your diet, weight, supplementation, rest days, injuries and recovery.
Your log book is also important for keeping track of your training progress to know what you are doing right and where you can improve.
#7. Your Diet is Important
Your diet is just as important as any women workout tips available to you. It is crucial that you align your dietary plan with your workout program in order to optimize your training results.
To build muscle mass and improve your muscle strength, you will need to have a diet that is rich in protein, as protein helps in muscle growth, regeneration and repair. You should speak to your personal coach and/or nutritionist to help you formulate a dietary plan that will suit your training program.
#8. Create Time
It goes without saying that you need to create time to workout in order to build muscle mass and improve your strength.
While the demands of everyday challenges may make this a difficult thing to do, it is essential if you want to successfully build muscle mass and improve your muscle strength.
#9. Consistency Breeds Results
You should be patient when it comes to bodybuilding. It is only when you are consistent in your workout efforts that you will notice significant improvements in your muscle growth and strength gains.
Note that everyone reacts to training differently. While some may rapidly experience strength and muscle growth, others may need a bit more time to witness such bodybuilding gains.
#10. Don’t forget your Rest Days
Your rest days are just as important as your training days, as when you rest, you give your body the time it needs to repair your muscle tissues.
As your muscle tissues are repaired, you will experience muscle growth gains in the process. Never neglect your recovery days. Take time out to put your feet up and relax.
How to start a gym workout for women?
Once you have followed the ten (10) things you need to know before you start the best women workout for your muscle and strength needs, you then need to have a chat with your coach to decide what training program and dietary plan would meet your bodybuilding goals.
There are many program ideas out there, but they all fundamentally have one thing in common. They all provide workout routines that target the muscles of your upper and lower body.
Make sure you subscribe to or register with a local gym before you get started with your training program. Also, get the right workout gear, the last thing you want is a wardrobe malfunction while your workout in public.
Your personal coach would be in the best position to list all the sports gear you will need for effective training, so have a chat with him or her.
How long is a good workout for women?
A 12 week training program for building the lower and upper muscles of your legs, glutes, abs, chest, arms and shoulders is a nice example.
This program will entail you hitting your local gym five (5) times a week with three (3) days spent on training the muscles of your lower body while two (2) days are spent training your upper body muscles and strength.
You reserve two (2) days in a week for your recovery.
You could try out the workout schedule below:
- Monday: Glutes and Legs plus Cardio which is optional to your routine
- Tuesday: Arms and Back plus Cardio which is optional to your workout
- Wednesday: Glutes and Legs plus Cardio which is optional to your training
- Thursday: Chest and Shoulders plus Cardio which is optional to your exercise regimen
- Friday: Arms and Legs plus Cardio which is optional to your workout regimen
- Saturday: Rest Day
- Sunday: Rest Day
Monday: Glutes and Legs
| WORKOUTS | SETS | REPS |
| 1. Glute Cable Kickback | 2-3 | 12-15 |
| 2. Barbell Hip Thrust | 3 | 6-12 |
| 3. Dumbbell Lunge | 2-3 | 12-15 |
| 4. Dumbbell Step Up | 2-3 | 12-15 |
| 5. Squat | 3-4 | 6-12 |
Cardio is optional, but you can try out 15 min of high-interval intensity training (HIIT) on an Exercise Bike.
Tuesday: Arms and Back
| WORKOUTS | SETS | REPS |
| 1. One Arm Dumbbell Row | 2-3 | 12-15 |
| 2. Pull Downs | 3-4 | 6-12 |
| 3. Seated Cable Row | 2-3 | 12-15 |
| 4A.Tricep Overhead Extension | 3 | 12 |
| 4B. Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 12 |
| 5A. Cable Pressdown | 3 | 15 |
| 5B. Cable Curl | 3 | 15 |
Cardio is optional, but you can run 30 mins of moderate intensity workout on a Stepmill.
Wednesday: Glutes and Legs
| WORKOUTS | SETS | REPS |
| 1. Glute Kick Back | 3 | 15 |
| 2. Smith Machine Sumo Squats (Glute Focus) | 3 | 6-12 |
| 3. Romanian Deadlift | 2-3 | 12-15 |
| 4. Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift | 2-3 | 12-15 |
| 5. Goblet Squat | 3-4 | 6-12 |
Cardio is optional, but you can spend about 30 mins of low intensity workout on a Treadmill with a 10 to 15% incline.
Thursday: Chest and Shoulders
| WORKOUTS | SETS | REPS |
| 1. Machine Chest Fly | 2-3 | 12-15 |
| 2. Seated Dumbbell Press
|
3-4 | 6-12 |
| 3. Lateral Raise | 2-3 | 12-15 |
| 4. Incline Dumbbell Press | 2-3 | 12-15 |
| 5. Dumbbell Bench Press | 3-4 | 6-12 |
Cardio is optional, but you can engage in 15 mins of HIIT on an Exercise Bike or Rowing Machine.
Friday: Arms and Legs
| WORKOUTS | SETS | REPS |
| 1. Incline Skullcrusher | 3 | 12 |
| 2. Incline Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 12 |
| 3. Good Mornings | 2-3 | 12-15 |
| 4. Leg Extensions | 2-3 | 12-15 |
| 5. Deadlifts | 3-4 | 6-12 |
Cardio is optional, but you can try out 30 mins of moderate intensity workout on a Stepmill.
Recovery Weekends: You can spend your weekends resting and recovering from your time spent in the gym. However, while resting on the weekend, you should try engaging in light exercises, such as walking and ab workouts like crunches, bicycle crunches or Russian twists.
Benefits expected after a workout plan
After the proper execution of the 12 week workout plan highlighted in this post, or the best women workout program that works for you, you can expect a number of positive results including:
#1. Muscle Growth
This is the main benefit you should expect from your workout plan. As a beginner, you should stay true to your workout and diet routine to achieve results. Note that muscle growth comes with a proper diet rich in protein, training, and rest.
#2. Strength Gains
As you train your various muscle groups, you will build their strength which helps you in avoiding injuries during training and in your everyday activities.
#3. Quicker Recovery
By observing your rest days, you will not only speed up muscle growth, but also muscle tissue repair and regeneration.
#4. Improved Focus
Your focus is bound to improve as you stick with a structured routine that incorporates weekly workouts, a dietary regimen, and recovery days.
#5. Healthier Living
Without a doubt, your workout plan will help you live a much healthier lifestyle. As you spend time training in your local gym, you burn off calories, and shed excess body fat to maintain a healthy weight.
Final Thoughts
Remember that the best women workout program is any one that will help you achieve your bodybuilding goals of building muscle mass and strength. However, you should consult with your physician beforehand to ensure that you are medically cleared to engage in weight training.
Also, make sure you have a Log book to document your workout sessions as well as diet, supplementation, and recovery. You can also get a more detailed workout program from an IFBB PRO right here today.
