Many women shy away from strength training. Thanks to all the body building magazines out there, there seems to be a universal myth when it comes to strength training for women – that if you lift weights, you’ll get bulky. The reality is – strength training is not going to make you look like an NFL linebacker. And, there is more to strength training for women than just picking up a pink dumbbell.
Unfortunately, most women never pick up enough weight to get a proper strength training effect. Training heavy with the right exercises is the only proper way to strength train. And, it will get you the best aesthetic results.
The Best Exercises – Strength Training for Women
The best exercises to use are big, compound movements that recruit a lot of muscle mass. These exercises include:
- Lower Body
- Barbell Squat
- Barbell Deadlift
- Dumbbell Lunge
- Split Squat
- Upper Body
- Push-up
- Dumbbell Bench Press
- Barbell Bench Press
- Incline Bench Press
- Military Press
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- Handstand Push-up
- Chin-Up
- Pull-up
- Lat Pull-down
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row
- Seated Cable Row
- Bent-Over Barbell Row
- Core
- Plank
- Ab Roller
- Hanging Leg Raise
Make Sure You Train With Proper Intensity
Proper intensity differences for each person. But, in general, it means putting an effort into your training. Taking a 1 lb dumbbell and raising it 30 times is not proper intensity. Proper intensity means giving it your all. If you’re doing 10 reps of squats, for example, that last rep or two should be tough. When you finish that last rep – if you could have done three or more reps after that last one, you didnt train hard enough. Next time, add some more weight to get your training intensity into an acceptable range.
Don’t try to do everything in one workout
Split your body into sections. Train your core one day, upper body a decond day, and your legs a third day. This gives your body a chance to recover before your next workout. Your body doesn’t build muscle when you workout – it builds muscle during those recovery periods. And, making sure you have a good recovery period for that muscle group prior to your next workout will also help you avoid injury.
In short, strength training for women is designed to tone your body, replace fat with muscle (muscle takes up less room than fat – and picks up your metabolism to keep fat off!). So, keep your training simple. Just focus on using the best exercises and train in different rep ranges. Do not spend all of your time training in a high rep range. It will greatly benefit your body if you train in a lower rep range as well.
To learn more about building a home gym for starting strength training at home, visit any of Fitness 4 Home Superstore’s 3 Valley locations – we’d be happy to help you find the best equipment for both your training needs as well as your budget.
