Workouts for Women: The Information Ladies Need to Know
I want to start off this article explaining exactly what “workouts for women” means. In my opinion, there seems to be a misconception that men and women should be training differently when in actuality, their workouts can be identical – with the only difference being the weight being used for each exercise (although, there are some extremely strong women who can lift more than men – and more power to them).
Where Workouts for Women Go Wrong
Unfortunately, some women do not understand the benefits that come with weight training[1]. They look at the weight room and think it’s only for meatheads and that if they enter it would be like tossing a piece of meat in a lion’s cage. Don’t be afraid! Men will actually respect your dedication and willingness to hit the weights hard.
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When women look at dumbbells and free weights they have the impression that they will look like a man with bulging muscles if they start training with weights. This couldn’t be any further from the truth due to the fact that women do not possess a high enough amount of testosterone (like a man has) in order to build large mounds of muscle.
And ladies… you don’t need to spend hours on cardio equipment to “get in shape.” Simply utilize a solid weight training program (which will increase your metabolism all day long), some cardio to aid in burning fat, and a sound nutrition plan to fuel your mind and body and you’re good to go. The results will come with consistency and dedication to all three key elements.
Men and Women Target Different Areas
Now, there does seem to be some variety in training when looking at men and women. Workouts for women can tend to be a little more lower body heavy when compared to their male counterpart. That being said, both men and women seem to focus on the areas of their body that are seen as the most important or attractive according to society and the opposite sex. Men tend to train upper body way more than they train lower even though for aesthetic reasons and balance they should be focusing on both.
On the flip side, women tend to focus more on their lower body as legs and glutes seem to be a focal point for ladies. Therefore, in this article I want to say once and for all that men and women can absolutely train utilizing identical protocols and that the only main difference is that workouts for women tend to put more focus on the glutes, quads, and hamstrings.
Workouts for Women
With everything said above, I’m not going to list a whole bunch of workouts below that are “unisex” since there are thousands that could be used. The focus of the workouts for women below is going to be on the lower portion of the female physique. I want to focus on where women tend to put the most emphasis and where their trouble areas tend to lie. If you are pregnant, we have another article dedicated to workouts for pregnant women.
1. Courtney King’s Booty Blaster
For those who aren’t familiar with the name, Courtney King is an IFBB Professional Bikini competitor and Olympia Bikini winner. She has been known to have one of the best sets of glutes on the competitive stage and for that reason, we trust her workouts for women to be effective.
The following booty-poppin’ workout can be completed up to two times each week so long as it isn’t on consecutive days. The workout flows from one exercise to the next and the only rest periods should be the time it takes to flow quickly from one exercise to the next. Not only does this keep the workout brief and intense, but it also keeps your heart rate elevated so you can burn more calories in a shorter amount of time. If you must, between each superset you can rest up to 90 seconds if needed.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| 1a. Single Leg Deadlift | 3 | 10 |
| 1b. Goblet Squat | 3 | 10 |
| 2a. Hyperextension | 3 | 15 |
| 2b. Reverse Hack Squat | 3 | 12 |
| 3a. Cable Glute Kickback | 3 | 10 per leg |
| 3b. Stiff Legged Deadlift | 3 | 15 |
| 4a. Bodyweight Hip Thrust | 3 | 10 |
| 4b. Single Leg Bodyweight Hip Thrust | 3 | 5 per leg |
2. Stability Ball Lower Body Workout
The following, in my opinion, is one of the fantastic workouts for women simply for the fact that you don’t need a gym membership to complete it. The only piece of equipment you will need is a stability ball – making this a great lower body workout any day of the week in the privacy of your very own home.
Many workouts for women are done in a circuit where there is continuous movement from one exercise to the next with minimal rest between exercises and sets – this workout is no different. Perform the workout by completing each exercise listed below and then going back through it an additional 3-4 times. Good luck!
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | 4-5 | 10-12 (each leg) |
| Side Lunge | 4-5 | 10-12 (each leg) |
| Reverse Hyperextension | 4-5 | 15 |
| Single-Leg Glute Bridge | 4-5 | 10-12 (each leg) |
| Hip Thrust | 4-5 | 15 |
3. Carrie Underwood’s Kickin’ It in the Sticks Jump Rope Workout
I don’t think there’s any disputing the fact that country phenom, Carrie Underwood, has the best set of legs to ever grace the country music stage. Her red-carpet appearances seem to be more about her legs than her music (even though both are amazing). When Carrie is in a hurry, she swears that the below jump rope workout is one of the best workouts for women and I thought it was worthy of including in this piece. It’s different and variety is what many need to stay motivated to exercise.
And if I didn’t include her workout… well, you’d know what happens to a dude’s truck who messes with her (assuming you follow her music). For those who don’t, it isn’t good to get on her bad side. It involves a pissed off woman, a key, and the paint job of a pick-up truck. The rest can be left up to your imagination.
To complete this jump rope workout, simply start from the top and work your way down to until you reach the bottom. Try to keep moving from exercise to exercise and only take a rest if needed.
| Exercise | Reps |
| Jump Rope | 100 |
| Bodyweight Squats | 40 |
| Jump Rope | 75 |
| Mountain Climbers | 30 |
| Jump Rope | 50 |
| Sit-Ups | 20 |
| Jump Rope | 25 |
| Pull-Ups | 10 |
| Double Unders | 10 |
| Pushups | 5 |
References:
- Seguin, R. A., et al. (2013). Strength training improves body image and physical activity behaviors among middle and older rural women. Journal of Extension. 51(4), 4FEA2.
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