Athena Vale
When it comes to strength training, it's important to know which muscle groups to target to achieve your desired results. The best workout split for women depends on their goals, fitness level, training frequency, lifestyle, and consistency. For instance, if you train 3 or fewer days per week, a full-body workout with compound movements is ideal, whereas training more than 3 days a week allows for splitting sessions into specific muscle groups. Additionally, recovery is vital, with muscles needing 24-48 hours to recover from resistance training. Grouping opposing muscle groups, such as those involved in “push” and “pull” movements, can help maximize training efficiency and recovery. Ultimately, the best exercises depend on individual factors, and a certified trainer can help create a tailored plan.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of workouts per week | 2-6 |
| Training style | Full-body or split |
| Muscle groups | Biceps, triceps, forearms, calves, hamstrings, quads, glutes |
| Muscle pairing | Opposing muscle groups |
| Muscle recovery | 24-48 hours |
| Number of reps | 8-12 |
| Training frequency | Twice a week |
| Training goals | Strength, hypertrophy, mobility, endurance, balance |
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What You'll Learn
Upper body workouts: chest, upper back, shoulders, arms
Upper body workouts are essential for women to keep their bodies strong and giving their muscles definition. It also helps to improve posture, prevent osteoporosis, and makes daily tasks easier to perform.
Chest:
- Bench Press: Using dumbbells or a barbell, lie on a flat bench and push the weight straight up, locking your elbows. Lower the weight back down to your chest and repeat.
- Push-ups: Start in a plank position with your hands on the ground, directly under your shoulders. Keeping your back straight, lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor, then push back up.
- Chest Press: Similar to a bench press, but performed with a machine that has you push weight straight up from your chest.
- Weighted Dips: Grip parallel bars with your arms straight. Lower your body until your arms are at a 90-degree angle, then push back up.
Upper Back:
- Deadlifts: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells or a barbell with your palms facing your body. Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight, then return to the starting position.
- Lat Pulldowns: Using a cable machine, sit down and grasp the bar with your palms facing forward. Pull the bar down towards your chest, then slowly return to the starting position.
- Dumbbell Row: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight. Pull the weights up and back, squeezing your shoulder blades together, then lower them back down.
- Superman: Lie on your stomach with your arms extended in front of you. Lift your arms, legs, and chest off the ground, then lower back down.
Shoulders:
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press: Sit or stand with a dumbbell in each hand, raised to shoulder height. Push the weights up until your arms are fully extended, then lower them back down.
- Arnold Press: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, raise your arms so that your upper arms are parallel to the floor and your hands are pointed up. Rotate your palms so they face forward, then push the weights up until your arms are fully extended. Lower the weights back down, rotating your palms back to the starting position.
- Shoulder Circles: Holding a light dumbbell in each hand, extend your arms straight out to your sides at shoulder height. Move your arms in small circles, first forward, then backward.
Arms:
- Bicep Curls: Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward, and your arms straight down. Curl the weights up toward your chest, then lower them back down.
- Hammer Curls: Similar to bicep curls, but with your palms facing each other.
- Overhead Triceps Extensions: Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other. Lift the weights straight up above your head, then lower them back down.
- Chair Dips: Grip parallel bars with your arms straight. Lower your body until your arms are at a 90-degree angle, then push back up.
It is important to warm up before any workout by doing light cardio or dynamic stretches to get your blood flowing and target the muscles you'll be working. Additionally, focus on your form and technique, especially when first starting a new workout routine.
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Lower body workouts: quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves
Lower body workouts: quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves
The lower body is made up of several muscle groups, including the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Training these muscle groups can improve functional movements, increase stability, and enhance athletic performance. Here are some exercises and tips to target each of these muscle groups effectively.
Quads
The quadriceps, or quads, are a group of four key muscles located at the front of the thigh. They play a crucial role in extending the knee and flexing the hips. To build strength and size in the quads, consider compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, and sled pushes. These exercises not only target the quads but also improve overall lower body strength. For isolated quad development, unilateral or single-leg exercises can be beneficial, ensuring equal development in both legs. Additionally, leg press machines can be used to experiment with single-leg work and allow for heavy loading to build substantial quad muscles.
Hamstrings
The hamstrings are a group of three muscles located at the back of the thigh. They are responsible for hip extension and knee flexion, making them essential for daily movements such as walking and maintaining balance. To train the hamstrings effectively, incorporate stretches before and after workouts, avoiding static stretches beforehand. Standing and supine hamstring stretches are recommended for increasing the knee's range of motion and improving hamstring flexibility. Additionally, seated hamstring stretches can be beneficial for those who sit at a desk all day, helping to prevent injuries.
Glutes
The glutes, or gluteal muscles, consist of three muscles: Glute Max, Glute Medius, and Glute Minimus. Glute Max is the largest and most well-known glute muscle, contributing to the shape and size of the buttocks. Glute Medius is the second-largest muscle and plays a vital role in hip stabilisation, adding size to the upper and outer portion of the glutes. Glute Minimus is the smallest muscle, sitting beneath the other two. To train the glutes effectively, choose exercises that target each of these muscles and their specific functions. For example, exercises that challenge the glutes in stretched or shortened positions can be particularly beneficial.
Calves
The calves are essential for maintaining balance, posture, and injury prevention. To strengthen the calves, classic exercises such as calf raises and calf press machines are recommended. When using a calf press machine, ensure you understand how to adjust the settings and weights appropriately. Additionally, sports such as soccer, basketball, and tennis can help strengthen calves due to the running, jumping, and quick directional changes involved. It is important to stay mindful of old injuries and consult a doctor or fitness expert if you are new to these exercises. Consistency is key, and it is recommended to train the calves two to three times a week for optimal results.
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Full-body workouts: compound movements, core work
When it comes to full-body workouts for women, compound movements and core work are key. Compound exercises are those that engage multiple muscle groups, offering several benefits such as saving time, improving intermuscular coordination, elevating the heart rate, and increasing calorie burn. They can also improve core strength, stability, and balance.
If you're training three or fewer days per week, focus on full-body workouts with compound movements to effectively target each muscle group. Some examples of compound exercises include the squat, which works the muscles in your glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, and core. The squat-curl-press is another compound movement that targets the legs, core, arms, and shoulders. To perform this advanced exercise, start with your feet wider than your hips and hold light-to-medium weights with your arms by your sides, palms facing each other. Squat down and touch the weights to the floor, then curl the weights up and push to a standing position as you press the weights overhead.
The single-arm clean and press is another full-body compound exercise that works the lower body, core, and shoulders. By performing this move with one arm at a time, the core has to work harder to stabilise your body. The pushup plank and row is a challenging compound exercise targeting multiple muscles, including the chest, shoulders, triceps, back, and core. To perform this, get into a pushup position on a raised platform, gripping dumbbells with your hands about shoulder-width apart.
Core work is essential for improving stability, balance, and overall strength. A strong core will help you maintain proper form during heavy lifting, endurance sports, and even everyday activities like carrying groceries. Some examples of core exercises include the plank, crunches, and sit-ups, and "stirring the pot" on a stability ball. For an advanced plank variation, try kneeling on a mat and placing your forearms on a stability ball. Slowly move your arms forward until your body forms a straight line, then roll back until your hips are over your knees.
The frequency and intensity of your workouts should be tailored to your personal fitness level and goals. It's important to allow your body proper recovery time, especially when performing compound movements that engage multiple muscle groups.
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Muscle recovery: rest days, stretching, cardio
Muscle recovery is an important aspect of any training routine, and there are several ways to achieve it, including rest days, stretching, and cardio.
Rest days are essential for muscle recovery and repair. The duration of rest periods depends on factors such as age, sport, and training regimen. For example, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) suggests that athletes performing high-intensity exercises should schedule rest days every seven to ten days. However, some athletes may require more frequent rest, such as twice weekly. This process, known as periodization, involves alternating training periods with rest periods, helping improve performance and reduce injury risk.
Stretching is another effective tool for muscle recovery. Static stretching, in particular, induces a rebounding effect on muscle blood flow, temporarily reducing and then increasing blood flow. This facilitates the delivery of nutrients to the muscles while removing metabolites, enhancing recovery. Additionally, stretching helps reduce muscle stiffness and improve flexibility, contributing to overall recovery.
Cardio exercises, when performed after strength training, stimulate blood circulation, aiding muscle recovery. Research has shown that light cardio exercises, such as cycling at a low or moderate intensity, improve muscle recovery compared to no post-workout activity.
It is worth noting that the optimal recovery approach may vary depending on individual factors and training goals. Combining rest days, stretching, and cardio exercises can promote muscle recovery, enhance performance, and reduce the risk of injuries.
Additionally, proper nutrition is crucial for muscle recovery. Consuming the right amount of calories and a balanced mix of macronutrients helps replenish protein and carbohydrate stores, supporting the recovery process.
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Training frequency: workout splits, number of sessions per week
The training frequency and number of sessions per week depend on various factors, including fitness goals, fitness level, frequency of training, lifestyle, and consistency.
If you are new to lifting, a 2-3 day full-body workout split is a good place to start. This will allow you to target each muscle group with one to two exercises, two to three times a week, which is enough to see muscle gain. It is important to allow for recovery between sessions, with 48 hours being the recommended time to wait.
If you are training three or fewer days per week, it is recommended to train your full body during each session, with an emphasis on compound movements to ensure each muscle group is targeted. This will help to build the foundation for key movement patterns. Examples of compound exercises include squats, deadlifts, and overhead press. This type of training will also increase calorific burn, as compound exercises require more energy expenditure than isolation exercises.
If you are training more than three days per week, you can split your workout by focusing on different body parts, movements, or muscle groups. For example, you could train your upper body one day and your lower body the next, repeating this cycle with rest days in between. This can be a four-day or six-day split, depending on your preference and recovery ability.
It is important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to workout splits, and the best routine will depend on your individual goals and preferences. Additionally, the phases of the menstrual cycle can impact training, with the follicular phase being a time when women may feel strongest and can focus on strength training.
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Frequently asked questions
Combining multiple muscle groups in a single workout can be a great way to achieve your goals. It can be beneficial to group muscles that work together to perform certain movements, such as “push” or “pull” movements. It is also important to include rest days to allow your body to heal and recover.
A workout split refers to the way a training program is divided throughout the week. This can include focusing on different body parts, sections, muscles, or movement patterns.
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend strength training at least twice a week for optimal health. If you are maintaining your current strength levels, you should work out each muscle group once a week. If you want to improve your strength or build muscle, you should train a muscle at least twice a week.
Some examples of muscle groups to train together include biceps, triceps, and forearms, or calves, hamstrings, quads, and glutes. Another way to split muscle groups is upper body and lower body, which can be further divided into upper push, upper pull, lower quads, and lower hamstrings and glutes.
Some exercises to target specific muscle groups include:
- Chest: bench press, push-ups, chest press, and weighted dips
- Back: deadlifts, lat pulldowns, dumbbell row, and superman
- Arms: hammer curls, overhead triceps extensions, chair dips, and forearm exercises
