Whether your looking to lose fat, or to build lean muscle, then Spot Me Girl have you covered with our dedicated guide to the best workouts for women.
Summer holiday season isn’t all that far away, so sooner or later you’ll have to get yourself in shape if you want to look your best on the beach.
Regardless of whether you want to lose fat or build muscle, if you’ve made the decision to get fit, then here’s just some of the benefits that are brought on by regular exercise and a healthy diet:
- Sleep Better – There’s nothing worse than not getting enough sleep, so regular exercise can help to combat that.
- Feel and Look Better – Not only will you look great in that bikini, but your overall mood will improve, and your stress levels will see a decline.
- Prevention of Fat Gain – No matter what your fitness goals are, then we’re pretty sure you don’t want to gain fat. Regular exercise will help you to prevent just that.
- Improve Your Sex Life – Regular exercise will release feel-good hormones, increasing your sexual response in the process. Sounds good to us!
Now you’ve learnt more about the benefits of regular exercise, now’s the time to find out more about the ins and outs of the best workout for women.
How Do I Lose Fat?
If your goal is to lose fat, then there are two important aspects you need to consider – your diet and training.
In this section, we’ll look at the best approach to both training and nutrition.
Diet
If fat loss is your goal, then the most important thing you need to know is that you have to be in a calorie deficit.
Put simply, a calorie deficit means that you need to burn more calories than you consume. Without one, then you can guarantee that you will struggle to shift those pounds.
To obtain a calorie deficit, then it’ll be beneficial for you to track your calories on a daily basis by using a tool such as MyFitnessPal.
But first, you’ll have to workout both your BMR (basal metabolic rate), and TDEE (total daily expenditure).
Respectively, your BMR is the amount of calories your body needs to maintain its current weight, and your TDEE simply takes into account your BMR with calories burnt daily on top.
For optimal fat loss results, we recommend you cut your calories to 100-200 below your BMR, and cut this down further if and when you reach a plateau.
Training
Cardio
HIIT (high intensity interval training) is what we recommend you incorporate into your routine. HIIT allows you to burn many calories in a short session.
Sessions often last between 10-30 minutes so even if you’re short on time, you can throw your excuses out of the window.
HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise followed a rest / recovery period. You can use whichever form of cardio you like, but we recommend regularly switching up in order to continually shock the system.
The treadmill, rowing machine, stationary bike, or cross trainer are all great options. You could even perform jumping jacks or burpees if you don’t have access to a gym, or if cardio machines aren’t really your thing.
Strength Training
Many women used to avoid strength training, in particular lifting weights as they thought that it would make them look ‘manly’
But with an ever increasing amount of fitness models gracing our Instagram newsfeeds, they have proven that it simply isn’t the case.
We recommend that you work out between 3-5 times per week in order to reach your fat loss goals quicker.
Combined with cardio, you can obtain great results, whether you perform your strength training in the gym, or even at home.
How Do I Build Muscle?
Diet
If you want to build muscle, then you will need to be in a calorie surplus, which is the opposite of a calorie deficit.
Again, we recommend that you work out your BMR and TDEE – (see above for calculators).
In addition, track your calories so you know whether you’re consuming enough calories to build muscle.
Essentially, you need to consume more calories than you burn. We suggest that you only go 100-200 calories above your BMR though, as this will help to minimize fat gain.
Training
Cardio
If you’re looking to build muscle, then we recommend that you limit your cardio to 1-2 times per week. You can still perform HIIT though, as this can help you stay as lean as possible.
However, we recommend that you make use of LISS (low intensity steady state) cardio. This will help you to achieve a toned, lean body, with a lower intensity level.
As you’re not putting in as much effort as you would be when performing HIIT, then we suggest that you perform LISS for slightly longer than your HIIT workouts – between 30-45 minutes is suggested.
Strength Training
Again, we recommend that you work out at least 3-5 days per week, but ensure that you include rest days to allow your body to recover effectively and efficiently.
Women’s Training Tips
Do I Need To Lift Heavy Weights?
If you want to achieve a low body fat percentage, then you need to pay close attention to your diet. This in turn will allow you to achieve the toned body that you desire.
We recommend lifting moderate to heavy weights in order to help the fat burning process, and to add definition to your muscles.
Whatever the case, be sure to perform exercises with full range of motion and correct form. In addition, don’t lift heavy too soon, and this will help you to avoid injury.
What Is the Ideal Rep Range?
The ideal rep range for women when working out in the gym is between 8-12 repetitions per set. This will help you to obtain defined, toned muscles if you train consistently.
How Long Should I Rest For?
In terms of rest periods, we recommend that you rest for between 30 seconds to 1 minute between sets, and 2 to 3 minutes between different exercises.
The more advanced you get, you could even cut down on rest times if you want to build muscle more efficiently.
Best Workouts for Women
Whatever your fitness goals are, then we recommend that you train at least 3 days per week in order to obtain optimal results.
The more advanced you become, then you can even increase the amount of training days you have.
But it’s important to remember that you need to incorporate rest days into your routine to allow your body to recover after your workouts.
Whether or not you have access to a gym, then Spot Me Girl have you covered with two workouts which are listed below.
Female Home Workout
If you don’t have access to a gym for whatever reason, then here’s a workout that will help you get into shape from the comfort of your own home, you don’t even need any equipment either which is an added bonus.
This one involves working out 5 days per week, but the workouts are short and intense, allowing you to get in shape in less than 30 minutes per day.
There’s a mixture of both bodyweight strength exercises and cardio workouts. So you’re getting the best bang for your buck here.
Try to limit your rest times as much as possible for maximum benefit, and ensure you perform all of the exercises with a full range of motion.
Here’s the workout:
Monday
- 5 Push Ups
- 20 Squats
- 10 Butt Kicks
- 15 Lunges
- 40 Sit Ups
- 30 Second Plank
- 25 Crunches
- 35 Jumping Jacks
Tuesday
- 10 Push Ups
- 40 Squats
- 15 Butt Kicks
- 30 Lunges
- 20 Sit Ups
- 35 Second Plank
- 25 Crunches
- 35 Jumping Jacks
Wednesday
- 15 Push Ups
- 20 Squats
- 30 Butt Kicks
- 10 Lunges
- 5 Sit Ups
- 40 Second Plank
- 25 Crunches
- 35 Jumping Jacks
Thursday
- 10 Push Ups
- 25 Squats
- 15 Butt Kicks
- 10 Lunges
- 35 Sit Ups
- 40 Second Plank
- 20 Crunches
- 30 Jumping Jacks
Friday
- 5 Push Ups
- 35 Squats
- 20 Butt Kicks
- 10 Lunges
- 30 Sit Ups
- 15 Second Plank
- 40 Crunches
- 25 Jumping Jacks
Saturday / Sunday
- Rest Days
Performed all of the workouts for the week? Congratulations, you’ve earned yourself a much deserved rest. Take the weekends off for a break as you’ll need to allow your body time to recover.
Female Workout In The Gym
If you have access to a gym, then this ones for you girls. Joining a gym is a great option, as you have the use of a wide variety of equipment for a monthly fee.
The following routine involves working out five days per week also, but if you stay consistent with your training as well as following a healthy, well balanced diet then the results will soon begin to show.
Included in the routine is a mixture of HIIT, along with LISS depending on the training day. Here’s the workout:
Monday
- Warm Up Wide Stance Bodyweight Squat: 2 sets x 15-20 reps
- Wide Stance Barbell Squat: 4 sets x 8-12 reps
- Romanian Deadlift: 4 sets x 8-12 reps
- Glute Bridge: 4 sets x 15-20 reps
- Glute Kickback: 4 sets x 15-20 reps (each leg)
Tuesday
- Warm Up Bench Press: 2 sets x 15-20 reps
- Bench Press: 4 sets x 8-12 reps
- (Knee) Push Ups: 4 sets x 8-12 reps
- Lat Pulldown: 4 sets x 12-15 reps
- Seated Cable Row: 4 sets x 12-15 reps
Wednesday
- Warm Up Crunches: 2 sets x 10 reps
- Roman Chair Leg Raise: 4 sets x 10-15 reps
- Roman Chair Oblique Leg Raise: 4 sets x 10-15 reps (each side)
- LISS Cardio – Treadmill / Bike – 6/10 effort level: 20-30 minutes
Thursday
- Warm Up Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadlift: 2 sets x 15-20 reps
- Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadlift: 4 sets x 15-20 reps
- Glute Bridge: 4 sets x 15-20 reps
- Reverse Lunge: 4 sets x 8-12 reps (each leg)
- Standing Calf Raise: 4 sets x 12-15 reps
Friday
- Warm Up Standing Barbell Shoulder Press: 2 sets x 15-20 reps
- Standing Barbell Shoulder Press: 4 sets x 8-12 reps
- Side Lateral Raise: 4 sets x 12-15 reps
- EZ Barbell Bicep Curl: 4 sets x 12-15 reps
- Tricep Dips: 4 sets x 12-15 reps
- HIIT Cardio: 10 rounds of 20 secs high intensity, followed by 40 seconds of recovery
Workouts For Women: Conclusion
Well there you have it girls, your very own guide to the best workouts for women.
Whatever your fitness goals are, then remember that it’s important to stay consistent with your training, and follow a healthy, balanced diet.
In time, you will reach your fitness goals if you stay focused and dedicated.
From all of us at Spot Me Girl, best of luck as you commence on your journey towards a better you.
