The Specifics of Bodybuilding Workouts for Women
When doing bodybuilding workouts for women, the aim is to tone muscles in order to achieve a healthy and toned physique. Most women aren’t into bodybuilding to bulk up but to go for that streamlined, athletic look seen on sports magazine covers or famous athletes. Even First Lady Michelle Obama is known for her well-defined upper arms, which is part of why she looks great in practically anything.
Bodybuilding workouts for women specifically target the arms, legs, thighs, rear, chest and stomach areas to create leaner muscles. In order to do this successfully, good training programs set different exercises for women to do when focusing on a certain part of the body. This makes the exercise regimen more orderly and molds discipline, yielding better results is less time. Here is a sample for one week of training where cardio and strength exercises are mixed up to work for each body part involved.
Day 1 – Strength training for the legs. After proper warm-ups, you can start your weekly bodybuilding workouts for women by targeting your quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. These may be in the form of freehand jump squats, dumbbell lunges and dumbbell squats, dumbbell deadlifts, lying leg curls, standing calf raises and leg presses. The approximate number of sets for each is 3 of 12-15 reps per set. Rest for around 30 seconds to a minute in between sets to allow your muscles to recover.
Day 2 – Strength training for the chest and triceps.The second day goes for your pectorals, abs and triceps. These include pushups, the incline dumbbell press, dips for triceps, machine bench press, butterfly, cable rope overhead triceps extension, ab roller and the decline crunch. Again, 3 sets of 12-15 reps with brief rest periods in between.
Day 3 – Cardio.After doing some stretches, do around 20 minutes on the treadmill, which is a moderate cardio workout. This immediately follows 2 days of heavy weight training so that your body has enough time to recuperate. Doing marathon workouts is not healthy nor will it do anything for your muscles.
Day 4 – Strength training for the back and biceps. Again, these exercises are in 3 sets of 12-15 reps each, rest periods in between. This aspect of bodybuilding workouts for women tones your back and biceps through butt lifts, lat pulldowns, bent-arm dumbbell pullovers, one-arm dumbbell and lying t-bar rows, hyperextensions for the back and dumbbell bicep curls.
Day 5 – Strength training for the shoulders.Apart from the shoulders, the abs are also targeted, 3 sets each of 12-15 reps. Don’t forget to rest in between sets. Exercises here include military presses, external rotation, push press, back flyes with bands, butt-ups and knee or hip raises on parallel bars.
Day 6 -Cardio.As before, do your stretches. This is a more relaxed day of moderate cardio. Do 20 minutes on the stationary bike then get some much-deserved rest.
Day 7 – Full rest.You’ve had a full week of working out and your muscles are in dire need of some recovery time. Get plenty of sleep, hydrate, prepare and cook meals, go over your progress and don’t forget to stretch or do some yoga so your body doesn’t entirely forget that it’s in the middle of training.
Following given bodybuilding workouts for women like these are guaranteed to give you excellent results, coupled with the proper diet. For more information, you can always visit the links listed here, as there’s never too much of a good thing!
The Specifics of Bodybuilding Workouts for Women by Linda S Barker
