There are a lot of good workout plans available and more are being created all the time. There are workout plans for everything from full body to single muscle isolation plans. Within that spectrum you will also find workouts for those that have never worked out a day on their life to competitive bodybuilders. I would like to target those who have never seen the inside of a gym but are looking to make a change for the better inside and out. I’m sorry if you came here and were looking for workout plans at some sort of deeper level. This time it’s only about basic workout plans for women. I’ve made sure to include some free workout plans and other resources all over this website. .
I feel that most trainers, and even those gurus who write articles for magazines or websites (yes, I’m including myself here) have forgotten our first week in the gym. So naturally when we are helping to get someone started on a workout plan the advice we give tends to come from our experience however many years it may be.
It can be very awkward the first time you pick up a weight, so in the beginning I want you to focus on one simple aspect of each exercise, the form. This will keep you from developing bad habits like so many people you see in the gym today. If you don’t see them, it’s simply because you don’t know better. They’re all over the local gym. Another thing you need to do right from the start is to begin with the end in mind. Picture yourself how you want to look and the activities you want to be able to participate in. Whatever it is it should be a big enough goal that you cannot allow yourself to quit, EVER.
Now for the workout, I want to keep it simple so I’m going to give you some of the most basic workout movements;
Monday – Chest and Triceps 3 Sets of each exercise! Short Cardio
- Bench Press – keep your back flat on the bench most people you see arch their back start with a barbell and once you get the movement rotate with dumbbells
- Dumbbell Fly’s – or cable crossovers, depending on your comfort level, keep your arms from hinging at the elbow making sure to use those pectorals and not biceps
- Incline Press – once again barbell at first then dumbbells, be sure to keep your elbows tucked in so your arm are around 45* with your body
- Dips – working both the chest and tri’s these will most likely be hard at first so use an assisted machine or get help but DON’T skip them
- Tricep Pushdowns – make certain that the upper arm is vertical and you’re not bending at the waist on the way down
- Skull Crushers – Sound violent doesn’t it, well it’s not. Here you just want to make sure that the weight is manageable so you don’t crush you skull. Also keep your upper arm vertical
Tuesday – Cardio/Abs In order to keep this fairly short please see my articles on cardio and abs.
Wednesday – Back and Biceps 3 Sets each exercise. Short cardio
- Pull ups – pretty straight forward and difficult so get assistance
- Seated Low Rows – Keep your back absolutely straight and don’t help the weight, keep the V-bar low towards your waist and give your shoulder blades a good squeeze once you get all the way back
- T-Bar Rows or Bent over barbell rows – Try to picture your back as a table not that it’s parallel to the floor but flat and straight. Use the wide grip on the T-bar if doing barbell rows use a reverse grip.
- Preacher Curls – Not much to say here but give your biceps a good contraction at the top
- Incline Curls – Using the same bench as incline bench press let your arms hang all the way keeping the upper arm still and as perpendicular with the floor as possible.
Thursday – Cardio & Abs same as above but do different exercises
Friday – Legs 3 Sets Again. Short cardio if any, I’m so wiped out on leg day I will sometime skip cardio
- Squats or Leg press – Straight back go down until your quads are almost parallel to the floor, resist bending over at the waist, do leg press if you have back issues
- Lunges – With weight or without these are great for your butt and hamstrings
- Leg Curls – Just make sure your knee is even with the pivot point the machine does the rest
- Leg Extensions – Knee even with pivot point
- Calf Raises – Legs straight but not locking your knees, resist using a pressing motion
Saturday – Shoulder, Abs, Cardio
- Lateral & Front Raises – Alternate these with each rep. Keep your arms straight.
- Upright Rows – Hands close together keep your elbow high above the bar all the way to the top
- Military Press – Just like a bench press except you are going straight up, start with barbell smith machine before dumbbells.
Sunday – Off, YEAH!!! Unless you really want to, you can do some yoga.