Strength Training Exercises For Women: A Complete Guide 

There are a lot of misconceptions about strength training for women.  Some women, thus, feel intimidated by the idea of engaging in such resistance training. However, it is considered to be one of the most beneficial forms of physical activity for women. This trend has resulted in an increasing number of women indulging in it. These strength training exercises for women have improved their fitness levels too.

When it comes to strength training, every woman must begin their journey at a certain point. Have we not all experienced being beginners at some point? Never allow your fear to give up on this physical activity in your daily routine.

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Strength Training For Women: Why Is It Important? 

Strength training is essential if you want to lose weight, build muscle, or tone your body. Is strength training still something you’re unsure about? Strength training is a great addition to any gym routine for the following reasons:

1. Enhanced reduction of fat

Following a strenuous strength training session, oxygen usage is quite significant. With a higher metabolic rate and higher oxygen usage, the body loses more energy.  And as more calories are burned, more is fat loss too. 

2. Gaining muscle increases calorie burn

Strength training causes the development of lean muscular mass, which enhances calorie use. A person’s daily caloric expenditure is influenced by their regular muscular contractions. A higher rate of caloric burn is associated with larger muscle mass. This starts to rise even higher if you incorporate more exercise into your daily routine. You’ll soon reach your goals whether you just walk a 10k or do some strength training. 

3. Release of tension

Overall, physical activity releases feel-good endorphins. Regular strength training has also been linked to improved stress management in individuals.

Strength and resistance exercise, in general, improves memory and cognitive performance. Therefore, give lifting weights a try the next time you need some relaxation.

4. A boost in vitality

Strength and weight training exercises will help you get a better night’s sleep. You will wake up feeling more refreshed. Research suggests that even a quick strength workout increases energy consumption. To boost your energy and attitude when you need a little pick-me-up, why not head the weight room? 

5. Bone and cardiac health

Strengthening your body with weights and exercises lowers your risk of heart disease. Strength training reduces heart disease risk factors including high blood pressure, hyperglycemia, etc.

Weight training also has a positive effect on cardiovascular health. It improves lipid profiles by decreasing LDL and raising HDL.

Because you run the risk of losing both bone and muscle mass as you age, it’s also a terrific strategy to help. Postmenopausal women, who are more susceptible to osteoporosis, can benefit most from it. Strength training reduces the risk of osteoporosis and effectively stops bone mass loss.

6. Lower possibility of harm

Strength training reduces your risk of injury. It also helps to develop muscle and enhance bone density. Exercise stabilizes joints and helps to develop stronger tendons and connective tissues. 

It helps avoid back problems, enhances physical activity form, and improves posture.

Weight Training Exercises: Tips To Get Started

It can be scary to enter a weight room if you have never attempted strength training. If you are unsure about the correct form, you run the risk of hurting yourself. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Hire a trainer: Although they can be expensive, working with a trainer, even for a short while, can help you. You can better grasp form, have your muscles and mind connect, and learn how to organize a workout. Knowing that your exercises are safe and effective will reassure you to carry on by yourself.

Find a workout partner: If you find the gym intimidating at first, find a partner and make it more enjoyable. You can also hold a friend responsible for your fitness objectives.

Start slowly: While a new fitness regimen may be thrilling, don’t get ahead of yourself. The joints and muscles are strained during strength training. Overtraining can eventually lead to weariness, injuries, or disinterest. Start with two weekly strength training sessions and work your way up to more as it suits you.

Change your diet: Food gives the body energy to function and recuperate both inside and outside of the gym. To complement your workouts, you might need to make dietary adjustments. Speak with a certified dietitian to find out more.

Strength Training At Home Without Equipment

Split Squats: 

• Position your feet so that they are the same distance apart as your hips and make sure to stand up straight. Assume a staggered posture by placing your hands on your hips and stretching out your right leg.
• Make sure to keep your back straight and your eyes facing ahead as you gradually lower yourself.
• Lift your back knee from the ground, and bring your front foot up to go back to your staggered position. 
• Repeat eight or ten times. 
• Now, proceed by switching your legs.
• Once you feel confident exercising using just your own body weight, you can consider incorporating dumbbells into your routine.

Single Leg Deadlifts: 

• Assume a stance with your feet positioned at a distance about the width of your hips. To enhance resistance, you can utilize a dumbbell or a weighty water bottle.
• Bend forward while placing all of your body weight on a single leg. Extend your opposite leg in a straight position behind you while lowering it down from the ground.
• Keep moving until your torso is almost parallel to the ground. Maintain a fully extended leg positioned behind you, resembling a backward T shape. 
• Apply pressure to the ground with your foot in order to slowly retract your leg. Please return to the initial position. Alternate legs and perform the action for a total of ten repetitions with each leg. Next, perform the previous exercise a total of ten times.

Single Leg Glute Bridges: 

• Take a lying position with your back resting parallel to the ground, either on a flat surface or a padded mat.
• To begin, position your right foot on the mat and proceed to bend your right knee. Extend your left leg forward. 
• It is important to maintain an upright posture. To execute the movement, initiate the drive by exerting force through your right foot. Simultaneously, elevate your hips while extending your left leg in a straight line. 
• Squeeze your glutes, also known as the muscles in your buttocks, in order to sustain this posture. Gradually descend your body in a controlled manner. Perform ten repetitions on each side.

Push-Ups: 

• Performing this task while in a kneeling position may yield optimal results. 
• Place your hands below your shoulders, slightly wider than your shoulders. Ensure that your back remains in a straight position. 
• To return to the starting position, gradually lift your body while bending your elbows. Repeat 10 times.

Pull-Ups:

• In order to perform pull-ups, it is necessary to use a horizontal bar. In a residential setting, a door frame can fulfill a similar function. You could also purchase extended resistance bands and fasten them around your door. 
• No matter which method you opt for, try to elevate yourself from the surface as high as possible. To maintain proper posture, ensure that your body remains in a straight line while simultaneously bending your elbows close to your sides. 
• If you are not yet fully prepared for a complete pull-up, there are many transitional exercises to start with. One possible exercise to consider is the lat pull-downs. 

Planks:

• You can do this exercise anywhere due to its simplicity. It is, however, advisable to consider investing a bit more money to buy yoga mats with an extra thickness. You would not desire to subject your joints to excessive strain, right?  
• The initial action you should take is to elevate your body using your elbows. Make sure to position your elbows below your shoulders, as you elevate yourself onto your forearms. Place your hands flat on the ground. Use the strength of your toes and forearms to bear the weight of your body. 
• To maintain this stance, lower your head and engage your entire body actively. To confirm the alignment of your body, you may choose to perform the activity in front of a mirror. The desired duration for holding is 20 seconds but you may increase this timeframe gradually.

Strength Training For Women Over 40

It can be intimidating to want to strength train at 40 while also worrying about injury, efficacy, and social perceptions. That’s because it is a phase often associated with shifts in metabolism and muscle mass. However, your age has nothing to do with who you are. It should never be the deciding factor in whether you engage in strength training. Mentioned below are some of the best strength training exercises for women over the age of 40.

Bent-Over Rows:

• While holding dumbbells in both hands, lean forward slightly and flex at the hips.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the weights down toward your hips.
• Now lower the weights once again.

Dumbbell Chest Press:

• Take a dumbbell in each hand and lie on your back.
• Keep your wrists in line with your shoulders as you press the weights overhead.
• Now bring the weights down.

Deadlifts: 

• Grasp a barbell or dumbbell and position it in front of your thighs.
• To maintain proper posture, hinge at the hips to keep your back straight.
• Lessen the weight that is going toward the floor.
• To rise again, engage your hamstrings and glutes by contracting them.

Glute Bridges:

• Assume a supine position with your feet positioned parallel to the ground and your knees flexed. Make sure that the soles of your feet are in contact with the floor.
• Squeeze your glutes at the highest point of the motion and elevate your hips from the ground.
• Adopt a relaxed posture and gradually drop your hips once more.

Lunges:

• Begin by extending one leg forward and thereafter lowering your body into a lunge position.
• Maintain proper alignment between the front knee and the ankle.
• To return to the beginning position, exert force on your front heel.
• Practice alternating legs.

Tricep Dips:

• Assume a seated position on a bench or chair. Make sure to position your hands on the edge with fingers aligned in a forward-facing direction.
• To execute the exercise, slide your hips off the bench while flexing your elbows to gradually lower your torso.
• Apply force against the surface using the palms of your hands to revert back to the initial position.

Weighted Squats:

• Squats may appear to be rather straightforward. However, introducing a dumbbell as per your capability can effectively augment the workout.
• Assume a stance with the feet positioned at a distance approximately equal to the width of the hips.
• Assume a position where the hips are lowered and moved backward, like the act of sitting on a chair.
• Ensure that the alignment of your knees is parallel to your toes.
• To return to the starting posture, exert force on your heels.

Step-Us:

• Use a bench or step platform to elevate one foot onto it.
• To raise your body onto the step, exert force mostly through your heel.
• Proceed by stepping down and subsequently alternating legs.

Takeaway

Exercising is good for you in more ways than one. Studies show that strength training for women has distinct advantages. It should not involve hefty weightlifting like the bodybuilders do. Strength training exercises for women involve using resistance bands, dumbbells, or other weights. Resistance training helps women get stronger, leaner, and healthier at any age. That’s because lean muscle mass decreases with aging. Hence, strength training for women over 40 and 50 is also quite popular. Whether you have the equipment or you don’t, there’s no more excuse now.