Weight Training for Women: The 1st. Steps to Your Success
Weight training for women can be your path to achieving the slim, toned, and youthful body of
your dreams.
At first, weight lifting for women can seem mysterious with terms like reps, sets,
rest intervals, etc.
“What do I really need and how do I use it?” Rest
assured , with the confidence building knowledge you can find at this website, it will become
"child's play."
Below discover a list of the most common terms and definitions for weight training for
women. In addition, uncover Tips
for getting the most out of your workouts and
having FUN while doing them!
- SPECIAL ALERT -
Would you like to save $200 to $600 on your Bowflex home gym AND get FREE shipping (an additional $200 savings)? Please click here
Weight Training for Women Terms & Definitions
Repetitions- (Reps) Each individual count of an exercise. For example: In a
biceps
curl. Beginning with your arms straight at your sides. Curling your arms in a semi-circle
to
your shoulder, then lowering it back down
to the beginning position. This would be 1 repetition.
Sets- A grouping of repetitions (reps), followed by a rest interval. For
example:
Doing 15-20 biceps curls in a row followed by a rest interval of 1 minute. This would be 1 set.
Exercise Program- An exercise program is the total
list of exercises, sets, and reps, used in one weight training session (workout). Tip:
In your
weight training for women
program it can be very helpful and motivating to keep track of the weights, sets, and reps, you are
doing in each exercise. It can be very satisfying seeing yourself actually getting stronger
while you are slimming down and toning up!
Rest Intervals- The brief pause between sets to allow you body to partially recuperate
before initiating your next set or circuit. For example: taking 30-60 seconds between
each set
to take a sip of water, record how many reps you did, or just catch your breath.
Circuit Training- A special form of weight training for women that will allow you to
both
exercise your body aerobically (cardiovascular) and anaerobically (muscle toning). Circuit
training typically is set up with 10-20 exercises that exercise your whole body
without any rest intervals between each exercise.
Rest Days- Days between weight training sessions which allows your body to recuperate. In exercise,
and especially weight training for women, "Less is More". Because of your
workouts,
you
have a raised metabolism. This means your body is actually burning fat and toning up WHILE
you're resting. Typically women will do 2 to 3 days of weight training for women a week with rest
days
between each workout day.
Getting Started - Tips for Beginners
Tip 1- When doing weight training for women it's always best for your body to be a little
warm rather than
a little
cool . Training when your body is warm will just "feel" better. The best advice: wear
layers (depending on the temp).
Tip 2- To begin your weight training session, it's a great idea to start with a light warm-up. A light warm-up:
- Loosens up your body.
- Gets your blood flowing.
- And tells your mind - "Ok girl, it's time to get going."
This can easily be done by hopping on an exercise bike, walking on a treadmill, or
whatever you enjoy doing. Just
do it
for 10 minutes, nothing rigorous, just get your heart pumping.
Tip 3- After you have finished your light warm-up. Begin by selecting your first exercise or
"experiment." Experiment? Absolutely! If
you've never used weight training machines before, your goal should be to have fun and get a
good "feel" for them. ( Note: If you are not sure how an exercise is done or what exercise
your
machine can do - consult the manual or exercise video that came with your machine).
Tip 4- After selecting your "experiment". Next, begin choosing a light weight. 10Ib. for smaller
muscles
(i.e. arms, shoulders), or
20Ib. for larger muscles (i.e. your legs, back, chest, etc). If you can do 16-20
repetitions, then add 5Ib to 10Ib. to your next set. The most important thing is to get
a
good "feel" for how each exercise effects your body.
Tip 5.1- How to do each repetition. We'll use biceps curl as an example. After selecting your
weight (10Ib to start): - First, take hold of the handles.
- Next, curl the
handles in a semi-circle to
your
shoulders. This should take a count of 3 (1 banana, 2 banana, 3 banana).
- Finally,
lower
the handles
back down to the starting
position. This should take a count of 5 (1 banana, 2 banana, etc.).
In time this weight training rhythm will become am
unconscious habit for you.
Tip 5.2- Your Breathing. Your breathing is very important when exercising, especially
in weight training for women. Your unconscious habit will probably be to hold your breath, don't.
For
example: when doing the biceps curl - exhale while curling the handles to your
shoulders
- then inhale when lowering it back down again.
Again, this
will all become
unconscious habit.
Tip 6- Muscles to exercise in your weight training session:
- Back
- Chest
- Biceps (front of the arms)
- Calves
- Shoulders
- Triceps (back of the arms)
- Thighs
- Abdominal
For a sample dumbbell workout, please click here
For a beginner workout for a Bowflex home gym, please click here
For a sample workout using resistance machines in your health club, please click here
Not sure which home gym equipment you should get, please click here to discover your options
Tips to Having the Most Effective & Enjoyable Workouts
Your weight training workouts can be an exciting event that you can look forward to. Not only is regular weight
training for women energizing, it is stress relieving and confidence building!
The first
real secret to long-term success in weight training is enjoying and having fun doing it.
That said, everybody has days where they don't feel up to it. Below are Tips
to enhance
your enjoyment of your workouts and ideas to energize yourself when you are not as
motivated .
Find "your" best time to train. This will take a little experimenting. Try training at
different times during the day (depending on your schedule of course). Now ask yourself:
"When
was I the most energized and excited to train (what time of day)?" Your answer will be "your"
optimal training time.
Make your workout a habit. After you've found "your" optimal training time. Train at that
same
time each workout day. By doing this your mind and body will automatically get
charged up.
Pre-workout routine. The best way to prepare for those days when you won't "feel up to
training" is to have a pre-workout routine. For example: 10 minutes before your weight training workout
you
could relax, have a cup of coffee, and listen to your favorite upbeat music. This may seem like a
small thing, but it will give your mind and body the signal to warm-up .
A training partner. Having a friend or spouse to do weight training for women with can be
an amazing
experience. You both can help each other keep motivated, training, and having fun. And it
can
be a tremendous bonding experience.
Extra motivation. To add that little "extra" enjoyment to your
workouts, listen to your
favorite music or motivational speaker while training. It can add a lot to your session.
And it can
get you over
those days when you are not 100% motivated.
Would you like to have unstoppable self motivation? Please click here
Return from Weight Training for Women to Safe Weight Lifting for Women home page

|