Are you a woman and want to have a toned body without losing femininity? We have good news! Lifting weights will not make your body bulky, but you will be able to give your body the desired shape. Women do not have the same hormones or body requirements necessary to build bigger, bulkier muscles as men. So a proper nutrition plan and this exercise routine with weights for women will help you get in shape.

Going to the gym is the first step to getting fit. And while you may not believe in weights now, after a couple of weeks of using them, you’ll feel more confident, see amazing results, and enjoy the process. Ready? Here is a weight training plan for women to get a toned and strong body!

Exercises with weights for women and cardio training

The main reasons why a woman starts training are: to tone the body, to get a better butt and to lose belly fat. During these weight-bearing exercises for women, we’ll put emphasis on these areas, but we’ll also work on other major muscle groups. Remember: every part of the body must be worked if you want to look balanced and reap the full benefits of strength training.

Cardio is important to improve oxygen delivery to the muscles. Likewise, with cardio, you will be able to lose fat and thus achieve a slimmer and more toned appearance.  For any form of cardio, be sure to start at a slower speed, and increase your speed every 2 minutes until you reach your desired exertion level. To make it easier, below you will find the level of effort required on specific days of the training routine:

• At a 6/10effort level, you should be breathing firmly, but deeply, and be able to speak a full sentence with little difficulty.
• At an 8/10effort level, you should be breathing heavily, and only be able to say a few short, labored words.

Remember to cool down afterwards, slowing down every 2 minutes until you are relaxed enough. Keep in mind that warm-up and cool-down times count toward your total cardio time.

Below we propose a training plan for 5 days a week:

• 5 days of weight training
• 1 of these days includes HIIT training(High Intensity Interval Training)
• 1 of these days includes LISS training(Low Intensity Steady State Cardio)
• 2 days off

In case you have soreness, we recommend you change the HIIT for the LISS.

Train with moderate to heavy weights to tone up

People often use the word toning to mean that they want to increase muscle mass but not too much. These people believe that doing a lot of repetitions will get a toned body.  However, having a toned body actually means that you have strong muscles with a low percentage of body fat. So, lift weights with short rest periods; In this way you will be able to define your muscles and it will help you burn fat more efficiently.

Do between 8 and 12 repetitions

If you want to get in shape, you will have to work your muscles effectively. To do this, the ideal number of repetitions for girls is 8 to 12. This is the best rep range for getting defined muscles.

The number of repetitions can be increased in those exercises that do not require additional weight, since they require less effort (although they are not less effective for that reason).

When warming up, less weight should be used. The goal of a warm-up is to get your muscles and joints active and used to the movement you’ll be doing with a heavier weight to reduce the risk of injury.

You must fight to get into the recommended rep range. If you feel that it is too easy or, on the contrary, too difficult, adjust the weight. Make sure you execute each movement properly, making it complete.

Rest between each set

To get your body toned, rest between sets. The rest will be 30 seconds, and 1 minute between the second and third series.

weight training routine for women

The exercise plan with weights for women that we propose is 5 days a week. This routine will help you get the desired results and improve your workouts. Complement your exercises by alternating training for different areas such as buttocks or legs.

Monday: leg and buttocks training

• Warm-up – squats without weight: 2 series x 15/20 repetitions
• Squats with a barbell: 4 series x 8/12 repetitions
• Romanian barbell deadlift: 4 sets x 8/12 reps
• Glute Bridge: 4 series x 15/20 repetitions
• Glute kick: 4 series x 15/20 repetitions (each leg)

Tuesday: upper body training

• Warm-up – Bench Press: 2 series x 15/20 repetitions
• Bench press: 4 series x 8/12 repetitions
• Push-ups: 4 series x 8/12 repetitions. If you prefer, you can rest your knees on the ground.
• Pulldown pulldown: 4 sets x 12/15 reps
• Cable Row: 4 sets x 12/15 reps

Wednesday: Core training + LISS Cardio

• Roman chair oblique leg raises: 4 sets x 10/15 reps (each side) Warm-up – crunches: 2 sets x 10 reps
• Leg elevation in the Roman chair: 4 series x 10/15 repetitions
• Cardio LISS – Treadmill / Spinning bike: Effort 6/10 for 20/30 minutes

Bodytone DT14 treadmill

Enjoy running at home. Combine your exercise routine with one cardio session a week. The Body tone DT14 treadmill incorporates maximum performance together with a unique design. Connect your mobile phone and start your races.

Fytter RI-5X Indoor Cycle Bike

Start pedaling at home. The new Fytter RI-5X is a very complete spinning bike. Its quality offers a very light pedaling and unbeatable power transmission. You can do your training without application or with it. Share your workouts and meet the cycling community.

Enjoy running at home. Combine your exercise routine with one cardio session a week. The Body tone DT14 treadmill incorporates maximum performance together with a unique design. Connect your mobile phone and start your races.

Thursday: leg and buttocks training

• Standing Calf Raises: 4 sets x 12/15 reps 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 series x 15/20 repetitions
• Reverse lunge: 4 series x 8/12 repetitions (each leg)

Friday: upper body training + HIIT cardio

• Warm-up – Barbell Shoulder Press: 2 sets x 15/20 repetitions
• Standing Barbell Shoulder Press: 4 sets x 12/15 reps
• Dumbbell SideRaise: 4 sets x 12/15 reps
• Barbell biceps curl: 4 sets x 12/15 reps
• Lowering triceps: 4 series x 12/15 repetitions

Cardio HIIT – Treadmill / bike: effort level 8/10 (20 seconds working and 40 recovery)