Home Workout Plan For Women
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Here is a workout plan for women that are beginners and want to train at home. It answers most of the pressing questions: what exercises, when to do them and how often.
It’s So Confusing!
Very often I meet a lot of women who want to start working out, but have no idea how to put together a workout plan. If you are one of them, I completely understand how complicated putting together workout routines can seem. The questions that I get the most from my viewers are: Which time of the day should I workout? Should I do split workouts or full body routines? How many days a week should I workout?
I am going to answer these questions as well as write out a basic workout plan, but first we have to find out what your workout goals are.
Where Do You Want To Go?
When it comes to goal setting you have to be very specific and also have to create a time frame with many small goals at a time. I don’t like to use the word “realistic”, because within reason I believe there are no limits to what you can achieve – if you can imagine it in your mind, you may be able to hold it in your hand.
Get a piece of paper and write down where you currently are and what your goals are, from smallest to largest (“lose a lb of weight within the next week” to “run a marathon in a year” or “be able to do 30 pull-ups”). Then find out what the intermediate steps inbetween have to be to reach the big goal at the end: how much weight do you want to lose? How do you have to build up your strength?
In short, this step is where you educate yourself. You need to lay a course and know about all the obstacles in the way to arrive at the safe harbor. It tremendously helps if you vividly imagine yourself already being what you want to become. Don’t hold back – feel it. All this is your first step before actually planning starts.
Which Time Of Day Should I Work Out?
I understand that everyone has a different schedule. Some people are able to work out at 6 am, others can only workout at 10 pm. I personally always recommend to find time of the day when you have the most energy, because that will be your perfect time.
Honestly, the time you do your workouts doesn’t play a big role as long as you actually do your workouts. A lot of people though have a lot less energy in the evening, and for them I recommend to work out sometime during the day when they are able to find time.
Should I Split My Workouts Or Do Full Body Routines?
If you are a complete beginner, then I recommend to start with full body workouts. Depending on the physical fitness you start out with and the progress you make, you may be able to start using split routines 3-4 weeks after. If you’ve been working out for a while, split routines will bring you better results when it come to building muscle, but full body workouts can be beneficial for advanced trainees as well. They can provide a change from your usual routine and save time on those weeks when you are low on time.
How Many Days A Week Should I Work Out?
This entirely depends on your goals. I personally experimented with different approaches and for me the best approach for building muscle and strength was 4 days a week using split routines. If your goal is maintenance only, then 3 days a week is great. If you are (semi-) professional and getting ready for a competition of some sort, then 5 days per week is what a trainer would probably make you do. Anything above that will make you feel like you have no life, at least that’s how I would feel.
Basic Workout Plan
Below you’ll find a basic exercise routine that should especially suit women, as it combines cardio and dynamic strength exercises. It’s built around the following premises:
- Never skip your warm-up or your stretching after a workout. Your warm-up should last 5-10 minutes and your stretching should also be about 5-10 minutes long.
- I always include planks before and after a workout, as they really help you to strengthen your core as well and warm-up your body even more.
- Exercise your entire body. Only training legs and having a weak back and arms would look weird.
- Your workout needs both, strength training as well as metabolic exercises. Only both together will give you complete fitness.
Without further ado, here is the workout plan for women. Please remember that it is a good idea to get a check-up by your doctor before you start exercising! The links will take you to in-depth discussions and videos I did about each of the subjects and exercises:
| Day | Workout |
|---|---|
| Monday | Warm-up 5-10 minutes. 2-3 sets of Elbow Planks 1 minute each. Lower Body Body Weight Workout + Light Cardio 15 minutes. Stretching – 5-10 minutes. |
| Tuesday | Warm-up 5-10 minutes. 2-3 sets of Planks 1 minute each. Upper Body Workout + Abs. 2-3 sets of Planks 1 minute each. Stretching 5-10 minutes. |
| Wednesday | Active Rest |
| Thursday | Warm-up 5-10 minutes. 2-3 sets of Elbow Planks 1 minute each. Lower Body Body Weight Workout + Light Cardio 15 minutes. Stretching – 5-10 minutes. |
| Friday | Warm-up 5-10 minutes. 2-3 sets of Planks 1 minute each. Upper Body Workout + Abs. 2-3 sets of Planks 1 minute each. Stretching 5-10 minutes. |
| Saturday | Full Body Stretching – 20 minutes ( This is very important, because longer stretching is necessary at least once a week, this really helps your muscle to develop and heal much faster. ) |
| Sunday | Complete Day Off |
Experiment with this a bit and find out what suits you. And if you have questions, fire away! I’ll be glad to help!
Picture courtesy of “jGlidePhotoATL“.
Tags: cardio, fitness, home workout plan, home workout plan for women, home workout routine, women, workout
41 Comments
What a wonderful article Tati.I have to agree with you and say working out 4 days a week has benefited me the most.I have time to do other things and enjoy my rest days with my family.On Saturdays I might do a short morning cardio workout but I never do resistance training of any sort.Your approach has definitely changed my life:)
Sweetie I am so happy that my approach is working for you. Its’ working the best for me as well and I’ve tried so many different things. I also feel like with 4 days a week of working out I have a life and I can enjoy other things as well.
Great article as usual, love reading your weekely post! Quick question, as long as i work my abs twice a week,(and of course engaged it with all exercise) did it matter if i do Abs after upper body workout or lower body workout?
Hi Christian,
No it doesn’t really matter at all, you can do it in any day you like as long as you do it
Thanks for the reply dear!
Have a fabulous week!
hello i am finding it very hard to loose these love handles and apart from that i have a nice aqua glass body shape anyy hellp ??
Heah LisaMia,
Tat a while back wrote an article about exactly that:
http://evilcyber.com/losing-weight/getting-rid-of-love-handles/
Hope it helps you out!
Hey, I’m currently 20 yrs old and I got into the habit of working out. i’ll warm up 1st & stretch of course. My goal is to maintain my size, & get toned. I’ll walk once a week for 20 mins, do abs 10*7, squats 15*4 three days per week, Presses & flies 10*2 but I’ll mix them up so one day i’ll do arms and legs etc. Is this right or what should I do?
Hi Sarika,
What are your goals as far as working out?
To get toned & keep myself healthy.
I definitely recommend you doing more variety of workouts, because doing same exercises all the time won’t really give you any benefits because our body get’s used to it right away.
Since you are trying to tone up only, I suggest you doing 3 full body workouts a week with a day off in between. You need to do at least 6 different exercises for your lower body, and 6 for your upper body. I also suggest you doing planks for your core to strengthen and tighten it form the inside. Planks can be done after your training 30 sec to 1 minute each plank, 4-5 rounds. Try to change variations of planks all the time.
I came across your article on strength training and would like some advise. I am 53 years old. I quit smoking a 1 1/2 years ago and also going through menopause. I have gained 50lbs in 1 1/2 yrs. I am doing zumba 3 days a week and just started the couch 2k running program week #1. I have also started a low carb diet. Is is ok to start a strength training program along with what I’m already doing. If so please advise to how many days and which ones to incorporate with what I’m doing. I have never weighed this much in my life even at nine months pregnant (twice) I have always been slim but not skinny and have never had a problem until my fifties. any advise will be appreciated.
thanks
Katie
Hi Katie,
I definitely suggest you starting a strength training program, I recommend you doing that prior to your zumba class. It’s always best to do cardio after strength training. Start very low weight, you can do 3 full body strength training sessions per week. Make sure you take a day off in between.
sorry but I meant to say 30 lbs not 50 lbs.Wow we can all laugh!
Hi I just googled exercise plans and this came up. I am 22 yrs old and I have no clue where to start I want to lose weight and lose my arm jiggle but I have no clue how to start. I weigh 240 lbs and I want to lose at least 50 lbs or get fit enough to where I can run with out panting like a dog on a hot summers day! I hav really bad teeth so I am not able to eat junk food. I really don’t like water it taste horrible. But I do love salads but I don’t know what kind of dressing is good and what veggies to put on it. I do know that I want help and want to feel comfortable in my own body again!! Can u help me??
Heah Bobbi, your main focus for now should be losing some weight. This workout at the moment may be a little too much for you.
Here is everything about weight loss explained in detail:
http://evilcyber.com/losing-weight/secret-to-weight-loss/
hi, I’m a beginner and am wondering if its alright to do other lower and upper workouts along with the one you mentioned?
Hi Sam,
Yes, you can do other lower and upper body workouts, just make sure you don’t overtrain, cause it’s a common mistake beginners make.
I am 26 years old, 4’11″ and weigh 85lbs. I want to get stronger and gain a lot more muscle mass… I’m also vegetarian… All work out plans for women I’ve come across so far are aimed at weight loss…I want to gain… In dire need of advice!!!
Cristal, you need a workout plan that is more aimed at increasing mass. This one should do the job for you:
http://evilcyber.com/fitness/home-workout-plan-beginners/
About getting enough protein, check these articles:
http://evilcyber.com/nutrition/bodybuilding-diet/
http://evilcyber.com/nutrition/5-natural-protein-sources-bodybuilders/
http://evilcyber.com/nutrition/vegan-bodybuilding-foods/
The third is aimed at vegans, but works equally well for vegetarians.
hi, thanks for the reply for my previous question. i have noticed that after-work out planks are not included on Mondays and Thursdays just curious to know why? and on Saturdays instead of free style stretching can i do yoga? your answer will really help me alot.
Hi Sam,
The planks are not usually included if the workout is quite loaded already, but you can still add them if you like.
You can definitely add yoga!
hi, sorry i forgot include this one what is active rest? what workouts should i do on active rest day?
Active rest is a day where you won’t do any workout at all to let your muscles develop and your body recover, but on that day you will stay active such as going for a long walk, or do light yoga, or bike riding, pretty much stay active.
hi, thanks for your earlier reply it really helped a lot, i have noticed that you haven’t included after work-out planks during Monday and Thursdays i would like to know why? can we do yoga instead of full free style body stretching on Saturdays? and what should we do on active rest day? your answer will really help me.
Hey evil. Would this workout be efficient to lower the heart pulses? I need to get my mom to do some exercise
Yes, it should be
hi, tatianna thanks for the earlier reply. I’m following your mentioned routine exactly and my work out takes about 80 min to finish from warm-up to stretching is that alright? or am i over training? i don’t feel exhausted and all. I’m also on a little heavy diet, trying to put on some weight but want my body to be in well toned way so I’m following your work-out plan exactly and personally i really admire your six pack, i think its really cool.
.
80 minutes sounds a bit excessive. If the workout takes that long and you don’t feel exhausted, you may want to make it a little shorter, but up the intensity a bit.
Thank you for this! I’ve been looking for a routine since i had my daughter…6 months ago! This is absolute perfection and i can’t wait to get started. One thing though…would you be able to give any advice on meal planning? I don’t even know where to begin with that. We don’t want to spend a fortune and we don’t want to give up taste. Idk how to cook healthy DELICIOUS meals without spending a billion dollars!
Hey Sky,
Check this out – Healthy Food Guide and Menu Sample – http://www.lovingfit.com/nutrition/healthy-food-guide-and-menu-sample/
Hello, Im 20 and about 150lbs. I want to lose weight, about 30lbs to be exact. The thing is I like my size but I have a gut that I want to lose and I nee dhelp on getting started. I googled work out plans for women and this came up. I looked at some work out videos made with Ti, I like those and I will be trying them soon. I’m looking for more advice on what exactly to do to get started and a good food plan I can try, I don’t eat much already but I constantly gain weight, and I drink plenty of water, SO PLEASE HELP. Advice is greatly desired!!
Hello LaTrice, this should help explain what needs to be done:
http://evilcyber.com/losing-weight/secret-to-weight-loss/
http://evilcyber.com/losing-weight/exercise-weight-loss/
hi i really want to get into shape, and i heard a girl from school just did HIIT work outs for 2 mos and went from having flab to having abs, so i tried the HIIT workout i found here a while ago but i couldnt go as far as 2 rounds. so i was thinking, maybe im not really active its still a little hard for me. so i was thinking if i did this beginners work out first fro like 2 weeks do you think i can get into the HIIT work out after those 2 weeks?
also im 20y/o, 5’2, and i weight 110-115lbs. i really want to get healthy and have a great body. cos im so chubby, my tummy is so flabby and i have huge thighs and arms
i jsut want to be healthy and have a fit body. please help!
Heah Sara, first of all, your weight is perfectly in the normal range. You are simply not very fit and could do with a bit more muscle.
The ideal workout for you is this one right here. HIIT is more for the time when you got the basics down:
http://evilcyber.com/fitness/is-high-intensity-exercise-dangerous/
Hi Sara,
I just wanted to let you know, if you are a beginner, I do not suggest you’re doing HIIT workouts. It is something for someone who has been training for a while. I suggest you start out on a beginner program.
hi, thanks for all your replies.I’m a total beginner and didn’t know much any of these workout stuff and also i didn’t go through your site thoroughly but i shot my questions. i was a bit excited anyway i just wanna be strong and healthy like u that all.all your previous reply helped a lot so thanks alot.i apologize if my questions annoyed u.
No worries, Sam! Sometimes we miss a question; it isn’t anything personal.
thank u, evil.
sorry that was meant to be before i shot not but