Workout Summary
- Main GoalLose Fat
- Workout TypeFull Body
- Training LevelBeginner
- Program Duration10 weeks
- Days Per Week4
- Time Per Workout60-90 minutes
- Equipment RequiredBands, Barbell, Bodyweight, Cables, Dumbbells, EZ Bar, Exercise Ball, Machines
- Target Gender Female
- Recommended Supps
- Workout PDF Download Workout
Workout Description
When it comes to women’s specific weight training, full body workouts make a lot of sense.
For one, women seem to have an accelerated recovery rate when compared to their male counterparts. Some of which can be explained by their relative intensity levels, natural muscle distribution, favorable mobility, and hormone profile.
All that, and let’s be real for second, women are tougher than men.
Reason number two, and as a result of reason number one, the increased training frequency leads to better muscle tone, strength, and leaner physiques.
So, if that sounds like something you’re personally interested in keep reading.
Outlined below is the best full body workout program for most (healthy) women.
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Full Body Workouts for Women
Outlined below are 4 full body workouts perfect for women looking to build lean muscle, lose fat, and increase strength.
As written, the program can be performed in an every other day fashion where you rotate the workouts each day you go to the gym.
Alternatively, you can perform the workouts on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (or in a 2 days on/1 day off fashion).
Each workout is broken up into a primary workout. These are the exercises that are necessary to perform on that training day. For your rest periods, you’ll want to rest anywhere between 45-90 seconds. For larger lifts, such as squats, you may want to take the full 90 seconds.
After the primary workout on each day is an additional optional workout you can perform immediately after your primary full body workout. These additional workouts isolate the glutes, core, and arms. For your rest periods with these exercises, limit them to 30 seconds.
The reason for the two glute isolation workouts is due to the common goal among women to grow their glutes. This is best achieved through training the glutes at least 4 times per week, with two of the glute workouts being isolated-focus with higher repetitions.
Any of these additional bonus workouts can be altered in any way that best fits your own individual goals.
Women’s Full Body Workout 1
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 4 | 6-8 |
| Leg Press | 3 | 10-15 |
| Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat | 3 | 8-12 Each |
| Overhead Press | 4 | 8 |
| One Arm Dumbbell Row | 4 | 6-8 |
| Lat Pull Down | 3 | 8-12 |
Optional Additional Exercises 1
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Hyperextension | 3 | 15-20 |
| Single Leg Glute Bridge | 3 | 10-15 Each |
| Mini Band Hip Thruster | 3 | 15 |
Women’s Full Body Workout 2
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Goblet Squat | 3 | 12-15 |
| Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift | 3 | 10-12 |
| Lateral Lunge | 3 | 12 Each |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 8-10 |
| (Assisted) Pull Up | 3 | Max |
| Inverted Row | 3 | Max |
Optional Additional Exercises 2
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 12 |
| Rope Pressdown | 3 | 12 |
| EZ Bar Curl | 3 | 12 |
| EZ Bar Overhead Extension | 3 | 12 |
Women’s Full Body Workout 3
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Sumo Deadlift | 4 | 6-8 |
| Hip Thrust | 4 | 6-8 |
| Barbell Row | 4 | 6-8 |
| Seated Dumbbell Press | 3 | 8-12 |
| Lateral Raise | 3 | 10-12 |
| Push Up | 3 | Max |
Optional Additional Exercises 3
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Plank | 3 | Max Time |
| Exercise Ball Crunch | 3 | 20 |
| Hanging Leg Raise | 3 | 12-15 |
Women’s Full Body Workout 4
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Plie Squat | 3 | 12-15 |
| Dumbbell Rear Lunge | 3 | 12-15 |
| Landmine Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 12-15 |
| T-Bar Row | 4 | 8-12 |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 12-15 |
| Cable Face Pull | 3 | 15-20 |
Optional Additional Exercises 4
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Frog Pumps | 3 | 20-25 |
| Glute Kick Back | 3 | 15 Each |
| Adduction Machine (or Banded) | 3 | 12 |
| Abduction Machine (or Banded) | 3 | 12 |
Conclusion
The above workout is a great full body workout for women that can be used regardless of your goal.
The set up of the program allows you to maximize your results in the gym - whether you are looking to build lean muscle, burn fat, increase your strength, or a combination of all of those goals.
The workout can be altered in any way necessary to fit your goals and the availability of equipment you have at your gym.
If you have any additional questions about the program, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
173 Comments
This workout is great. I struggle with reverse pill ups and u looked up alternatives which are dine in the other days, like barbell rows etc I tried with steaps, on a Smith machine but it rings my neck. Any alternative suggestions?
Do pulldowns bother you, Kelly? If not, you can do those instead.
I just wanted to say a huge thank you for this program! I switched for it 3 weeks ago and I love it! It's super fun and I am seing more results than with my previous one. :)
is this workout also safe for pregnancy?
alternatively what workout are pregnancy safe on the site?
Talk to your OB about training while pregnant, Hailey. I don't believe we have any programs for training while pregnant, but I will ask my editor.
I am loving this workout program! I decided to do it for 12 weeks and currently on week 9. I like that it is only 4 days a week and would like to do another program for the same amount of days. Do you recommend any? My goal is to tone up. Thank you!
Hope this helps, Katie.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-choose-your-next-train...
Can I perform these excercies at home with dumbells
Sure!
Hello I’m looking for the right diet to folllow and supplements to take. I’ve been working out 2 years steady started with at home workouts from beach body, I did 80 day obsession and 21 day fix. Then I joined gym a year ago and mainly take classes 2-3 weight and 1-2 cardio on average I go 4 days a week. I don’t see any results anymore. Looking for suggestion on how to lose an addional 5-7 pound but put on muscle mainly in lower body. I also don’t follow a diet plan or take pre-workouts or anything. I am new to the science of this and really want to learn how to stay fit and healthy. I’m 42 Years old. I’m also looking for a good app to track my progress for calories ??? Fit bit? Please help
This should help with the fat loss, Jeannine. https://www.muscleandstrength.com/expert-guides/fat-loss
Train heavy on the leg days, and you should see results in the thighs. As for apps, Fitbit is the most popular, but there are several out there. Hopefully other community members here can offer their recommendations.
This looks like a great workout. What about core? I'm thinking about mixing in some planks, cable pulls for obliques, etc. Is that a good idea?
It is a great idea, Diana. If you want some workout suggestions, let me know and I will find a solid program for you. Thanks for reading M&S!
is this safe for pregnancy?
Show it to your OB and get clearance before doing this workout. This applies to all workouts. I will talk to editors about pregnancy workouts for the future.
This looks like a fantastic workout. Just enough volume and has plenty of glute work as well. Can't wait to try it. Thank you!
Hi! Thank you for the workout! I have some questions.
Is there a deload planned during that program? Or is it enough to take a week of after completing 10 weeks?
How do you increase the intensity so that the workout keeps being challenging? Increase weight?
Hello and thanks for the questions.
You can simply take a week off or you can do 50% of the volume for a deload. That is up to you.
Increase the intensity by adding weight, slowing the reps down, or cutting your rest time between sets. I actually like slowing the reps down myself so I can focus more on flexing the muscle. Up to you, though. Thanks for reading M&S!
Hi,
Love this workout. I'm just getting started. What are Frog Pumps? I noticed there's no link on how to do this exercise.
Thanks.
Here are some instructions, Alexis. I can't share external links here, but a simple Google search should bring up a video.
Get into a glute bridge position.
Flatten out lumbar spine.
Tuck neck into chest.
Dig elbows into ground and make fists.
Put bottoms of feet together and scoot heels as close to butt as possible.
Bridge into the air while maintaining position, repeat for desired # of reps.
Thank you for this resource. Is there an intermediate version?
Not as of now, but there may be one in the near future. In the meantime, you can add sets or pair exercises up as supersets to make them more challenging.
This program is for beginners, what or which exercises could change in this program to be intermediate or advanced?
Find challenges that you find to be challenging and switch them with easier exercises in the program.
Do you recommend doing all sets on one exercise before going onto the next? And you rest 45-90s between sets ?
Correct on both, Tina. Start with 90 seconds rest, and decrease by 5-10 seconds when you feel you're capable to.
Thank you for the awesome workouts and references on you site. After I have completed this 10week program, what do I do next?
thank you
Hello, Marrium. What are your main goals? I want to point you in the right direction.
I am about finished with the 10 weeks. What should you do when the 10 weeks are up? Should you do totally new workouts?
Thanks!
Hi, Tricia. After you take a week off (you deserve it), figure out what your next goals are, and then pick a workout accordingly. If you don't mind sharing what you would like to do after this program, I can help you choose one that would suit your future goals.
Hi Roger, is 4 times a week ideal? I thought you should keep 1 day of rest before targeting a muscle again. But if you workout 4 times that’s not possible. What days would you recommend to workout?
Hi, Amber. Since each muscle isn't doing a lot of work, then following a workout like this would be okay. Training two days in a row with one day off in between would work. So a sample workout split may look like this.
Day 1 - Workout 1
Day 2 - Workout 2
Day 3 - Off
Day 4 - Workout 3
Day 5 - Workout 4
Day 6 - Off
Day 7 - Either take this day off too or start over with Workout 1.
Hi! I don’t have a barbell at home, but I have a bench, lg. varying range of dumbbells, kettlebells, and various other equipment. Can I still do this workout or do you feel I should choose one which doesn’t require a barbell? I could purchase one with weight plates, but don’t trust it without a spotter. I can get someone to spot me if I do this at my gym but need to get more familiar with lifting first. Thank you!!!
Hi, Suzanne! Dumbbells and kettlebells would work. Once you feel more comfortable, add the barbell and plates to the home gym. In the meantime, the alternative versions will be fine to do.
Would you suggest adding any cardio into these? I absolutely hate cardio, but would you suggest doing it on a different day or adding it in during the workout?
Hi, Tara! You could add 20 minutes of cardio first thing in the morning or post-workout if you like. Also, I suggest signing up for the fat loss course at the top of the article. That info can benefit you as well.
So is this a 10 or a 12 week program?? The text of the article states 12 weeks and the workout summary states 10 weeks
Hi, Andria. Honestly, you can do it for ten or 12, but I believe the original plan was for this to be a 10 week program.
I’m a 43 year old female, been lifting heavy for 20 years, I want to build muscle, what rep/set range should be used in a 3/4 day programme and as you build strength do you aim for same rep range but with heavier weights? Thanks so much.
Hi, Caroline! For upper body, the rep range should be 8-12. For legs, go with a rep scheme of 12-15. Once you can get max reps with certain weight, then yes, go up. Hope this helps!
I am getting back into strength training after some time off. In workout 1, is any squat variation sufficient? The link takes me to the barbell back squat and I don't feel ready for it at this point. Thank you!
Hello and great question. If you're not comfortable with the barbell squat, use a machine version or do goblet squats with a dumbbell or kettlebell if you like. Hope this helps!
Can these exercises be altered for someone who has MS. So stability is an issue with some of these exercises. Thanks.
Hi, Mike. Replace any movement that is difficult with a machine or cable version. There are plenty of choices to consider in the Exercises section for you to consider. I also suggest talking to a physical therapist to get some expert advice specifically for MS.
Hello, do you do the same routine for 10 weeks ? Or do u need to sign up to receive updated routine schedule every few weeks ?
Same routine for all ten weeks, Gaby!
Hey!
I have been looking at starting either this work out or the split one. I have experience in the gym with lifting but have fallen off of a while so building strength again. Of course wanting to build strength and lower body but also lose fat for sure as currently overweight (knowing this stems from nutrition mostly). But Which do you think would be most ideal? I am used to split training but I can see why this would be good too so I’m torn.
Thank you
Hi, Christina. Go with this one until you feel like you're ready to jump back onto a split program. You will be pleased with the results if you're not used to full-body sessions.
Recommendations to adapt a full body routine to 2 days a week?
Hi, Cheryl. Do Workout 1 and 2 during one week, and 3 and 4 the next week.