Gym workouts are always a highly effective method for weight loss and building a toned body. Therefore, many women looking to lose weight or strengthen their physique turn to this method. However, not everyone understands and knows how to effectively practice gym workouts for weight loss, as well as a gym schedule for women to increase muscle and reduce fat.
Why Should We Go to the Gym?
Nowadays, the increasing presence of gym facilities is due to the growing awareness of this form of exercise. From this, we can infer that gym training is a highly effective method for body development and is suitable for many people.
However, saying ‘gym workouts are very good’ without any evidence would be quite empty, wouldn’t it? You can see that in developed countries like the USA, UK, Japan, etc., students are introduced to the gym as a subject at school. Furthermore, gym exercises have been researched and proven to bring numerous benefits to humans, such as:
- Muscle development
- Effective and safe weight loss
- Making the skeletal system more flexible
- Mood improvement
- Infusing positive energy
- Strengthening the body’s immune system
- Improving cardiovascular health
- What are the clear goals of gym training?
- Set specific targets before starting to exercise.
- Arrange and build a gym schedule suitable for oneself.
- Choose the right time for exercise that suits oneself.
- Eat lightly about 60 minutes before starting a workout.
- It’s important to strictly perform warm-up exercises before gym training.
- Begin gym training with light, simple exercises, then gradually increase.
- Focus on exercising with the correct technique.
- Pay attention to breathing rhythm while exercising.
- Have appropriate rest times between exercises and training sessions.
- Train all muscle groups for a well-balanced body.
- Be serious and persistent in training.
- Learn to listen to your body more.
- Continuously increase training intensity and variety of exercises.
- Maintain a sensible diet.
- Ensure proper rest, especially focusing on sleep.
- Limit the use of alcoholic beverages and stimulants.
- Pay more attention to sleep.
- Eat a balanced diet, including plenty of vegetables and drinking lots of water.
- Avoid letting the body become fatigued.”
Gym Training Principles for Beginners
The effectiveness of gym workouts is undeniable! However, to successfully apply this method, in addition to serious training, it is also essential to understand the principles for gym-goers. Here are some key principles to keep in mind while training at the gym: Revealing effective gym workout techniques for women’s weight loss Gym workouts for women’s weight loss is a process of diligent training. It involves knowing the exercises that strongly impact the excess fat in the body. Below are some effective gym workouts for women’s weight loss that you should not overlook.
Perform exercises to reduce fat in the thighs and buttocks
The buttocks and thighs are two areas where a lot of excess fat can accumulate, making many women feel self-conscious and worried about their physique. The Squats exercise can effectively address this issue. This exercise is included in almost all home gym weight loss schedules for women, so you can perform Squats without needing to go to a gym. However, when doing Squats, keep your legs slightly bent and spread as wide as your shoulders. Also, make sure not to stand up straight at the knee joint throughout the process of standing up and sitting down. Squats not only help reduce excess fat in the thighs and buttocks but also help you achieve a rounder and more attractive backside.
Performing Exercises to Reduce Belly Fat
A fatty belly is a concern for most women, especially for mothers post-pregnancy. Achieving a ‘waspy waist’ with clearly defined abdominal muscles is a common aspiration among women. Regarding exercises for reducing excess fat in the abdominal area, there are many, and they are highly effective. Among them, the most notable is the abdominal crunch exercise.
You can perform abdominal crunches at home with surprisingly effective results. First, lie flat on the floor, stretch out your arms and legs, and then lift your shoulders off the floor. At the same time, you need to tighten your abdomen and slowly exhale over 1 – 3 seconds. During this time, ensure that your back remains in contact with the ground. For beginners, you can start with 5 – 10 crunches, rest a bit, and then continue.
With abdominal crunches, if you exercise with incorrect technique or overexert yourself, you will feel extremely uncomfortable, along with abdominal soreness and back pain. Therefore, it is important for beginners to gradually get accustomed to the exercise and pay attention to the correct technique.
In addition to this, women can also incorporate exercises for the shoulder and arm areas to achieve a more balanced physique. Slim arms and slender shoulders can make women look more attractive.
Reasons for Having a Gym Workout Schedule for Women
As mentioned earlier regarding the principles of gym workouts for weight loss in women, constructing a suitable workout schedule is extremely essential. Here, we will analyze the importance of a workout schedule in the process of home weight loss for women.
An effective and scientific workout schedule will help you achieve high efficiency in your gym workouts for women’s weight loss. Additionally, following this schedule can also provide you with the motivation to exercise. It also helps in developing a good habit for the body in its desire to engage in regular workouts.
However, when creating a weight loss gym schedule for women, it’s important to consider rest periods. It’s advisable to have 1 – 2 rest days per week to recover and train more effectively on subsequent days.
Additionally, in a single workout session, you can target 2-3 muscle groups. For example, if day one is focused on arms and abs, then day two can be for thighs and buttocks. This approach keeps the routine interesting and reduces physical stress on the body.
How to Create a Gym Schedule for Women
Previously, we discussed the importance and some considerations when creating a weight loss gym schedule for women. Now, let’s explore how to create a gym schedule for women.
Firstly, to effectively plan a workout schedule, you need to understand the different muscle groups of the body. This knowledge helps in scientifically and effectively developing the physique. Understanding these muscle groups enables you to evenly distribute exercises and maintain a rhythm in your workouts, leading to a well-proportioned body. The body’s muscle groups include: neck muscles, shoulder muscles, anterior arm muscles (including biceps and brachialis), posterior arm muscles (triceps, forearm muscles), back muscles, chest muscles, abdominal muscles, buttocks muscles, anterior thigh muscles (quadriceps), posterior thigh muscles, and calf muscles
In addition to fat-reducing and muscle-building exercises, it’s important to incorporate Cardio exercises into your routine. These exercises help to warm up your body and can be used as a pre-workout warm-up. Cardio exercises can also be performed in the morning as a form of physical activity to start your day with energy.
Along with this, Compound exercises are also essential in a gym workout for women’s weight loss. These exercises directly engage multiple muscle groups and joints of the body. Compound exercises are effective in reducing excess fat and building muscle, helping you achieve a well-proportioned physique more quickly.
Focusing on abdominal workouts three times a week is key to achieving effective results in a women’s weight loss gym routine. Additionally, with these three sessions, you will quickly eliminate excess belly fat, achieving a wasp waist and a flat stomach more rapidly.
Weight Loss Gym Schedule for Women
If you find it challenging to create an effective weight loss gym schedule based on the above information, here’s an alternative solution. Below is a sample effective gym workout schedule for women that you can refer to and apply.
Day 1 (Monday): Arm, Leg, and Abdominal Exercises
Exercise 1: Warm-up
It’s crucial not to skip the warm-up before your workouts to reduce the risk of injury during exercise.
Exercise 2: Standing Palms-In Dumbbell Press
Start by standing straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells with palms facing each other. Keep the dumbbells at shoulder height, with elbows at a right angle. Then, exhale and slowly raise your arms until they are perpendicular to the floor. Finally, inhale and lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
This exercise directly targets the shoulders and triceps. You can perform 15-20 repetitions per set and opt to sit instead of stand while doing this exercise.
Exercise 3: Front Two-Dumbbell Raise
Exercise 3: Front Two-Dumbbell Raise
Begin by standing straight, legs straight, looking forward, with a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs. Then, raise the dumbbells so that your arms are parallel to the floor, ensuring that your arms remain straight. Finally, inhale and lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
This exercise should be performed for at least 2 sets, with each set comprising 12-15 repetitions. However, if you are not accustomed, you can perform the exercise with one arm at a time instead of both simultaneously.
Exercise 4: Power Partials (Dumbbell Lateral Raise)
Start by standing straight with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing inward, and looking straight ahead. Slowly raise both arms to the sides until they are parallel with the floor, pause for a moment while exhaling, then inhale and slowly lower your arms back to the starting position.
This exercise should also be done for 2 sets of 12 – 15 repetitions each.
Exercise 5: Leg Extension
Sit on the leg extension machine, placing your legs under the pad, back against the seat, and grip the side handles. Then exhale and lift your legs straight forward, holding for a moment at the highest position. Finally, inhale and slowly lower your legs to the starting position.
This exercise targets the front thigh muscles. Perform 2 sets of 12-30 repetitions, and consider using weights ranging from 10-15kg.
Exercise 6: Leg Press
First, adjust the machine to an incline of 30 – 45 degrees. Place your feet in a medium position suitable for you on the machine, unlock the safety, and push your legs forward while exhaling. Then, slowly retract your legs while inhaling.
This exercise targets the front thighs. Perform 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions each, and never fully extend your legs; lower them as much as possible when retracting.
Exercise 7: Lying Leg Curls
Start by lying face down on the machine, placing your lower legs under the pad and gripping the handles. Then exhale and curl your legs up, holding for a second. Finally, inhale and lower your legs back to the starting position.
This exercise engages the rear thigh muscles. Perform 2 sets of 12-20 repetitions each.
Exercise 8: Seated Calf Raise
Sit on the calf raise machine, placing the balls of your feet on the pad and your thighs under the cushion. Hold onto the lever to prevent it from sliding forward. Then exhale and raise your heels as high as possible. Slowly lower your heels down as far as possible while inhaling.
This exercise targets your calf muscles. Perform 2 sets of 12-20 repetitions each.
Exercise 9: Abdominal Exercises
Regarding abdominal exercises, you can follow the principle of targeting lower – middle, upper abdominals, and oblique muscles. Alternatively, choose abdominal exercises that suit your preferences. A tip: don’t skip crunches. For each abdominal exercise, you should aim for at least 3 sets, with the number of repetitions depending on your capability.
Day 2 (Tuesday): Chest, Arm, and Abdominal Workouts
Exercise 1: Warm-up
On the day focused on chest, arm, and abdominal muscles, ensure to warm up thoroughly, focusing on the muscle groups involved in the workout.
Exercise 2: Incline Dumbbell Flyes
Begin with dumbbells in each hand while sitting on an incline bench set at about a 30-degree angle. Open your arms to the sides with slightly bent elbows. Inhale and slowly expand your arms to the sides. Then exhale and bring your arms back to the starting position.
Perform this exercise for 2 sets of 15-20 repetitions each.
Exercise 3: Incline Dumbbell Press
Exercise 4: Butterfly
First, sit at the butterfly machine with your arms parallel to the floor and feet flat on the ground. Exhale and slowly bring your arms together, holding for a second at the closest position. Finally, return to the starting position while inhaling.
You should aim to perform this exercise for 2 sets, each consisting of 15-20 repetitions.
Exercise 5: Barbell Curl
Start by standing straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell with palms facing forward. Exhale and curl the barbell towards your chest until it’s at shoulder level, pausing for a moment. Inhale and slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
Perform this exercise for 2 sets of 15-20 repetitions each. Focus on lifting only your forearms, keeping your upper arms pressed against your body.
Exercise 6: Alternate Hammer Curl
Exercise 6: Alternate Hammer Curl
Begin with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other, and elbows close to your body. Exhale and curl one arm up to your chest. Inhale and lower the arm back to the starting position. Then, do the same with the other arm, alternating between arms. Additionally, you can perform this exercise with both arms simultaneously.
Exercise 7: Abdominal Workouts
Continue with the same abdominal exercises as on Day 1 (Monday).
Day 3 (Wednesday): Rest Day
After three days of activity, your body likely feels exhausted. Therefore, on Day 4 (Wednesday), it’s important to give your body a rest and avoid any strenuous exercise.
Day 5 (Thursday): Shoulder and Leg Workouts
Exercise 1: Warm-up
As with other days, start your workout session with a body warm-up.
Exercise 2: Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and sit on a flat bench. Place the dumbbells on your thighs, then use your thigh muscles to lift them to shoulder level, palms facing forward. Exhale and press the dumbbells straight up until they nearly touch at the top, pausing for a second. Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back to shoulder level.
Perform this exercise for 2 sets of 15-20 repetitions each.
Exercise 3: Dumbbell One-Arm Upright Row
Exercise 3: Dumbbell One-Arm Upright Row
Start with a dumbbell in one hand, arm straight, and the other hand resting on your hip. Use your shoulder to lift the dumbbell up close to your body, stopping when it reaches chin height, and hold for a second. Remember to exhale as you lift the dumbbell. Then, inhale and slowly lower it back to the starting position.
Perform this exercise for 2 sets of 15-20 repetitions each. You can do this exercise with both arms simultaneously and remember to perform the movement slowly.
Exercise 4: Treadmill Running
End today’s session with a light treadmill run. Maintain a steady pace throughout this exercise.
Day 6 (Friday): Chest, Arm, and Abdominal Workouts
Exercise 1: Warm-up
Begin the session with a warm-up routine.
Exercise 2: Dumbbell Flyes
This exercise is similar to the one performed on Day 2 (Tuesday), but it is done on a flat bench instead of an incline bench.
Exercise 3: Incline Dumbbell Press
This exercise is similar to the one performed on Day 2 (Tuesday) but performed on a flat bench instead of an incline bench.
Exercise 4: Cable Crossover
Exercise 4: Cable Crossover
Begin by standing between the two cable machine handles, arms extended at shoulder width, and elbows slightly bent, with your back turned. Hold the handles, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, one foot forward, the other back. Slightly lean forward with your arms holding the cables in front of your face. Inhale and open your arms to the sides until you feel a stretch in your chest, holding this position for a second. Ensure your elbows remain slightly bent. Exhale and bring your arms forward to the starting position.
Exercise 5: Straight-Arm Dumbbell Pullover
Lie on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor, holding a dumbbell on your thighs. Then, inhale and slowly lift the dumbbell over your head until your chest stretches. Exhale and bring the dumbbell back to the starting position above your chest. This exercise has many variations, including doing it on a bench, ball, or with an arched back. Perform 1-2 sets of 15-20 repetitions each.
Exercise 6: Arm Exercises
Perform arm exercises similar to those done on Day 2 (Tuesday).
Exercise 7: Abdominal Workouts
Do abdominal exercises similar to those done on Days 1 and 2.
Day 7 (Saturday) and Sunday: Rest Days
Take these days for rest and recovery.
During the weekend, it’s recommended to let your body rest or engage in light activities like jogging or swimming for relaxation.
Why Weight Loss is More Challenging for Women Than Men
Typically, it’s observable that within the same nutritional and workout regimes, men tend to lose weight faster than women. This difference is primarily due to the fact that men generally have more muscle mass compared to women. As a result, men burn calories at a more rapid rate. This higher calorie-burning capacity enables men to lose weight quicker than women.
Additionally, hormonal differences are a key factor in why women tend to lose weight more slowly than men. In men’s bodies, there is a higher concentration of testosterone and lower levels of estrogen, whereas women have the opposite hormonal balance. The higher levels of estrogen compared to testosterone in women make the weight loss process more challenging.
Moreover, the hormone ghrelin, which is present in higher levels in women, can increase the sensation of hunger after exercising. This effect is typically less pronounced in men, who do not experience this hormonal fluctuation as significantly.
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