Women's Weight Training

[GETMETOCA]

I found this website recently, in my quest for a better base of knowledge for a beginner weight training program to compliment the cardio I've been doing.

http://www.stumptuous.com/weights.html

This website is PACKED full of information on plenty of stuff and I thought it was worthy of sharing. What are your workout routines?

My goal was to get REGULAR about my routines. In December, I regorganized my home office to make it more workout friendly and had a 19" color TV mounted to the wall (like at the gym!). I had nonessential furniture removed/donated to make room for an incline bench and a set of light dumbells. I put up a 3'X4' Dry Erase board with my workout routine to remind me what I'm supposed to do on each day of the week.

I have a regular routine that I am not real regular about completing, but this is the plan:

Cardio 30 mins on Elliptical with some High Intensity 5X/week.

Upper Body:
2X/Week - 2 Sets X 12-15 Reps
Dumbell Bench Press
Standing Dumbell Press
Side Raises
Hammer Curls
One Arm Dumbell Row
Dumbell Kickbacks
Abs

Lower Body
2X/Week - 2 sets X 12-15 Reps
Dumbell Squats
Hip Extentions
Angled Calf Raise
Straight Leg Deadlift
Abs

I also try to supplement this routine during the work day by walking up 6 flights of stairs at least once a day. Unfortunately, I have never succeeded in completing the entire week of workout. Normally I will get in 3-4 days of the cardio and about 1/3 of the weight stuff, depending on my time frame in the morning. I hate working out in the evening so I never do.

On the website I posted, there's a workout routine called "All Dumbells, All the Time" which I really like.

Well, then there's diet and nutrition, but that's a whole nutha' topic ;)

Anyone want to share their routine?

 

[MXGirl230]

I usually hit the gym 5x a week. Start out w/20min on either the Elliptical or Stationary Bike. It kind of depends on how my knee feels. Then I do the whole circuit training deal. Doing upper body first usually 10-15 reps 3x. I wait about 1-2min. between sets. Then move onto legs, same thing 10-15 reps 3x. After completing the circuit I do curls w/the free weights 20 reps 2x. Sometimes depending on how my knee feels I'll end with another 20min. on the elliptical or bike. At home I hit the weight bench a couple of times a week.

 

[Kimmylion]

I just dusted my treadmill off since the whole holiday season. I'm trying to get the whole mind set back. I was doing cardio every other day and free weights the other. Abs every day. My riding pants were feeling much too snug this last week and I decided I had to get back on it. We have 4 good months to get back in shape!! BTW Natalie....did you know its a good thing to have coffee before your workout?!? Swear! I've read it more than a few times.

Kim

 

[GETMETOCA]

Natalie....did you know its a good thing to have coffee before your workout?!? Swear! I've read it more than a few times.

That would be a good thing ;) I go through a case of Starbucks Regular Grind a month, and that's not counting what I drink at work. Hey, they don't call me "GetMocha" around here for nothing!

MXGirl230 - you are DEDICATED!!! :cool:

 

[MXGirl230]

MXGirl230 - you are DEDICATED!!! :cool:

I was doing great up until two months ago. I had 3 sinus infections in a row. I'm just now feeling well enough to get back on my routine.

 

[mudmaiden]

nat, You have got it organized!! I was wondering if you have some good tunes going in that weight room? Any good motivation pic's, like really great dirt biken photos, or scantily clad guys..opps did i say that?!!? On the serious side, its funny, i just got in the mode to get serious about my workouts too. So, I joined a gym, it feels great to work the body out again!!!Everything feels so much better when i am working out regularly. I find as i am older, I have to adjust my routein. To be alittle more careful, as it seems alittle easier to hurt myself. I still work out hard, but spend more time, actually heating up before my workout, and then really streching out when finished.

 

[bbbom]

Your routine sounds good Natalie. You could look at adding in some superman's or hyperextensions for lower back (they target the lower back more than the stiff legged deadlifts) to your routine.

It is great to see the women doing strength training - it helps your riding so much and really helps prevent injury!

I workout at lunch at my office, doing a weight circuit 3 times a week and cardio for 40 minutes to an hour on the other two days. I do 20 minutes of cardio for a warmup on my circuit days (depending on what I have to read and how quick I get warmed up since the workout room is about 60 degrees). I like to get a nice 20 minute cardio done in the morning before work when I'm feeling good and a snowmobile trip after work when possible (i.e. we have snow like now finally).

My circuit program consists of doing 15 - 20 reps of each lift with 15 seconds or less (just enough to catch my breath) between each excersize:

Clean & jerk
Overhead press
Step up (with dumbells step up onto a weight bench then down)
One arm row
Squat
Flat bench press
Standing bicep curl
Crunches
Tricep extension
Hyperextension

This routine is a killer! I'm dead when I'm done and I love that feeling!

I haven't done anything since December 25th except walk about 400 miles at amusement parks because we were on vacation then back to work and I was buried and then I got a bad head cold! Yesterday I felt well enough to tackle the fresh powder on my snowmobile but I'm taking it easy for two more days then back to the gym!!!!

I'll be back to my circuit training this week then next week I'm going to start a new 2 week strength building program.