Often in the gym, you see a clear division between men and women. However, dry training for women works no differently than for men. Men are often found in the weightlifting area, while women are often seen doing cardio workouts or attending group classes. Women often think that weightlifting will lead to large muscles, which is not what they want. That’s why you don’t see many women training with weights. But the combination of cardio training and weightlifting (along with the right nutrition) is very effective in achieving a nicely toned body.
Dry Training with Cardio and Weightlifting
In the gym, training methods can generally be divided into two main categories: cardio training or weightlifting. This combination yields the best results for women. Through cardio training, you improve overall fitness/endurance and (with moderate effort) ensure that your body uses fats as its primary source of fuel.
In addition to cardio training, you can also incorporate weightlifting to perform muscle-strengthening and enlarging exercises. During cardio training, you don’t build muscles, so weightlifting is essential to give your body more shape. Additionally, having more muscle mass increases your body’s energy expenditure. And no, you won’t suddenly turn into the Hulk. Men who are very muscular already put in a lot of effort by training very heavily 4 to 6 times a week and eating a lot. Women have a very different hormonal balance. Lower levels of testosterone mean they have much less growth potential than men. If a woman wants to become very muscular, she has to put in a tremendous amount of effort, and even then, it often turns out to be impossible (without the use of anabolic steroids). “Accidentally becoming too muscular” simply won’t happen.
Strength Training for Women
The way women perform strength training can differ from men because men are naturally stronger and produce more testosterone. Training schedules for women often include more repetitions. It is recommended to train with weights where you can perform just 12 to 15 repetitions before reaching muscle failure (the point where you can’t do another repetition).
Strength Training Schedule for Women
| Monday – Chest and Triceps | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chest Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 4 | 8, 8, 6, 6 |
| Incline Bench Press | 4 | 8, 8, 6, 6 |
| Cable Crossover | 4 | 8 |
| Triceps Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Close Grip Bench Press | 3 | 8 |
| Lying Triceps Extension | 3 | 8 |
| Pulldowns | 3 | 8 |
| Notes | ||
| Alternate dumbbell bench press with barbell bench press every other week, and incline bench press with incline dumbbell press. |
| Wednesday – Back and Biceps | ||
|---|---|---|
| Back Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Wide Grip Pull Up | 4 | 8 (slow) |
| Close Grip Pull Down | 4 | 8, 8, 6, 6 |
| Cable Row | 4 | 8 |
| Biceps Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Barbell Curl | 3 | 8, 8, 6 |
| Incline Bench Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 8 |
| Dumbbell Preacher Curl | 3 | 8 |
| Notes | ||
| If you’re done with wide grip pull-ups, do a final set with negative sets until you can’t do 8 repetitions anymore. If you can’t do pull-ups, replace them with lat pull-downs. |
| Friday – Legs and Shoulders | ||
|---|---|---|
| Leg Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Barbell squat | 4 | 8 |
| Stiff-legged deadlift | 3 | 8 |
| Leg Curl | 3 | 8, 8, 6 |
| Leg Extension | 3 | 8, 8, 6 |
| Standing calf raise | 4 | 15, 12, 10, 8 |
| Shoulders Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Military Press | 4 | 8, 8, 6, 6 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 8 |
| Bent-over Reverse Flyes | 3 | 8 |
| Notes | ||
Nutrition
In addition to doing cardio training, another essential part of getting leaner is: nutrition. Simply eating less is not enough. To ensure you look healthy and toned, you need to eat the right food. Many women consume too few proteins and healthy fats, and therefore, they look thin and lifeless. Make sure your nutrition is in order with our tips.
Proteins
Make sure you eat 100 grams of proteins per day. Proteins help you maintain muscles and aid muscle recovery. Many women underestimate how much protein they need per day, so it’s good to be mindful of this and adjust your diet accordingly.
