12 Week Weight Training Program for Women

DMOOSE

Personal Trainer and Fitness Expert Mon, Apr 11, 22

Written by Daniel Murphy on Apr 11, 2022

12 Week Weight Training Program for Women

You’ve probably tried all the crash diets and spinning classes of cardio. Still, all you have achieved is a disappointment. If your weighing scale is still not moving, it’s time to build onto something bigger. We are talking about weight training here! If you want to build strength, muscles, and confidence, this is the answer!

We understand that weight training programs can be pretty frustrating for women. However, it’s not the weight that you should blame; the culprit is the false information circulating on the internet. Misinformation and wrong expectations related to weight training keep most women on the wrong and rather confusing path of fitness.

A general perception among the majority is that lifting weights will turn women into hulk. Huge muscles and a bulky body is the quivering image that we create in our minds when we imagine women picking up weights. Well, that is certainly not what most women want! We all want to hit the gym as women, but we also want our figure to stay petite.

This is why most of us remain restricted to tiny dumbbells and cardio. Because of this fear, we don’t even think beyond the traditional exercises associated with women’s gym routine.

First, we must understand that it is not physiologically possible for women to pile up those muscles like men. This is because women have a very low level of testosterone (a male hormone); 30 ng/dl compared to 675 ng/dl in men. This hormone supports the growth of muscles. Hence, proving that women cannot develop beefy bodies like men.

So, ladies, start lifting because nothing will make you bulk.

Starting the 12-Week Training Program

The strength training program for women promotes sustainable health and fitness goals. The main objective of this program is to upscale the level of your fitness. It aims to help you move from the current point to a leaner, stronger, and healthier body. Research suggests that resistance training programs can mitigate the risks of cardiovascular diseases, prevent injury, and improve athletic performance.

The Fit Mother Project shared a video explaining how lifting weights can help you get a more toned body and lose fat in stubborn areas. You can build more muscle mass which results in increased metabolism. Because you’re burning more calories during the day, you can eat more food too. With so much happening with your body, you’re guaranteed to feel better!

The schedule of this program is diligently designed to target your lower body three times a week, focusing mainly on the glutes. The upper body is targeted twice a week, focusing on the arm muscles.

With all that power, a confidence boost is complimentary!

FITNESS FOR EVERYONE

Join our exclusive Facebook Community!

DMoose community is the place for all your fitness needs. We aim to give you the best tips in health, fitness, and wellness to live a healthy and balanced life.

Your privacyis important to us

Workout Schedule

Monday - Legs & Glutes
Tuesday - Back & Arms
Wednesday - Legs & Glutes
Thursday - Chest & Shoulders
Friday - Legs & Arms
Saturday - off
Sunday - off

You can perform cardio during the five days as an optional exercise as well.

Monday - Legs & Glutes

For the first day, focus on your legs with squats, dumbbell lunges, and dumbbell step-ups. A study showed that squats could result in greater activation of muscles. This makes the variation of squats a staple exercise in this weekly workout plan for women.

These three exercises target quads to help you achieve lean muscles. You will need barbells and dumbbells to perform these exercises. If you want to lose weight, pair this routine with supplements. Whey protein isolate is an ideal supplement to take. DMoose offers premium whey protein isolate. Fitness enthusiasts love it for its fat-burning quality and taste.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell Squat	3-4	6-12
Dumbbell Lunge	2-3	12-15
Dumbbell Step Up	2-3	12-15
Barbell Hip Thrust	3	6-12
Glute Cable Kickback	2-3	12-15

Whey Protein Isolate

Whey protein contains a number of essential amino acid building blocks that are used for new...

SHOP NOW

Tuesday - Back & Arms

The first three exercises for this female workout plan focus on back muscle growth. These include pulldowns, one arm dumbbell row, and seated cable row. The next four exercises focus on the arms.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Pull Downs	3-4	6-12
One Arm Dumbbell Row	2-3	12-15
Seated Cable Row	2-3	12-15
Dumbbell Curl	3	12
Tricep Overhead Extension	3	12
Cable Curl	3	15
Cable Pressdown	3	15

Wednesday - Legs & Glutes

Goblet squat, Romanian deadlift, and dumbbell stiff leg deadlift make for the third day for the workout routine for women. These three exercises focus on the legs. You can combine this exercise with a fat burner for healthy weight management. The next two exercises of the weightlifting routine for women are for the glutes.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Goblet Squat	3-4	6-12
Romanian Deadlift	2-3	12-15
Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift	2-3	12-15
Smith Machine Sumo Squats (Glute Focus)	3	6-12
Glute Kick Back	3	15

Fat Burner

The clinically researched belly fat burner pill has been specifically designed to ensure hea...

SHOP NOW

Thursday - Chest & Shoulders

Day 4 focuses on chest and shoulders making up for the best weightlifting routine for women. Here are the first three exercises for your upper body. The next two exercises are a staple part of the lifting program for women. These exercises focus on the shoulders.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Dumbbell Bench Press	3-4	6-12
Incline Dumbbell Press	2-3	12-15
Machine Chest Fly	2-3	12-15
Seated Dumbbell Press	3-4	6-12
Lateral Raise	2-3	12-15

Friday - Legs & Arms

The last day of the female workout plan begins with the first three exercises focusing on the legs and arms. The next two exercises of the strength training program for women target the arms.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Deadlifts	3-4	6-12
Good Mornings	2-3	12-15
Leg Extensions	2-3	12-15
Incline Dumbbell Curl	3	12
Incline Skullcrusher	3	12

Conclusion

Strength training is vital for women. It doesn’t only give them a curvy body but also a stronger body. The 12-week training program is the ideal option to go by. The program focuses on legs and glutes on Mondays and Wednesdays. Back and arms on Tuesdays, chest, and shoulders on Thursdays, and legs and arms on Fridays.

With various bodyweight exercises like dumbbell curls, Romanian deadlift, leg extensions, etc., you’d be able to achieve your goals of a toned body and lesser weight easily. Combining the exercises with supplements like whey protein and the fat burner will improve the workout quality. However, to see the results, you need to stay committed. Once you learn to stay consistent, achieving your goals will no longer seem frustrating!

Article Sources

van Anders, Sari M., et al. “Effects of Gendered Behavior on Testosterone in Women and Men.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 112, no. 45, Nov. 2015, pp. 13805–10. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1509591112.
Griggs, R. C., et al. “Effect of Testosterone on Muscle Mass and Muscle Protein Synthesis.” Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md.: 1985), vol. 66, no. 1, Jan. 1989, pp. 498–503. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1989.66.1.498.
Schroeder, Elizabeth C., et al. “Comparative Effectiveness of Aerobic, Resistance, and Combined Training on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” PLoS ONE, vol. 14, no. 1, Jan. 2019, p. e0210292. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210292.
van den Tillaar, Roland, and Atle Hole Saeterbakken. “Comparison of Core Muscle Activation between a Prone Bridge and 6-RM Back Squats.” Journal of Human Kinetics, vol. 62, June 2018, pp. 43–53. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2017-0176.
Indian Journals. http://www.indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijor:ijpot&volume=7&issue=2&article=045. Accessed 26 Dec. 2021.

DMOOSE NEWSLETTER

Healthier and Happier Life is One Step Away.

Get information on health, fitness and wellness with our weekly newsletter.

Your privacyis important to us

Write For Us

Think you've got a fresh perspective that will challenge our readers to become better version of themselves? We're always looking for authors who can deliver quality articles and blog posts. Thousands of your peers will read your work, and you will level up in the process.

Contribute to our blog