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!
291 Comments
Hi,
Is there a recommended meal plan to go with this workout for someone that is in their late 30s looking to lose weight and gain muscle? or can you point me in a direction where I can find a meal plan?
Thanks,
Hi Ree, we don't do many specific meal plans, but we do have guides. Since you mentioned both fat loss and muscle gain, I would suggest focusing on fat loss first, and this link could help.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/expert-guides/fat-loss
Is this acceptable for over 50 woman? I avoid cables and do mods for stepups and lunges (my balance/coordination is off).
Hi Tiffany, I believe it could serve you as long as you're careful and use those modifications. If you try it and have questions along the way, come on back. We'll help as best as we can!
Hi, I’m looking for full body work out routines with the least amount of exercises but maximum muscle workouts. I have approx. 30mins a day for the gym, approx 3x a week.
What can you recommend?
Thank you
We might have something for you here!
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-choose-your-next-train...
Hi, do you have a workout and diet plan that is more relevant to women in their 30s who have hormonal issues like Thyroid and want to lose fat?
Hi Nistha. We don't have anything that specific, but we do have a fat loss program for women over 40 coming soon that addresses some of these issues. When it comes to thyroid matters, we defer to your physician because of the matters around the medication you take.
how often should i be trying to use a heavier weight?
Hey BJ, once you can do two reps over the reps listed, go heavier.
hi. it says this should be 60-90 mins. it takes me about 25 minutes to complete. what am i doing wrong? thankyou.
Hey BJ, how long are you resting between sets?
I understand that. Recent research has shown that rest periods of 2 minutes can make for more productive sessions. It would also extend the workout.
i guess around 45 seconds. i normally do a set thrn walk one lap of the gym and then go another set. it’s a small gym.
Hello,
I tried in the past your 8 week program that is split into push pull and legs. Unfortunately I am a doctor and I can‘t make it to the gym regulary so it ended up doing 1 leg workout and 1 push or pull per week . Should I try the full body workout instead? My body fat is 35% and my height is 172 . I want to lose fat and have a toned body . Thank you
Hi Yara, full-body may be best for your work situation. I would say make that switch and see how it goes. As long as you're able to train consistently and the nutrition supports the goals, it should help you. Thanks for reading M&S!
Hi there ,
I've been following this program for about three months now, and it's helped me build my glutes. Now I want to improve further. I want a toned back, defined muscles, and firm thighs. I have a problem: I have a protruding lower abdomen due to hormonal issues and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Do you recommend I continue with this regimen or try a more intensive one?
Hi Tiba, for now I would suggest sticking with this one. There are other ways to keep this workout productive such as changing exercise order, swapping training days, or even changing up the reps scheme. I would then suggest talking to your doctor to determine whether you could try anything more intense than this or now. I hope this helps, and thank you for reading M&S!
Hi there. I love this routine, but I usually do three days in the gym, two days running, and one rest day. What effect would stretching out the routine have if any? For example, I do workout 1, 2, and 3 on MWF. The next week, I do, 4, 1, and 2 on MWF. The following week 3, 4, 1. And so on. Does that make sense? I’m not looking to get bigger, but will that change affect strength gains or anything else?
Hi, Diana. Thank you for reading M&S! I think you have a great strategy here. If I was your trainer, I'd tell you to keep this in place as long as you're still seeing results. As long as you're pushing yourself to improve by as little as five pounds or one rep more than last time, I say run with this as long as you can!
What to do on rest days?
Hi Ana, you can do active recovery or cardio as a standalone activity. You could also rest on at least one rest day. Hope this helps!
Hi Roger ,
I exercise five days a week. My goal is to lose weight and tone my body, so I do resistance training every day with half an hour of cardio. My weight is 75 kg and my height is 156 cm. I like this program. How can I divide the program over the days of the week so that I can take a rest between two or three days of exercise?
Hi Tiba, thanks for being here on M&S!
Here is how I would do it using a traditional seven day schedule.
Monday - Workout 1
Tuesday - Workout 2
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - Workout 3
Friday - Workout 4
Saturday and Sunday - Off
I hope this helps!
What modifications would you recommend for the three core exercises in workout three for someone with diastasis recti?
Hi Rachael, this is a question for your doctor. I will leave this up for others that may want to share their own experience if they like, though.
Why is this considered a beginner workout?
Hi Liz, the author believed that beginners would be capable of doing this program. Intermediate and advanced level athletes can certainly do it as well.
I hope this helps!
I've wanted to start building significant muscle. I have a connective tissue disorder that makes it difficult, as my joints suffer from repetition of movement. This workout set has been wonderful! I have done 6 weeks so far. I get stronger every workout and have needed to increase weight at each workout each week and I didn't start out light. I can't believe how full body effective this workout is! I specifically searched for a full body workout in as few exercise as possible to limit my joint repetitions. This works all of my muscles and differentiates them a little reach time. I have had NO joint problems! I love it!
Hi Paula, we are thrilled that you found something that is working and that you enjoy. So glad you are here with us on M&S. Please keep us updated on your progress. You can inspire many people through your experience!
I have a question about this program. In the header below the picture, it says this is a 12 week workout. But in the workout summary, it says it is 10 weeks. Would you please clarify this for me? Thanks.
Hi Angie, I believe this is a 12-week program. I will make that note to my editor. Thanks for pointing this out.
Does cardio need to be done along with these workouts?
If fat loss is your goal, then cardio would increase the chances of success for sure. It is also good to do just for better cardiovascular health. If you choose to add it in, then 20-30 minute sessions either separate from training or after training would work.
This workout is A+++ it transformed my body in 8 weeks! Stay consistent you’ll learn to love it
We are glad it helped you and appreciate the awesome feedback, Simona! Thanks and congrats on the progress you made.
I can only go to the Gym once a week, is there workouts substitutions I can use for the machines the rest of the week? I know just working out once a week isn't enough and I do Taekwondo 2 days a week as well.
Hi Mariana, if it was me in this position, I would simply do one of these workouts each week. So Workout 1 on the first week, then Workout 2 the following week, and so on. Now, if you need substitutions because you don't have access to the machines, let me know and we can try to find some subs to swap in.
Hello, Looking forward to jumping into this program. I’m a 46 year old female in decent shape. I lift, run, and do yoga. For the last couple years I’ve focused largely on barbells and kettlebells at my home gym. With a break from an intense job I’m returning to the gym and getting reacquainted with machines and other gym-specific equipment. My questions is whether you have guidance on choosing weights and how to progress on weight over the course of the program.
Hi JB! Thanks for the question and for reading M&S. We hope this program serves you well.
The way I suggest helping gauge weight is starting with a weight that you would bet money you could work with successfully. Once you feel that weight, you can gauge how strong you may be for future sets. The goal is to be within 1-2 reps of failure by the end of the last working set. It will likely take the first workout you do to determine those numbes, but once you do, you can start there moving forward. Once you can do two reps more than what is listed, go up in weight. You can use the same weight for all sets or start lighter and work up each working set. That is up to you. As long as you reach failure by the last working set, you are good to go.
Hope this helps!
I've just finish the program... loved it, cant believe how fast the the weeks went by so fast, by the end i had improved my assisted lift up, Never that I'd been able to do them.. thank you so much
Can you let me which workout i should do to for toning up
Hi Sorcha, glad it has helped you, and we appreciate you reading M&S!
We have several programs here based on goals and scheduling. If you don't find one at this link, let me know what you are looking for, and I will try to help.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-choose-your-next-train...
Hello, I am a 28 y old female, i have just finished the 3 Days full body workout and i would like to go for this one now, i am definitly feeling more stronger with the last program taking into consideration that it challenged me to do higher reps, however i am still on the fat loss stage and i need a program to help with fat loss and toning my arms, can i add more arms sets to that if my goal is more upper body toning? also shoul i practice cardio after or before the session and for how long you think is enough? thank you very much for your support
Hi Asma,
I think you could add a couple of bicep and tricep exercises to this. If you have favorites that work for you, feel free to add them in.
Cardio after weights. Always after if you can't do it during a separate session.
Hi
I am 54 years old female which is considered herself at advanced level of weight training i m doing weight training since last 11 years I had great physique.
Three years back I had met a accident and after surgery I gained lot of weight.
Now I m fine and restart my workout .
I am beginning to overthink which workout would be best suited for me. I am hoping you can help me by giving me some advice.
My goal is to have more muscle definition in my arms.
I've had thicker arms and would like to tone them down, Flat tummy and loose fat.
I do one hour morning walk before going to gym and after weight training I do some yoga pose. I can't perform hiit due to breathing issue.
My question is, should I do a full body strength training workout or should I do a Upper lower split workout?
Please suggest me a strength training workout that will fit those desires. Thank you!
Hi Priti, glad you are able to get back to training!
I think this one is a great one to start with for around eight weeks. Then, you could switch it up to a upper/lower split. The one I am sharing here is a good one that should be aligned with your goals.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/upper-lower-4-day-gym-bodybui...
Best of luck and keep us posted along the way.
Hi Roger,I am very grateful that you replied to my email. Thank you very much.
I have read the entire workout plan and understood most of the points except the negative ones.
I also saw the link but nothing was clear(littledifficulttounderstand). I would be happy if you could guide me on this point.
I am telling you my progress after following this program for 8 weeks.
Regards
My pleasure.
The negatives only means you take three seconds to lower the weight after you lift it. So, using a curl for an example, you curl the weight up as you normally would. Then you count "one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three" as you lower the weight back down. That is a negative portion of a rep.
When you start the next workout, we can help you along the way if you need it.
Thanks rogar, your way of explaining is very commendable, now I understand it.
Once I finish this workout plan and I would like to take your guidance again.
Regards
Is it ok to do the exercises as supersets?
For example, the first to exercises:
Goblet Squat - 12 reps
Deadlift - 12 reps
Rest 1 min
Goblet squat - 12 reps
Deadlift - 12 reps
Rest 1 min
Goblet squat - 12 reps
Deadlift - 12 reps
?
Thanks!