10-Week Home Workout Routine For Women

Most workout routines for women involve weightlifting. This program focuses mainly on bodyweight exercises. Basically these are exercises you can do at home, without weights or any equipment. This workout routine is even convenient for early morning workouts.

Before we go further I would like to ask you a question. Why is it that only few people have success with workout programs but many fail?

Read on and I’ll tell you why. I will also tell you how you can have guaranteed success in this workout program or any other.

This program is designed for women with any level of fitness. Whether you have been overweight for a decade or you exercise regularly, you will see results from this routine.

I know that most women starting out training don’t know exactly what to do. Therefore those who can’t go to the gym or afford to hire a personal trainer only focus on cardio. But cardio isn’t the most effective way to burn fat and increase lean mass.

Whether you want to build lean mass or lose body fat, bodyweight training will give you that. But it’s important to manage your expectations. If you have been overweight for many years don’t expect everything to change in just ten weeks. Successful weight loss takes time and hard work. I’m telling you this because you should be mentally prepared. Starting off with very high expectations can make you give up quickly.

For someone who hasn’t exercised for a while, expect muscle soreness. This might happen in the first few weeks then after that the soreness will be minimal. So take it easy for first 2-3 week. Exercise at low intensity and practice proper form.

Form and safety are very important; make sure you do each exercise properly. Then perform the exercises at high intensity after you have mastered form.

With time you will get used to the exercises and they’ll become simple. In that case do more complex variations of that exercise. For example if can easily do ten pushups switch up to close grip pushups or inclined pushups.

Follow this routine throughout and do the exercises you are supposed to do. Don’t do simpler exercises which aren’t in the routine and consider it part of the workout.

Don’t worry about being muscular. For a woman to be muscular it takes years of intense training and sometimes injections. And building muscles when on a calorie deficit is not easy as well.

By the end of the program you will be able to do various exercises. Use your experience and knowledge to build your own workout routine.

Keep in mind that your diet will greatly determine your results. Nutrition is what primarily determines weight loss. You may do all the workouts in the world but if there’s no proper nutrition you will fail! To see results you need to eat the right number of calories and healthy foods.

Here is the answer to my earlier question “Why is it that only few people have success with workout programs but many fail?” The reason is lack of INTENTION and FOCUS. Most people don’t start workout routines with the intention of finishing them. If you are already on a program but still looking out for new programs and celebrity workouts, trust me you will FAIL!

If you want success in this program you will have to focus on it to the end. Stop searching for other programs and just do it. Jumping from one routine to another has never worked for anyone.

Forget any other program even if you hear it works miracles. Stick to one routine and you will be a success story.

You also have to plan and make time for your workouts. Write down the days you will be working out and the exact time for the workout. Don’t plan for morning workouts if you sleep at midnight have to get to work by 8. Make a realistic timetable for your workouts and follow it.

First we are going to discuss every exercise in the routine and the muscles it works.

 

Push-ups

We all know what a pushup is. But not everybody can do it properly.

This exercise is great for improving core strength and overall upper body strength. A single push up works almost all the upper body muscles. Pushups work a variety of muscles including triceps, chest, arms, shoulders, back and neck.

They are also great for improving body posture.

It’s also necessary to learn different variations. You can use these variations to target different muscle groups.

Lack of equipment or gym membership shouldn’t be an excuse not to work your upper body.

Learn proper form.

 

Seated Dips

Another great exercise for the upper body. You can do seated dips at home using a bench or a chair.

Dips mainly work the triceps but also train other muscles like the shoulders, arms and chest. If you want defined arms this is one exercise you can’t ignore.

But it’s not the best exercise for someone with shoulder or wrist complications.

Learn proper form

 

Crunches

This may not be your favorite exercise but you should do it. While it won’t get rid of belly fat, it will strengthen your core and tighten your belly.

To get a flat belly or toned abs you’ll need to do more than just crunches. Full body workouts are the best for reducing body fat percentage.

Learn proper form

Planks

When you hear planks you may only think ab muscles. But planks do more than just tighten your belly; they work the lower back, increase balance and strengthen your core.

Planks are also great for increasing willpower. Doing planks regularly, for over 5 minutes will definitely increase your mental strength.

Learn proper form

 

Leg raises

When done properly, this exercise mainly works the abdominal muscles and the hips. The lying leg raises are simpler than hanging leg raises but work the same muscles. And we want to focus on exercises which don’t need any equipment. A hanging leg raise requires a bar.

Learn proper form

If you can’t do it with your legs straight, bend your knees to a 90 degree angle.

Squats

One of the best exercises you can ever do. Squats work a variety of muscles, mainly the glutes, hamstrings, quads and back.

For beginners you don’t need to use weights. But after some time you can use a bar or a pair of dumbbells. To burn more calories you need this exercise since it works all the major muscle groups.

Learn proper form

 

Lunges

Lunges will improve your athleticism and tone leg muscles. You can do them with without weights or use a pair of dumbbells.

This exercise trains almost the same muscles as the squat. But you need them both.

Lunges work the abdominal muscles, hips and legs. They specifically build the quads, hamstrings, calves and glutes muscles.

Learn proper form

 

Wall Sits

This exercise doesn’t require any movement. You only need to hold muscle contraction against resistance.

The wall sits will strengthen and tighten your thighs. They work both the quads and hamstrings.

Learn proper form

 

Flutter kicks

You might be thinking swimming. But these are flutter kicks out of water.

This is a great exercise for strengthening the core. You will be training both your legs and abdominal muscles.

Learn proper form

 

Bridges

Bridges are great for toning the butt. They are also good for beginners and most people can do them comfortably. With time you need to switch to the one leg bridges.

This exercise mainly works the glutes, hamstrings, erector spinae and abdominal muscles.

I recommend this exercise if you have back pains or back complications.

Learn proper form

 

Superman exercise

This is exercise also prevents lower back pain. The superman exercise primarily works the back. Most activities in life require us to bend our backs. Be it in the office, when cleaning or just sitting. This exercise helps straighten the back and improve body posture.

Superman exercise will strengthen and build your lower back.

Learn proper form

 

Mountain climbers

This exercise involves almost all body muscles. It will improve your flexibility, endurance and overall body strength.

The primary muscles worked by mountain climbers are abdominal muscles, leg muscles and glutes. The secondary muscles it trains include arms, shoulders, back and calf muscles.

Learn proper form

 

Pull Ups

This will require you to use a bar. So if you don’t have one you should consider buying or use monkey bars in the park.

Just a heads up, this is not an easy exercise and you may need assistance at the beginning.

Pull ups target the lats, back, arms, forearms and chest. If you can’t do pull ups you can start with chin-ups. They work the same muscles and are easier to do.

Learn proper form

 

High Intensity Interval training (HIIT)

High intensity exercise should be performed at 80%-95% maximal heart rate and the low intensity recovery done at 40%-55% maximal heart rate.

If you want to improve your athletic performance and fitness, lose weight and build muscles you will benefit from this form of training.

It is a great way to exercise because you do not need much time to do the workouts. And the benefits are way higher compared to cardio. HIIT has been shown to raise metabolism during and after the workout, increase insulin sensitivity, improve cardiovascular health, burn abdominal fat and maintain muscle mass.

Burn fat with a 25 minute workout (aff)

 

Warming up

You should warm up before starting any workout. You want to get blood flowing through the muscles, joints and ligaments. This helps prevent injuries and muscle strains.

Other advantages of warming up include; increased flexibility, muscle stability and better range of motion.

Note that I’m not talking about stretching. Stretching before a workout is not good.

You will just need to do light exercises which will get the blood flowing.

Warm up for 10-15 minute to get the blood pumping. My favorite warm up is jump rope, simple and warms up the whole body.

 

The workout program

Now let’s look into the workout routines for women.

Start training 3 times a week for the first 4 weeks, and then increase the workouts to 4 times a week.

The workouts will last 45 – 60 minutes, but they can be shorter if you take short rest periods. You should rest for 1-2 minutes between sets. Work out at high intensity and practice proper form.

You should learn different variations of the same exercise. So when it comes time to do an exercise which you don’t know proper form. I advise you learn it before the workout. A simple youtube search will show you how to do it.

I also don’t want the workout routines to be limiting, so if after 6 weeks you feel you can do more than what is in the program. Improvise yours and keep going. The important thing is to train regularly and keep advancing.

 

The number of sets and reps should you do

Giving you an exact number of sets and reps that you should do is not a good idea. And I’ll tell you why. An exact number won’t work for everybody since we have different strength levels. I may tell you to do 5 reps but it may be too low for you, and in this case you will be undertraining. Or 12 reps may be too high for you.

So everybody will have to set their own reps for each exercise. Depending on their strength and goals. You will have to do each exercise when you are fresh and do it to failure. The number of reps you will be able to do will be the reps for that exercise.

For example, if Betty’s maximum reps for pushups is 11. For the first 4 weeks she should do 3 sets of 11 reps for pushups. Then after 4 weeks she starts doing 4 sets of 11+(3) reps.

For the first 4 weeks do 3 sets for each exercise and after that increase the number of sets to 4.

Use the same approach on duration exercises like planks and wall sit.

If your strength increases, increase the number of reps. Remember to do these exercises at high intensity and practice proper form.

The order of the exercises shouldn’t be exact to the program. Start with the exercises you find most difficult and then do the simpler ones last.

 

10-Week bodyweight workout routines for women

 

Week 1 and 2

 

Week 3 and 4

 

Week 5 and 6

 

Week 7 and 8

 

Week 9 and 10

 

Final Word

You don’t need gym membership or a trainer to get the body you want. If you start this program with focus and intention of finishing it, you will get great results. Stop looking for other workout programs and focus on just one.

Like I said, what you eat will be a great factor in the results you get. It won’t make sense for you to put maximum effort in the program if you won’t be eating healthy.

There are many workout routines for women out there. But they don’t focus on bodyweight exercises. Take advantage of this workout routine and use your body to burn fat.

If you have any health or physical problem see a doctor or a physician before you start this program.

Let me know what you think about the program. Do you find it challenging?

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