The best exercises for girls - a set of exercises for girls in the gym (photos, videos, instructor tips)

To fully cover the topic and answer all questions, we will divide the article into chapters in which we will consider all aspects of training:

How to start
Weight loss program
Mass gain program
Exercises to keep fit
Fitness after 30

Girls who have never worked out in the gym have a lot of questions: what should they do first? Is it possible to train without a trainer? where to start - losing weight or building muscles? How often do you go to the gym?

Often age is a stopper - women doubt whether it’s too late to start classes and whether there will be results.

We answer. As in any business, the hardest thing is to start, but then you will get used to it and enjoy the work of your body. You can start classes at any age: at 20-25, 35-45, 40-45 and after 50 years. However, at each age there are certain opportunities and limitations that need to be taken into account.

How to start

It will be easier for young girls to start, their natural flexibility and hormones will help them with this, but for those who are older, they need to enter the program more smoothly. It's also important to consider your overall fitness level—those who have never done sports or exercise before need to start with the basics.

The first thing you need to decide for yourself is organizational issues: which gym to choose, how often to go, whether you need a trainer.

Choose a good quality hall. Saving on fitness centers can be a bad joke. It is important that all the equipment in the gym is in working order, and that the trainers have the appropriate qualifications
Visit the gym 3 times a week. Training with breaks of 1 day is the best option for beginners. This way your body will have the opportunity to recover after training, and the load will be distributed evenly.
Work out with a trainer. It is important that at the beginning of your journey, a specialist develops a program for you and teaches you the technique of performing the exercises. Many clubs offer personal training for beginners.
Watch your diet and daily routine - sleep and proper nutrition are just as important as exercise.

Adviсe

Don't make muscle building your first goal, you need to tone your body first.

You should start training with complex exercises for all muscle groups. The preparatory stage can take from 2 to 4 weeks.
Loads should be increased gradually.
Master the technique of doing the exercises.
Keep a personal diary, record exercises performed, observations and progress.
You need to start any workout with a warm-up and end with a cool-down.
Keep the intensity up - to make progress, you must commit to effort and challenge your body over time.

Warm-up and cool-down

It's better to start with cardio exercises. Running in place or on a treadmill with a slight upward incline is suitable. Exercises on an ellipsoid involve the muscles of the arms, back, hips, and buttocks. The pulse should be in the range of 100-120 beats per minute.

Next, move on to stretching - it will warm up the muscles and give them elasticity. You can perform simple squats and bends to the sides and forwards, lunges, rotations of the arms and shoulders. Stretching should last at least 10 minutes. It is also recommended when changing exercises; it is better to perform it before the first approach.

To cool down, use relaxing exercises with decreasing intensity so that your heart rate gradually decreases to normal and your breathing is restored.

Base

Basic exercises (“base”) are recommended because of their complex effect on the entire musculature. In contrast, isolated exercises provide stress only on certain muscles or a group of them, and therefore are well suited for creating relief and working individual muscles.

Experts advise starting with basic exercises - these include the bench press, squats with a barbell on the shoulders and deadlifts. However, it must be borne in mind that if they are performed incorrectly, you can get injured. For exercises with weights, the technique of execution is important, which can only be set by a trainer.

Sets and reps

The load is very important - low weights, lack of approaches and repetitions will not allow you to move forward. On average, you should focus on 3-4 approaches, each of which should have 10-15 repetitions. On lighter training days, you can reduce the number of approaches.

If you have just started training or are continuing after a long break, use weights such that you have enough strength for 15 repetitions in 1 approach. On the first day, you should limit yourself to 2 approaches.

Between approaches you should pause for 30-60 seconds. If you get very tired, increase the rest time; if everything is fine, gradually reduce the pause. Ideally, the last exercises should be performed with noticeable effort. However, you should not overdo it - you should not lead to micro-tears in the tissue.

Changing exercises

For tangible progress, you need to change the exercise program every month or two or add new exercises. If this is not done, the muscles get used to the same loads and growth stops. And if you completely remove the load from them, regression will begin.

With strength training, if the weights don't grow, then the muscles don't grow. They should be constantly in mild stress. An alternative is to change one exercise in the program every 2 weeks. In addition to maintaining shape, this is important for the comprehensive development of all muscle groups.

Errors

The training program has not changed for several months. Review the set of exercises every 1.5-2 months.
Classes without breaks. It is better to go to the gym every other day, that is, 3-4 times a week.
Neglecting strength training. Don’t be afraid to bulk up; it’s almost impossible for girls to gain large muscle mass without the use of special drugs.
Work on one muscle group. Work all muscle groups in a complex manner.
Overload with large weights. It is better to increase the weights gradually, starting with the smallest ones.

Let's move directly to the lesson programs.

Workouts in the gym

The advantages of working on yourself in a place specially equipped for this are obvious:

there is no reason to be distracted from focusing solely on yourself;
there is an opportunity to learn from other people’s experience;
You can use the services of professional trainers;
There are many special equipment for training: the best exercises for girls in the gym are performed with the help of apparatus and exercise equipment.

When you start training in the simulator, you should take a closer look at the equipment: dumbbells and barbells can be indispensable assistants in the difficult task of creating a sculpted body! It is optimal to combine “free” exercises and exercise machines.

Special devices provide two types of load: power and insulating.

The first requires so-called free weights, provided by dumbbells and a barbell. The second requires simulators. By combining them, you can gain muscle mass while simultaneously reducing fat reserves.

Workout program for weight loss

The program is suitable for those who are struggling with excess weight. It is based on relief exercises. Classes are scheduled for a week.

1 workout

Cardio exercises for 30 minutes with 2-3 breaks.
Push-ups from a bench in 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
Raising your arms with dumbbells to the sides, lying at an angle of 30 degrees.
Hyperextension - 3 sets of 25 reps. Technique: lie on your stomach on a Roman chair and lift your torso until it straightens, no need to arch your head.
Biceps curls in the machine - 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions.
Reduction of arms in a crossover - 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
Seated light dumbbell press - 3 sets of 30 reps.
Circuit training for the abs - 2-3 exercises without breaks, then start the second and third round.

2 training

Interval cardio training for 30 minutes.
To choose from: leg press, squat in a HAKK machine, plie - 3 sets of 20 repetitions.
Extension of arms in a crossover with a rope - 3 sets of 20-30 times.
Leg bending and extension in the simulator - 3 sets of 25 times.
Lateral raises of light dumbbells - 3 sets of 20 reps.
Jogging in place or other cardio.

3 workout

Cardio training at a medium pace without intervals.
Hyperextension in 3 sets of 25 times.
Romanian or deadlift, 20 reps in 4 sets.
Upper block rows in 4 sets of 20 times, while pulling the bar behind your head.
Incline dumbbell flyes - 20 reps in 3 sets.
Curling arms with dumbbells - 20-30 repetitions in 3 repetitions.

Beautiful toned belly

A beautiful belly comes from bending over and training your abdominal muscles.

A set of abdominal exercises for girls usually involves a predominance of static elements. When you need to take a certain position and maintain it for 15, 30, 60 seconds - depending on your training and capabilities.

For example, the plank exercise is suitable. You need to take a position as if you are going to do push-ups. From the knee or from the floor - it's up to you. And then try to fix your body in this state for a given period of time.

Another option for static training of the lower abdominal muscles is the “corner”. To perform it, you will need to lie on your back, place your arms along your body, palms down, and press your lower back to the floor. And raise both legs at the same time at an angle of 45 degrees.

To begin with, it is permissible to maintain this position for only 15 seconds, but do several approaches. Over time, it will be possible to increase the load.

But even if you prefer dynamic exercises, that is, those that involve repeating a certain movement many times, you should perform them slowly.

Don't chase quantity. Ten well-executed smooth lifts of the upper body from a lying position can give more than a hundred done carelessly and hastily.

Mass gain program

Mass exercises for beginners. To build muscle, you first need to follow a basic program. It includes exercises for all muscle groups: both on the back and buttocks, legs and arms.

1 workout

Cardio at an average pace - 15 minutes.
Bench press - 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Dumbbell raises at an angle of 30 degrees, 12-20 times in 3 approaches.
Overhead press on the machine - 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
Reduction of arms in a crossover - 3 sets of 10 times.
Dumbbell overhead press - 3 sets of 12 reps.
Roman chair crunches - 4 sets of 15 reps.
Cool down – 10 minutes of cardio and stretching.

2 training

15 minutes of cardio.
Leg press in 4 sets of 10 repetitions.
Reduction of arms in the butterfly simulator - 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions.
Leg bending and extension in the simulator - 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
Machine Overhead Press - Perform 3 sets of 10 reps.
Dumbbell lateral raises – 3 sets of 10 reps.
Cardio and stretching - 10-15 minutes.

3 workout

Warm up: 10 minutes of cardio.
Hyperextension - 3 sets of 20 times.
Bent-overs with a barbell - 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Pull-downs for the head - 4 sets of 10 repetitions.
Bent-over dumbbell raises - 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Dumbbell curls - 3 sets of 10 reps.
Raising legs from a lying position - 3 sets of 15 times.

What strength exercises are most effective?

Deadlift. When performing it, every muscle in the body works. From a coordination point of view, it is not easy to do, and it is better to start under the guidance of an instructor: lifting the barbell from the floor must be technically correct!

To begin, remove all the weights from the barbell and work with one bar. Young ladies should not get carried away with the deadlift - with three to four workouts a week, once every two weeks is enough.

We squat with a barbell on our shoulders. Nothing better than this exercise has been invented for developing the leg muscles of girls. A deeper squat will help form a rounded butt. Doing these squats twice a week is enough.

Lunges with dumbbells or a barbell are one of the best butt exercises for girls: the gluteus maximus muscle has to work hard, although once a week – it’s not worth it more often! Your thighs will also become slimmer.

Pull-ups. The pull-up bar is difficult for women to master, but getting a muscular back is worth it. If it doesn’t work out at all, graviton can help.

Dips can create killer arms and shoulders. But, if the muscles are weak, it makes sense to replace the exercise by doing push-ups on a bench.

Strength exercises for the chest can do wonders for lost shape. In addition to push-ups, they squeeze the barbell at different angles and spread dumbbells. But enthusiasm should be moderate, and there is no point in competing with men: once a week is enough to pump up the chest muscles.

The plank forms a powerful muscle corset from the abdominal and back muscles. Representing one of the types of static load, it trains patience and endurance.

Program to keep fit

This training program allows you to maintain shape, strength and relief. Can be used at home for classes without an instructor. If you don't want to increase muscle mass, then don't increase weight. Change exercises periodically to avoid regression.

1 workout

Cardio training at an average pace - 15 minutes.
Dumbbell bench press - 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Reduction of arms in a crossover - 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
Extension of the arms in the block - 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
Dumbbell overhead press - 3 sets of 12 repetitions.
Reverse hyperextension - 15 repetitions.
Cool down - cardio and stretching for 10 minutes.

2 training

Cardio training at an average pace - 15 minutes.
Leg extensions in the simulator - 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Leg press - 4 sets of 10 repetitions.
Leg extensions and abductions in the simulator - 2 sets of each exercise with 10 repetitions.
Leg curls in the simulator - 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Raising legs from a lying position - 4 sets of 20 times.
Cool down - cardio and stretching for 10 minutes.

3 workout

Cardio training - 10 minutes.
Romanian deadlift - 3 sets of 10 reps.
Hyperextension - 3 sets of 20 repetitions.
Pull-downs for the head - 4 sets of 10 repetitions.
Bent-over dumbbell raises - 3 sets of 10 exercises.
Roman chair crunches - 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Cool down: light cardio and stretching for 10 minutes.

Correct posture and healthy back

With a sedentary lifestyle, back pain is a common problem. In the lumbar or neck area, it varies. To avoid this, girls are advised to add at least a few movements for the back to their set of exercises for the whole body.

A common option is the “boat”. To perform it, you need to lie on your stomach, stretch your arms and legs as much as possible, stretching your spine. Then the limbs must be simultaneously torn off the floor along with the upper part of the body. You need to hold this position for 30-60 seconds.

There are also useful dynamic exercises related to this block. For example, you can perform an upper body raise while lying on your stomach with your hands behind your head. Slowly repeating this movement 15-30 times per set will be sufficient.

Training program after 30 years

Peculiarities

Be careful - due to the rapid warming up of the muscles, the risk of injury is high. All loads - only after warming up with stretching.
Prefer interval exercise - this way you will prepare your cardiovascular system and will not experience shortness of breath.
Combine loads - alternate between cardio and strength training. Use weights.
Finish your classes with a cool-down—stretching and any types of stretching will do.

Exercises

Suitable for those who are 35-40-45 years old.

Run in place. Gradually increase the speed and add energetic movements with your arms, raise your knees higher.
Climber's warm-up - take a prone position, body should be straight, pull your right knee to your chest, repeat with your left knee. Gradually increase the pace of alternating legs. Then add a crossover—pull your left knee toward your right elbow and vice versa.
Burley - sit down, place your hands on the floor. Straighten up, throwing your legs back so that you stand in a plank position. Push up and return to the starting position, then jump as high as possible. Repeat several times.
Corner and Dumbbell Squat Press – Hold dumbbells in your hands and stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower yourself into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor, hold for 15 seconds, and lift the dumbbells to shoulder level. Tighten your butt muscles and keep your arms extended for another 10 seconds. Then stand up straight and press the dumbbells overhead at the same time. Lower your hands to your shoulders and return to the starting position, repeat 5-7 times.

The workouts are performed in a circular pattern, it is advisable to gradually increase the number of repetitions. If you have never worked out in our club, we invite you to take part in the Welcome Fit program - you will receive free instruction, a trial lesson with a trainer and a special price.

Tips for those who want to lose weight

For women who want to lose weight, there is a fat-burning workout. This is a regular set of exercises, which is complemented by proper nutrition, but not a strict diet. This remark was made for a reason. Strong physical activity and regular training will lead to a breakdown. It is still necessary to adhere to it, since large losses of energy lead to an increase in appetite.

Previously, we wrote about exercises that will help reduce hips at home and recommended bookmarking this article.

Pull-ups are a basic exercise. You should do as many approaches as possible

This material will be perfectly complemented by the following publications:

When choosing yoga, choose the right ASANA
Swimming crawl: features of proper technique

Principles of nutrition

For women, physical fitness is much more important than for men. Girls work hard in the gym, can go on diets for months, and torture themselves in all known and unknown ways. And all this for the sake of slimness and fit.

However, if you approach the weight loss process thoughtfully, it will no longer be a pain and will not create unnecessary stress. This is especially important for girls, since most breakdowns occur precisely as a result of strict restrictions.

The key principles of nutrition for weight loss are as follows:

Reducing caloric intake. It is considered safe to reduce the amount of calories by 20% of the usual norm.
Reducing the amount of fast carbohydrates and saturated fats, increasing the amount of protein in the diet.
Replacing harmful refined products with healthy natural ones.

In general, a healthy diet does not tolerate extremes. For example, you cannot completely eliminate carbohydrates and switch to protein foods alone. Or stop eating fatty foods. Fat is also necessary for the body. Nutrition should be varied, moderate and balanced. Then the extra pounds will begin to fall off naturally.

When the fat layer begins to disappear during the process of losing weight, muscles will become visible. If they are dystrophic and flabby, the figure will not look its best. To preserve muscles, physical training in the gym and protein nutrition are important.

Of course, when you lose weight, some muscle will still go away (it is impossible to force the body to burn 100% only fat).

However, proper weight loss sets the goal of preserving as much as possible the muscle reserve that you have.

It is also important not to overdo it when getting rid of excess fat. After all, our internal organs are surrounded by a fat capsule, which they need for normal functioning. In addition, for girls, the presence of a certain amount of fat (about 13%) is important for the normal functioning of the reproductive system.

Thus, a simplified diet can be represented as follows: a small calorie deficit, more protein, less carbohydrates. Fats - in moderation, so that the body receives unsaturated fatty acids and substances necessary for ligaments and joints.

Now let's move on to physical activity.

Which workouts are best?

Any workout in the gym, be it strength training or general strengthening, leads to the consumption of calories. Therefore, all this will be training for weight loss. Due to it, you can burn a certain amount of subcutaneous fat.

Which load is better for girls? A set of basic exercises, or something else?

It is known that strength exercises with weights (namely the base) consume a lot of calories. Indeed, heavy exercise requires enormous energy expenditure.

It’s just that you won’t be able to make a base often, since the body’s strength limits are very limited. This kind of training is important. But if your goal is to lose weight, and therefore your diet is in a calorie deficit, they will exhaust you very quickly.

That is, strength exercises during weight loss are given in doses.

But long-term loads at an average pace (running, aerobics, working with light weights in a large number of repetitions) do not exhaust the body as much as strength training, so by giving them priority you can lose weight more effectively.

This way you can do it more often and for longer, as a result of which the final fat-burning effect will be stronger than when using a base and other heavy techniques.

There is such a thing as a fat-burning heart rate zone. This is 60–70% of your maximum heart rate. It can be calculated by subtracting your age from 220. Then calculating the percentages, on average you will get 120-130 beats per minute. It is believed that at this heart rate, the body takes the maximum amount of energy from fat.

Any physical activity for losing weight in and outside the gym is useful and important, as it expends energy.

How to create a weight loss program correctly

The principles that should be followed when creating a fat burning complex for women are somewhat different from those for men. They are slightly different, although they are based on the same physiological laws.

The “do no harm” principle. Following it means wisely using a set of exercises and dietary restrictions to achieve the effect of burning fat. Weight loss training should help you achieve a harmonious figure, and not harm your health.
Targeted load on problem areas. For girls, this is the inner thigh, buttocks, stomach and sides, back of the arms. The program is structured in such a way that the main emphasis of the load in the exercises is given precisely to these areas.
Age characteristics. Girls aged 20 should not be given the same physical exercises for weight loss as women aged 40. This is, at a minimum, ineffective. Each organism is individual, but still, the older a person is, the more careful one should approach the loads on the heart and joint-ligamentous apparatus. The set of exercises must be adapted to the physiological characteristics of the body.
Working with bad habits. Smoking or frequent drinking of alcohol will negatively affect the process of losing weight and no set of exercises can compensate for the harmful effects.
You also need to take into account hormonal status, the absence or presence of abnormalities in the endocrine system and their severity. In such a situation, a preliminary consultation with a doctor is necessary.
During pregnancy, a gentle load should be given so that weight loss training does not harm the fetus and does not provoke premature birth or miscarriage. At this time, it is better to completely abandon the gym and limit yourself to special gymnastics for pregnant women, water aerobics, yoga and pulmonary exercises.
You also need to pay attention to your predisposition to being overweight or thin. In each case, the natural metabolism will be different. A general standard diet and training program (complex) for burning fat may not be ideal for all types of metabolism.

Strength training in the gym plus cardio is my mandatory program! I go to group classes - fun and effective ???? I run - no one has come up with anything better than running! I’m just planning to start training... I just eat less - it works 100%

Features of cardio for girls

Cardio exercise in the gym is an important part of training for weight loss for girls and women. Depending on age and individual characteristics, 20 minutes on the elliptical is enough for some, while for others 40 minutes will seem unnoticeable.

If you have no problems with your heart or circulatory system, you can standardize the load and do cardio before training for 30–40 minutes and after – 15–20 minutes.

If you have heart problems, the trainer should give you a test load to understand the capabilities of your body. After this, individually select the load necessary to burn fat deposits.

For example, start by walking on a treadmill. Walk for 5 minutes at an average pace. Gradually increase the speed until you feel a heaviness in your chest. There is no need to speed up the track anymore. This is the first limit. Gradually it will need to be overcome.

A set of exercises designed for weight loss must include cardio. The program should begin and end with a similar load.

Universal weight loss program

It is preferable to work out in the gym three times a week. For example, if fat burning workouts take place on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

This program is aimed at shaping and sculpting the muscles of the entire body, with an emphasis on problematic female areas.
Monday:

Cardio – 30–40 minutes.
Barbell squat – 3 x 15 (light weights).
Plie squats – 3 to 15.
Lunges with dumbbells – 3, 20 on each leg.
Hyperextension – 2 to 20–30.
Curling arms with dumbbells or hammers – 3 to 20.
Press – 3 to 30. Raising the torso on a Roman chair and lifting the legs while lying down.
Cardio – 15 minutes.