What Is The Best Female Bodybuilding Workout? Be Specific.
The best female bodybuilding workout is one that is balanced and uses plenty of cardio. Women tend to carry fat easier than men, so cardio is essential. In this particular plan cardio will be performed in the morning on an empty stomach (although with BCAA's).
If this is not possible however, cardio can also be performed after resistance training. Cardio will not be performed on Sunday, which is a total off day, nor Tuesday, before your leg workout.
This is just an outline, you can adjust it for your schedule.
Monday: A.M. Cardio, Chest/Triceps
- Incline Dumbbell Press - 2 x 8-12
- Flat Barbell Bench - 2 x 8-12
- Dips - 2 x 8-12
- Cable Crossovers - 2 x 8-12
- Skull Crushers - 2 x 8-12
35-45 minutes Low Intensity Cardio
EXERCISE: (SETS) x (REPS)
Tuesday: Quads/Hamstrings/Calves:
- Squats- 2 x 8-12
- Seated Leg Curls- 2 x 8-12
- Walking Lunges- 2 x 8-12 (Each Leg)
- Straight Leg Dumbbell Deadlift- 2 x 8-12
- Seated Leg Extensions- 2 x 8-12
- Standing Calf Raises- 3 x 12-15
Wednesday: A.M. Cardio, Abs:
- Exercise Ball Crunch- 2 x 20-25
- Machine Crunches- 2 x 20-25
- Hanging Leg Raise- 2 x 10-12
- Bicycle Crunches- 2 x 20 (Each Leg)
35-45 minutes Low Intensity Cardio
Thursday: A.M. Cardio, Back/Biceps/Forearms:
- Lat Pulldowns- 2 x 8-12
- Barbell Rows- 2 x 8-12
- Good Mornings- 2 x 8-12
- Preacher Curls- 2 x 8-12
- Incline Dumbbell Curls- 2 x 8-12
- Barbell Wrist Curls- 3 x 10-12
35-45 minutes Low Intensity Cardio
Friday: A.M. Cardio, Delts/Traps:
- Dumbbell Military Press- 2 x 8-12
- Cable Front Lateral Raise- 2 x 8-12 (Each Arm)
- Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise- 2 x 8-12
- Smith Machine Shrugs- 3 x 10-12
35-45 minutes Low Intensity Cardio
Saturday: A.M. Cardio:
35-45 minutes Low Intensity Cardio
Sunday: OFF
This split will allow you to take two days of rest from the weights, and one full day for recovery. This will allow you to come back in the gym ready to go on Monday. If you are a more advanced bodybuilder, then you can feel free to adjust the volume accordingly.
Same goes for beginners. Start out completing only one set of each exercise, and work your way into the full routine. You may also perform less cardio if you happen to carry less fat, but this is unlikely to be the case in most women. Find out exactly what works best, but for optimal results, perform as much cardio, within reason, as you can.
Do not underestimate the importance of nutrition. You will make little progress in the gym if you do not make the correct adjustments in the kitchen.
Differences
Are There Any Kinds Of Differences Between A Male And Female Bodybuilder's Workout Routine?
Based on the obvious hormonal differences between men and women, the workout routines need to be designed slightly different. Men have more testosterone, so they are in an anabolic state more often, and are able to build muscle easier. Women on the other hand have more estrogen, which can lead to quick fat gain if exercise is halted.
Because of this, it is important for women to always employ cardio in their routines, and if possible, circuit workouts and supersets may prove beneficial. The reason for these types of workouts is to keep your heart rate elevated so that you burn enough calories to burn off the fat.
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Men have a little more flexibility, unfortunately for women. Men are able to go on periods where they watch their calories but are basically inactive outside of resistance training. They can slowly put on muscle, and some fat, but less fat than a woman would put on. This is because testosterone not only acts as a muscle building hormone, but a fat burning one as well.
This allows men to stay leaner as long as they don't throw their nutrition out the window. Because of this, women need to do more cardio, and as previously mentioned, circuits and supersets may help as well.
It is also important to note the obstacles that women may face, that men never will. Training can possibly be linked to irregular menstruation cycles. This can obviously be very overwhelming for some women, and cause them to lose consistency in their plan.
Professional Differences
What Are The Differences In A Regular Female's Workout Who Wants To Stay In Shape, Compared To A Professional Female Bodybuilder's Workout?
There are some differences between the workout of a woman who wants to get in shape and stay healthy, and the workout of a professional bodybuilder. This difference is NOT performing and not performing resistance training. In order to stay in shape and stay healthy, resistance training is still a must. The difference, however, lies in the actual workout itself.
For a woman looking to simply stay in shape, sheer muscle mass is not exactly the goal. Many women desire to tone up and look more appealing. If this is the case, then cardio is certainly your friend. Many women and people in general for that matter, believe that lifting weights will "tone you up."
While the resistance training is certainly essential, fat loss is just as important. This is why cardio is so essential for women. They tend to carry fat on undesirable places, because of the excess estrogen. In order to combat this and stay in shape, one must stay active and perform plenty of cardio. Do not neglect the weights, however.
One looking to stay in shape could cut the workout down to almost half the volume. This way you will still be elevating your metabolism and benefiting from slight muscle gain, but you will not become bulky nor look overly muscular.
This is the best for a truly appealing physique in most people's minds. The best body will balance conditioning and aesthetics with a good enough amount of muscle. Those looking to stay in shape should concentrate on cardio, but still be 100% consistent with resistance training.
 |  Tracey Greenwood Winner, 2007 New York Pro Fitness. Photo By SecondFocus. Week #58 - 4/24/2007 1600x1200 - 1280x1024 - 1152x864 - 1024x768 - 800x600 480x640 - 320x240 - 240x320 - 160x160 - 160x120 - 128x128 |
Bonus Question
Who Is Your Favorite Female Bodybuilder? Why?
My favorite female bodybuilder is Vanessa Adams. I met Vanessa on the Bodybuilding.com forums a couple months ago. I have only communicated with her briefly through various supplement logs, and her BodyBlog.
Click Image To Enlarge.Vanessa Adams.
She has been a huge inspiration to me, and many others, as she won the Bodybuilding.com transformation contest. This is not, however, where the inspiration really lies. I was extremely inspired by the hard work she put in order to get on stage. Following her journey was truly special, and I am amazed, but not surprised by how far she has come.
Click Image To Enlarge.Vanessa Adams, Winner!
She has done something that I hope to do in the future, and demonstrated all of the qualities necessary to do so. She forewent many enjoyable foods during her contest prep, and executed her diet perfectly. She also put in the time in the gym, both with cardio and weight training.
She did everything, and made every sacrifice necessary. To me, that might actually be considered the easy part. The difficulty would be stepping on stage and having the confidence in your body. From following along her journey, I truly have a great deal of respect for her, and am thrilled to have conversed with her at all, even though only through an online forum.
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