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10 Things Every Woman Should Know About Strength Training

Writer's picture: Daniela RadomanDaniela Radoman

Strength training is getting the recognition it finally deserves among women, with more exposure and encouragement for women and girls to start lifting weights. With the immense amount of health benefits it has, every single woman should pick up a strength training routine that works for them. Most of us have probably thought, “I should really renew my gym membership,” or maybe, “I should find those dumbbells I got and put them to use.” 


Once that burst of inspiration pops into your head, it’s usually followed by some other questions, like:


  • “Where do I even start?”

  • “What exercises should I be doing?”

  • “How intense should my workouts be?”

  • “Is it really that important?”


If you’ve ever asked yourself a question like this, you’re not alone. So many people start off with questions and concerns like these when they’re looking to start a training routine.


But don’t worry - we got you. We’re going to answer the top 10 questions about strength training here in this article so you can start training with confidence and clarity!



  1. What Even Is Strength Training?


A lot of people picture the meathead bodybuilder archetype when they think of strength training. Others think of Olympic champs lifting God knows what weight above their heads. 


There’s a lot more to strength training than just that.


Dumbbell french press

Strength training is when your muscles work against resistance. This is why strength training is also sometimes called resistance training.


When you stress your muscles, like say, when you go to curl up a dumbbell, your muscles

work to produce force so it can actually lift the weight. When you do this, you create little micro-tears in your muscle fibres, which your body later repairs and builds upon so it can handle the stress again later on.


When you consistently stress the muscle, you’re essentially telling your body, “we need more reinforcement here,” so your body keeps repairing and building muscle. 


Another way your body adapts to this stress is by making your neural pathways a lot more efficient. The nerves that connect to the active muscles fire more frequently and faster to get those muscles moving, as well as making more connections so more muscles overall are kicking in to help out.


Essentially, with repeated stress, your body will build muscle and improve neural efficiency so that next time you encounter that same (or similar) stress, your body is better able to handle it. 


Let’s take a look at an example. Let’s say you have difficulty doing a bodyweight squat. If you continually practise squats, with time, your leg muscles will be more developed and stronger, as well as your coordination for actually completing a squat will be a lot smoother. 


Not only is this method great for building strength and gaining muscle, but it’s also a great way to help lose body fat, improve coordination, and rehab an injured area.



2. Is It Really That Important To Strength Train?


Yes.


Yes, it is.


Let’s just take a look at some of the benefits of strength training:


  • Improves strength, power, endurance

  • Increases muscle mass

  • Helps prevent various diseases such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, certain cancers, diabetes, dementia, etc.

  • Increases insulin sensitivity

Older woman lifting weights
  • Promotes bone density and soft tissue strength

  • Decreases the rate of injury

  • Reduces lower back pain

  • Increases metabolism

  • Promotes fat loss

  • Slows down age-related decline 

  • Great for mental health


The list goes on …


All in all, staying active is a fantastic way to improve and maintain a good quality of life. 


So many women have uttered the words, “I wish I started sooner.” There’s a reason for that.


It can make you feel stronger, more confident, and ready to take on whatever life throws at you. Not to mention, usually people switch their mindsets from lifting weights because they have to, to because they LOVE to. 


3. What Kind of Exercises Should I Be Doing?


Let’s take some of the main and best known exercises and break them down into their basic movement patterns. Dan John, a pioneer in the training world, broke down movements into 5 main categories:

woman deadlifting

  1. Squat

  2. Hinge

  3. Push

  4. Pull

  5. Carry


You could argue there are more than just these 5, like Single Leg movements, Core (rotation, anti-rotation, anti-flexion,...), Plyometrics, etc. 


Either way you want to look at it, a solid training program will include movements from all of the categories above. 


Let’s break each movement down even further into specific exercises.

Squat

Hinge

Push

Pull

  • Goblet Squat

  • Barbell Back Squat

  • Barbell Front Squat

  • Deadlift

  • Romanian Deadlift

  • Hip Thrust

  • Glute Bridge

  • Good Morning

  • Pushups

  • Bench Press

  • Incline Press

  • Shoulder Press

  • Landmine Press

  • Dumbbell Row

  • Seated Cable Row

  • Lat Pulldown

  • Chin Ups

  • Pullovers

Carry

Single Leg

Core

Plyometrics

  • Farmer’s Walk

  • Suitcase Carry

  • Split Squats

  • Lunges

  • Step Ups

  • Single Leg Squat to Box

  • Plank

  • Side Plank

  • Dead Bug

  • Pallof Press

  • Wood choppers

  • Jump Rope

  • Lateral Hops


Let’s take a look at another aspect of exercise selection: compound vs isolation exercises.


Compound exercises are exercises that involve multiple joints, and because of that, they use multiple muscles and muscle groups.


Isolation exercises involve only one joint and one muscle or muscle group. 


You want to make sure you prioritise the compound exercises in your training routine over the isolation exercises.


Why is that? Well, compound exercises give you more bang for your buck. They work more muscles, you can usually load them up more, and they use up more energy. Since they’re more taxing, they should more often than not be done first in your workout while you still have energy.


Isolation exercises can be great for multiple reasons and shouldn’t be completely left out. They can be great for really focusing on a certain area that you want to gain muscle or strength in, working around an injury, or targeting a specific area for rehab. 


Here are some examples of both compound and isolation movements.

Compound

Isolation

  • Squats

  • Hinges

  • Push Ups

  • Chin Ups

  • Seated Leg Extension Machine

  • Hamstring Curls

  • Bicep Curls

  • Calf Raises

Now, you shouldn’t just shove all the big lifts into one long workout, you can spread them out throughout the week. So a good rule of thumb is to start with your compound lifts, and then sprinkle in some isolation movements after you’ve completed your big lifts. 


Here’s an example workout:

Compounds:

  1.  Goblet Squat

  2. a) DB RDL

b) Incline Pushups

Isolation:

  1. a) Calf Raises off a Ledge

b) DB Bicep Curls


If your goal is to gain strength, muscle, and lose body fat, then prioritising compound exercises is your best bet as they stress the body to a higher degree compared to isolation exercises. Save the isolation movements for the end of the workout.



4. How Many Reps And Sets Should I Do?


Great question! What’s great when you’re new is that you’re going to see jumps and gains in your strength FAST. Since your body isn’t used to this new stress, you’re going to see changes and improvements quickly as your nervous system jumps in to take care of the stress. This is called “newbie gains.”


When people are just starting out with strength training for the first time in their life or for the first time in a while, we’ll start them off with 2 or 3 sets of 10-12 reps. We typically start with slightly higher reps so the newbie can get used to the coordination of the movement and to get some practice with the form. 2-3 sets is usually enough to get enough reps in without overdoing it for someone that’s new. 


There are many things to consider when choosing how many reps and sets you should perform. Here are a few to keep in mind:


  • Training experience

  • The exercise itself

  • Your goals

  • How frequently you’re training

  • Any injuries or limitations you may have

  • Other individual factors 


Generally speaking, another thing to keep in mind is that the number of reps you do will more than likely influence how many sets you do, and vice versa. This will depend more on your specific goals, which is what we’ll talk about next below.


So let’s say you’ve moved past the newbie stage and got some reps under your belt. This is the point where you may want to focus a bit more on a specific goal: muscle strength, muscle mass, or muscular endurance.



Goal: Strength

A program built around increasing your strength will focus a workout around one, or potentially up to 3, main lifts for the day. This main lift will be the priority, so it’ll typically be done first thing in the workout. 


Because this is going to be intense, try to really focus on one main lift for the day. If you really don’t have time to workout the rest of the week, that’s when I’d consider doing 2 or potentially even 3 main heavy lifts in one workout. Just know doing it that way is going to be more taxing on your body, and you’ll probably be pretty drained already by the time you get to that third main lift. 


You should still do your accessory and isolation exercises, but put those more towards the end of your workout. Again, since they’re towards the end, you’re probably going to be pretty taxed by then, so you can afford to drop the intensity a bit by going higher reps, less sets, and slightly lower weight, while still putting in a good amount of effort.


Now if the goal is strength, the reps are going to be on the lower end. Your goal is to lift as much weight as you possibly can, as that will force your muscles to activate as much as they can to get the job done. You’re simply not going to be able to lift as much weight when you do 10 reps compared to when you do only 5.


So the main takeaways if your goal is to focus on strength:

  • Main Lifts: Keep the reps between 2-5 reps. Sets can vary from 2-5.

  • Accessory or Isolation exercises: 8-12 reps for 2-4 sets.



Goal: Gaining Muscle

Gaining muscle mass, also known as muscle hypertrophy, is another important part that women especially should focus some of their attention to, and no, you won’t get bulky.


When focusing on hypertrophy, a variety of exercises that involve multiple muscle groups, and a wide range of  reps and sets schemes can be used. The goal is to create as much tension in the muscles, as well as metabolic stress, as those are the main drivers for muscle growth. As a result, moderate loads are typically used to help up the volume a bit so both tension and stress can be amplified.


Takeaway: 8-12 reps for 3-4 sets



Goal: Muscle Endurance

Muscular endurance is when your muscles are able to produce force for a longer period of time. Think of when you’ve climbed a seemingly never-ending set of stairs, where your legs were completely drained and burning before you even got close to the top. Being able to climb that set of stairs requires muscular endurance.


Just like those stairs, training for endurance typically has you doing a higher number of reps. Not necessarily a higher number of sets, though. Otherwise you’d easily be doing a total number of reps in the 3 digit range, which for a lot of people would be overkill and lead to not being able to function properly for a bit. 


Takeaway: 10-20 reps for 2-3 sets.



It’s important to note that these 3 goals fall into a spectrum, where no matter what rep & set scheme you choose, you’re going to get a mix of all 3 adaptations. You’re just going to prioritise and probably see the most improvement in the one you chose to do the most often.



5.  How Much Weight Should I Use?


This is arguably one of the most important aspects of your training selection as it is so crucial to making progress.


As a general rule of thumb, you want to choose a weight where by the end of the set, or your designated number of reps, you should only have 1-3 reps left in the tank. 


So if you stopped at 10 reps, but felt like you could’ve cranked out 5 more reps, next time you might want to use a slightly heavier weight (or just do more reps), until you get to that 1-3 reps left in the tank range.


So no, you don’t need to get to complete failure every set - that can actually be quite detrimental and overly fatiguing - but you do want to get fairly close.


How do you figure out what weight is good to use then?


It’s really just trial and error. If you’re doing an exercise for the first time, err on the side of caution and go light. Start even with body weight and then progress to lighter weights and see how that feels.

gym equipment

It’s going to be a bit of an experiment, but once you’ve got some experience, you slowly start to learn to handle the heavier weights and what your limits really are.


If you tried out a heavier weight and realised you bit off a bit more than you can chew, don’t sweat it. Just put the weights down and take a break. Grab a slightly lighter, more appropriate weight and try again. This is all a part of the learning process and it’s ok to test it out from time to time!


One thing to consider is that before you load up the weight and go heavy, you want to make sure you’re able to perform the exercise with proper form. If your squat looks like you’re going to collapse and your knees feel like they’re going to break, you should take a step back and work on correcting your form and building it from the ground up. Once you’ve got that down and are feeling good and confident with it, that’s when you can start really loading it up. 



6.  How Often Should I Train?


This is another great question and the answer depends on a few factors: what your goals are, what your body can handle, and what you can commit to.


Training frequency can be just as important as training intensity (reps, sets, and weight) when it comes to seeing results. 


If you’re looking to improve strength, endurance, or your physique, you should aim to get in at least 2 workouts a week.


If you’re a complete beginner, you can probably even get away with working out only once a week and still see results. But at least twice a week is ideal even as a beginner because the more frequently you stress your muscles, the more they’ll adapt. As a beginner you may not have the best form either yet, so think of your workouts as a sports practice. The more you practise, the faster you’ll get better and more comfortable with the exercises.


When choosing to workout twice a week, it’s best to stick to full body workouts. This way, each muscle group gets stimulated twice per week instead of only once, which will also help you see faster gains.


You can also train 3, 4, and even 5 times per week. Training more frequently will often require you to be a bit more aware of your training regimen and to focus on recovery as you’ll have less time in between your workouts. 


You need to consider your schedule. From family, work, and other social commitments taking up space in your calendar, you need to find whatever bit of time you can spare that you can consistently show up to workout. If that means you have 30 minutes every Monday and Thursday during your lunch break, then that’s a great place to start.


As long as you’re able to stay consistent, and be able to push yourself to a good intensity in that time, 30 minutes is plenty of time to get in a good workout and see results.


Another thing to consider is that you have to be honest with yourself about your current fitness level. Haven’t exercised in 5 years? Probably not the best idea to jump into a 2 hour, 5x/week workout routine right off the bat. Not only do you increase your risk of injury from going too hard, too soon, but you might also get overwhelmed and quickly lose motivation to continue. 


One of the biggest mistakes I see are the new people that sign up at the gym with their fresh new running shoes and gear, they show up every day for the first week, and then they slowly drift off to the abyss, never to be seen again just a week or a month later. 


It’s very easy to overestimate your abilities and get carried away with the motivation that comes at the beginning. If you set some lofty expectations and then don’t meet them, it’s very easy to get discouraged and fall off the tracks completely.


You have to be real with yourself and set some realistic and achievable goals. If you’re


Woman lifting weights

starting off at zero, even a 30 minute gym sesh once a week is a great improvement! 


Like I said before, if you’re new to working out, you can get away with less workouts throughout the week and still see results. If you’re a bit more advanced however, you’re probably going to need to increase the volume a bit to keep progressing, which can also mean that instead of 2 workouts, you now show up for 3.


All in all, you should look to set realistic and attainable goals for you! You’ll be more likely to stay consistent and achieve them. If you aim too high and get overzealous, you’re more likely to get discouraged and quit altogether.


 

Another aspect of this question is how often should you train a single body part?


Good question! You should aim for approximately 10-20 sets per muscle group per week. 


One thing to remember is that those compound exercises we mentioned earlier usually work more than one muscle group. For example, deadlifts can be counted towards not only working your hamstrings, but your back as well!


There’s a lot of variance on what range works best based upon the individual. In order for you to find your optimal range, you’re going to need to test them out and listen to your body. 


Let’s say you’re looking to grow your glutes. Start off at 10 sets per week hitting the glutes, stay consistent for a few weeks and monitor your results. Don’t really see much improvement? Try increasing that now to 15 sets per week targeting the glutes. Monitor again for a few weeks and see if you’ve made any gains. Repeat the process and see what works best for you!


Whether talking about training frequency or hitting up a muscle frequency, here are some other things to keep in mind: 


  • You should generally feel good and energetic during and after a workout and not overly sore, exhausted, or burnt out

  • You should be able to train hard during your next workout and not have excessive soreness

  • You’re able to do other things in life like spending time with family and friends, work, and other obligations, and not feel confined by your workout regimen

  • Your hunger and appetite are in check (i.e. you’re not feeling ravished after a workout)


If you check all these boxes, you’re probably training at an appropriate level - hurray! If you’ve got some or all of the negatives from this list, though, then some modifications need to be made to make your training experience a more pleasant and successful one.


TL;DR: Aim to train at least twice a week ideally and work each muscle group in the range of 10-20 sets per week. Set realistic goals and expectations, and listen to your body.



7.  What About Other Forms Of Exercise That Isn’t Strength Training?


Great question, and other forms of exercise are still very important to overall health - especially cardiovascular exercise!


One of the most common and feasible ways of getting in some cardio is through moderate or low intensity cardio. 


This can literally be anything. Most people think of running, using the elliptical, or hopping on a bike, when in reality, it can be those things, as well as anything that gets the heart pumping a bit higher than normal. 

Kickboxing class

This could be:


  • Going for a hike

  • Playing soccer with your kids

  • Swimming

  • Intense yoga

  • Kickboxing Classes

  • Circuit training


Think of low or moderate intensity cardio as a 5 or a 6 on a scale of 10, with a 10 being the most intense. When doing this type of exercise, you should be able to carry on a normal conversation, but it just might be a bit more breathy than normal.


If you’re a bit more advanced, you can ramp up the intensity a little bit, bringing it up to a 7-10/10 on the intensity scale. 


This can include:

  • Uphill running

  • Sprint intervals

  • Crossfit-style workouts


At this intensity, you should be basically panting and barely able to speak, it should be getting uncomfortable, and this level should be hard to sustain for a longer period of time. 


The reason that this is for more advanced people is that this style is more taxing on the body, and somebody that’s new might not be ready yet physically or mentally for these higher intensities.


Choosing which method is best for you depends on your goals, training level, and your personal preference. If you hate sprints, you absolutely don’t need to do them. Hate the elliptical (I know I do), you don’t need to do it. Pick something you like to do, at the appropriate level for you, and something you can stick to in the long run.


You want to aim for at least one or two cardio sessions a week. The duration, again, will depend on your current level. You can even start with as little as a 5 minute cardio workout, and from there, try to add 30s next time, then another 30s, and another 30s, …


Another thing we at Delta Kinesiology highly encourage is to try to add extra movement throughout your day. This is usually going to be on the lower intensity side, but it’s a great way to get your body moving and your heart pumping just a little more, and who couldn’t use more of that?


This could look like:


  • Going for an after dinner walk around the block

  • Parking a little farther from the store so you have to walk a little more

  • Carrying your groceries in bags instead of using a buggy

  • Taking the stairs instead of the elevator


You want to pick a form of cardio that you enjoy and stay consistent with. Remember, your heart is a muscle too!



8.  Does Strength Training Mean I Have To Use Weights?


The answer to that is no, although using weights is probably the most common and convenient way people strength train.  


Strength training is when your muscles work against resistance - but that resistance could be anything! 


So if you don’t have a gym membership, or don’t have weights at home, don’t sweat it. You can use literally anything to load up your muscles.


Anything from:

  • Your own body weight

  • Resistance bands

  • Grocery bags

  • Your backpack

  • Water when you’re swimming


Get creative with your workouts! 


You don’t need to have an expensive or bougie gym membership to improve your fitness.


You work from home and have enough space on your living room carpet to crank out some pushups? Perfect!


Outdoor workout parks are popping up all over the place it seems, so try to make use of them. Not only can you get a good workout swinging off some of the bars there, but you can also get some fresh air and sunlight. 


Even without weights, as long as you’re training at an appropriate level and intensity, you’ll be able to stress your body enough for it to need to adapt and see improvements. 



9.  What About Recovery? 


Recovery is often overlooked when it comes to starting a new workout regimen. Everyone always focuses their attention on the workouts and how many sets and what weights they should be using. 


Remember, you stress the muscles when you workout. Afterwards, during the recovery period, your body starts to repair itself and build more muscle to better adapt to the stress.


In other words, if you want to reap the rewards of all the hard work you put into working out, you need to also focus on your recovery.


Now, recovery doesn’t just mean rest. While rest is a component to it, there’s more. 


Nutrition is a huge aspect not only in recovery, but also in health in general. If you’re looking to recover after a workout, you need to ensure you’re consuming the right amount of calories for your goals, and, especially if you’re looking to build muscle, you have to make sure you’re getting in enough protein. You can read more about optimal protein intake in our recent article here: How Much Protein Do You Really Need?


Sleeping Zzz's

Sleep is when our bodies act to rebuild and repair muscles and tissues after they’ve been stressed. If you’re not sleeping enough, your body simply isn’t going to have enough time to get the job done. You want to aim for anywhere between 7-9 hours of sleep a night, and you want to make sure it’s good quality sleep too. 


One last aspect to keep in mind for recovery is your stress levels. Too much stress in your everyday life can impede how well your body recovers from the stress you put on it working out. Try to incorporate some ways that will help lower your stress levels throughout the day. This could look like practising mindfulness, deep breathing, or going outside for a quick walk.


Your recovery should be as high of a priority as your actual strength training. If you can’t recover from the stress you put on your body, you simply won’t see any improvements. So if that’s the case for you, where you’re not seeing any results despite months of work put in the gym, you may need to reevaluate what you’re doing outside the gym that could be interfering with that. 



10.  How Do I Stay Consistent?


One of the most important aspects to any fitness plan (and any goal in general, really), is being consistent. Even with a mediocre training program you can still see improvements as long as you stick with it. 


Some days will be easier than others, your motivation may fluctuate, your body may be feeling a bit more tired than usual, maybe the trek to the gym feels unbearable. There are going to be off days. There are going to be days where you’re only able to give 60%, maybe even less. 


But you know what? That’s still better than 0.


What helps people stay consistent? In my experience, it’s a good program, a good coach, and a good environment. 


A program you actually enjoy and look forward to completing, one that makes you feel stronger and grows your confidence.


A coach that is in your corner wanting you to succeed, guiding you to where you want to go.


A supportive and encouraging environment of people and space that inspires you and helps push you towards your goals.


After a number of years of coaching and helping dozens of people work towards their fitness goals, having this winning combination is what makes people consistent. 


Even when life throws a curveball, it’s these things that bring people back and ready to get working again.


So take this advice and look for a coach that you vibe with, a group of people that will support you through your struggles and celebrate your wins, and a program that works for you. You’ll be better for it.




Start Your Fitness Jouney Today


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If you don’t know where to start, or are having trouble staying consistent, get in touch with us today.


Our goal at Delta Kinesiology is to help women reach their health and fitness goals regardless of age, ability, or experience level. We tailor each session using evidence-based principles and methods to help you reach your goals. Whether that be going about your day pain-free, building muscle, improving stamina, or feeling better about yourself, we are here to help.


Get in touch with us today to schedule a free consult by clicking the link below.

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