Upper body workout for women at home in the gym

A V-shaped figure means broad shoulders, a powerful back, a developed chest and a narrow waist - with a narrow waist being key on the list. The upper part of the body looks massive only in contrast with the lower half - otherwise the figure takes on a square shape.

That being said, basic strength exercises are designed to build a bulkier physique rather than broaden your back. If you want to achieve a V-shaped body, you need to pay increased attention to training your back and arms at different angles.

The role of sports training in modern life

Currently, a woman strives not so much for equality with a man, but for her own self-sufficiency. By developing and pumping up all areas of her personality, she gains independence and self-confidence. This provides a colossal resource for moving in the rapid flow of life. But self-confidence is largely related to the feeling of external attractiveness. Nowadays, a woman strives to be slim, healthy, fit. And this is impossible without the use of physical exercise. The key to excellent shape is regular physical activity.

Stretching is an important part of warming up

good stretching is the basis for proper exercise.
Dynamic stretching is needed to give elasticity to muscles and mobility to joints. Training them before the main workout helps to achieve the required range of movements of the arms, legs, and the greatest depth of squats. Usually these are simple bends to the sides and forward, rotations of the arms, shoulders, lunges. It takes 8-10 minutes.

Stretching for a specific muscle group is also performed before the first approach when changing exercises.

The importance of upper body training for women

Physical activity in itself brings tangible results to improve the appearance of any person. Upper body training for girls is very important. Physiologically, this is how it is arranged; usually the problem areas in a woman’s figure are the hips and buttocks, but a woman cannot do without a proportional upper belt. Upper body training for women is important primarily because it develops beautiful posture, which greatly influences the clarity of the oval of the face. In addition, such training allows you to develop and strengthen your back muscles. And this contributes to a more defined waistline. It has long been known: if you don’t have a waist, lose weight, work on your lower body and upper body. Upper body workouts for women can also strengthen your arms and armpits.

Two-day program for beginners

The purpose of this plan is to adapt the body to further stress. The program is designed for 6-8 weeks, helps to shape your figure, increase endurance and strength. On its basis, you can later build a three-day program by adding the necessary exercises. This plan is suitable for both those who want to lose weight and women who want to gain weight.

The optimal days for training are Monday and Thursday, or Tuesday and Saturday. Cardio can be added between strength training sessions if desired.

The first day:

crunches on the floor or on a bench are the best movement for working out the abs; it is used as a warm-up, as it warms up the back extensors;
The bench press is a good isolated movement for the hips and glutes;
horizontal block pull to the chest - working the latissimus and upper back, muscles of the shoulder girdle and biceps;
lunges with an elastic band or dumbbells are the best basic movement for working the lower body;
leg curls in a lying machine - an exercise to tone the back of the thigh, an excellent prevention of cellulite;
chest press - a movement that simultaneously strengthens both the pectoral muscles and triceps;
standing dumbbell overhead press (French press) is another movement to strengthen the triceps, which is often a problem area in women;
hyperextension is an effective basic movement for anyone who wants to have strong abs, firm buttocks and a healthy lower back.

Absolutely each of the listed exercises is performed in 3 sets of 15 times. During the first workout, you can reduce the number of repetitions to 10, but from the second day of training you should perform strictly according to the recommendations.

Second training day program:

lifting legs on parallel bars - to strengthen the abs and lumbar area;
squats (with a barbell, dumbbells or in a Smith machine) are one of the best basic movements for the buttocks and thighs;
pulling the upper block behind the head - a movement to strengthen the upper back, forms correct posture;
bringing the legs together in the simulator is an isolated exercise for working the inner thigh;
raising the legs in the simulator is the opposite of the previous movement, it perfectly loads the outer thighs;
seated dumbbell press - a movement for beautiful, strong shoulders and triceps;
Seated leg extension - an exercise to strengthen the front of the thigh;
“butterfly” hand pinch – to work the pectoral muscles;
crunches on an inclined bench - strengthening the abs and lumbar region.

As you can see, there are quite a lot of exercises, all are performed three times 15 times. Rest between sets - no more than two minutes, between different exercises - no more than five minutes. Be sure to start your workout with a warm-up for 5-10 minutes; it is also recommended to do a cool-down after the workout - this will reduce muscle pain the next day, stretch the ligaments and relieve tension in stressed muscles.

The essence of the program is to work out the whole body in one day. To do this, the plan alternates between basic and isolated exercises. This approach allows you not to clog the muscles too quickly. Weight is selected individually. Every week it should be increased by 10-20%, depending on your own feelings. After two months, it is recommended to review the program, preferably switch to three workouts per week.

Home workouts

If a woman has never exercised before, she can start with home exercises. It is better to start upper body workouts for women with light weights. To do this, you will need a mat and small dumbbells weighing 0.5 and 1 kg. Any workout should always begin with a warm-up. Upper body exercises for girls are very diverse. One day it is better to do exercises for the arms and back, and another day for the chest. It is better to combine the development of the pectoral muscles with abdominal training. At the end of classes, it is necessary to stretch those muscle groups that were actively involved.

Exercise technique

The best time for exercise therapy is morning or evening. Exercises should be done smoothly, slowly, after warming up.

When performing exercise therapy, pay attention to your body’s reaction. If severe discomfort, pain in the heart, or back occurs, the training should be stopped or the load reduced.

You need to exercise daily, unless your doctor says otherwise. For therapeutic exercises to bring results, the load must be increased slowly: start with 3-4 repetitions, after a week do ten (no more).

At first, exercise therapy should be performed under the supervision of a doctor. He will show you how to practice correctly and correct any inaccuracies. He will tell you when to increase the number of repetitions and the load.

Basic complex

A set of upper body workouts for girls must include push-ups. This is necessary to strengthen your arms and back. Women's push-ups are best performed from the knees. You should pay attention to the technique: the wrists should be strictly under the shoulder joints, there should be no arching in the lower back, the elbows should not look to the sides, but pressed to the body. To begin with, you can perform the exercise three times with 10-15 repetitions. A good exercise for strengthening the back muscles is hyperextension. At home, you can simplify this exercise and perform it lying on your stomach and lifting only the upper part of your body. This should be performed at least three times, 10-15 repetitions each. Flexion and extension are the best exercises for the arms. When bending, the biceps of the shoulder actively works, and when extending, the triceps. Should be performed three times for 10-15 repetitions

Warm up first

You need to start with a warm-up.
Even if you want to fly up to the apparatus and, without wasting time, begin the “pumping up” part, doing this is unacceptable. There is an immutable rule - to begin training for a program of any level with a warm-up. It is a mistake to neglect it, considering it an unproductive pastime. It will warm up the ligamentous apparatus, muscles and joints, thereby protecting against injury.

First they warm up in the cardio zone. 10 minutes of running followed by “climbing uphill” on a treadmill is shown. An elliptical (ski) is also suitable. By simultaneously using the muscles of the arms, back, hips, and buttocks, you can quickly get into athletic shape. Pulse up to 100-120 beats/min. as a result of aerobic exercise for the good. Due to the influx of oxygen, the muscles are filled with blood and cardiovascular and metabolic activity increases.

Exercises in the gym

Gym training for beginners is best done with an individual instructor. If this is not possible, then it is also worth dividing the load on the muscles of the back and arms and training for the chest muscles. As an exercise for girls on the upper body, to strengthen the back muscles, rows of the upper block and horizontal block are well suited. It is worth noting that when performing, the effort must be made using the back muscles, not the arms. Both of these exercises should be performed, if possible, in three sets, each of 10-15 repetitions. The weight should not be very heavy, the goal of the exercise is to strengthen. For arm muscles in the gym, you can also perform exercises with dumbbells for biceps and triceps. Swinging arms with dumbbells to the sides is very good at drawing the lines of the shoulders. In this case, the arms should be slightly bent at the elbows, and the shoulder line should rise to parallel with the floor. Elbows should be at the level of the shoulder joint.

Top 5 exercises for any age

In fact, almost all movements that are aimed at strengthening the spinal muscles and arching the spine will be effective. You can create your own complex to eliminate slouched back, or do the ones we suggested every day.

Forward facing bends

This is a simple warm-up exercise that is great even for older people. The point is to support yourself with your hands, take a long step and slowly bend forward. Start doing this from the wall, then you can do it with a chair, leaning on the back. Stretch, opening your shoulder blades. Do 8-10 approaches.

From a lying position

This is how we correct not only problems with posture, but also with intervertebral discs and clamps.
Lie on the mat on your stomach, stretch your arms forward, tense your legs and do the “Boat” (Superman), arching at the lower back and lifting your palms and feet. For those over 50, lifting your legs may be difficult, in which case you should try doing a backbend with a chair. Place a chair in front of you, lie on your stomach so that your hands are on both sides, approximately in the middle of the seat. Bend over, raise your arms, place them on a chair and stretch. Fix your body for a few seconds and return to the starting position.

Sitting on my knees

The most effective exercises for slouching are sometimes very simple. Sit on the floor on your knees, grab your feet with your hands and try to stretch, starting from your shoulders. Bring your shoulder blades together, bend, lower your arms. You can return to the starting position, or simply sway while sitting like this.

On all fours

One option is the “Cat” exercise. Bend as if trying to crawl under a low obstacle. We start forward, bend the thoracic region, then move the body a little forward and bend at the lower back, raising the chest. Now the same thing - back.

The second version of gymnastics against slouching is to lift your straight leg up in the same position, throw your head back, and stretch. We change the leg. 6-8 times is enough to start with, then increase the repetitions.

With a stick

Not everyone has gymnastic sticks, but that doesn’t matter.
For example, a mop handle, a vacuum cleaner pipe, a piece of water pipe or something similar will do. Place it behind your back and hold it with bent elbows as you twist from side to side. By the way, one of the reasons why a person slouches is simple forgetfulness to keep his back straight. If you don’t know how to stop slouching, sit with this stick in front of the TV or even at the computer, and as soon as you try to bend, it will put pressure on your spine. Typing this way is not very convenient, but watching TV series or using the mouse is fine. This will help you become accustomed to the correct posture.

You can, of course, buy a posture brace or corset, but a stick is much cheaper.

Finally, we’ll tell you about one more way to learn to walk upright without slouching : put an old notebook (or a book, if you don’t mind) on your head and walk around the house like that. If you drop it, it means that without noticing it, you are slouching. Try to maintain the correct position.

Try to see what happens if you make this set of exercises your daily exercise. Many people note that after just a couple of weeks they began to hunch much less, and after a month their back became noticeably stronger.

Exercises for chest muscles

For upper body training for women in the gym, to strengthen the pectoral muscles, an exercise on the butterfly machine is perfect. When performing, you need to make sure that your arms do not sag and that the effort is not made with your hands. You can also perform the barbell press while lying on a bench. To begin with, you can perform bench presses with an empty bar. Home exercises can also be done in the gym. Perform all exercises in three sets of 10-15 times.

In addition to the described upper body training exercises for girls, there are many others. Also, do not be afraid that huge muscle mass will immediately grow and the woman will begin to resemble a man. The peculiarity of female physiology is that the upper part of the body contains fewer muscles than the lower part. In addition, it should be remembered that muscle growth is determined by a certain level of the hormone testosterone. In women, its level is very low.

As mentioned earlier, you should do a warm-up routine before training. After training, stretch. Upper body exercises can be incorporated into a full body circuit workout. Such workouts are very effective for strengthening the muscle corset, promoting weight loss and shaping a slender silhouette.

How are training programs different?

Training program for girls who want to lose weight

Combine strength and cardio training. The latter will allow Effects of aerobic and/or resistance training on body mass and fat mass in overweight or obese adults to spend more calories, and strength exercises will pump up muscles and help a thin body look even cooler.

How often to exercise. To reach your goal, set aside time each week for 3 strength training sessions and 2 cardio sessions. The latter can be of two types: 30–60 minutes on cardio equipment or 20–30 minutes of intense circuit training if you are not ready to go to the gym five times a week.
How much exercise to do? Unless otherwise directed, do 5 sets of 6–12 reps.
How to eat. Create a calorie deficit: spend more than you consume.

Training program for girls who want to build muscles

If you don't have extra pounds, eliminate cardio exercises and focus on strength training.

How often to exercise. Plan 3 of these workouts per week with at least 48 hours of rest in between.
How much exercise to do? Unless otherwise directed, do 5 sets of 6–12 reps.
How to eat. Add more protein-rich foods to your diet or buy protein powder. To build muscle, you should consume 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

Training program for girls who want to be in good shape

You need both cardio and strength training. The first will help you become more resilient, pump up your heart and respiratory system. The second will make you stronger.

How often to exercise. Count on 3 strength training sessions per week. At the end of each session, exercise on cardio equipment for 15–20 minutes.
How much exercise to do? Unless otherwise directed, do 3 sets of 6-12 reps.
How to eat. Try to eat a healthy diet, eating more vegetables and fruits and at least 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

If you have cardiovascular or musculoskeletal problems, consult your doctor before going to the gym. If you have old injuries, problems with the spine, or joint pain, it is better to find a good trainer.

Periodization of loads and dependence on the cycle

The main mistake of trainers and women themselves is not to adjust the program depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle. The fact is that in women, progress slows down significantly in the second phase of the cycle. The process of gaining muscle mass after ovulation slows down, but overall endurance increases. These features of the female body must be used in strength training to achieve better results.

During the follicular phase, or before ovulation, the body responds well to heavy loads. Moreover, during this period, glycogen is stored very quickly, so you can exercise longer and more efficiently.
On the days of ovulation, the amount of estrogen increases sharply, and the amount of testosterone decreases. It is not possible to exercise intensively, as fatigue sets in quickly.
After ovulation and before the start of the next cycle, it is recommended to focus on doing cardio, as the fat burning process accelerates during this period.
Directly during menstruation, it is recommended to either take a break or exercise according to a simplified program, loading mainly the upper body, without working the abs and buttocks. During this period, you can limit yourself to isolated exercises.

Taking these nuances into account, every woman can achieve good results with regular training. Nutrition should be adjusted depending on what the girl’s goal is - to lose weight or increase body weight. In any case, you need to eat properly and balanced.