A gym workout program for women

What research says

The meta-analysis by Roberts, Nuckols and Krieger (2020) compared how men and women respond to the same strength program. Muscle growth and relative lower-body strength gains were similar, and women actually gained more relative upper-body strength. So one program works for everyone; nothing "women's" is required.

The difference is the starting point: on average women have less upper-body muscle mass, so pressing and pulling weights are lower. That's not a reason to train lighter — it's a reason to compare yourself only with yourself.

Myths

• "You'll get bulky." Muscle grows slowly for everyone, and for most women especially. Heavy sets make you stronger and more toned, not "huge" in a couple of months.
• "Women should do lots of reps with light weights." Muscle grows with heavy and light loads if the set is close to failure (Schoenfeld, Grgic, Ogborn, Krieger, 2017). A light weight for 30 reps just takes longer.
• "Ab work burns belly fat." Fat doesn't come off locally; you train abs for the abs.

If the goal is glutes and legs

It's the most common goal, and the bot has "Glutes and legs — 3 days" for it. The lower body gets three workouts, and the glutes work in two ways: bridges and abductions load them directly, Romanian deadlifts and lunges load them in a stretch. The upper body gets the minimum so it doesn't fall behind.

The key exercises are the hip thrust, Romanian deadlift, Bulgarian split squat and squat. How the glutes work and what else trains them is on the glutes page.

If the goal is the whole body

If you want strength and shape all over, take full body three days or two days — the same programs as for any beginner. After six to twelve months, move to "Upper / Lower".

Most people can't do a pull-up at the start — that's normal. Begin with lat pulldowns and band-assisted pull-ups: in a few months your first unassisted pull-ups become a real goal. Choosing a first program is covered in the beginner program guide.

Weights and progress

Use a weight where the last 1–3 reps of a set are hard. In a "3×10–12" scheme, get 12 on every set, then add weight — that's double progression. On presses a 2.5 kg jump is big, so reps rise more often and weight less often; on hip thrusts and deadlifts the weight climbs faster.

Your cycle, sleep and stress can shift your strength from week to week — that's normal. Look at the trend over a month, not one workout: I chart every exercise.

Where to start

Take a program in the bot or the app: Programs → Ready-made programs → pick one → Add it. In the first week go light — the job is to learn the movements. Every exercise in the program, with photos and a technique breakdown, is in exercises.

If something in the program doesn't suit you, swap the exercise: each one has substitutes for the same muscle. Unsure about your form? Film a set and send it to the coach for review.

A sample week

"Glutes and legs — 3 days": Monday is the heavy glute day (barbell glute bridge, Romanian deadlift, Bulgarian split squat, cable kickback, hip abduction machine), Wednesday is quads (squat, leg press, leg extensions and curls, calves), Friday is glutes plus light upper body (lunges, bodyweight glute bridge, back extension, lat pulldown, seated dumbbell press, plank).

Almost all the week's volume goes to the lower body: the quads and glutes get the most sets — you can see it in the volume table on the program page. If you want more upper body, add a fourth day — the upper day from "Upper / Lower" — or swap Friday for it.

Common questions

Should I train during my period? It's your call, based on how you feel. Many people train as usual; if you have less energy, do a lighter session with lower weights — that's normal, not a skipped day.

Are there special exercises "for women"? No. Hip abductions and bridges are just glute exercises; men do them too. You choose a program by goal, not gender.

Lose weight or gain? Strength training matters either way: when cutting it helps keep muscle, when gaining it builds muscle. The difference is food, not the program. More on protein and surplus in the muscle gain program guide.

Read next

• Glutes & Legs — 3 Days
• Full Body — 3 Days
• Muscles
• Beginner gym workout program