Workouts improve your strength, but they also build your confidence. Your mind is so powerful that your body will do anything you tell it to. Use that power to raise the intensity of your strength and conditioning workouts to a level that challenges you. The results you discover when you step outside the ordinary are worth the journey. The next time you head to the gym armed with the protection of your workout gloves, enhance your physique and your self confidence with these five empowering strength and conditioning workouts for women. Complete one to three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions.
1. Close-Grip Bench Press
This variation on a traditional bench press increases the challenge to your chest and triceps. Lie face up on a flat bench and grasp a barbell with your hands slightly closer than a shoulders-width apart. Unrack the bar and position it over your chest. Bend both elbows and slowly lower the bar toward your chest. Keep your elbows close to your body. Then, straighten both arms and press up the barbell.
2. Kettlebell Swings
Grasp a kettlebell handle with both hands. Stand with your feet approximately 3-feet apart and your toes slightly turned outward. Begin with your arms along your torso with the kettlebell hanging between your legs. Bend both knees as you swing the kettlebell underneath you. Quickly, straighten your legs as you swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height. Keep your arms straight throughout the movement.
3. Preacher Curls
Position the seat height so your elbows are in the middle of the pad when you are seated. Hold onto an EZ-curl bar with your palms facing up and your arms straight. Exhale, bend your elbows and raise the bar toward your shoulders. Inhale, straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
4. Pull-Ups
Add pull-ups into your strength and conditioning workouts to tone and strengthen your upper body. Begin with a modification until you are able to complete pull-ups on your own. Place a chair underneath the pull-up bar. Grasp the bar with your palms facing forward and your hands wider than your shoulders. Hang with your arms straight. Position the tops of your feet on the chair and press into the chair for assistance as needed. Bend your elbows and raise your chin as high as the bar. Slowly straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
