The ideal total body workout for women should be quick, effective and intense. Your fitness goals are important and when you begin to see results quickly, you are more likely to stick with your workout routines. Bodyweight exercises such as push-ups and sit-ups are part of the total body workout for women, but you also need to go beyond the weight of your body and use challenging weight loads. For instance, lifting barbells, dumbbells and medicine balls to reach a large portion of your muscle tissues. When using equipment, wear workout gloves to protect your hands from small cuts and from developing calluses.
Complete the total-body workout three times a week with at least one day of rest between sessions. Perform 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of the following exercises:
Front Squat to Press– Stand with your feet a hips-distance apart. Grasp a barbell at your waist with your arms straight and palms facing you. Bend your elbows to rack the weight at the fronts of your shoulders with your palms facing away. Bend your knees and hips and lower into a squat. Keep your weight pressed into your heels. Straighten your legs to return to standing. Press the barbell overhead by extending your arms. Move your head back slightly to avoid the bar. Then, lower the bar to your chest and repeat.
Stiff Legged Deadlifts– Stay standing and keep the barbell in front of your thighs with your palms facing you. Look forward as you bend from the waist and lower the weight toward the floor. As you lower the weight, keep it as close to your legs as possible. Aim to have your knees bent only slightly. When you have lowered as far as possible without bending your knees, squeeze your backside and return to a standing position.
Hammer Curls– Stand tall and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other. Bend your elbows while keeping them at your sides and raise the weights toward your shoulders. Slowly straighten your arms to return to start.
Wood Chops– Stand with your right foot slightly in front of your left. Hold onto a medicine ball with both hands. Keep your arms straight as you raise the ball on an angle out over your right shoulder. Keep the ball close to you as you quickly move the ball toward your left hip. Return to start using a quick, swinging motion.
