The Benefits of Weightlifting
Whether you’ve been a cardio warrior and are looking to switch up your routine, or you’re new to working out entirely, strength training is here for you. The benefits of strength training for women (and men!) are abundant. With consistent effort, you’ll experience increased muscle mass and strength, more muscle tone, and decreased body fat. You’ll also likely gain better balance and coordination, bone density, and heart health, according to the Mayo Clinic.
If you're feeling nervous to start a new weight training routine in the gym, we’re here to make it simple. Certified strength coach Britany Williams joined adidas for a day in the gym to show seven strength exercises for women that anyone can try. With a mix of dumbbells, fixed weight bars, and standard machines, you can do all seven of these moves for a full-body women’s strength workout, or just pick a few to get comfortable with the flow of a new gym.
Women’s Strength Workout: 7 Full Body Exercises
- With each exercise you’ll find recommended weight ranges, but pick what feels right for you. If you can do 10 to 12 reps, with the last few reps feeling challenging but doable, then that’s the right weight to start with.
- When using any new machines, take the time to read the instructions and get the equipment set up properly.
- Complete three sets of each exercise, with 30 seconds to one minute of rest between each set.
01. Dumbbell Goblet Squat
Equipment and Reps:
1 dumbbell: 12-20 lbs
3 sets of 10-12 reps
Instructions:
- You’ll start by holding one dumbbell vertically against your chest, cupping the head of the dumbbell with your palms.
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width, toes turned out slightly.
- Keep your chest lifted and elbows pointing down as you sit your hips back and down like you’re lowering onto a chair.
- The goal is to go as low as you can while keeping your heels down and knees tracking over your toes. Your chest should stay upright instead of tipping forward towards the ground.
- Press through your heels to stand back up. Repeat the movement, inhaling as you lower, exhaling as you press up.
02. Dumbbell Chest Press
Equipment and Reps:
1 flat bench
2 dumbbells: 8-15 lbs per hand
3 sets of 10-12 reps
Instructions:
- If your bench is adjustable, make sure it’s set parallel to the ground. Lie with your back on your back with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Start with arms extended straight above your chest. Palms face forward, angled slightly in to make a wide V-shape with your thumbs closer to your head than your pinkie fingers.
- Lower the weights slowly until your elbows are at a 45° angle from your body. Push the dumbbells back up until your arms are straight again. Inhale as you lower, exhale as you press up.
- Form cue: Your elbows should lower down by your ribcage instead of being wide and in line with your shoulders. You can alternate arms one arm at a time if you need a quick modification while you get accustomed to the exercise.
03. Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
Equipment and Reps:
1 fixed weight bar or 2 dumbbells: 20-40 lbs
3 sets of 10-12 reps
Instructions:
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding the bar in front of your thighs.
- Soften your knees slightly and push your hips back towards the wall behind you and lower the bar down your legs.
- Inhale as you lower until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings (usually mid-shin), then exhale and drive your hips forward to stand back up.
- Form cue: To minimize any back pain, keep the bar close to your body and your back flat. To master the hinge motion, imagine using your glutes to close a car door — the movement is a back and forward movement, not an up and down movement (like a squat). Check out our in-depth tutorial for more details on how to do a deadlift.
04. Seated Shoulder Press
Equipment and Reps:
1 bench (with or without back support)
2 dumbbells: 8-12 lbs per hand
3 sets of 10-12 reps
Instructions:
- Sit on a flat bench or an inclined seated position. Having the bench on an incline will help support your back and core and allow you to lift heavier. But if you only have a flat bench, it’s still a great exercise that will target your core more.
- With your feet flat on the floor and core engaged, hold a dumbbell in each hand with elbows bent at shoulder height, palms facing forward.
- Press both arms straight up until they’re fully extended overhead. This is the starting position.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells to shoulder height. Press both arms straight up until they’re fully extended again. This is one rep.
- Form cue: Keep your elbows slightly in front of you, instead of directly out to the side like goal posts. Avoid over-arching your back, especially if seated without back support.
- Alternate arms one arm at a time if you need a quick modification while you get accustomed to the exercise.
05. Dead bug
Equipment and Reps:
Bodyweight
Optional 2 dumbbells: 3-8 lbs per hand
3 sets of 6-8 reps per side
Instructions:
- Lie on your back with knees bent at 90° above your hips and arms reaching straight up.
- Exhale and brace your core, drawing your ribcage down and wrapping your abs in and up towards your navel.
- Inhale as you slowly extend your right leg and left arm toward the floor at the same time until they are as close to parallel as you can get them without arching your back. Exhale as you return to center and repeat on the other side.
- Form cue: To make it easier, keep your knees bent as you tap each toe to the floor instead of bringing the leg straight.
- To make the exercise more challenging, hold a pair of light dumbbells as you lower.
06. Bent Over Row
Equipment and Reps:
1 fixed weight bar: 20-30 lbs
3 sets of 10-12 reps
Instructions:
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding the bar in both hands with an overhand grip shoulder width apart.
- Hinge at your hips, keeping your back flat and core engaged, until your torso is angled about 45 degrees forward.
- Exhale as you pull the bar towards your navel, keeping your elbows close to your body. Inhale and lower the bar back to the starting position with control.
- Form cue: To avoid back pain, keep the bar over the laces of your shoes. Avoid shrugging your shoulders to pull the weight up, your back muscles should be lifting the weight, not your arms.
07. Leg Extension
Equipment and Reps:
Leg extension machine: 20-40 lbs
3 sets of 10-12 reps
Instructions:
- Adjust the seat so your knees line up with the machine’s pivot point (the round part of the machine where it rotates). Place your shins under the padded bar and flex your feet. Hold onto the handles and sit back fully against the seat.
- Adjust weight selection to the desired weight. You can also keep the pin out of the weight to get the hang of the exercise first.
- Exhale as you straighten your legs, stopping just before your knees fully lock out. Inhale and lower with control — don’t let the weight slam down.
- Form cue: Focus on contracting your quads, not just moving the pad up and down with your shins.
Sticking with Your New Routine
Be proud of yourself for beginning your women’s weightlifting journey! This workout is a solid full body session you can repeat a couple of times per week, and as you get more comfortable you can start to explore other strength exercises, or add cardio before or after your workout for extra benefits. Just remember, the best route to seeing progress is to stay consistent week after week.
If you’ve struggled with sticking to a fitness routine in the past, Williams suggests a few ways to stay on track: “One, simplify your routine, and two, make sure that you're still making space for having fun. I think a lot of times we stick to the routines that we think we should be doing versus the ones we find enjoyable,” said Williams. “Once you've gotten the habit built of showing up consistently and having fun, that's when I would start to layer in those exercises to achieve your goals or to achieve a certain level of health.” You can explore other workout formats like functional strength training, cardio exercise, and core strengthening workouts to round out your routine.
Even if you’re stepping into the weights section for the first time ever, we encourage you to go with confidence. “The cool thing about the gym is it’s full of people who have been in your exact same shoes and have been beginners before,” said Williams. Read our list of common gym injuries and how to avoid them if you’re new to the gym entirely, and check the adidas blog for more workouts and tips throughout your fitness journey.