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Achieve Total Fitness With This Full Body Workout For Women

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Achieving a strong, healthy body doesn’t have to mean long, complicated workout routines or training every day. Full-body training is an efficient, effective way to boost strength, build lean muscle, and improve your health. 

This routine offers versatility, allowing you to add exercises or adjust intensity based on your progress. It encourages a well-rounded approach to fitness by incorporating both strength and endurance elements.

Below is a full-body workout for women that’s easy to follow and adaptable to your lifestyle. With commitment and consistency, you will achieve lasting improvements in strength, stamina, and confidence.

Full Body Workout Routine For Women

This full-body routine for women targets all major muscle groups for balanced strength, endurance, and overall fitness. Each workout combines compound and isolation movements to enhance muscle tone, boost functional strength, and improve posture. 

Full Body Workout For Women

This program is designed to target all major muscle groups while balancing strength, endurance, and recovery. Each session builds functional fitness and promotes muscle balance. The varied exercises ensure comprehensive training, preventing overuse or neglect of any areas.

This can be used as a beginner workout plan for women or adapted with additional exercises for more experienced athletes. Follow this full-body gym workout for women program for six to eight weeks, then assess your progress. Adjust weights and intensity to match your experience and fitness level. 

You can program your weekly schedule to suit your routine. One approach is to cycle through the workouts on whichever days you go to the gym. Alternatively, you can try a more structured schedule of training for 2 days and then resting. For example:

  • Monday: Workout A.
  • Tuesday: Workout B.
  • Wednesday: Rest.
  • Thursday: Workout C.
  • Friday: Workout D.
  • Saturday: Rest.
  • Sunday: Rest.

Workout A

Workout A starts with some of the cornerstones of lower-body power. The squat and leg press target the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. In addition, the rear foot elevated split squat enhances unilateral leg strength, balance, and stability. This can help to address muscle imbalances by forcing each leg to train independently.  

The overhead press develops shoulder strength and stability, improving pushing power for everyday tasks and athletic movements. Then, the one-arm dumbbell rows focus on the back, shoulders, triceps, and core, providing unilateral training for the upper body. The lat pulldown relies on the latissimus dorsi, enhancing pulling strength and stability. 

You can add additional exercises to the workouts to target smaller muscle groups with isolated exercises. This can provide even more well-rounded training and increase the challenge of your workouts. Optional exercises can include calf raises for greater lower body strength, ab rollouts to strengthen the core, and dumbbell shrugs to target the trapezius muscles.

Exercise

Sets

RepsRest (between sets)
Squat3–4 sets8–12 reps60–90 seconds
Leg Press3–4 sets8–12 reps60–90 seconds
Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat3–4 sets8–12 reps60–90 seconds
Overhead Press3–4 sets8–12 reps60–90 seconds
One-Arm Dumbbell Row2–3 sets12–15 reps60–90 seconds
Lat Pulldown2–3 sets12–15 reps60–90 seconds
Workout A

Workout B

This workout starts with goblet squats to strengthen the quads, glutes, and core. Next, dumbbell stiff-legged deadlifts activate the hamstrings and glutes, enhancing posterior chain strength and flexibility. Posterior chain resistance training is effective for reducing lower back pain.

Lateral lunges focus on the inner thighs, glutes, and hips, increasing lower-body mobility and balance. Then, the dumbbell bench press targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Pull-ups contribute to pulling strength and posture. To finish, the inverted row emphasizes the mid-back and biceps, rounding out your back training.

Optional additions include static core exercises such as planks or hollow body holds. Core stabilization exercises improve balance and help reduce lower back pain. Furthermore, these can be especially good as women are generally less fatigable than men during static muscle contraction tasks.

Exercise

Sets

RepsRest (between sets)
Goblet Squat3–4 sets8–12 reps60–90 seconds
Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift3–4 sets8–12 reps60–90 seconds
Lateral Lunge3–4 sets8–12 reps60–90 seconds
Dumbbell Bench Press3–4 sets8–12 reps60–90 seconds
Pull-Up2–3 sets12–15 reps60–90 seconds
Inverted Row2–3 sets12–15 reps60–90 seconds
Workout B

Workout C

Sumo deadlifts target your glutes, hamstrings, and inner thighs, enhancing lower-body strength and stability. Hip thrusts primarily work the glutes, with secondary engagement of the hamstrings, quads, and inner thighs.

The barbell row strengthens the upper and mid-back, supporting pulling movements and posture. Then, the seated dumbbell press focuses on the shoulders and triceps. Lateral raises isolate the lateral deltoids, developing more defined shoulders. Lastly, push-ups are a chest and tricep workout that also engages the shoulders and core for stability.

For a more challenging workout, you can include bicep and hammer curls for bicep development. The opposing grip of these exercises ensures both bicep heads are targeted equally.

Exercise

Sets

RepsRest (between sets)
Sumo Deadlift3–4 sets8–12 reps60–90 seconds
Hip Thrust3–4 sets8–12 reps60–90 seconds
Barbell Row3–4 sets8–12 reps60–90 seconds
Seated Dumbbell Press3–4 sets8–12 reps60–90 seconds
Lateral Raise2–3 sets12–15 reps60–90 seconds
Push-Up2–3 sets12–15 reps60–90 seconds
Workout C

Workout D

The first exercise of the final day is the plie squat, targeting the inner thighs, glutes, and quads. Then, the dumbbell rear lunges train unilateral stabilization and strength of the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. Both increase knee and hip mobility.

To complete the lower-body training, landmine Romanian deadlifts build posterior chain strength and endurance. The T-bar row engages the lats, mid-back, and rear deltoids for upper-body pulling power. Incline dumbbell bench presses focus on pushing strength in the upper chest, shoulders, and triceps. The upper-body training is rounded out by cable face pulls.

If you wish to extend your workout, opt for side planks or Russian twists. These exercises improve oblique strength and core stability for rotational control.

Exercise

Sets

RepsRest (between sets)
Plie Squat3–4 sets8–12 reps60–90 seconds
Dumbbell Rear Lunge3–4 sets8–12 reps60–90 seconds
Landmine Romanian Deadlift3–4 sets8–12 reps60–90 seconds
T-Bar Row3–4 sets8–12 reps60–90 seconds
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press2–3 sets12–15 reps60–90 seconds
Cable Face Pull2–3 sets12–15 reps60–90 seconds
Workout D

Benefits Of Full Body Training For Women

Strength And Functional Fitness

The CDC reported that only 20.4% of women met the guidelines for physical activity. Many women want to feel healthier in their daily lives but don’t know where to start. 

Full-body workouts enhance strength across all muscle groups, making daily tasks and movements easier and more efficient. Progressive overload in these workouts ensures steady improvement, allowing women to lift heavier, push harder, and achieve new milestones.

Exercises can often mimic real-life movements. For example, squats mirror sitting and standing up and calf raises and overhead presses mimic reaching for high things. As you get stronger in these exercises, daily movements become easier.

Fat Loss And Lean Muscle Growth

Fat Loss And Lean Muscle Growth
The full-body workout for women boosts fat loss without compromising muscle. Photo: natalia-shtorm/Freepik

Full-body training is highly efficient for burning calories and improving metabolism, making it ideal for fat loss and muscle development. Exercises that engage multiple muscle groups require more energy, increasing calorie expenditure during and after workouts.

Building lean body mass improves the body’s metabolic rate, helping women burn more calories throughout the day. This training style paired with a high-protein diet boosts fat loss without compromising muscle, resulting in a toned, defined physique.

Targeting all major muscle groups ensures well-rounded development and enhances overall body composition. Regular sessions keep metabolism elevated, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight long-term.

Efficient Training

This full-body workout routine for women maximizes results in less time, making it perfect for those with busy schedules. Instead of splitting training sessions by muscle groups, this approach efficiently targets all areas in one session.

Since fewer workout days are needed to see significant progress, this enables more time for effective recovery between training days. Furthermore, working the entire body simultaneously reduces the likelihood of skipping essential exercises or muscle groups. 

Short, effective workouts prevent burnout and keep energy levels high. This consistency encourages long-term adherence to fitness goals.

Tips To Make The Most Of A Full Body Workout 

  • Optimize your flexibility and range of motion during exercises by using dynamic stretches as a warm-up. 
  • Correct form is crucial for avoiding injuries and maximizing results. Move through a full range of motion and try not to rely on momentum.
  • You can alter your tempo to maximize your results. Slowing down your reps increases the time muscles remain under tension, thus, boosting endurance and encouraging muscle growth. 
  • Rest days are essential for muscle repair and progress. Engage in light active recovery strategies like stretching or walking to stay active and optimize recovery without straining your body. 
  • Adjust your routine if you feel overly fatigued or experience discomfort. Listening to your body helps avoid injuries and overtraining.
  • Include protein-rich foods post-workout as it is crucial for muscle repair and growth. Drinking plenty of water is equally important, as dehydration can hinder performance.  
  • As the workouts start to feel easier, slowly add more weight, reps, or complexity to your exercises to prevent plateaus. Progressive overload is essential for continuous strength and muscle growth.

Conclusion

This full-body workout for women provides an all-in-one solution, offering convenience, versatility, and effective results. By targeting multiple muscle groups in each session, you can achieve balance and maximize efficiency.

This training style empowers you to focus on overall health, not just aesthetics. It promotes functional strength, helping you feel confident in daily movements while also supporting long-term fitness goals. 

Whether you are aiming to tone up, lose weight, or simply feel stronger, this program offers a clear, engaging path forward. Adjust the workouts to match your needs and stay consistent to reach your goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are full-body workouts effective for women?

Yes, they efficiently target multiple muscle groups and improve strength in every part of the body. Women benefit by building lean muscle and improving their functional fitness without the need to train daily.

Is 3 exercises enough for a full-body workout?

Three exercises can work if they target major muscle groups. Include compound movements like squats, rows, and presses. However, adding variety or isolation exercises can ensure a more challenging and comprehensive workout.

How to not get bulky as a woman?

Focus on moderate weights, higher reps, and controlled intensity. Building bulky muscles requires significant effort and specific training. Women naturally have less testosterone, so their full-body workouts are less likely to lead to bulkiness.

Do you lose muscle or fat first?

During weight loss, the body prioritizes fat burning if you take measures to maintain muscle. A high protein intake and resistance training helps to preserve lean body and muscle mass during weight loss.

Resources

Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.

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About the Author

Jessica is a dedicated health and wellness specialist committed to empowering individuals through education, personalised guidance, and unwavering support. She is an experienced writer passionate about making complicated health subjects accessible and actionable. Jessica's one-on-one work with her clients embraces a holistic approach to health, integrating physical training, yoga, nutrition,.. See more

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