There are numerous body weight workouts for women that include weight training and integrate it into a well-balanced workout. With the addition of cardio, this can assist women in changing their lifestyle, weight, BMI, and attitude. I am a fitness and weight loss expert based in Cambridge, Massachusetts with Durbrow Performance Personal Training, and I have some great ideas on how to engage your body in a new method of training that will make a huge difference that you can see and feel.
Many women are afraid to engage in a workout routine that continues past a regular cardio workout. What they fail to realize is that although cardio burns calories, weight training helps to trim and sculpt your new body. It is vital that both of these things meet and create balance.
Walking lunges – Use barbells that are about 15 pounds to start. Hold one in each hand. Put your right leg out in front of you and bend both legs until your right knee almost touches the ground. Then come back to a standing position. Switch legs. Go as far as you can!
Pull ups – Pull ups can be a scary proposition in most body weight workouts for women. Usually, a pull up is when you hang from a bar that is off of the ground. You cannot touch the floor. You must pull yourself up only by your arm muscles to make your face meet the bar. Then, lower yourself down without touching the floor. Repeat. Here is an alternate option. Hang a strap from a pull up bar so that it hangs down. Lower yourself below the strap and pull up so that your arms are by your sides. This is the opposite of a pull up but works the same muscles. It allows you to build up your strength before you get to the real thing.
Squat jumps – Bend your legs so that you’re in a squat position with your feet shoulder width apart. Leap into the air and when you land, bend your knees. Repeat as far as you can go. This is similar to playing Leapfrog, but you won’t remember hurting this much when you played leap frog as a kid! Tons of fun and great for your glutes.
Push ups – Push ups are a great way to get your body in tune and fit as a fiddle! Can’t handle a full pushup yet? Try doing a pushup on your knees. Another great way to engage your body in a pushup is doing it on top of a yoga ball. The basic pushup is as follows – lay on your stomach on the ground. Your hands should be a little in front of you and on the floor palm down. Your feet should be shoulder width apart. Push up from the ground using your back. Repeat. When you go down, don’t let your body touch the ground – only allow it to hover over before pushing back up to the top of the your length.
Boxing – boxing is easy, fun, and can help you get out any aggression you might be holding onto! Put on some boxing gloves, find a boxing bag, and go to town! Make sure to hit with your knuckles to cause as little damage as possible to your hand. Let that invisible opponent have it!
About the Author: Callie Durbrow is a strength coach and personal trainer in Boston, Massachusetts. She currently trains clients to lose body fat, gain strength, and challenge their bodies with each session. Her training style is a combination of conventional strength work, modified strongman training, and overall conditioning, as well as body weight workouts for women. Visit her at http://www.durbrowperformance.com to find out more about personal training and small group training.
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