Women's Weight Training For Body Type

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Weight training for your body type is important. A workout program can give different results for 2 women doing that same program.

Besides traditional weight training, plyometrics (jump training) and other high-speed exercises can be incorporated into any workout for all body types. Plyometrics and high-speed training will give your body better definition and give you faster results. That is why athletes’ bodies are so well defined.

Good jump training exercises are squat jumps, pike jumps, depth jumps, jump rope and box jumps. Also, sprinting is one of the best body sculptor exercises available. Avoid long, steady-state cardio sessions (defined as 40 minutes or more) unless you are a beginner or recovering from illness or injuries. Slow, long, steady-state cardio has been shown to redistribute weight in women from the upper body to the lower body. ALMOST NO WOMEN WANT THIS WEIGHT SHIFT!

Keep in mind that every woman needs to do core exercises like planks, ball crunches, reverse crunches, back extensions, trunk rotations and bridges regardless of body type. And, sprint interval cardio sessions (20 minutes per session) are superior for fat-burning and heart-health. Some women may need extra abdominal work.

There are four major body types in Women:

Type 1 – A woman with a thin, linear shape. Muscle mass needs to be built on the entire body. A woman with this body type has trouble gaining muscle mass.

Good exercises: Concentrate on compound exercises like squats, bench press, leg press, deadlift, lunges, step ups, shoulder press and bent over row. Calf raises, tricep dips, bicep curls and leg curls are also needed.

Type 2 – You have thin arms and legs with excess fat in the mid-section of your body. You need to burn abdominal fat and build muscle mass in the other parts of your body.

Good exercises: Upper body- bench press, tricep pushdowns, shoulder press, one-arm bent over row and bicep curl. Lower body- squats, lunges, step ups, leg press, deadlift, calf raises and leg curls. Abdominal area- ball crunches, reverse crunches, hanging leg raises, back extensions, bridges, planks and medicine ball trunk rotations.

Some Top Glutes/Legs Sculptor Cardio Exercises: Sprinting, Running Uphill, Stair-Stepper, Jumping Rope and Repeating Squat Jumps

Type 3 – You are petite in your upper body and heavy in your lower body. Build muscle mass in your upper body and burn fat in your hips, thighs and butt.

Good exercises: Upper body- bench press, tricep pushdowns, shoulder press, one-arm bent over row and bicep curl. Lower body- Do light weight circuit training with high repetitions (10-12) to burn lower body fat (single leg squats, lunges, step ups, leg curls, cable leg abductions/adductions, etc.) High-speed jump training is also effective for this body type.

Some Top Glutes/Legs Sculptor Strength Exercises: Squats (all types), Deadlifts (all types), Lunges (all types), Step Ups (all types), Cable Abductions/Adductions, Cable Leg Kickbacks, Leg/Glute Lifts and Marching Glute Bridge

Type 4 – A woman with wide shoulders and a narrow waist. This body type tends to gain weight evenly throughout the body. A full body “fat blaster” program is needed. Do full body light weight circuit training with high repetitions (10-12) to burn total body fat. High-speed jump training is also effective for this body type.

Don't underestimate the value of a well designed weight training program for your body type! You want your body to look its best in 3-D space!

Mark Dilworth, Certified Personal Trainer
Her Fitness Hut http://herfitnesshut.com

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