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Since being on my own wellness journey and my experience as a Personal Trainer, there’s no end to the ridiculous “best training plans” I’ve witnessed being suggested to women.
“Eat only 1200 calories a day”
“Perform an hour or two of cardio 5 days a week”
“Focus on HIIT for majority of your training”
“Wear sweat bands on your stomach every time you exercise”
The list goes on and some of these things have been recommended by “qualified trainers”. Leading women to feel more confused on what really works and which recommendations are truly B.S.
The great thing is there are health coaches and fitness professionals, like myself, that use evidenced-based information to share with their clients and the people in their circle, to get them to the goal and the results they want.
For women who generally want to look and feel good & be strong and healthy, you truly only need to focus on 4 basics:
Moderate to heavy strength training 2-4 times a week
Interval training 1-2 times a week
Moderate intensity cardio 1-2 times a week
Restorative movement 1-2 times a week
And that pretty much sums it up.
However, it would be misleading for me not to mention that along with performing the right training plan, striving to eat mostly whole-nutrient dense foods, managing stress effectively, getting enough sun, outdoor time and good sleep are all also key factors in achieving fitness & wellness results that last. So, in short, don't overlook the impact these areas have on your fitness results.
The training structure I'm about to share with you WORKS because it covers every area a woman needs to focus and put effort into to improve strength, flexibility, mobility and cardiorespiratory endurance, so they can feel their best, without burning themselves out.
How To Put It All Together
I've broken down each category of the workouts for a well-rounded fitness plan to give you some ideas below:
Moderate to Heavy Strength Training
Benefits from consistent strength training include:
Increased strength
Increased lean muscle mass
Improvements in posture
Increase and maintain bone density
Improved insulin sensitivity
Growth in self-confidence
How should moderate-to-heavy strength training workouts be structured?
Well first, the workouts will be relevant to you - and what I mean by this is, lifting weights that are moderate-to-heavy weight for you. A beginner might start with body weight workouts, whereas if you're more of a intermediate to advanced fitness level, you will be using a variety of weights and resistance training in your workouts. The workouts you do will also depend on your goals, your ability level, personal preferences and the equipment you have available to you.
In my experience, full body workouts with upper and lower body focused days will work well and get great results for most women. Upper and lower body split days are another great option that works really well. I generally like to put together circuit-style strength training programs using 2-3 exercises together in a circuit and ensuring adequate rest periods and muscle recovery time after each set of the circuit, before moving on to the next circuit in the workout.
When heavy lifting and using a heavy weight at less than 5 reps, I complete the set and allow a 2-3 minute recovery before performing the next set to work close to the maximum weight I can lift.
Strength training isn't the only element to a well-rounded fitness program but its an important component and this will give you an idea on how to structure these types of workouts.
Let's move on to the next category,
Hight Intensity Training (HIT) and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
We'll quickly begin by distinguishing the two. HIIT training involves maximum effort for short bursts of exhausting cardio at a higher intensity, HIT involves slower-motion reps. Both require all-out exertion and produce great results.
HIT training focuses more on just three things: Perfect form and slower-motion reps, but still working within a high intensity range. So they are essentially very similar, you're just performing at a slightly slower-motion with HIT.
In most cases, I add HIT training into a well-rounded program. Some of the benefits include:
Workout efficiency
Increased endurance
Improves the adaptability of your body's metabolism to more efficiently switch between using fats for fuel to carbs for fuel
HIT can be incorporated into your fitness plan by using it in a variety of ways. You structure interval training by using work to rest ratios, such as:
Positive rest intervals, where the rest periods are longer than the work periods
Variable intervals, where rest and work periods have variations throughout the workout
Negative rest intervals, where the rest periods are shorter than the work periods
You can choose a work : rest interval style that suits your preference, goals and current capabilities. Here are some examples:
45 seconds work : 15 seconds rest (negative rest intervals)
40 seconds work : 20 seconds rest (negative rest intervals)
30 seconds work : 30 seconds rest (equal work : rest intervals)
20 seconds work : 40 seconds rest (positive rest intervals)
25 seconds work : 35 seconds rest (positive rest intervals)
Generally, the more fit you are and the longer you've been training, the shorter rest periods you'll need in your intervals.
HIT Example: Kettle Bell Swing to Goblet Squat
Equipment needed: Kettle Bell light- moderate weight
Instructions:
1) Grab a kettle bell that is a moderately challenging weight
2) Perform a kettle bell swing with good form for 30 seconds
3) Rest for 30 seconds
4) Perform a goblet squat for 30 seconds
5) Rest for 30 seconds and set up to perform kettle bell swings for next set of the intervals
6) Start again at step 1
7) Continue this for the total HIT time (usually 10 - 15 minutes)
Moderate Intensity Cardio (MIC)
Benefits include:
Builds aerobic endurance
Supports better recovery between sets
Helps to improve sleep quality
Releases those 'feel good endorphins'
Improves your body's ability to relax and deal with stress
Improves cardiovascular health
Improves training capabilities
There are TONS of moderate intensity cardio workouts you can incorporate into a training plan, you can look past the treadmill or elliptical if that doesn't interest you. In general, keep your heart rate between 120-140 bpm or, for simplicity, use the Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale and train within a 5-6 RPE. You can find a link for the RPE scale chart for exercise intensity here RPE Scale .
Restorative Movement
This category is one that is often overlooked, but it is an essential part in any well-rounded fitness plan.
Being able to move without pain is a common goal for many of the clients I've worked with and along with strength training and movement correction, restorative movement plays a key part in that solution.
I like to describe restorative movement as an umbrella term for physical activity that improves flexibility, mobility, range of motion and works through the tension and stiffness that can build up in our muscles and joints. Restorative movement can be incorporated into your training plan by:
Performing gentle yoga at least 1-2 times per week
Stretching and doing a 'cool down' after every workout
Performing a warm up with dynamic stretches before every workout
Using myofascial release like using a foam roller or tennis ball on areas that are stiff and tense
So, How Do You Structure This Into A Weekly Workout Plan?
You're likely wondering this, so let's get into it - Don't worry, I won't leave you scratching your head at how to put this together!
Weekly Training Plan Examples:
Day 1: 50 mins strength training + 10 mins HIT
Day 2: 30 mins moderate intensity cardio + 10-20 mins restorative movement of your preference
Day 3: 50 Mins Strength Training
Day 4: Rest Day
Day 5: 30 mins moderate intensity cardio + 10-20 mins restorative movement of your preference
Day 6: 50 mins strength training + 10 HIT
Day 7: Rest Day
Example 2: Light restorative movement on rest days
Day 1: 50 mins strength training + 10 mins HIT
Day 2: 20-30 mins moderate intensity cardio
Day 3: 50 Mins Strength Training
Day 4: 10-20 mins light restorative movement of your preference (rest day for strength and cardio)
Day 5: 20-30 mins moderate intensity cardio
Day 6: 50 mins strength training + 10 HIT
Day 7: 10-20 mins light restorative movement of your preference (rest day for strength and cardio)
Example 3: Incorporate restorative movement on rest days and MIC & HIT on strength training days + 1 dedicated mic day
Day 1: 50 min strength training + 10-15 mins cycling at end of workout (mic)
Day 2: 50 min strength training + 10-15 mins HIT at end of workout
Day 3: 10-20 mins light restorative movement (rest day for strength and cardio)
Day 4: 50 min strength training + 10-15 mins cycling at end of workout (mic)
Day 5: 50 min strength training + 10-15 mins HIT at end of workout
Day 6: 10-20 mins Light restorative movement (rest day for strength and cardio)
Day 7: 15-30 mins Moderate intensity cardio
As you can see from the examples above, there are a number of ways to craft a training plan that suits your lifestyle, goals and preferences, so that it works for you and gets you sustainable results. Look at things this way, we have 168 hours in a week. You only need to dedicate at least 3-5 of those hours to prioritizing movement so your body feels, performs and functions at its best. That's a fair trade-off if you ask me! You can download a printable PDF that shows each of the 4 basic fitness structure categories described in this blog, in The Holistic Women's Wellness Planner found here:
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