A Workout Routine for Women to Get Strong and Toned in 5 Days

Yarin

In today’s modern world, men are not the only ones hitting the gym; women are too. In 2022,
women want to be more than just thin, they want to be independent, strong, and fit too! Being in
shape is essential for lifting heavy groceries, running after your active kids, and for any other
physical activities that are a part of your day-to-day life. Ladies, get ready to change your life for
the better!

Young woman doing yoga or pilates exercise

The Warm-Up Routine

It’s crucial to warm- up before starting your workout. An effective warm- up is the best way to get
your body ready for upcoming physical activity. It will also decrease the chances of getting
injured while performing physical activities. Not only does it warm up your muscles, but it also
increases blood flow to the muscles and prepares your heart for the upcoming activities. The
warm- up also prepares you mentally, by preventing unnecessary stress, and fatigue. The
standard warm-up is approximately 5-10 minutes.
This is an example of a warm-up activity. You can change it, repeat, or add more exercises, all
according to your needs:

10x head rotations
1. keep your hands on your hips and legs should be shoulder-width apart
2. do the full circle 360 degrees and do it slowly
8x shoulder rolls (for each shoulder)
8x arm circles (forward and backward, for each arm)
10x hip rotations
1. your body posture should be the same as for the head rotation
2 minutes jumping rope
1. with or without a rope
15x squats
1. keep your head up, squat down until your hips are lower than your knees, then squat back up while keeping your knees out and chest up
1-3 Minutes Jogging in place

Cardio Day- Day 1

Cardio is an activity that gets your heart racing, your blood pumping, and activates large group muscles in your body. Cardio includes activities, such as: jumping, running, cycling, swimming, and even deep and heavy house cleaning. In addition to cardio helping you lose weight and getting toned, it also has major health benefits: low blood sugar levels, low blood pressure, improved sleep, a stronger immune system, and a stronger heart.

10x Basketball jumps
1. jump up and shoot an imaginary basketball
2-5 Minutes Jumping rope
10x Bicycle Crunches
1. start by lying on your back, bring your arms close to your head, then start the exercise
2. bring your elbow to the opposite knee and bring your knee to your chest, make circular motions
10x Mountain Climbers
1. get to the plank position
2. pull your knee towards your chest
3. similar to running in one place, one knee at the time
10x Jumping Jacks
1. start by standing, with your legs and feet together
2. slightly bend your knees and jump up in the air, while spreading your legs and stretching your arms shoulder-width apart
3. jump back to the start position, and you are ready to do it again
4. try to do it without stopping or making a pause between jumping
10x Burpees
1. start by standing, with your feet shoulder-width apart
2. bend your knees and lower your hands to the floor
3. jump and land on the balls of your feet into the plank position, hands still on the floor
4. form a straight line from your head to your feet
5. jump your feet back and jump up in the air, with your arms over your head, reaching for the sky
6. get back to the squat position, and you are ready to do it again

*Two people biking in the gym, exercising legs doing cardio workout cycling bikes. Couple in a spinning class wearing sportswear.*

Arm Day- Day 2

You might be sore for a few days, but it will be well worth it when you can finally lift heavy things and won’t need to rely on a man anymore to do your heavy-lifting. Don’t be afraid to have muscular arms, ladies! Having strong arms like Serena Williams is sexy.

8x Sidearms
1. hold a dumbbell in each arm, palms of your hands facing down, arms hanging by your sides
10x Push-ups
8x Overhead Extensions
1. start by standing or sitting
2. take a dumbbell and grab it, so your hands are forming a triangle, elbows facing forward and they should be right next to your ears during the whole exercise without moving
3. bring the dumbbell up over your head and then back down behind your back, engage your core and triceps
8x Standing Dumbbell Row (for each arm)
1. stand up and slightly bend your knees, use pair of dumbbells for each arm, bend over for about 60 degrees and pull your arms back up, contract and back down
2-5 Minutes Boxing
1. stand so your left side is facing forward, bounce from one foot to another
2. put your hand up high, in front of your face
3. the right arm should be right next to the right side of your body, while your left hand should be more forward
4. punch in front of yourself, as in real boxing match
8x Bench Press
1. lie down on the bench, with moderate grip width, around a fist wider than your shoulder width
2. support the bar with the straight and strong wrists
3. bar path should be straight up and on the way down a bit forward

*Close-up hand of young woman with a sore elbow.*

TBW (Total Body Workout)- Day 3

So day 3 is a little bit more challenging since your entire body is required for this workout. It’s a combination of cardio and strength exercises. No matter what level you’re at, a pro or a beginner, you’ll be shedding tons of calories, while building lean muscle, and increasing strength and flexibility. The TBW workout allows you to be creative. You can create so many different types of workouts from this exercise. You can use either one requisite or combination of two or more, small or large dumbbells, stepper, balls, jump rope, etc.

1-3 minutes Plank
1. use a mat, lie down on your stomach, then get your torso on your elbows and your feet on your toes
2. your body should be straight and hold this position as long as possible.
8x Bench press
8x Squats
8x Bent-Over Row
1. bring your feet close to the bar, palms facing the ceiling
2. grip the bar around shoulder-width apart, bend your knees, keep your head up and spine neutral
3. deadlift it from the ground until your back is straight up, then lower it down to your knees, bring your fists towards your hips
4. exhale as you bring bar toward you and inhale on the way down
8x Deadlifts
1. stand with your midfoot under the barbell
2. bend over and take the bar with a shoulder-width grip
3. bend your knees until your shins touch the bar
4. lift your chest and your lower back straight
5. inhale, hold it and stand up while holding the weight

To avoid a back injury while doing Deadlift, remember to keep your back straight and your spine in a neutral position and open up your shoulders.

*Athletic woman stretching with suspension straps, doing total resistance exercise indoors. Image with copy space*

Ab Day- Day 4

Ab day is not as hard as it seems! Believe it or not, you use your core muscles regularly, so you need them to be strong. They are attached to your spine and pelvis, so they help you have a good posture and prevent back pain. It means – stronger abs – better posture– even better balance.

Furthermore, if you are, for example, a runner, fighter, or golfer, stronger abs make you faster, your kicks higher, and your swings better.

2 Minutes Flutter Kicks
1. lie down and raise your legs straight over your hips, drop your left legs out first and cross them back and forth, almost touching the ground and a little over your chest
2. engage your core and keep your legs as straight as possible
  1. use your arms to balance yourself
  2. lift your chest while lifting your legs
10x Leg Lifts + Buttocks Ups
1. hold a barbell above your head for additional pressure onto your upper abs
2. bring your legs together, lift them and hips up in the air, then release your legs all the way down
3. try not to touch the ground until the end of the exercise
10x Plate Pass
1. start by lying on the floor, with a weight plate
2. arms extended are behind your head and legs are straight
3. then bring your arms and legs together, pass the plate onto your legs
4. be careful with the plate, so it doesn’t slide
5. extend your arms and legs out, and then repeat, so you can pass the plate back into your hands

Leg Day- Day 5

In order to let other groups of muscles in your body recover and rebuild muscle fibers, you will move on to a different group of muscles in your body- your legs! Alternating your workout regimen also makes your daily exercises more interesting and helps you stay more focused and motivated!

10x Leg Press
1. start with adding no weight, you can add the desired weight, according to your possibilities
2. sit down and position your feet flat on the platform as you do for regular squats
3. inhale when your knees are approaching your chest, exhale when pushing the platform back
4. hands can be behind your head or on the handles on each side
10x Bodyweight Lunges
1. stand around shoulder-width apart
2. engage your core and keep your spine in a straight position
3. take a pair of dumbbells on each side, then take a step forward into a lunge position
4. one leg at the time, come down and pause it, then get back to the starting position
10x Barbell Squats
1. grip the bar, go underneath the bar and rest it on the back of your shoulders
2. keep your abs tight, toes behind your knees – not aligned
3. your head and chest should be high
4. step back from the machine, then sit back
5. inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up
10x Calf Raises
1. you can use dumbbells or do it without any equipment
2. keep your shoulders back and head straight
3. hands by your side if you are using dumbbells, if not – put your hands on your hips or chair
4. lift onto the balls of your feet, squeeze the calves, keep it that way for 1-3 seconds, and down
5. make sure your core is engaged
10x Leg Extensions
1. sit back all the way, keep your back on the pad, keep your head straight and your spine neutral
2. grip the handles, inhale while you extend and exhale while pulling down