As women have a tendency to carry more body fat than men it’s important their workouts are balanced and feature plenty of cardio. What follows are some effective exercises that should be combined with cardio to hit body fat and hit it hard. Therefore these exercises should be performed on an empty stomach, though protein powder and BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids) are recommended. Think about what you want to do, for example, first day chest, triceps and abs, second day back and biceps and third day legs, shoulders and abs. Mix these exercises with others accordingly and follow with cardio.
Abs: Modified sit-up. This begins like a regular sit-up so start in the normal sit-up position with your back flat on ground, hands over your chest and your knees bent at an angle of about 120 degrees. From this position curl your body upwards with a slow, deliberate contraction with no heaving momentum.
Legs: Squats. Using a Smith machine, load your weights. Hold the bar with both arms and lift it off the rack by pushing with your legs and straightening your torso into an upright position. Step away and position your legs in a medium-width stance, toes pointed out slightly, keeping your head up whilst maintaining a straight back. Slowly lower the bar by bending the knees and hips and continue down to a 90 degree angle, inhaling as you descend. Raise the bar, exhale and push the floor with your heels and straighten back to the starting position.
Chest and triceps: Push-ups (elevated feet). An excellent exercise you can do at home without equipment. Lying on the floor with your face down, place your hands about 36 inches apart and hold your torso up at arms’ length. Elevate your feet by placing your toes on top of a chair. Lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor whilst inhaling. Press your upper body back up to the starting position with your pectorals, squeeze your chest and exhale.
Back: Wide-grip lat-pull down. Sit at a pull-down machine with a wide bar, adjust the knee pads and grab the bar with palms facing forward. Bring your torso back around to create your starting position. Breathe out and bring the bar down until it touches your upper chest. Pause a second at the contracted position, slowly raise the bar back to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Biceps: Bicep curl. Although a simple exercise, bicep curls are among the most effective and provide you with noticeable gains when taking a cheap protein powder supplement. Select a weight you’re comfortable with, stand upright with the barbell at a shoulder-width grip, palms facing forward, elbows close to your torso. Curl the barbell forward whilst contracting the biceps as you breathe out. Continue this until your biceps are fully contracted with the bar at a comfortable shoulder level. Hold it for a second and squeeze your biceps. Return to the starting position as you breathe in.
Shoulders: Dumbbell front raises. Stand with a straight torso, dumbbells on front of your thighs at arm’s length. Lift the dumbbells to the front with a slight bend at the elbow, palms hands facing down. Raise your arm until it’s roughly parallel to the floor, exhale, pause for a second at the top and then inhale. Lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
