Strength Training for Women (2026): Benefits, Programs & Myths

Strength training is for everyone, women and men, old and young, and everyone in between.

Weights build women’s strength, confidence and lifelong health, and you can tailor your training to any fitness goal and every life stage.

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about strength training for women. From benefits to myths, from the best training programs to calories, it’s all here.

A Very Quick History of Women Pumping Iron

For the longest time, the weight room was a no-woman’s-land.

In the early-to-mid 20th century, societal norms, a lack of research, and misinformation kept most women out of real strength training.¹

In the 1970s and 80s, things started to change for the better, albeit slowly.

The fitness boom and the 1972 Title IX legislation, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs that receive federal funding blew the doors open for women’s sports in schools.²

Suddenly, millions more women were playing sports and needed to get stronger.

And what better way than to lift weights?

Early female powerlifters like Dr. Jan Todd (described by Arnold Schwarzenegger as a “pioneer who led the way for strongwomen”) and magazines like Shape showed women that strength and muscle were something to aspire to.³

Still, it took some time for science to catch up.

A major turning point was in 1989 when the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) published a position paper confirming that women benefit from strength training the same way as men.⁴

These changes, along with a big cultural shift, have brought us to today.

When I started training in high school in early 1988, there was one gym in my town, and three out of a hundred members were women.

Now, there are at least eight gyms in the same town, and almost half the people lifting, sweating, and chasing their goals are women.

There is still work to be done, but strength training is now an essential part of women’s health and athletic performance.

Evidence-Backed Benefits of Strength Training for Women

Lifting weights is so much more than just building bigger muscles.

Both men and women get numerous benefits from strength training, but women get several that are unique to them and boost their well-being, inside and out.

If you’re on the fence about strength training, here are some of the key women’s weight-lifting benefits you can expect when you pick up a pair of dumbbells.

Build Lean Muscle, Strengthen Bones, Boost Your Metabolism

Half of all women over 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis.⁵

Osteoporosis is a condition that makes bones weak and brittle, and, especially after menopause, women are at a higher risk.

When you put your bones under healthy stress with strength training, you tell them to grow stronger and denser.

Research shows that heavy weight training can increase hip and spine bone density by 2–5% in 12 months.^{6 7}

At the same time, you build lean muscle, improve your body composition, get stronger in and out of the gym, and turn your body into a fat-burning machine by revving up your metabolism 24/7.

Contrary to what most people think, and confirmed in recent research published by the American College of Sports Medicine, women can build as much muscle as men with consistent training.⁸

Studies show that with 15 weeks of training, women can gain around 1.45 kg (about 3.2 lbs) of lean muscle and increase their muscular strength by up to 25%.⁹

Because women most often start with less muscle mass than men, chances that you will find yourself “bulky” against your will are minimal unless you actively pursue that goal for years.

A Healthier Heart and a Happier Mind

For decades, cardio got all the glory for being heart-healthy and good for your mood and brain health.

While cardio is great for your health, lifting weights is also fantastic for your heart and mental health.

It can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

• A study backed by the National Institutes of Health tracked over 400K+ US adults for two decades and found that women who lifted weights at least once a week saw their risk of dying from heart disease drop by over 30%.¹⁰
• And when researchers in the Women’s Health Study followed 35K+ women (average age: 62.6) for over a decade, they discovered that even a little strength training reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes by around 30% compared to those who didn’t lift.¹¹

But the benefits don’t stop there.

Strength training is a powerful tool for your mental health, too.

Studies show it can help with both anxiety and depression symptoms, all while giving you a major confidence boost and a more positive body image.

Big meta-analyses from 2024 find that strength training reduces anxiety in women, from teenage girls to post-menopausal women, and can even be considered a core treatment for mild to moderate depression (along with psychotherapy and antidepressants).^{12 1314}

And even if you have no mental health problems, there is nothing quite like the feeling of mastering a new lift and realizing what your body is capable of.

Real-World Strength for a Real-World You

Let’s forget the gym for a bit.

Having coached hundreds of women, one of the biggest benefits I see, especially in those who haven’t lifted before, is how much easier strength training makes most things in everyday life.

Yes, the benefits of lifting apply to everyone, but women, especially older women, are still less likely to hit the weights.

A strong body makes everything more manageable, whether you’re carrying groceries, picking up your kids, or rearranging furniture.

It is also beneficial for both mother and baby during and after pregnancy.

• The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends strength training for all women with uncomplicated pregnancies before, during, and after pregnancy.
• The World Health Organization agrees, saying that exercise, including strength training, doesn’t raise the risk of stillbirth, newborn complications, or low birth weight during or after pregnancy.

In addition, it can ease the symptoms of menopause in many women.¹⁵

Busting the Biggest Myths

The world of fitness is full of “creative” advice when it comes to women and lifting.

It is often well-intended but can still do women a massive disservice.

They steer you away from the most effective methods for building a strong and healthy body.

Also, chasing a physique or a health goal based on misinformation is a recipe for frustration and a negative relationship with your body.

When the results don’t come, it’s easy to blame yourself rather than the flawed approach.

Here are some of the most common myths that hold women back from the benefits of strength training.

Myth: Lifting Weights Will Make Me Bulky

The fear of becoming “bulky” is probably the number one myth that has kept women away from the weights.

And it’s just not true.

While women can build muscle just like men, gaining massive amounts of it is hard work.

It takes years of dedicated, intense training and a specific diet focused on that endpoint.

If you want to build muscle like a bodybuilder, go for it. But expect to work hard for it.

And if you don’t want to become a female bodybuilder, you won’t. It doesn’t happen by accident.

What does happen is that strength training will help you build lean, strong muscle and a firm, athletic, and defined physique, not a “bulky” one.

Myth: I Should Stick to Light Weights and High Reps to Get Toned

First things first: Toning isn’t even a physiological thing.

The look many women want, firm and defined, is a combination of having a decent amount of muscle and a low enough body fat percentage to see it.

Waving around tiny pink dumbbells for endless reps is not the most effective way to build that muscle. It’s not effective at all, in fact.

To build muscle, you need to challenge yourself.

That means lifting weights that are heavy enough that you struggle with the last few reps.

The principle of progressive overload (gradually demanding more and more from your muscles) is the number one factor for building muscle, and that often means heavier weights for fewer reps than you might think.

Losing fat, on the other hand, is a matter of nutrition (and some optional cardio).

Lean muscle mass + relatively low body fat = “toned.” It’s not something you get from light weights and many reps.

So, to get toned, set a goal to get stronger, track your progress, and combine progressive strength training with a healthy diet.

Myth: Women Need Special Female Exercises and Workout Plans

Your muscles don’t know if they belong to a man or a woman.

A bicep is a bicep, and the best exercises are the best, period.

Compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses? They work just as well for women as they do for men.

Don’t fall for marketing gimmicks that try to sell you on “gender-specific” workout plans unless they are built upon what women want, not what they should do.

There are some anatomical differences to consider, but the basic principles of strength training and the most effective exercises are the same for everyone. There’s no need for “girly” workouts; focus on proven movements and programs to get the best results.

Myth: Muscle Turns Into Fat if You Stop Training

This classic myth is like saying gold can turn into lead.

Muscle and fat are two completely different types of tissue. They can’t magically transform into one another.

If you stop training, your muscles will shrink. Your body no longer has any use for it.

And when (not if) you start lifting again, they come back much faster than it took to build them the first time.

And, if you’re eating more calories than you’re burning, you will store more fat.

But one will never become the other.

Now that these common misconceptions are cleared up, let’s look at the science of how female biology interacts with strength training.

Female Hormones & Performance

Hormones are incredibly complex, and science doesn’t fully understand how they affect your strength training results.

Estrogen and progesterone ebb and flow across your monthly cycle and can speed recovery or make heavy sets feel harder.

Testosterone, present in much smaller amounts than in men, switches on the muscle-building machinery but isn’t the make-or-break factor many assume.

Here’s a breakdown of how they affect women’s weight training.

Hormone	What it does for female lifters
Estrogen	Limits muscle soreness and strain on tendons, speeds up repair, and may give a small boost to power and speed. It also boosts the muscle-building effects of strength training.16
Progesterone	Raises your core temperature and breathing rate. Quicker glycogen use, more fluid retention. Some lifters feel “flat”, others don’t. When it’s high, heavy sets can feel tougher for some women.17 18
Testosterone	Switches on muscle-building and cranks up motivation and nerve drive. Women have only a fraction of men’s T, but it doesn’t seem to matter much for muscle and strength gains.19 20

How These Hormones Change During Your Cycle

Part of cycle	Hormone mix
Period (days 1–5)	All three low
Mid-cycle / ovulation	Estrogen & testosterone high, progesterone low
Week or so before period	Progesterone high, estrogen moderate, testosterone falling

Some women feel better or worse in the weight room during different parts of the cycle, but everyone is different.

You want to track your own symptoms and not rely only on calendars.

Strength Training During the Menstrual Cycle

You’ve probably seen the trend of “cycle syncing” all over social media, where you adapt your workouts to the phases of your menstrual cycle.

The theory sounds plausible. Your hormones fluctuate, so your strength should, too, right?

Some earlier, smaller studies hinted at benefits from cycle-syncing.

However, recent, high-quality reviews (meta-analyses and systematic umbrella reviews from 2023 to 2025) have come to a strong consensus: your menstrual cycle phase doesn’t really impact your muscle strength, performance, or ability to build muscle.^{21 22}

Also, the luteinizing hormone surge varies too much between women to build a training plan around its average timing of day 14:

So, What Should You Do?

That research doesn’t mean you’re imagining things if you feel fantastic one week and sluggish the next.

Note that they are talking about the cycle itself, the physiological mechanisms.

The key is to separate the symptoms of your cycle from the phases themselves.

Things like cramps, fatigue, bloating, or mood swings can affect how you feel and perform in the gym. And you should absolutely adjust for that.

The real takeaway is to let your personal symptoms, not a calendar, guide your training.

• If you feel strong and have a lot of energy, no matter the phase, go for it. Push for a personal best.
• If you’re tired or crampy, it’s perfectly fine to dial it back or even take a rest day.

At the end of the day, your training results are determined by the things that always matter: consistency, progressive overload, good nutrition, and recovery.

These things will always trump any hormonal fluctuations.

So, don’t let hormone charts dictate your deadlift schedule. Listen to your body and respect how you feel.

Pregnancy & Postpartum Considerations

Pregnant women were once told to avoid exercis except perhaps going for a stroll.

Today, we know that pregnancy isn’t a nine-month timeout; it’s just a different training season.

Major health organizations like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are big fans of strength training for uncomplicated pregnancies.

Strength training during and after pregnancy offers many benefits.²³ Some of these include:

• Helps you handle the extra weight and postural changes of pregnancy and prepare for the physical demands of labor
• Is linked to a lower risk of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia
• Help you bounce back faster after delivery
• Can cut the chances of developing postpartum depression by almost half compared to not exercising at all.²⁴

Best of all, there are no known risks for the mother or the baby during healthy pregnancies.²⁵

Trimester-by-Trimester Guidelines

If you were lifting before pregnancy, you can likely continue with some modifications.

If you’re new to the weights, it’s a great time to start.

Your body goes through some pretty big changes over nine months, so your workouts will need to adapt.

First Trimester (Weeks 1–13)

At this point, you might not look pregnant yet, but there’s a ton going on inside.

• Maintain your fitness, but maybe don’t push for new personal records.
• You can stick with your regular workout routine but be prepared to dial back the intensity.
• If you’re tired, a lighter session or a rest day can be the wise choice. If you’re feeling queasy, some exercises might not sit well.

The first trimester is also a perfect time to start connecting with your deep core and pelvic floor. Focus on exhaling on the effort part of a lift. This will become super important later on.

Also, fatigue and morning sickness might become your new workout buddies, so adjust your training according to how you feel.

Second Trimester (Weeks 14–27)

For many women, the second trimester is when they regain some of their energy as the fatigue and nausea of early pregnancy calm down.

Your baby bump will start to make itself known, which means some adjustments are in order.

• Continue functional strength training to support your growing belly and changing posture.
• Avoid training lying flat on your back. The weight of your uterus can press on a major vein and reduce blood flow to you and the baby. So, consider swapping regular flat bench presses for incline or standing presses.
• You might need to widen your stance for squats and deadlifts to give your belly space.
• Ditch the Valsalva maneuver. Holding your breath to brace during a heavy lift helps you lift heavier, but it’s not a good idea during later parts of pregnancy. Instead, focus on a steady breathing pattern.

Third Trimester (Weeks 28–40)

At this point, your belly is front and center, and your center of gravity has shifted.

You might feel off-balance, and back pain can creep in.

• Maintain mobility to prepare for labor and manage discomfort.
• Now is the time to decrease your training intensity and volume as needed. Lighter weights or bodyweight exercises can be a good idea.
• Pick more stable exercises. For example, do split squats instead of walking lunges. Don’t be afraid to use a wall or a chair for support.
• Continue doing pelvic floor exercises (Kegels). They reduce the risk of urine leaks by 37% and lower the risk of your pelvic organs slipping out of place by 56%.²⁶ Some professionals also recommend practicing “reverse Kegels” or relaxation of the pelvic floor to prepare for delivery.
• Now is not the time for box jumps or other high-impact exercises.

The “Fourth Trimester,” Postpartum and Beyond

You can discuss this road map with your OB-GYN or a pelvic-floor physical therapist. Every body and every birth is different, so you might have other considerations.

Get a medical OK before you start any postpartum training.

Typical Phase *	Focus	Example exercises (2–3 sets × 8-12 reps)
Days 0–14	Rest, breathing, gentle walking ≤ 10 min	360° rib breathing, seated cat-cow
Weeks 2–6	Pelvic-floor + deep-core activation	Supine heel slides, Kegels, half-kneeling hip hinge
Weeks 6–12	Low-load, low-impact whole-body movement patterns	Body-weight squats, glute bridge, bird-dog, resistance-band rows
Months 3–6	Add external loads, single-leg work, anti-rotation core	Goblet squat, Romanian deadlift, half-kneeling press, farmer carry
Month 6 and forward	Return to pre-pregnancy lifts & power work if symptom-free	Standard strength exercises like back/front squat, conventional deadlift, shoulder press, kettlebell swing

* Cesarean birth, 3°/4° tears, or ongoing pelvic-floor symptoms can extend each phase by 2–4 weeks.

Note that the timeline above is meant to be deliberately middle-of-the-road and conservative.

Some women can progress faster, much faster in some cases.

For example, the ACOG recommendations say, “Some women are capable of resuming physical activities within days of delivery. Pelvic floor exercises can be initiated in the immediate postpartum period”.

So, if there are no obstetric red flags and you feel OK, you can start with light activation work on Day 0–1. Example:

• Day 0–2: pelvic floor contractions, breathing exercises, ankle pumps
• Day 3–7: functional bodyweight exercises
• End of Week 1: short walks

Also, women are often discouraged from doing ab exercises like crunches during the postpartum period. However, research does not support claims that it will worsen diastasis recti (split abs).²⁷

Training and Recovery Tips That Matter More Than the Hormones

• Add weight, reps, or sets over time, and you’ll get the results you want, whatever your daily hormone snapshot.
• If cramps, poor sleep, or mood swings make your sessions miserable, swap to lighter work or take a deload week. Otherwise, stick to the plan.
• If your progress stalls long-term, especially after menopause, talk to a sports medicine doctor about whether hormone therapy makes sense for you.

Should Women and Men Train Differently?

Short answer: no.

If you want to build muscle and strength, the rulebook is about 90% identical for everyone.

The basic principles, like lifting progressively heavier things over time, eating enough calories and protein, and getting enough rest, don’t care about your gender.

Your muscles don’t, either.

The last 10% is where you can make some science-backed tweaks based on female biology, life stages, and your personal goals.

The 10% Tweaks: Where Biology Matters

While the how-to of getting strong is universal, there are a few biological differences you can use to your advantage:

• Women are generally a little more fatigue-resistant than men.²⁸ What that means is that you can often handle more reps at a given percentage of your max, recover faster between sets, and potentially handle a bit more training volume per week.
• Women typically have a larger strength gap between their lower and upper bodies. It can be a good idea to add a few extra sets for your back, chest, and shoulders each training week to balance things out.
• Women have up to 8x higher risk of ACL injuries.²⁹ The best defense is a good offense, and that means prioritizing exercises that strengthen your hamstrings and glutes (like Romanian deadlifts and hip thrusts).
• I’ve already talked in-depth about training through pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause, but lifting is one of the best things you can do for your bone density during menopause, and strength training is great for all healthy pregnancies.

Even more important is what you want to train. There are no musts and shoulds.

Women tend to gravitate towards more lower-body training in the gym and prefer machines over free weights.^{30 31}

But that doesn’t mean that you must.

The bottom line is that your goals and how you feel matter far more than your sex.

Try a training program not for how women should train but for how women want to train, according to half a million users of our workout log app, StrengthLog.

It’s called Thicc and specializes in lower-body hypertrophy without guess-work.

The best training program is the one that you enjoy, and that gets you closer to what you want to achieve, whether that’s a heavier deadlift, bigger and better glutes, or simply feeling strong and healthy.

Strength Training Programs for Women

Let’s talk about how you can structure your training and the best training programs for your fitness goals.

Beginner (You’re New to Strength Training or Returning After a Long Break)

As a beginner, your goal is to build a solid foundation, learn to perform basic exercises with good form, and become consistent with your training.

Two to three full-body strength sessions a week is ideal for most women at the beginner stage (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday with rest days in between) and give you enough recovery between sessions.

As a strength training newbie, you benefit from doing fewer sets more often. You recover quickly, and the higher frequency lets you learn the movements faster.

If you have trained your legs and glutes on Monday, let those muscles rest at least until Wednesday.

Doing 1–3 sets per exercise is enough at the start.

Pick one exercise for pushing (chest/shoulders/triceps), pulling (back/biceps), squat (legs/glutes), and hip hinge (posterior chain) per session.

Focus on compound movements (exercises that use multiple joints and muscle groups) like squats, deadlifts, push-ups, overhead presses, and rows.

Start with 8–12 reps per set. The last 1–2 reps should feel challenging. If you can easily do more, increase the weight next workout.

Intermediate (You Have Been Consistently Training for 6+ Months)

At this point, your goals may vary, but you’ll continue to build strength and muscle and perhaps start specializing a bit more.

Three to four strength sessions a week are ideal for most women at the intermediate level.

You can stick with full-body or split your body into different days for different muscles:

• Upper/Lower Split (4 days/week): Two upper body days, two lower body days. You can hit each major muscle group twice a week with more specific focus.
• Push/Pull/Legs (PPL) (3–6 days/week): One of the most popular muscle-building splits. You train your pushing muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps) on one day, pulling muscles (back, biceps) on another, and legs/glutes on a third, and cycle through this 1–2 times each week, depending on your recovery.

As an intermediate-level trainee, you want to start aiming for around 10 weekly sets per muscle group.

Doing 3–5 sets per exercise, with 2–3 exercises per major muscle group, will get you there and allow for a good balance between volume, frequency, and recovery.

Eight to 12 reps is still a great range, but don’t be afraid to go heavier, 3–6 reps where the last one is a real struggle.

Any number of reps is good for building muscle as long you challenge yourself, but higher weights for lower reps build more strength.³²

Continue with compound movements, but you can start incorporating more isolation exercises to hit specific muscles or address weaknesses.

Advanced (You Have Been Consistently Training for More Than a Year)

As an advanced lifter, some women till want to optimize their training for specific outcomes like maximal strength, hypertrophy, or sports performance.

That being said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with staying at an intermediate level and training for fun and health. You get so many benefits by hitting the weights regularly without going all-out fitness.

But when you are at the advanced level, your training can be highly individualized.

Most advanced women train between three and six times per week. Some thrive on very high frequencies (e.g., training a lift or muscle group 3–5 times a week), while others might do better with fewer workouts, spreading their training out more over the week.

Common training splits still include PPL and Upper/Lower, but body part splits (where you focus on one or two muscle groups each workout) are also popular.

Advanced lifters may need more sets per muscle group per week (up to 20).³³

Most studies looking directly at training volume involve men, but if anything, research shows that women can handle more training, not less.

At the same time, more isn’t always better if it compromises recovery. That’s another part of advanced programming: you or your coach must learn how much training you need and thrive on and adapt your plan accordingly.

You’ll likely be working with a wider range of reps and loads, with periodization (cycling through different training phases) over the year.

Your exercise selection will also be specific to your goals.

A female powerlifter would focus on the big three: the squat, deadlift, and bench press, while a female bodybuilder would pick her exercise much more according to personal preferences and what feels best for her.

And in between those, there could be any number of program variations with different exercises and set schemes.

At the advanced level, recovery becomes increasingly important, as pushing your limits also means you are pushing your recovery capacity.

The Best Strength Training Programs for Women

In our workout log app, StrengthLog, you’ll find a number of training programs for women.

But wait, you might say. I thought women shouldn’t train differently than men.

And that is true.

So, why have a list of “strength training programs for women”?

Because while the principles are the same, training goals can and do differ.

Our data from over half a million StrengthLog users shows that women, on average, dedicate more of their training time to their glutes and legs.

The programs below are effective for anyone but are designed around goals women prioritize more often.

They are not what you should do but what you might want to do.

Use the table below to find the perfect fit, then read the detailed description to get started. Each program is available in StrengthLog, so you can track your progress and get stronger week by week.

Program	Best For	Experience	Days/Week	Equipment
Strength Training Workout for Women at Home	At-home, no-equipment training	Beginner	2–3	Bodyweight
Thicc: Beginner	Glute & leg focus, full-body	Beginner	3	Gym
Thicc: Advanced	Maximum glute & leg growth	Intermediate and up	5	Gym
Workout Plan for Weight Loss	Fat loss while retaining muscle	Beginner and up	3 (Lift) + 2 (Cardio)	Gym
BootyBuilding	Specialized glute development	Beginner and up	2	Gym (Dumbbells)
Pregnancy Strength Training Routine	Safe training during pregnancy	All	2–3	Gym (Dumbbells)

Full-Body Home Workout for Women

• Best for: Building functional strength at home without equipment
• Experience: Beginner and up
• Schedule: 2–3 days/week

This beginner-focused, full-body routine is perfect if you’re new to lifting, short on time, or prefer working out in the privacy of your home.

It uses your body weight to build strength and lean muscle in your lower body, upper body, and core.

As you progress, you can keep it challenging by adding reps or using household items for extra weight.

Thicc: Beginner Lower Body Specialization

• Best for: Building muscle and strength with a focus on the lower body
• Experience: Beginner and up
• Schedule: 3 days/week in the gym

Designed based on our user data, this 3-day full-body program gives extra attention to your glutes and thighs.

It’s ideal for women looking to shape their lower body and get stronger using compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and hip thrusts.

Thicc: Advanced Lower Body Specialization

• Best for: Maximum lower-body muscle and strength growth
• Experience: Intermediate to Advanced
• Schedule: 5 days/week in the gym

Ready to move beyond the basics? This five-day split is for experienced lifters aiming to maximize lower-body development.

The program intelligently cycles through heavy strength work, hypertrophy, and high-rep pump training to build your glutes, quads, and hamstrings from every angle.

Workout Plan for Weight Loss

• Best for: Losing fat while retaining or building lean muscle
• Experience: Beginner and up
• Schedule: 3 lifting days + 2 cardio days/week in the gym

This popular six-week plan combines full-body strength training with moderate cardio to lose fat without sacrificing muscle.

It’s a sustainable, habit-building program that helps you improve your body composition without crash diets or endless workouts.

BootyBuilding: Glute Training Program

• Best for: Specialized glute development for a bigger, firmer butt
• Experience: Beginner and up
• Schedule: 2 days/week in the gym (or with dumbbells)

This two-day-a-week workout plan is all about building a stronger, bigger butt.

It combines heavy, science-based lifts with high-rep finishers for all three glute muscles for 360° development.

Since there’s no upper-body work, you can easily add your own presses and rows for a balanced routine.

Pregnancy Strength Training Routine

• Best for: Safe and effective training during all three trimesters
• Experience: All levels
• Schedule: 2–3 days/week in the gym

Developed according to obstetrics guidelines, this program helps you stay strong and healthy through every stage of pregnancy.

With adapted routines for the first trimester and the second/third, it maintains muscle, reduces aches and pains, and prepares your body for delivery.

(Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any exercise program during pregnancy.)

How to Follow These Strength Training Programs for Women

These strength training programs for women are all available in StrengthLog, our workout tracker app.

In addition to following our programs, you can create your own workout routines, log your workouts, keep track of your personal records, see statistics on your training, and much, much more.

Nutrition and Supplements for Strength-Training Women

Nutrition and recovery are essential if you want results from your efforts with the weights. Or for health and well-being in general, for that matter.

But should women be doing something different than the men?

Yes and no.

Most of the “rules,” like eating enough calories and protein, drinking enough water, getting quality sleep, and sports nutrition and recovery, apply to women and men alike.

Where women differ is in risk factors (low energy availability, iron loss) and in fine-tuning according to iron and bone metabolism, as well as life-stage hormones.

That means how careful you are in applying the general guidelines, not necessarily inventing completely new rules.

Calories

You can’t build a house without bricks, and you can’t build a stronger body without enough calories. It’s as simple as that.

Getting enough calories is important for everyone, but even more so for women.

You can reduce calories and go on a diet to lose weight and body fat, if necessary, but a long-term calorie deficit should not be the norm.

Cutting calories too aggressively while training hard is a recipe for disaster. It will stall your progress and can even actively harm your long-term health.

Eating too few calories can lead to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), as outlined by the IOC. RED-S can mess with everything, from your bone health and menstrual cycle to your ability to build muscle and get stronger.³⁴

Your body is smart, and when it senses that it doesn’t get enough calories, it starts to shut down non-essential functions to conserve energy.

You want to make sure you eat at least 30–45 kcals per kilogram of fat-free mass (FFM, everything in your body that isn’t fat) daily.

≥45 is ideal, 30 is OK for a limited time, and anything below that is a red flag.

You can calculate your FFM in the StrengthLog app:

How Much Protein Do Women Need?

Protein is the number one nutrient for building muscle.

It gives your body building blocks called amino acids, which it uses to create new tissue, including muscle.

When you strength train, you need more protein than the average person. Both if you want to gain lean mass or if you want to lose weight.

If anything, it becomes even more important during a weight-loss diet to ensure you’re losing fat and maintaining muscle.

General recommendations for protein intake when you lift are 1.2 to 2.2 grams per kilogram (0.5 to 1 gram per pound) of body weight per day.^{35 36}

Recent research suggests that strength-training women aim for the upper ranges of those numbers, or 1.8–2.2 g/kg/day (0.82–1 g/pound).³⁷

In addition, it can be a good idea to increase your protein intake even more, by 12% or so, during the luteal phase. That’s because progesterone can increase protein breakdown.

Animal or plant protein or how you distribute your protein intake (many small protein-rich meals or a few large) doesn’t seem to matter much, if at all.

Carbohydrates & Fats

Carbs and fat give you energy for training and daily life.

Fats are essential, meaning you need them for your body to work as it should.

You don’t need carbs, but that doesn’t mean they are bad for you. On the contrary, they are the best fuel when you lift weights (and they don’t make you fat; you get fat by eating too many calories overall).

There are no exact recommendations in grams on how much fat and carbs you should aim for daily.

Most women who strength train, want to build muscle, and support their hormones should aim for 20–35% of their daily calories from dietary fat.³⁸

That is a safe and researched-backed range.

Dropping below 20% for too long can mess with your sex hormones, menstrual health, fat-soluble vitamins, and energy levels.

Going above it is not harmful but can crowd out the carbs you want to fuel your training sessions (your protein intake should be fixed and not affected by how much carbs and fats you eat).

Having worked with hundreds of women over three decades, I find that many (not all) women thrive on a fat intake closer to 30% than 20%. They feel and perform better.

Those are my personal observations but feel free to try a slightly higher fat intake than you might usually go for. It’s still in the recommended range, just towards the upper end.

As for carbs, 3–5 g/kg (1.35–2.3 g/lb) on regular training days, up to 7 g/kg (3.2 g/lb) if you’re training really hard, combining lifting and cardio, or doing manual labor, is a good range for most.

How many carbs you eat is not set in stone, and you might need more than other women to perform your best, or you might feel better with a little less. It’s safe to experiment.

What About Keto?

Keto, or the ketogenic diet, means removing almost all carbohydrates from your diet and replacing them with fat.

It’s a popular way to eat for weight loss, and some claim it can also help you build muscle.

However, there is no evidence that ditching the carbs is superior for muscle gains.³⁹

Also, keto seems to work less well for women for weight loss.⁴⁰

Supplement Round-Up

Supplements are never necessary. They are add-ons, not foundations, and can never outperform progressive overload, programming, and recovery or replace a good diet.

That being said, a few select dietary supplements can give you a helping hand.

Some can improve your performance in the gym, while others can help you build a little more muscle or strength.

The top three are protein, creatine, and caffeine.

Protein Supplements (Whey, Casein, Soy, Mixed Plant Blends)

Protein powders are powdered foods, not anything that builds more or less muscle than the same amount of protein from, say, some cottage cheese or a few eggs.

However, they are very convenient if you don’t have time (or don’t want to) to sit down for a complete meal.

They are not meant to replace your regular protein intake from whole foods, but to add to it if, for any reason, you struggle to get enough.

Many people gulp down a protein shake as soon as possible after training. Although there is no evidence that doing so builds more muscle, a ≥ 25 g dose within two hours post-workout is a simple insurance policy.

There are many different types of protein powders, but whey (a milk protein) is the most popular. Soy protein and plant-based blends are good alternatives for vegans or if you are sensitive to dairy.

Creatine

Creatine is a compound that helps your muscles produce energy when you train hard in the gym.

Your body produces some creatine on its own, and you get it from foods like meat and fish.

However, to get enough to boost your performance, you have to take a supplement.

With creatine, you can crank out an extra rep or two. Over time, more work in the gym leads to greater gains in strength and muscle mass.

Creatine is the most well-researched supplement, with the overwhelming consensus is that it is safe for healthy people.⁴¹

It doesn’t make you bloated either (a common worry). It pulls water into the muscles, which makes you look and perform better; it doesn’t store it under your skin.

The only ones who probably shouldn’t take it are pregnant women and postpartum mothers.⁴²

That’s not because it’s dangerous but simply because it hasn’t been researched under those conditions, and you want to be 100% on the safe side when babies are involved.

Women might not get quite as big benefits from creatine as men. They have more creatine naturally in their muscles, and there are fewer studies done on women, so it’s hard to draw the same conclusions.⁴³

That said, a number of studies do show that creatine is effective for strenght-training women and increase strength, power, and lean muscle.⁴⁴

If you try creatine, stick with creatine monohydrate. It’s the original and the least expensive. It’s also the gold standard; supplement companies have tried to come up with new and better versions, but they have never matched monohydrate.

Some people like to start with a “loading phase” of 20 grams per day for 5–7 days to fill their muscles more quickly, but it’s not necessary. You’ll get to the same point with 3–5 grams a day; it’ll just take a little longer. And no need to time creatine; you take it anytime.

Caffeine

Caffeine is the world’s most popular drug. Beyond making you feel more alert and happy, it is known as a major performance booster.

In addition, if you get your caffeine fix from coffee, you’re also in for some potential health benefits.

When you imbibe caffeine before a gym workout, it boosts strength and power.⁴⁵ You can lift more weight, squeeze out more reps, and make those reps feel a little easier.

Research specifically looking at women has found that these benefits are just as potent as they are for men.⁴⁶

To reap the rewards without turning into a jittery mess, getting the dosage and timing right is key.

The generally recommended dose for performance improvements is 3 to 6 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight (1.36–2.72 mg/lb).

Your Bodyweight	Caffeine Dose (mg)
55 kg (121 lbs)	165–330 mg
65 kg (143 lbs)	195–390 mg
75 kg (165 lbs)	225–450 mg
85 kg (187 lbs)	255–510 mg

For reference, a standard 8-ounce cup of coffee typically contains 95 to 165 mg of caffeine.

If you are heavier than that, I suggest you cap it around max 500 mg anyway. Too much caffeine can ruin your workout instead of boost it.

These doses are safe for healthy people.

Everyone has a different tolerance, and you might get the jitters or find that a lower dose still messes with your sleep.

If you’re new to caffeine, start with a lower dose to see how you tolerate it and gradually increase it if you need to.

The source doesn’t matter much for performance. Coffee, an energy drink, caffeine pills, or even caffeinated chewing gum all work.

For best results, have your caffeine about 30 to 60 minutes before you start your workout. That is enough time to absorb it and for you to feel its full effects.

Of course, you can use caffeine during the day as a general pick-me-up as well.

If you’re on the pill, you might metabolize caffeine a bit slower.⁴⁷ That means it could stick around in your system for longer, so you might not need as high a dose to feel the effects.

Iron

Up to 60% of female athletes are iron deficient at some point, and it can significantly hamper performance, well-being, and training results.⁴⁸

That means that you might need a supplement, especially if you have symptoms like unexplained tiredness, decreased performance, shortness of breath during training, pale skin, dizziness, brittle nails, and hair loss.

If you are deficient, fixing it with a supplement can increase your performance by up to 20%.

However, self-prescribing iron supplements is not a good idea. Too much of a good thing, in this case iron, can be toxic.

Taking a lot of extra iron if you are not deficient will not improve your training performance and may accelerate oxidative stress or uncover latent hemochromatosis.⁴⁹

Instead, you should consider iron supplements only when your blood work shows depleted or sub-optimal stores and food alone can’t close the gap.

That means working with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian specializing in sports nutrition. They can 1) check if you really need an iron supplement and 2) work out the right dose for you.

Hyped But Less Useful Supplements

What probably isn’t worth your money:

• “Pre-workout” cocktails: the active ingredient is often just caffeine plus flavoring with undisclosed stimulants for a higher price.
• BCAAs/EAA: whole protein is superior and cheaper.
• HMB, glutamine, testosterone-boosters, most herbal blends: either ineffective, under-dosed, or lacking female data.

Sleep and Recovery Strategies for Women

Your muscles don’t actually grow bigger and stronger when you’re in the gym.

The results come during the hours and days after a workout when you let them recover (and feed them enough calories, protein, and nutrients).

A good rule of thumb is to rest a muscle group for 48 to 72 hours after training it hard.

On your rest days, you don’t have to sit around doing nothing.

In fact, active recovery, where you go for a walk, do yoga, stretch, or even do some low-intensity cardio, is probably beneficial for your recovery.

You keep your blood flowing and your muscles active.

Sleep

Skimping on sleep is the fastest way to kill your recovery and drain your motivation.

When you sleep, your body releases growth hormones that get to work repairing and building muscle.

If you don’t get enough quality sleep, less muscle gets built, and it’s harder to get stronger and leaner.

For most of us, the magic number is 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.⁵⁰

During really hard training periods, you can experiment with adding an hour or two of sleep per day, including naps. You might perform better in the gym.

These recommendations are for both women and men.

However, women experience more insomnia around the luteal phase. A 20-minute nap or 30 minutes earlier bedtime during that week can offset it.⁵¹

And it’s not just about how long you’re in bed.

It’s about the quality of your sleep.

Make your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet, and try to hit the hay around the same time each night. Also, cut the caffeine during the afternoons and evenings, and put your phone away before bed. That blue light is messing with your gains.

Tracking Progress & Smashing Plateaus

It’s easy to lose track of how far you’ve come. So track it!

Why Bother Tracking? Isn’t Lifting Heavy Stuff Enough?

I get it. You’re busy. The last thing you might want to do after a session is whip out a notebook or an app.

But trust me on this, tracking your workouts is one of the single most effective things you can do to guarantee your success.

Ways to Know You’re Improving

• You can lift heavier weights
• You feel more stable walking or climbing stairs
• You recover faster after workouts
• Your mood and energy are better

You wouldn’t try to bake a cake without a recipe, right?

Tracking your workouts is your personal recipe for getting stronger.

Progression is necessary for muscle building, regardless of sex or age. You need to gradually challenge your muscles to get stronger and build muscle.

Tracking your training allows you to see what you did last time and then strategically add a little more weight, a few more reps, or an extra set.

That is how you tell your muscles that it’s time to grow a little stronger so they can handle what you throw at them.

So, How Do You Track Your Progress?

You write everything down.

If you prefer good old pen and paper over an app, I get it.

And in that case, we make it easy with a free, printable workout log.

Download it and print as many as you need.

But your phone is always with you anyway, right?

With StrengthLog, you workout log is always at your fingertips. No more fumbling with paper and pen.

We are always working to make StrengthLog the best workout tracker possible.

You can:

• Log your workouts
• Follow training programs pre-built by experts (like the strength training programs for women above). Real workouts for real people
• Create your own workout routines
• Plan your workouts ahead of time
• Set and keep track of your goals and personal records
• Get motivated as you see stats of your strength increases
• See how to perform every exercise correctly and safely

And more. All for the reasonable cost of free, without ads.

Paper or app, the best method is the one you’ll actually stick with, so pick what works for you.

How do you get StrengthLog onto your phone and reap the benefits?

It’s easy: download it for iOS or Android on the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Tracking isn’t busywork; it is the feedback loop that turns random workouts into a data-driven progression system.

For women, that loop can be even more valuable: you captures cyclic hormonal changes, flag your recovery needs earlier, and get concrete proof that your program is still working.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lifting Weights for Women

Final Rep

You have reached the end of Strength Training for Women. Thank you for reading.

But while this might be the end of the article, it’s the beginning of your own strength journey.

I’ve talked about the why and the how, the myths and the benefits, but the rest is up to you.

At the end of the day, it’s pretty simple: strength training helps you build a body that can carry you through life.

The biggest takeaway? Just start. You don’t need to do everything right; you just need to begin.

Want more?

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get notified of new training programs and articles!

Leave this field empty if you’re human:

Thank you for reading, and good luck with your training!

Last reviewed: 2025-10-12

References

1. Sports Medicine and Health Science, 3 February 2025. Evolution of resistance training in women: History and mechanisms for health and performance.
2. Title Ix Of The Education Amendments Of 1972.
3. The New York Times, 26 May 2025. Jan Todd May Be the Reason You’re Lifting Weights.
4. National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal 11(4):p 43-55, August 1989.Strength training for female athletes: A position paper.
5. Johns Hopkins Medicine: Osteoporosis.
6. Healthcare 2022;10:1129. The Effect of Resistance Training on Bone Mineral Density in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
7. Front. Physiol., 10 June 2025. Optimization of high-intensity resistance exercise protocols for improving bone mineral density in the elderly without chronic diseases: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
8. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews 52(4):p 117-125, October 2024. Hormones, Hypertrophy, and Hype: An Evidence-Guided Primer on Endogenous Endocrine Influences on Exercise-Induced Muscle Hypertrophy.
9. Sports Med. 2020 Jun;50(6):1075-1093. The Effect of Resistance Training in Women on Dynamic Strength and Muscular Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.
10. JACC. 2024 Feb, 83 (8) 783–793. Sex Differences in Association of Physical Activity With All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality.
11. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2017 January ; 49(1): 40–46. Strength Training and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease.
12. Early Interv Psychiatry. 2024 Aug;18(8):585-598. Resistance training and combined resistance and aerobic training as a treatment of depression and anxiety symptoms in young people: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
13. Psychiatry Research, Volume 333, March 2024, 115746. Can resistance training improve mental health outcomes in older adults? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
14. BMJ 2024;384:e075847. Effect of exercise for depression: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
15. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2024 Jul:39:335-342. The effect of resistance training in reducing hot flushes in post-menopausal women: A meta-analysis.
16. Front. Physiol., 15 January 2019. Effect of Estrogen on Musculoskeletal Performance and Injury Risk.
17. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Jan;99(1):256-65. Testosterone and progesterone, but not estradiol, stimulate muscle protein synthesis in postmenopausal women.
18. Sports 2024, 12(1), 31. The Influence of Menstrual Cycle Phases on Maximal Strength Performance in Healthy Female Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.
19. Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 15692 (2025). Effects of integrated exercise approach on total testosterone levels in eumenorrheic women: a randomized controlled trial.
20. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews 52(4):p 117-125, October 2024. Hormones, Hypertrophy, and Hype: An Evidence-Guided Primer on Endogenous Endocrine Influences on Exercise-Induced Muscle Hypertrophy.
21. Front Sports Act Living. 2023 Mar 23:5:1054542. Current evidence shows no influence of women’s menstrual cycle phase on acute strength performance or adaptations to resistance exercise training.
22. Strength and Conditioning Journal ():10.1519/SSC.0000000000000917, May 29, 2025 Evidence for Periodizing Strength and/or Endurance Training According to Menstrual Cycle Phases to Optimize Female Athlete Performance Is Lacking.
23. ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 804, April 2020. Physical Activity and Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period.
24. Br J Sports Med. 2025 Mar 31;59(8):550-561. Impact of postpartum physical activity on maternal depression and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
25. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Physical Activity and Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period.
26. Br J Sports Med. 2024 Dec 18;59(8):e108619. Impact of postpartum exercise on pelvic floor disorders and diastasis recti abdominis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
27. Journal of Physiotherapy, Volume 69, Issue 3, July 2023, Pages 160-167. Curl-up exercises improve abdominal muscle strength without worsening inter-recti distance in women with diastasis recti abdominis postpartum: a randomised controlled trial.
28. International Journal of Sports Medicine, March 2025. Biological sex differences in fatigue in resistance-trained individuals: A scoping review.
29. Bone Jt Open. 2024 Feb 5;5(2):94–100. Anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female athletes: risk factors and strategies for prevention.
30. J Strength Cond Res. 2023 Feb 1;37(2):494-536. Narrative Review of Sex Differences in Muscle Strength, Endurance, Activation, Size, Fiber Type, and Strength Training Participation Rates, Preferences, Motivations, Injuries, and Neuromuscular Adaptations.
31. Int J Exerc Sci. 2018 May 1;11(5):226–238. Practices, Perceived Benefits, and Barriers to Resistance Training Among Women Enrolled in College.
32. Sports (Basel). 2021 Feb 22;9(2):32. Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum.
33. Journal of Human Kinetics 2022;81:199-210. A Systematic Review of the Effects of Different Resistance Training Volumes on Muscle Hypertrophy.
34. Dtsch Z Sportmed. 2022 Nov 1;73(7):225–234. Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S): Scientific, Clinical, and Practical Implications for the Female Athlete.
35. ACSM Information on Protein Intake for Optimal Muscle Maintenance.
36. Br J Sports Med. 2018 Mar;52(6):376-384. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults.
37. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2023 Dec;20(1):2204066. International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutritional concerns of the female athlete.
38. Front Nutr. 2024 Jan 18;10:1331854. Athletes’ nutritional demands: a narrative review of nutritional requirements.
39. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12629. Effects of the Ketogenic Diet on Muscle Hypertrophy in Resistance-Trained Men and Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
40. Front Nutr. 2025 Jun 4;12:1600927. Sex differences in ketogenic diet: are men more likely than women to lose weight?
41. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2025 Sep;22(sup1):2488937. Safety of creatine supplementation: analysis of the prevalence of reported side effects in clinical trials and adverse event reports.
42. Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®) [Internet].
43. Nutrients. 2025 Jan 10;17(2):238. Does Creatine Supplementation Enhance Performance in Active Females? A Systematic Review.
44. Nutrients. 2021 Mar 8;13(3):877. Creatine Supplementation in Women’s Health: A Lifespan Perspective.
45. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition volume 15, Article number: 11 (2018). Effects of caffeine intake on muscle strength and power: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
46. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 May 27;18(11):5773. Ergogenic Effects of Acute Caffeine Intake on Muscular Endurance and Muscular Strength in Women: A Meta-Analysis.
47. J Lab Clin Med. 1980 Apr;95(4):603-8. Impaired elimination of caffeine by oral contraceptive steroids.
48. J Sport Health Sci. 2024 Nov 12:14:101009. Iron deficiency, supplementation, and sports performance in female athletes: A systematic review.
49. Nutrition, Volume 20, Issues 7–8, July–August 2004, Pages 615-619. Iron supplementation in athletes—first do no harm.
50. Sleep. 2015 Jun 1;38(6):843–844. Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society.
51. Sleep and Biological Rhythms 8(2):151-159, April 2010. Napping during the late-luteal phase improves sleepiness, alertness, mood and cognitive performance in women with and without premenstrual symptoms.