Are any of you ladies doing weightlifting? What does your week of workouts look like? I have been lifting for a while... BUT I don't necessarily have it planned out (:
I CrossFit 5 or 6 days a week, so the lifts are pretty much planned out for us. I usually do back squats, front squats, and deadlifts most weeks, often push press or push jerk, and sometimes bench press. I also do a lot of kettlebells, pullups/pushups, thrusters, and cleans built into the actual metabolic conditioning portion of the workout. Before I did crossfit, I'd rotate lower body/upper body 4-5 days a week. Now that I focus on one major lift a day, and then incorporate other lifts into the metcon portion, I've gotten stronger overall and seen better results.
I lift 3 times a week. I focus on muscle groups, the specifics vary. This is my current schedule. Copy and pasted from my phone notes. It changes every few months or so. I don't really have it down but I am seeing good results currently.
"Day 1 Legs- squat, calves, hams/quads Back-one exercise Shoulders-one exercise Power work-Tire flips, or cleans
Day2 Legs- lunges, calves, in and out Chest- incline, decline Back-two exercise
Day3 Shoulders-one exercise Chest-one exercise Arms- two or three exercise Agility - speed ladder or tire work
I wrote this for my sister and decided to keep it for myself as well. This is my current LIFTING schedule, so it's not including any cardio: (big muscle groups need about 3-4 different exercises to make sure you hit it completely. smaller can be 2-4)
Monday:
Plank:
normal and side. 1 minute each, repeat 3 times
Plank: 2
minutes straight of knee crunching in to opposite elbow
Leg
lifts
Bicycles+
pulse crunch: side to side 4 times, then 8 pulses up the middle. 3X12 (3 sets
of 12)
Tuesday: Arms
Biceps: (you need to make sure you hit the long head AND
short head)
Stand
Barbell curl: 3 sets (ex: 20lb for set 1 of 12 reps, 30lb set 2 for 8, 40lb set
3 for 6 reps)
Preacher
curls: 3 sets (if you have a spotter to help)
Hammer
curls: 3 sets, alternating
Angled
out curls (ie, wide grip): 3 sets with one set being: 4 curls, 10 mid range
pulses X 3
(isolation move)
Triceps: (triceps are STRONGER than biceps naturally. Do not
cheat yourself. You should be going heavier than you thing on this muscle)
Tricep
bench press: 3-4sets, use barbell
Tricep
pull down: 3-4 sets, use the cables
Skull
crushers: 3 sets, barbell or dumbbells
Tricep
kick backs: 3 sets, dumbbells, one side at a time
Finish
with tricep pushups (on the knees is fine) until you can’t do anymore
Wednesday: Chest/Back (feel free to break this up. These are
huge muscles groups)
Chest:
Bench
press: 3 sets, (you should be going heavy enough that you require a spotter)
Around
the world pushups: 2X12 drop to the left, down to the middle, right, and back
up, then 2 pushups down the
center. On the second set, start on the right.
Incline
Dumbbell Press: 3 sets (should require a spotter)
Incline
or flatbench dumbbell flies: 3 sets (also, consider using the bands instead of
dumbbells)
Back: (upper and lower lats, middle back, lower back.. The
back is a huge group with a lot going on and it’s easy to miss a part.)
Dead
lifts to single rows: 3 sets, barbells
Stiff
Leffed deadlifts: 2 sets. This is a dangerous move for the lower back, so if
you feel you can’t
do it
safely, don’t.
Wide
grip rows: 3 sets (don’t forget to hold for a second at the top)
Lat pull
down: 3-4 sets (cable machine
Full
bridge or modified bridge pose: 5X hold for 30 seconds, release
Bent arm
dumbbell pull over (If you combine back days with tri day this is an AMAZING
one sure
to make
your lat dorsi and triceps sore. Do it at the END as your last move. It’s the
closer :P )
Thursday: Rest or Leg day (if you want a leg day), showing
options to combine with shoulder day
Walking,
weight lunges: 3 sets, barbell.
Combine with shoulders:
do shoulder presses with dumbbells at the same time.
Squat
rack (this is the time to truly load up)
Sumo
Squats: 3 sets, heavy dumbbell, hold down in front of you.
Combine with
shoulders: front raises with dumbbell when squatting
Box
Jumps (2-3ft is high enough) to BURPEES!!!!! Hold 3-5lb weights in your hands
during these.
3sets of 12 in the pattern box jump
to burpees to box jump to…
Single legged squats: 3X10 (grab a
10-40lb weight once you have established solid balance)
To combine with shoulders:
use lesser weights for lateral raises during squats
Friday: Shoulders (and bi or tri if one isn’t sore
anymore)
Mac
Raise: 3-4 sets. (listen to some dubstep and feel like a badass)
Shoulder
press: 3 sets with one set being: 4 presses, 10 mid range pulses X 3
(isolation move)
Upright
row: 3 sets, machine, barbell, or dumbbell. Lifter’s choice.
Saturday: Rest, balance work and/or or misc lift (call this
left overs day. Lift whatever isn’t sore)
Balance
work includes:
Single
legged balance on the bosu ball ß-
HUGE for injury prevention
Single
legged squats
Single
legged jump rope
Advanced
side plank (one leg in the air, rather than on the ground)
Re: Weightlifting...
"Day 1
Legs- squat, calves, hams/quads
Back-one exercise
Shoulders-one exercise
Power work-Tire flips, or cleans
Day2
Legs- lunges, calves, in and out
Chest- incline, decline
Back-two exercise
Day3
Shoulders-one exercise
Chest-one exercise
Arms- two or three exercise
Agility - speed ladder or tire work
A one exercise only counts if I super set it."
I wrote this for my sister and decided to keep it for myself as well. This is my current LIFTING schedule, so it's not including any cardio: (big muscle groups need about 3-4 different exercises to make sure you hit it completely. smaller can be 2-4)
Monday:
Plank: normal and side. 1 minute each, repeat 3 times
Plank: 2 minutes straight of knee crunching in to opposite elbow
Leg lifts
Bicycles+ pulse crunch: side to side 4 times, then 8 pulses up the middle. 3X12 (3 sets of 12)
Tuesday: Arms
Biceps: (you need to make sure you hit the long head AND short head)
Stand Barbell curl: 3 sets (ex: 20lb for set 1 of 12 reps, 30lb set 2 for 8, 40lb set 3 for 6 reps)
Preacher curls: 3 sets (if you have a spotter to help)
Hammer curls: 3 sets, alternating
Angled out curls (ie, wide grip): 3 sets with one set being: 4 curls, 10 mid range pulses X 3
(isolation move)
Triceps: (triceps are STRONGER than biceps naturally. Do not cheat yourself. You should be going heavier than you thing on this muscle)
Tricep bench press: 3-4sets, use barbell
Tricep pull down: 3-4 sets, use the cables
Skull crushers: 3 sets, barbell or dumbbells
Tricep kick backs: 3 sets, dumbbells, one side at a time
Finish with tricep pushups (on the knees is fine) until you can’t do anymore
Wednesday: Chest/Back (feel free to break this up. These are huge muscles groups)
Chest:
Bench press: 3 sets, (you should be going heavy enough that you require a spotter)
Around the world pushups: 2X12 drop to the left, down to the middle, right, and back up, then 2 pushups down the center. On the second set, start on the right.
Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets (should require a spotter)
Incline or flatbench dumbbell flies: 3 sets (also, consider using the bands instead of dumbbells)
Back: (upper and lower lats, middle back, lower back.. The back is a huge group with a lot going on and it’s easy to miss a part.)
Dead lifts to single rows: 3 sets, barbells
Stiff Leffed deadlifts: 2 sets. This is a dangerous move for the lower back, so if you feel you can’t
do it safely, don’t.
Wide grip rows: 3 sets (don’t forget to hold for a second at the top)
Lat pull down: 3-4 sets (cable machine
Full bridge or modified bridge pose: 5X hold for 30 seconds, release
Bent arm dumbbell pull over (If you combine back days with tri day this is an AMAZING one sure
to make your lat dorsi and triceps sore. Do it at the END as your last move. It’s the closer :P )
Thursday: Rest or Leg day (if you want a leg day), showing options to combine with shoulder day
Walking, weight lunges: 3 sets, barbell.
Combine with shoulders: do shoulder presses with dumbbells at the same time.
Squat rack (this is the time to truly load up)
Sumo Squats: 3 sets, heavy dumbbell, hold down in front of you.
Combine with shoulders: front raises with dumbbell when squatting
Box Jumps (2-3ft is high enough) to BURPEES!!!!! Hold 3-5lb weights in your hands during these.
3sets of 12 in the pattern box jump to burpees to box jump to…
Single legged squats: 3X10 (grab a 10-40lb weight once you have established solid balance)
To combine with shoulders: use lesser weights for lateral raises during squats
Friday: Shoulders (and bi or tri if one isn’t sore anymore)
Mac Raise: 3-4 sets. (listen to some dubstep and feel like a badass)
Shoulder press: 3 sets with one set being: 4 presses, 10 mid range pulses X 3
(isolation move)
Upright row: 3 sets, machine, barbell, or dumbbell. Lifter’s choice.
Saturday: Rest, balance work and/or or misc lift (call this left overs day. Lift whatever isn’t sore)
Balance work includes:
Single legged balance on the bosu ball ß- HUGE for injury prevention
Single legged squats
Single legged jump rope
Advanced side plank (one leg in the air, rather than on the ground)
Yoga poses of choice