Female Weight Lifting Program
For Maximum Fat Loss

If you're really ready to step up and start making some improvements in your body to get leaner than ever before, it's time to come up with a weight lifting program dedicated towards maximum fat loss and muscle maintenance.

A weight lifting program is critical when aiming for fat loss since it's going to help you stay firm and toned, creating the look that so many women are after. Cardio can be added in later once you have the routines set, but you should always be mindful that weight lifting is the priority. Never sacrifice your time in the gym for cardio.

In the following weight lifting program below, you'll combine some movements that are really focused on strength as well as some movements that will enhance muscle definition and boost the metabolism.

We'll be incorporating 'supersets' into the workout which essentially pair two exercises back to back with little to no rest in between. This is an excellent technique to use for fat loss and something that you definitely should consider.

Aim to keep your rest periods for the following workouts to about sixty seconds for the lifts that utilize the lower rep range (shown below) and to thirty seconds on exercises that use the higher rep range. If the exercise listed is part of a superset, then take no rest between exercises and use the thirty second rest period after the second one of the set is finished.

Also note that for this weight lifting program you are going to be working out three days a week with two days of cardio training added in. This allows for slightly more recovery time while on a reduced calorie diet and will help prevent the occurrence of lean muscle mass loss. Alternate between Weight Lifting Program A and B so every other week one workout is performed twice.

Also note that some of these exercises are slightly more advanced so be sure that you are carefully taking the time to learn to do them properly before you add any weight. It would be a wise idea to do 2-3 workouts first without any weight and then begin adding the weight from there.

Cardio Workouts

If you're feeling up to it for your cardio sessions, perform 8 intervals of 45 seconds in length supplemented with a rest interval of 90 seconds in length. Start and begin the session with a 5 minute warm up and cool down and be sure to stretch after you're finished.

If, on the other hand you're feeling quite fatigued from the workout the day before, then perform just a single steady-state cardio workout for twenty to forty minutes instead.

Descriptions of Exercises in the Weight Lifting Program

Horizontal Chest Press

Sit in a horizontal chest press machine and while exhaling, slowly press the weight directly in front of you until elbows are extended but not locked. Pause for a brief moment and then slowly return to the starting position.

Single Leg Split Squat

To get into this position, place one foot back up behind you on a bench while you remain balanced on the standing leg holding a dumbbell in each hand. From there, bend the standing leg down until the knee is at about 90 degrees while back leg is bending simultaneously as you lower down to the ground.

Pause at the bottom of the moment for a brief second and then press back up to the start once again to complete the rep. Be sure to switch sides and repeat.

Shoulder Press

For the shoulder press, standing upright with the legs about shoulder width apart, bring the dumbbells up until they are at shoulder level. From there, press directly overhead until elbows are straightened but not locked. Once finished, lower back down to the shoulders to complete the rep. Be sure at all times the back stays straight in this movement to prevent lower back pain from developing.

Horizontal Row

For the horizontal row, sit directly facing the chest pad in the horizontal row machine. Slowly reach forward and grab the handles and then while thinking of pulling the shoulder blades together, bend at the elbows and bring the hands into the body. Pause for a second when you're hands are just about at the underarms and then return to the starting position once again.

Walking Lunges

Walking lunges are a simple exercise to perform and will really work the lower body. With a dumbbell in each hand, take one step forward and slowly bend the leg in front as you move into the lunge position. Take a brief pause at the bottom of the movement and then bring the back leg up in front as you take your next step forward. Continue this walking pattern until all reps have been completed.

Bicep Curl

The bicep curl is one of the most commonly recognized exercises and is performed by standing in an upright position with a dumbbell in each hand, arms directly by the sides. From there, slowly bend at the elbows while keeping them locked into place at the side of the body and then curl the weight up to the shoulders.

Pause at the top and then lower the weight back down until arms are stretched full out once again.

Overhead Tricep Extension

For the overhead tricep extension, get into a standing position where you bring a dumbbell up over the head holding it with both hands. From there, lower it down directly behind the head until the elbows are fully bent. From there, press the weight back upwards again to straighten the arms and complete the rep.

Ab Crunch On A Ball

No weight lifting program would be complete without the ab crunch. To begin the crunch on the ball, lay so that the middle of your back is directly over the top of the ball with the feet bent and straight in front of you. From there, lean back as far as possible to fully engage the ab muscles and then crunch up as high as you can on top of the ball.

Be sure to move through the full range of motion with this exercise in order to properly invoke full muscle contraction.

Dumbbell Chest Press

The dumbbell chest press is much like the horizontal chest press only you're lying on a flat bench holding dumbbells. Get into position with the dumbbells at the shoulders and elbows bend and tucked into the body. From there, press directly upwards with the weight until the elbows are extended. Pause and then lower back down to complete the rep. Be sure at all times that you're also keeping the back pressed flat against the pad so as to not experience lower back pain.

Leg Press

For the leg press, get into the machine and place the feet about hip width apart. From there press through the thighs until legs are fully extended. While doing so be sure the back is flat against the pad as well throughout this exercise.

Note that the deeper you can take this exercise (the closer to the body you place the feet), the more you will recruit the glute muscles, making this exercise even more effective.

Lat Pull-down

To work the back with the lat-pull-down, sit in the machine and reach up until your hands are on the lat-pull-down bar a little wider than shoulder width apart. From there, slowly begin to pull the bar down towards the sternum while leaning back ever so slightly.

Once you're at the bottom of the movement, move the bar back up again to complete the rep.

Pec Fly

The pec fly exercise is a great one for boosting the cleavage area and increasing the strength of your chest. To perform it simply sit in a pec fly machine and grasping the handles with each hand, slowly press them directly together until they are almost touching. Return back to the starting position in as slow and controlled manner as possible.

Reverse Fly

For the reverse fly, which directly opposes the pec fly, sit on a flat bench with the knees bend and feet just below you. Bend down so that your chest is touching your knees and your hands are directly below the body grasping a set of dumbbells.

From there, raise the arms out to the sides until they are about parallel with the upper body and pause for a brief moment before lowering once again to complete the rep.

Hammer Curl

The hammer curl is performed in the same manner as the bicep curl with the only difference being that the palms are facing towards each other rather than facing in the upwards direction. Be sure to also execute this exercise through the full range of motion to call all the muscle fibers into play.

Rope Press-Down

The rope press down is another excellent variation for the triceps muscle and should be performed using a cable pulley system. To begin, grasp the handles of the rope attachment. Next, pull the handles downwards splitting when they near the body until the elbows are fully extended. From that position you want to maintain the connection between the elbows and the side of the body while letting the handles move up and down to complete the extension movement.

Once all reps have been completed you can then let the rope move back up to the top of the cable pulley once again.

Hanging Leg Raise

Finally, the last exercise to perform in this workout is the hanging leg raise. For this exercise you are to get into a hanging leg raise machine and slowly raise the legs up until they are parallel with the body. Note that some people may not have the strength to do this initially so instead should focus on bringing just the knees up in a bent-knee position.

So if you want to slim down while maintaining your muscle strength, be sure and give this weight lifting program a try. Remember that proper nutrition goes hand in hand with seeing results, so be sure you take the time to look after your nutrition as well.

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Program For Fat Loss