In the past, bodybuilding was one of many athletic endeavors only open to men. Even after it was acceptable for women to participate in soccer, hockey and even rugby, bodybuilding was considered a man’s sport.
Fortunately, the stereotypes of yesterday are falling away quickly as droves of women decide to pursue bodybuilding.
Many bodybuilding exercises work well for men and women, but there are certain bodybuilding workouts that really seem to trigger muscle growth in women. These exercises are described below:
Abdominals:
The abdominals are traditionally the main area targeted by women bodybuilders. Many women make the mistake of limiting their abdominal workouts to sit-ups and crunches, which fail to target the lower abdominals. Toned lower abdominals make the most difference in muscle definition of the abdominals-you can do as many crunches as you want, but until you work those lower abs, you won’t see results!
The best abdominal exercises for women bodybuilders include the plank, side bends, and leg tucks. You should still do crunches and sit-ups, but don’t make these exercises the sole focus of all your bodybuilding workouts.
Upper Body:
Women tend to have more trouble building muscle in the upper body (biceps, triceps, chest and shoulders). Often, their negative attitudes are more limiting to their upper body strength than any biological factors. Many women believe that trying to build upper body strength is futile, and as such, they spend minimal time on the upper body and see minimal results.
The truth is, women have the same ability to gain muscle in the upper body as they do in the lower body and abdominals. A strong upper body is beneficial in many sports and even can be helpful for women carrying out daily chores (i.e. shoveling snow, carrying groceries, mowing the lawn, etc.)
There are several great exercises that target the upper body. Many women find that doing bicep curls and triceps dips with dumbbells or barbells effectively tone the arms and shoulders, while the bench press improves chest strength.
Lower Body:
Whether they’re involved in bodybuilding or not, women who desire long and lean legs spend a great deal of time executing lower body exercises. Bodybuilding workouts for the lower body are great because they target multiple muscles at once. The best lower body exercises include squats, lunges, leg curls, calf raises, the wall sit, and my personal favorite, the doggie and the fire hydrant.
If you execute these bodybuilding workout routines several times a week, you will see results quickly. In no time, you’ll have a firmer body and increased self-confidence!
Tags: bodybuilding exercise workout, workouts for bodybuilding
I have found that body building workouts for women (and men) should be combined with wait for it…yoga, it is by far the most under-rated routine and helps build overall bodytone and fitness