Strength-Based Women's Workout Plan Guide - At Home (no HIIT) & At Gym

[uninformed]

@klara6 I found her on tik tok! Regarding the kettlebell stuff, I have a nasty elbow/tricep injury and knee issues that keep me from anything HIIT related. I really love the kettlebell stuff though. I just concentrate on form, and I move deliberately versus explosively and my heart rate stays pretty consistent. I'd start light and get the moves down then increase weight over time. Even the kettlebell swing isn't explosive because I'll stop the set once my good form is lost, to avoid injuries to my broken bits. I'd rather do multiple sets with less reps, with solid form...than work to get as many as possible in. Working out this way seems to keep the heart rate steady. I definitely feel a difference in the stabilizing muscles.

 

[klara6]

@uninformed Good advice!!

 

[klara6]

@adiannon I recommend the PPL program to any beginner. Most people use barbells for these type of programs. But dumbbells can mirror every single barbell movement and someone has taken the liberty to outline the dumbbell program here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/2e79y4/dumbbell_ppl_proposed_alternative_to_dumbbell

Once you get back into the gym, you can simply use the same program with a barbell and plates.

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Miscellaneous:

FYI "toning up" and women-specific exercise programs caters more toward marketing than science.

The only way to look lean is to increase your muscle mass through strength training and have low enough body fat for those results to be visible.

There is no such thing as 'toning' unless you mean your muscles' ability to reflexively contract. If you want your muscles to look more defined you can cut or aim for body recomposition.

Similarly, both men and women have the same muscles. If you want a bigger, rounder butt, for example, you're gonna be doing the same deadlifts as the beefcake next to you.

Another thing to mention is that you say you want to reduce fat while gaining muscle. This is generally very difficult since growing muscles mass requires excess energy, whereas a calorie deficit is needed for fat loss. However, as a beginner, you have an advantage.

Particularly if you have a higher body fat percentage, you're first three months of training lend you the most opportune time to gain muscle and lose fat, as you have more energy to spare and fat cells don't necessarily want it.

But the longer you strength train, the slower progress will get. And a healthy pace of weight loss is around 1% of your total body weight per week. Otherwise, you risk losing muscle mass.

 

[ursineguy]

@adiannon Casey Johnston’s new program, Liftoff: Couch to Barbell is approachable and very much hits that expectation of feeling like you’re making progress. There’s no HIIT work at all. Alternatively, Girls Gone Strong has some 6-week programs for free, which will get old after a while but will give you a start for very little money up front. They have a gym program and an at-home program, which sounds like it would be helpful for you.

 

[jeffwilly001]

@adiannon

would like to work on incorporating exercise back into my life and losing around 15-20 lbs to reduce fat while gaining muscle. (Don't care about scale weight as long as I'm losing fat & toning up)

"Toning up" is a marketing buzzword with no physiological meaning; your muscles have toned when flexed and no tone when not flexed. Physique goals invariably boil down to gaining muscle and losing fat.

my kidney doc told me to avoid HIIT & Cross Fit type workouts because of the focus on a fast heartbeat and overload of high-intensity. When I attempt HIIT workouts I get light-headed, get close to passing out, and develop hives.

You should see a doctor about an individualized treatment plan. Unfortunately, a public internet forum composed of untrained strangers unfamiliar with your medical history cannot offer diagnosis or treatment advice. Following any advice you receive may exacerbate existing problems or create new ones.

What I'm looking for:

1. A home-based fitness guide for women
2. A gym-based fitness guide for women

There is no difference in methodology when it comes to gender. Furthermore, there is no real difference between the location when it comes to programming, all that matters is your available equipment.

• Beginner weight resistance strength training program
• Beginner cardio training program
• Beginner isometric stretching program

To gain muscle:

1) Follow a full body strength training program encompassing progressive overload on compound exercises

2) Aim for ~1g of protein per 1lb of bodyweight per day (source)

3) Try to get 9 hours of sleep per day (source)

Concurrent strength training and cardio training is optimal for fat loss (source). Comparatively, strength training is superior to cardio training for the purposes of fat loss (source). Building muscle mass increases your metabolism which means you burn more calories just sitting around (source). HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and MICT (Moderate Intensity Continuous Training) are virtually identical in terms of fat loss and fat-free mass gain, so cardio modality is a matter of preference (source). However, exercise is not the optimal way to lose fat. Further reading: https://physiqonomics.com/fat-loss/#training-for-fat-loss

To lose fat, eat at a caloric deficit. Google "TDEE calculator" to estimate your daily caloric usage, then aim for approximately ~200-500 calories subtracted from this. Download a calorie tracker app and track your meals. Then adjust values based on the cause-effect relationship between your individual efforts and your individual results over a ~3-4 month period.

Focus on whole foods such as meat (red, white, fish), eggs, dairy, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, legumes, grains, etc. Prioritize high protein and high fiber. Avoid sugar and processed foods. For a more specific nutritional goal, try Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen Checklist.

A high protein diet aids in fat loss (source 1, source 2), and increased protein intake can beneficially affect recovery times (source) and reduce soreness (source).

 

[jaz2001]

@jeffwilly001 Isn’t the protein recommendation 1g per lean pound bodyweight or 1g per kg bodyweight? I weight 200lbs, it’s almost impossible to eat that much protein on a cut and preserve my sanity

 

[graemehoodless]

@jaz2001 From what I've read, the recommendations vary quite a bit. But I was pretty convinced by The Strength Academy's podcast episode on protein, where they cited research that found that at a certain point, your body isn't really getting anything extra out of the excess protein (diminishing returns).

Plus, by increasing your protein amount to an unnecessary amount, you're correspondingly decreasing carbs and fats, both of which are important to give you energy and good health. The research they discussed said strength athletes require about 1.5–2.4 g protein per 1 kg bodyweight.

 

[jeffwilly001]

@jaz2001 It's not quite clear what your question is but no, the protein recommendation is 1g per 1lb of bodyweight. You should actually be increasing your protein intake during a caloric deficit if you want to preserve muscle mass. Sub-optimal intake is more or less fine and will still produce results but not as much as optimal or maximal gains. Here's the relevant discussion from the study if you're interested:

A recent retrospective analysis showed a ‘breakpoint’ for the stimulation of MPS when ingesting an isolated protein source at 0.24 g protein/kg and 0.40 g protein/kg in younger and older participants, respectively. Given the observation of a dose-responsive relationship between protein intake and MPS and the fact that MPS is aligned with muscle hypertrophy, we elected to use an identical two-segment regression approach between total daily protein intake and changes in FFM (figure 5) as has been done for changes in protein dose and MPS. Here we provide significant insight (using 42 study arms including 723 young and old participants with protein intakes ranging from 0.9 g protein/kg/day to 2.4 g protein/kg/day) by reporting an unadjusted plateau in RET-induced gains in FFM at 1.62 g protein/kg/day (95% CI: 1.03 to 2.20). These results are largely in congruence with previous narrative reviews that comment on the optimal nutritional strategies to augment skeletal muscle adaptation during RET. Given that the CI of this estimate spanned from 1.03 to 2.20, it may be prudent to recommend ~2.2 g protein/kg/d for those seeking to maximise resistance training-induced gains in FFM. Though we acknowledge that there are limitations to this approach, we propose that these findings are based on reasonable evidence and theory and provide a pragmatic estimate with an incumbent error that the reader could take into consideration.

A rough window is going to be what most people can generally manage. Weekly intake is far more important than daily intake. Because calculating lean body mass is beyond most people's capabilities (and also largely unnecessary for overall progress), a good approximation to shoot for is 1g per 1lb of total bodyweight or 1g per 1cm of height (because there are cases where overweight/obese and/or shorter individuals are not going to be able to make the most of that methodology).

 

[jaz2001]

@jeffwilly001 I’m about 162cm and that’s a little easier but still too much for me on a serious cut. I don’t even care about muscle retention for the next few months, I have to get the weight off my knees.

 

[jeffwilly001]

@jaz2001 If you're prioritizing fat loss over muscle gain, then protein intake isn't as vital. If you can manage it, a significant caloric deficit followed by a recomp or clean bulk sounds like it would be most efficacious. Here's some further reading: https://physiqonomics.com/fat-loss/#setting-macros

Strength training is still great no matter what your caloric intake is, it's just that you wouldn't be able to expect much in the way of strength or hypertrophy gains without the respective protein intake.

 

[klara6]

@jeffwilly001 I'm pretty sure with OP's ADHD this information overload / format will be similarly overwhelming, although I think you make some good points.

 

[jeffwilly001]

@klara6 After a certain point, there are decreasing returns to appealing through a certain lens. There is a minimum barrier of entry to goal-oriented, optimal exercise: you have to understand how to do it. Everyone has the responsibility of being their own steward.

If you have any suggestions to further reduce what is already a very simplified format then by all means offer away.

 

[klara6]

@jeffwilly001

there are decreasing returns to appealing through a certain lens

Using a certain lens to convey information is typically more proactive and accommodating for those who need it. Otherwise, we risk leaving people behind and that gets into ableism territory (speaking as someone who is also long-winded but works with neurodivergent and disabled individuals).

I can't speak for OP, but if you have executive dysfunction (a major symptom of ADHD), sometimes leaving the burden of research to others is more practical than feeling frozen in the face of adversity. When you give so much information all at once, you're putting that burden back on them.

And though technically individuals have free will in deciding what to do, if you struggle with task completion, self-regulation, decision fatigue, etc., it feels easier to push everything to the side if just one thing feels like too much. And too much can mean looking into several (handy, but unnecessary) citations or reading really long blocks of text.

If you have any suggestions to further reduce what is already a very simplified format then by all means offer away.

OP is looking for straightforward answers that don't mimic the long Reddit posts that have turned them off in the past. Essentially, keep it short and sweet. Stick to the program(s). And if you want to add a critique or additional information, leave it at the end. Perhaps even ask if OP wants the additional info in the first place or consider cutting it out. Being concise is key.

ADDENDUM: OP also said they looked at the Reddit programs already and it wasn't quite what they were looking for, yet you linked one in your comment. And similarly, I'd think running a 5K would leave somebody with kidney issues lightheaded, but that's a matter of personal opinion. I'm not a professional.

 

[jeffwilly001]

@klara6 You seem to be participating in a conversation composed of one person, and ostensibly inferring quite a lot of inarticulated information that is not present. If OP is truly so debilitated that they're unable to parse ~250 words (which is nonsensical seeing as their OP is longer, and the whole thread will be much larger), then there isn't anything external that is going to somehow provide that without significant medical intervention. That is still, ultimately, OP's responsibility.

The specifics of how you'd suggest presenting the bare minimum of information necessary to achieve goals without actually doing so are still not apparent.

 

[klara6]

@jeffwilly001 I apologize for not conveying my suggestions in an articulate enough way for you to understand but your response comes off as ill-mannered and disingenuous. You asked for suggestions but you give the impression that that was an empty offer.

Also implying that someone who can't easily digest long blocks of text and embedded sources needs medical attention is simply uncalled for.

 

[jeffwilly001]

@klara6 It sounds like it would be most prudent to allow people the basic respect of speaking for themselves to describe their own problems, and contribute the specifics of any improvements you'd devise rather than vague notions

 

[citrusthefool]

@adiannon Check out Sydney Cummings on youtube. She does monthly programmes, have a browse and see if this is what you're looking for as she is brilliant! X

 

[carolinachristian]

@citrusthefool Sydney is always who i recommend and who I personally follow. I’m not sure that a YouTube workout will translate to a gym. At Home 1000% though!

 

[bchris02]

@citrusthefool I second Sydney Cummings. She has lots of programs to follow. Unfortunately, she does do a lot of HIIT workouts, but she always shows modifications, and she has hundreds of videos, so if a day doesn't look good to you, you can always swap it out for a different more strength based workout.

 

[criminallawyer03]

@adiannon I love Stronger by the Day by MegSquats for strength. They have an at home program and a few times a year Meg runs a course called Before the Barbell to get you comfortable with using a barbell and doing compound movements. I had my husband following the program last year because he was totally new to lifting and he really liked it.