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

[adiannon]

Hi Everyone,

I've never posted a question on Reddit before so my apologies if I do anything wrong in advance.

I'm currently 26 years old and 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)

When I was 17-19, I used to follow Lais De Leon's fitness guides for at home and at the gym, and having a structured plan (what body part to work out, which exercises to do, # sets/reps) was wonderful for me as I have ADHD and it made working out much easier for me. I also liked knowing that I was closer to the finish line and had a sense of accomplishment when completing plans/challenges. These were all strength-based and I loved that. I feel like a badass when lifting and feeling like a badass is what motivates me to work out.

I recently retried one of Lais De Leon's challenges through her app but it's expensive & I felt that it was a bit too much and unrealistic for a single gym sesh. It's also been about 4 years since I've consistently worked out so I've realized that I need to start from the basics again.

I've been looking around and lurking on Reddit posts but it's VERY overwhelming with the amount fitness women and people out there and guides. I've checked out a few guides based on posts from here and most are good but not exactly quite what I'm looking for.

The biggest difficulty that I'm running into most is that many are HIIT-based workouts. I do not enjoy HIIT-based workouts whatsoever and I also cannot physically do them since I have a kidney disease and 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. Unrealistic to keep attempting this if I plan to stay consistent with working out, therefore am avoiding these types of workouts.

What I'm looking for:

1. A home-based fitness guide for women: I have access to my apartment gym which has dumbbells, resistance bands, and a cable machine. Strength-based workout focused and can include bodyweight. Not HIIT focused or have it as a minimum if it is in there.
2. A gym-based fitness guide for women: When I join a gym again (In August - after I'm done w/ grad school due to cost) I would like to fully get back to lifting. Squats, DLs, bench, hip thrusts, etc. Looking for a guide to tell me which body part to focus on, which exercises, sets/reps. Low-impact cardio is perfectly fine, just no high-intensity cardio or HIIT style.

Overall: SIMPLE layout/plan, tells me exactly what to do & how much, focus on strength building using a combination of weights & bodyweight, beginner-intermediate, don't care about fast gains/results, something 8-12 weeks or longer if possible (longer the better).

Thank you all for your help in advance!

EDIT: For others that may read this post later looking for help/new recs, I've compiled most of the answers in a manner that would've been helpful for me as a lurker . I'll keep trying to add more as I see them.

Current Recommendations (Dec 2021):

Programs

Name of Program
Who
Link
Cost
Notes

Liftoff: Couch to Barbell
Casey Johnston
[sup]https://www.couchtobarbell.com/[/sup]
$20
Home Based (Phase 1-2), Gym Based (Phase 3)

Fitness Blender - Mass
Fitness Blender
[sup]https://www.fitnessblender.com/plans/fb-mass-4-week-workout-program-to-build-mass-and-increase-strength[/sup]
$14.99


Stronger by the Day
Meg Gallagher (MegSquats)
[sup]https://www.strongstrongfriends.com/product/stronger-by-the-day/[/sup]
$9.99/month
Gym Based, Subscription

Before the Barbell
Meg Gallagher (MegSquats)
[sup]https://www.strongstrongfriends.com/before-the-barbell/[/sup]
$9.99/month (2-month)
Home Based, Waitlist, Subscription

Fat Loss - 6 Week Training Program
Girls Gone Strong
[sup]https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/GGS\[/sup]CHFL_Fat-Loss-6-Week-Training-Program.pdf)
Free


SplitStrong 35: 2-Week Workout Program
Nourish Move Love
[sup]https://www.nourishmovelove.com/splitstrong-35-workout-program/[/sup]
Free
New Content Every Two Weeks

EPIC Program
Caroline Girvan
[sup]https://carolinegirvan.com/epic-program.pdf[/sup]
Free
Home Based, Youtube Program

The Female Lean Program
Jeremy Ethier (Built with Science)
[sup]https://builtwithscience.com/programs/female-lean-program/[/sup]
$49
Gym Based

Female Build
Jeremy Ethier (Built with Science)
[sup]https://builtwithscience.com/programs/female-build-program/[/sup]
$49
Gym Based

Strength Method
Natalie Freeman
[sup]https://nataliefreeman.co/strengthmethod/[/sup]
$14/month
Subscription

The Starting Strength Program (Novice)
Starting Strength
[sup]https://startingstrength.com/get-started/programs[/sup]
Free
Gym Based

Strong with Kelly
Kelly
[sup]https://www.strongwithkelly.com/shopprograms[/sup]
$75-100


Lift at Home Program
Sohee Lee
[sup]https://soheefit.com/collections/e-products/products/lift-at-home-program[/sup]
$29
Home Based, 12 Weeks

CUT.
Natacha Oceane
[sup]https://natachaoceane.com/[/sup]
$60
Home Based, 12 Weeks

BUILD.
Natacha Oceane
[sup]https://natachaoceane.com/[/sup]
$60
Gym Based, 12 Weeks

HR12WEEK 2.0
Heather Robertson
[sup]https://heatherrobertson.com/programs/heather-robertson-12-week-workout-program-2/[/sup]
Free
Home Based, Youtube Program, 12 Weeks

Apps: SWEAT, Books: The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess by Cassandra Forsythe & Lou Schuler

People Mentioned: Sarah Olive Bergeson, Tracy Steen, Emi Wong, Heather Robertson, Sohee Lee, Sydney Cummings, Natacha Oceane, Caroline Girvan, Jeremey Ethier, Casey Johnston, Meg Gallagher, Natalie Freeman

 

[baltazaresguerra]

@adiannon Hi there! I know it‘s an old post but if there is anybody out there still reading this: I‘m searching exactly the same but for gym only and completely for free + a plan without barbells as I’m an absolute beginner and have I feeling that machines work better at the start. If anybody has a recommendation, let me know please

 

[perezeduardo78]

@adiannon Hey there! I just wanted to share something really cool with you. I recently started using Hybrid Calisthenics by Hampton and I am absolutely loving it! Hampton is such a wholesome person and I really resonate with his outlook towards fitness and life in general.

The best part is that he provides an app which is super easy to use and has helped me to stay consistent with my workouts. It's perfect for someone like me who struggles to stay motivated.

If you're looking for a fun and effective way to get in shape, then I highly recommend giving Hybrid Calisthenics a try. Trust me, you won't regret it!

 

[anonymosbeliever]

@adiannon What did you end up going with? I have very similar requirements! Couch to Liftoff is what I'm using now but I'm interested in an alternative for when I 'finish' the program. Edited to add - thank you for compiling these for the lurkers!!

 

[lison5]

@adiannon Super helpful! I want to mention the Nike Training App. It's free and has a lot of different training session and program options to try, including basic/getting started programs. I've found it super helpful - that and their running app.

 

[sandra530]

@adiannon You’ve already got heaps of suggestions but just wanted to mention Sarah Olive Bergson; I really love her at home programs.

 

[causticwolf]

@adiannon The New rules of lifting for women. It's a very manageable 12 week program and I found it to provide a nice bit of variety after doing Starting Strength for half a year. I borrowed the book from the library and you can find an ebook version on Libby or whatever program that your local library uses.

 

[dawn16]

@adiannon Casey Johnstown’s LIFTOFF: Couch to Barbell! https://www.couchtobarbell.com better for part two since it will end up requiring a barbell. You could use dumbbells, but it’s just not quite the same.

 

[adiannon]

Oh wow! Thank you all so much! I was not expecting this many replies for my first post on Reddit. I sincerely appreciate each one of you for taking the time to respond.

I will be going through each comment slowly and checking out all the programs/recommendations that have been posted here. I'm very much looking forward to something that I can realistically stick to. But wanted to show all of you my appreciation for the time being!

As for the comments about men/women working out the same etc. I generally for the most part agree and worded it this way since it was 1 AM PST haha. However, I tend to still prefer programs created by women because many take into consideration and mention how menstrual cycles affect results and how to work with them, or the body composition of being a woman (storing more fat etc.). I am fully aware that I can get results from any program that is geared towards building muscle. I used to work out with my guy cousins all the time and saw fantastic results.

Same reasoning for the "toning up" phrase. Thankfully, I am aware that building muscle is building muscle. And that toning up is a marketing term mainly to sell services towards women. However, using the phrase is relatable for others to easily understand what my fitness goals are and what I'm aiming for. I'm not looking to bulk heavy or compete in various fitness competitions, whereas this could be the goal for many other women. It was a way to easily convey where I'm at and my personal goals for where I'm starting

Regardless, thank you for your insights since I could've easily not known this information and it likely will be helpful to others reading that may not know!

 

[shaebaybee]

@adiannon Check out Heather Robertson on YouTube. Her programs are completely free and she's about to start a new 12 week program in January. If one of the workouts is HIIT focused, she has hundreds of other videos you can interchange them with... All free. She mainly uses dumbbells, but occasionally throws in a kettlebell workout (as well as kickboxing, Barre fusion, pilates fusion and yoga fusion). And, are also has an incredible online FB community that helps with questions and support. I've been doing her workouts from home for 3 years and have been the strongest and best shape of my life. Tracy Steen also is amazing if you like more talking while you workout.

 

[sschemp]

@adiannon I am in the exact same position as you! I have been using Emi Wongs videos on youtube.

Also commenting to keep an eye out on this thread as there are some cool tips on here.

 

[dawn16]

@adiannon Check out Natalie Freeman’s program The Strength Method! She has an at home program that I followed until I was able to get back into the gym and I saw amazing progress with it. She’s focused on progressive overload and building strength so there isn’t a ton of ridiculous supersets or high rep exercises (something that i found i really disliked when i was searching for an at home program during lockdown). You also get access to a Facebook group where she helps out with form checks and questions, and she had a registered dietician join her team to give assistance with macros. It’s $14/month. I super recommend!

 

[donna3336]

@adiannon Check out Built With Science, by Jeremy Ethier. https://builtwithscience.com/programs/female-lean-program/

I’m using the Women’s Lean program, which is intended for building strength. It includes both a gym program and home program, with options for both 4 and 5-day splits. The home program has options for body weight, resistance bands, and weights. I think it’s around $50. There is a ton of great content, including video tutorials for all the exercises and some excellent PDF guides outlining each workout, with sets, reps, form tips.

I also have ADHD and it has been working great for me. I don’t worry about figuring out what to do and if I don’t feel like getting to the gym, the home options provide a perfect alternative. Since it outlines exactly what to do, I get to focus completely on form and progressive overload.

There is also a nutrition tracker, however I am convinced I will never be able to track food, so don’t use it.

 

[mustard_seed]

@donna3336 Hi! How's your progress with Jeremy's program. Where you able to hit your intended goal? Aiming to get it. Thx

 

[red33med777]

@adiannon Caroline Girvan's YouTube programmes focus a lot on strength-based workouts!

 

[dawn16]

@red33med777 Thank you for reminding me of her. I just restarted Kayla’s Sweat program lol

 

[y%C5%8Duhance_24]

@adiannon Check out Nourish Move Love’s split strong program. It’s completely free! It’s 2 weeks, but I’ve repeated it a few times. It’s strength based and all can be done at home with dumbbells. She has a HIIT program coming out next month. I love her programs and have gotten a lot stronger using her videos. She has a TON of free content on YouTube. https://www.nourishmovelove.com/splitstrong-35-workout-program/

 

[carolinachristian]

@adiannon Sohee fit! She extremely well qualified and knowledgeable and just an all around nice person. Her plans are affordable.

 

[uninformed]

@adiannon Really recommend these. Each has a weekly training schedule and each exercise has a clip of her doing the exercise. It starts basic and increases in complexity over time. Also extremely affordable. Most can be done with a heavy and light kettlebell and a bar. If you have access to any gym with free weights you can do all of these. https://www.strongwithkelly.com/shopprograms

 

[klara6]

@uninformed I follow her on IG. She's a beast! I would warn that kettlebell exercises are pretty in line with HIIT, and require a lot of aerobic exertion.