Best Workout Plans For Women

Starting a weight training program can be challenging for women due to the abundance of misguided information.

Yet 73% of women feel overwhelmed when choosing a workout plan. I get it. Between full-body splits, PPL routines, and countless YouTube “fitness gurus,” the options seem endless.

But here’s the truth: Building a lean, strong physique requires proven workout splits that actually work (no Instagram fluff included).

In this guide, you’ll discover battle-tested workout plans that have helped thousands of women transform their bodies. These aren’t just random workouts – they’re structured programs backed by fitness research and actual results.

The best part? Whether you can hit the gym 3 days a week or train 6 days straight, I’ve got you covered. Plus, you’ll learn exactly how to choose the right split for your schedule, fitness level, and goals.

Table of Contents

Women’s Workout Schedule for a Toned Physique

When planning your workout routine, the number of days you train each week plays a big part in how you structure your exercises and reach your fitness goals.

This women’s workout program prioritizes weight training to help you achieve a lean and strong body. This workout plan focuses on working out the lower body and doing cardio.

Here are some common workout plans for 3-day, 4-day, and 5-day workouts splits.

Beginner Women’s 3-Day Push-Pull-Legs Workout Routine
4 Day Body Part Women’s Workout Split
5-Day Women’s Fitness Training Plan
Glute & Core Focus Split
Women Strength and Hypertrophy Split (6-Day PPL)

Know More Body Fat %: Use Our Free Body Fat Calculator

Beginner Women’s 3-Day Push-Pull-Legs Workout Routine

The Push/Pull/Legs split is one of the most popular and effective workout routines for building muscle, strength, and endurance.

Monday: Push Day
Wednesday: Pull Day
Friday: Leg Day

Push Day (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Push-Ups (Knees or Standard)	3	8-12	60 sec
Dumbbell Bench Press	3	8-12	60-90 sec
Dumbbell Shoulder Press	3	8-12	60-90 sec
Tricep Dips (Bench Dips)	3	8-12	60 sec
Dumbbell Lateral Raises	3	10-15	60 sec
Tricep Kickbacks (Dumbbell)	3	10-15	60 sec

Pull Day (Back, Shoulders, Biceps)

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Assisted Pull-Ups (or Lat Pull-down)	3	8-12	60-90 sec
Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows	3	8-12	60-90 sec
Seated Cable Rows	3	8-12	60-90 sec
Dumbbell Shrugs	3	10-15	60 sec
Bicep Curls (Dumbbell or EZ Bar)	3	10-15	60 sec
Face Pulls	3	10-15	60 sec

Leg Day (Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads, Calves, Core)

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Bodyweight Squats	3	10-15	60-90 sec
Dumbbell Lunges	3	8-12 (each leg)	60-90 sec
Leg Press (Machine)	3	8-12	60-90 sec
Dumbbell Deadlifts	3	8-12	60-90 sec
Calf Raises (Seated or Standing)	3	10-15	60 sec
Plank (for core stability)	3	20-30 sec	30 sec

4 Day Body Part Women’s Gym Workout Split

4 day split is the secret weapon for pure hypertrophy. Each muscle group gets undivided attention and optimal recovery time. Think of it as giving each body part its own VIP treatment – no muscle left behind.

It’s perfect if you:

Love focusing on one area at a time
Want that classic bodybuilding look
Enjoy intense, focused workouts
Have good recovery ability

Monday: Chest & Triceps
Tuesday: Back & Biceps
Wednesday: Rest or Active Recovery
Thursday: Shoulders & Arms
Friday: Legs & Core
Saturday: Rest or Active Recovery
Sunday: Rest or Active Recovery

Chest & Triceps Day

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell Bench Press	4	8-10
Incline Dumbbell Press	3	8-10
Chest Dips	3	8-10
Cable Chest Fly	3	10-12
Overhead Tricep Extension	3	10-12
Skull Crushers	3	8-10
Close-Grip Bench Press	3	8-10

Back & Biceps Day

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Deadlifts	4	5-8
Pull-Ups or Lat Pulldown	4	8-10
Barbell Rows	4	8-10
Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows	3	8-10
Barbell Bicep Curls	3	10-12
Concentration Curls	3	10-12
Hammer Curls	3	10-12

Shoulders & Arms Day

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Overhead Barbell Press	4	6-8
Arnold Press	3	8-10
Dumbbell Lateral Raise	3	10-12
Face Pulls	3	10-12
Tricep Rope Pushdowns	3	10-12
Cable Bicep Curls	3	10-12
Dumbbell Front Raises	3	10-12

Legs & Core Day

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell Squats	4	6-8
Leg Press	4	8-10
Romanian Deadlifts	3	8-10
Walking Lunges	3	10-12
Seated Calf Raise	3	12-15
Hanging Leg Raises	3	12-15
Plank Hold (1-2 min per set)	3	Hold

5-Day Women’s Fitness Training Plan

Monday – Legs & Glutes, Cardio (optional)
Tuesday – Back & Arms, Cardio (optional)
Wednesday – Legs & Glutes
Thursday – Chest & Shoulders, Cardio (optional)
Friday – Full Body & Arms
Saturday – Rest
Sunday – Rest

Monday – Legs & Glutes

Exercise	Sets	Reps
1. Squat	3-4	6-12
2. Dumbbell Walking Lunge	2-3	12-15
3. Bulgarian Split Squat	2-3	12-15
4. Barbell Hip Thrust	3	6-12
5. Glute Cable Kickback	2-3	12-15

Tuesday – Back & Arms

Exercise	Sets	Reps
1. Lat Pulldown	3-4	6-12
2. One Arm Dumbbell Row	2-3	12-15
3. Seated Cable Row	2-3	12-15
4a. Dumbbell Curl	3	12
4b. Tricep Overhead Extension	3	12
5a. Cable Curl	3	15
5b. Cable Pressdown	3	15

Wednesday – Legs & Glutes

Exercise	Sets	Reps
1. Goblet Squat	3-4	6-12
2. Romanian Deadlift	2-3	12-15
3. Dumbbell Stiff-Leg Deadlift	2-3	12-15
4. Smith Machine Sumo Squat	3	6-12
5. Glute Kickback	3	15

Thursday – Chest & Shoulders

Exercise	Sets	Reps
1. Dumbbell Bench Press	3-4	6-12
2. Incline Dumbbell Press	2-3	12-15
3. Machine Chest Fly	2-3	12-15
4. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press	3-4	6-12
5. Dumbbell Lateral Raise	2-3	12-15

Friday – Full Body & Arms

Exercise	Sets	Reps
1. Deadlift	3-4	6-12
2. Good Mornings	2-3	12-15
3. Leg Extension	2-3	12-15
4. Incline Dumbbell Curl	3	12
5. Skullcrusher	3	12

Saturday and Sunday – Abs (Optional) / Rest

Recovery: Light activity or active recovery walk.

4-Day Glute & Core Focus Split

Day 1– Glutes + Abs and Core
Day 2– Upper Body
Day 3 – Rest
Day 4 – Lower Body
Day 5 – Full Body
Day 6 – Rest
Day 7– Rest

Day 1– Glutes & Core

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Hip Thrusts	4	10-12	60-90 sec
Glute Bridges	4	12-15	60 sec
Bulgarian Split Squats	3	8-10 each leg	60-90 sec
Cable Kickbacks	3	12-15 each leg	60 sec
Plank	3	30-45 sec	30 sec
Russian Twists	3	12-15 each side	30 sec

Day 2 – Upper Body

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Dumbbell Shoulder Press	3	8-12	60-90 sec
Lat Pull-Down	3	10-12	60-90 sec
Chest Press	3	8-12	60-90 sec
Dumbbell Rows	3	10-12 each side	60 sec
Bicep Curls	3	12-15	60 sec
Tricep Extensions	3	12-15	60 sec

Day 3 – Lower Body

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Squat	4	10-12	60-90 sec
Step-Ups	3	10-12 each leg	60-90 sec
Leg Curl	3	12-15	60 sec
Lateral Band Walks	3	15-20 each way	60 sec
Calf Raise	3	15-20	60 sec
Leg Raises	3	12-15	30 sec

Day 4 – Full Body

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Goblet Squats	3	10-12	60-90 sec
Dumbbell Lunges	3	8-10 each leg	60-90 sec
Bent-Over Rows	3	10-12	60-90 sec
Dumbbell Bench Press	3	8-12	60-90 sec
Side Plank	3	20-30 sec each	30 sec
Mountain Climbers	3	20-30 each side	30 sec

Women Strength and Hypertrophy Split (6-Day PPL)

When it comes to maximizing both strength and hypertrophy, a 6-day Push-Pull-Legs (PPL) split offers the perfect balance of volume, frequency, and intensity.

You can target both muscle growth and overall power by alternating between strength-focused and hypertrophy-focused workouts.

Monday: Push Workout (Strength focus)
Tuesday: Pull Workout (Strength focus)
Wednesday: Legs Workout (Strength focus)
Thursday: Push Workout (Hypertrophy focus)
Friday: Pull Workout (Hypertrophy focus)
Saturday: Legs Workout (Hypertrophy focus)
Sunday: Rest or active recovery

Monday: Push Workout (Strength Focus)

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell Bench Press	4	4-6
Overhead Barbell Press	4	4-6
Incline Dumbbell Press	3	6-8
Weighted Dips	3	6-8
Dumbbell Lateral Raise	3	8-10
Tricep Dips	3	8-10

Tuesday: Pull Workout (Strength Focus)

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Deadlift	4	4-6
Barbell Row	4	4-6
Weighted Pull-Up	3	6-8
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row	3	6-8
Barbell Shrug	3	8-10
Barbell Curl	3	8-10

Wednesday: Legs Workout (Strength Focus)

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell Squat	4	4-6
Romanian Deadlift	4	4-6
Leg Press	3	6-8
Walking Lunges	3	6-8
Standing Calf Raise	3	8-10
Seated Calf Raise	3	8-10

Thursday: Push Workout (Hypertrophy Focus)

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Dumbbell Bench Press	4	10-12
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press	4	10-12
Cable Chest Fly	3	12-15
Dumbbell Lateral Raise	3	12-15
Tricep Rope Pushdown	3	12-15
Overhead Tricep Extension	3	12-15

Friday: Pull Workout (Hypertrophy Focus)

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Lat Pulldown	4	10-12
T-Bar Row	4	10-12
Seated Cable Row	3	12-15
Dumbbell Shrug	3	12-15
Dumbbell Curl	3	12-15
Hammer Curl	3	12-15

Saturday: Legs Workout (Hypertrophy Focus)

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Leg Press	4	10-12
Bulgarian Split Squat	4	10-12
Leg Curl	3	12-15
Leg Extension	3	12-15
Seated Calf Raise	4	12-15
Standing Calf Raise	4	12-15

Sunday: Rest or Active Recovery

Conclusion

So, what plan are you going with? 3 days, 4 days, 5 days – it doesn’t matter as long as you stick with it. The real magic happens when you show up consistently, whether you’re a busy bee or have time to spare.

Pick your plan and commit to it for the next 30 days. There are no excuses, just actions. You’ve got this.

We’re all in this together, so why not share your journey? Comment below or post your progress on social media. Your wins might inspire someone else to start their fitness adventure.

References

Willardson JM. A brief review: factors affecting the length of the rest interval between resistance exercise sets. J Strength Cond Res. 2006 Nov;20(4):978-84. PMID: 17194236.
Schoenfeld BJ. The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Oct;24(10):2857-72. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e840f3. PMID: 20847704.
Blair SN, Kohl HW 3rd, Paffenbarger RS Jr, Clark DG, Cooper KH, Gibbons LW. Physical fitness and all-cause mortality. A prospective study of healthy men and women. JAMA. 1989 Nov 3;262(17):2395-401. doi: 10.1001/jama.262.17.2395. PMID: 2795824.
Rodrigues F, Monteiro D, Ferraz R, Branquinho L, Forte P. The Association between Training Frequency, Symptoms of Overtraining and Injuries in Young Men Soccer Players. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Apr 11;20(8):5466. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20085466. PMID: 37107750; PMCID: PMC10138529.

Author

Manish

Manish is a NASM-certified fitness and nutrition coach with over 10 years of experience in weight lifting and fat loss fitness coaching. He specializes in gym-based training and has a lot of knowledge about exercise, lifting technique, biomechanics, and more. Through “Fit Life Regime,” he generously shares the insights he’s gained over a decade in the field. His goal is to equip others with the knowledge to start their own fitness journey.
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Workout Plans For Women To Get Toned Body

Women’s Workout Schedule for a Toned Physique