Top 10 Full Body Workouts for Women [From Beginner to Advanced]

Last Updated on December 5, 2024 by Helena Akter

Only nutritious food isn’t enough if you want a healthier body and mind. Regular exercise improves bone and muscle health while increasing your stamina. But what are the best exercises you can try as a woman?

The top 10 full body workout for women include squats, shoulder presses, seated rows, chest presses, Russian twists, and more. These exercises target several muscles and bones of your body instead of one. So, you can save time and get fit faster!

You can choose your workout depending on the area you want to improve. Keep reading to find out more about full-body workouts and their benefits!

Why Should You Choose the Best Full Body Workout For Women?

Whether you’re running low on time or want complete training – full-body workouts serve all purposes –

• Burn Fat Faster: In these workouts, you’re targeting multiple muscle groups, which means a better metabolic rate! This ensures a faster calorie burn throughout the session.
• Increase Stamina: Full-body workouts can improve your strength, stamina, and heart rate greatly.
• Balanced Development: You can train all your muscle groups in one go by doing 14 types of workouts to lose weight! Getting a toned and strong body has never been easier.
• Save Time and Energy: Full-body workouts can increase your efficiency. If you have a busy schedule, you can get a complete workout with these sessions.

Top 10 Full-body Workouts for Women | Tone, Strengthen & Transform

Before you begin exercising, warm your body with some light cardio (jogging, jumping jacks) and stretching (leg swings, arm circles). This will keep your muscles from accidental strains.

Meanwhile, you can learn about how to do passive stretching to enjoy more benefits.

Now, try doing these workouts in 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions –

1. Squats

Squats are a fundamental exercise that targets the quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core, providing a solid workout for your lower body.

To perform squats effectively:

• Starting Position: Stand with your feet apart as wide as your shoulders. This stance will give you the balance and support needed for the exercise.
• Body Positioning: Position your body as if you’re about to sit back into a chair. Keep your chest up and your shoulders back to maintain a straight and strong spine.
• Engage Your Core: Before you begin to lower down, tighten your core. This engagement helps stabilize your body during the movement and protects your spine.
• Lower Down: Bend your knees and bring your hips towards the ground. Keep your knees in line with your toes and don’t let them extend past your toes.
• Depth and Form: Aim to lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor while ensuring your back remains straight and your chest stays lifted throughout the movement.
• Rise Up: Push through your heels to return to the starting position, keeping your core involved and your body upright.

Squats not only strengthen and tone your legs and glutes but also help improve flexibility and balance. For added intensity or progression, you can incorporate weights such as a barbell or dumbbell.

2. Push-ups

Push-ups are a great exercise for strengthening your chest, shoulders, and triceps. They’re beginner full-body workouts for women involving bodyweight movement that also engages your core and lower body, encompassing the upper body.

To perform push-ups correctly:

• Start in High Plank: Start with a high plank and keep your hands on the ground directly under your shoulders. Keep your feet together or slightly apart for stability.
• Hand Positioning: Ensure your hands are spread as wide as your shoulders to provide a solid base and support.
• Lower Your Body: Slowly bring your body down by bending your elbows. Keep your body straight and rigid throughout the movement, from your head to your heels.
• Depth of Movement: Do it till your chest is just above the ground, but be sure not to let it touch. This helps maintain tension in the muscles being worked.
• Push Back Up: Press firmly into the ground to lift yourself back up to the starting position, straightening your arms without locking your elbows at the top.

For beginners, if a standard push-up is too challenging, start with modifications such as knee push-ups or inclined push-ups using a bench to reduce the weight you need to lift. As you gain strength, you can transition to the standard form.

If you still find it hard, first try a full body workout for women beginner to advanced. As you gain strength, you can transition to the standard form.

3. Bicep Curls

Bicep curls are a classic example of full-body workouts for women that strengthen and tone your arms, giving you that sculpted appearance. This exercise specifically targets the bicep muscles.

To perform bicep curls:

• Starting Position: Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Keep your elbows close to your torso and your palms facing forward.
• Curl the Weights: Slowly curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders. Keep your upper arms stationary, moving only your forearms.
• Squeeze at the Top: As you lift the weights, focus on squeezing your biceps at the top of the movement for maximum muscle engagement.
• Lower Slowly: Carefully lower the dumbbells back to the starting position, maintaining control and resisting the urge to drop the weights quickly.

Make sure to keep your movements controlled and avoid swinging the dumbbells; it ensures that your biceps are doing the work, not your momentum.

4. Dumbbell Chest Press

Dumbbell chest presses strengthen bones, which is especially beneficial for osteoporosis-prone women. It also targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps, helping to tone and strengthen the upper body.

To perform the dumbbell chest press:

• Position Yourself: Lie flat on a training bench or stabilize your upper back on an exercise ball if you prefer an added challenge to your core. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms up and elbows slightly bent.
• Perform the Press: Engage your core and press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended above your chest. Ensure you keep your movements smooth and controlled.
• Avoid Locking Elbows: As you reach the top of the movement, be careful not to lock your elbows. This helps prevent joint strain and maintains tension in the chest muscles.
• Lower the Weights: Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position, keeping your elbows slightly bent throughout the descent.

Regularly practicing the dumbbell chest press in your exercise regimen can improve upper body strength and contribute to better bone health.

5. Hamstring Curl

Don’t forget your hamstrings! Hamstring curls are important for targeting the muscles at the back of your thighs, helping to improve flexibility and leg strength for more powerful strides.

To perform a hamstring curl:

• Set Up: Lie facedown on a hamstring curl machine. Adjust the machine so the padded lever sits comfortably just above your heels, under your calves.
• Perform the Curl: Grip the machine’s handles for stability. Curl your heels towards your glutes, contracting your hamstrings as you pull. Keep the movement smooth and controlled.
• Lower Slowly: After reaching the peak contraction, slowly lower the weight back to the starting position. Be sure to maintain control and avoid letting the weight drop quickly.

This exercise is excellent for strengthening the hamstrings, which are important for various activities such as running or walking, jumping, and cycling.

6. Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers are an excellent full-body workout for women to build leg strength and improve cardiovascular health. This dynamic movement also helps tone your midsection by engaging your core muscles.

To perform mountain climbers effectively:

• Start in High Plank: Begin by doing a high plank with your hands placed on the ground directly below your shoulders. Make sure your body remains straight starting from your head up to your heels.
• Running Motion: Quickly bring one knee towards your chest, then quickly switch to the other knee, mimicking a running motion. Keep your hips down as you alternate your knees.
• Maintain Form: Throughout the exercise, ensure your back is straight and engage the core. Your body should remain level and not bounce up and down.
• Pace Yourself: Start at a moderate pace to ensure proper form, then increase the speed as you become more comfortable with the movement. The faster you go, the more intense the cardiovascular workout.

A mountain climber not only strengthens the legs and core but also provides a high-intensity cardiovascular workout anywhere, making it a versatile addition to any fitness routine.

7. Glute Bridges

Glute bridges are an excellent exercise for strengthening and lifting your hips, as well as improving hip flexibility. They primarily target your glute muscles, helping to tone and sculpt them.

To perform glute bridges:

• Position Yourself: Lay down straight on your back and bend your knees. Keep your feet down on the floor and spread them apart about hip-width.
• Lift Your Hips: Press through your heels to bring your hips up from the ground towards the ceiling. Keep your back straight and engage your core as you lift.
• Squeeze: Once your hips are fully elevated, squeeze your glutes tightly at the top of the movement. Make sure your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Lower Down: Slowly bring your hips back down to the starting position on the floor.

Repeat this movement for several repetitions to effectively work your glutes and improve your hip strength and flexibility.

8. Seated Cable Rows

Seated cable rows are a great exercise for strengthening your back muscles and improving your posture, helping you achieve a more balanced physique and enhanced strength.

To perform this exercise:

• Set Up: Sit on the rowing machine bench and place your feet on the foot pads, ensuring your knees are slightly bent.
• Grip: Grab the cable row handle with both hands.
• Pull: Lean a little ahead of your hips and make sure your back stays straight. Bring the handle toward your lower abdomen while going back a bit. Squeeze the blades of your shoulder together as you pull.
• Return: Slowly extend your arms and lean forward again to return to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the movement.

This exercise not only targets the muscles of the mid and upper back but also engages your biceps and forearms, contributing to overall upper body strength.

9. Russian Twists

Russian twists are a dynamic exercise that targets your obliques and the muscles along the sides of your waist, improving your physical stability.

To perform Russian twists effectively:

• Starting Position: Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet straight on the ground. Lean back slightly to engage your core muscles.
• Initiate the Twist: Hold your hands together or hold a weight for added resistance. Twist your torso to one side, aiming to bring your opposite elbow towards your bent knee.
• Alternate Sides: Quickly switch to the other side, maintaining a controlled and fluid motion throughout. Keep your back straight and avoid slouching.
• Keep Engaged: Ensure your feet stay flat on the floor, or for a greater challenge, raise them slightly off the ground to increase core engagement.
• Pace: Perform the twists at a steady pace, focusing on the rotation through your waist rather than simply moving your arms.

Russian twists not only strengthen the core but also help improve rotational strength and flexibility, which makes them great for strengthening the core.

10. Inclined Shoulder Press

Want sculpted shoulders? The inclined shoulder press is a highly effective exercise for sculpting your shoulders and developing rounded deltoids.

To perform the inclined shoulder press —

• Set Up the Bench: Adjust an incline bench to an angle between 30 to 45 degrees. This angle targets your shoulders effectively while still engaging the upper chest.
• Starting Position: Sit on the bench with your back firmly pressed against the pad. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level, with your palms facing forward.
• Press the Weights: Push the dumbbells up, extending your arms almost straight above your shoulders. Ensure that you move the weights in a controlled manner, focusing on engaging your shoulder muscles.
• Lower the Weights: Slowly bring the dumbbells back down to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the descent to maximize muscle engagement.

This exercise not only improves shoulder strength but also contributes to better posture and upper body aesthetics.

Now, depending on your stamina and desired results, you can adjust the reps and duration. However, make sure not to tire your body too much. Take breaks in between whenever needed and stay hydrated throughout the sessions.

How Full Body Workout Can Help Women?

Exercises benefit everybody regardless of gender. However, full-body workouts for women at home can have greater benefits for women –

• Bone Health: As women are prone to weak bones, many of these workouts can prevent that problem. If you do weighted workouts regularly, you’re bound to have healthier and stronger bones.
• Menstrual Health: Full-body workouts can help to regulate mood swings and reduce cramps or fatigue. You can also have better metabolism and muscle mass which will ease menstrual discomfort.

However, make sure you drink water after your at-home full-body workout for women to reduce dehydration and its effects.

Final Words

You need both nutritious food and regular exercise to have a healthy body. But if you’re running short on time and energy, some full-body workouts for women can be useful.

At the gym, you may try dumbbell chest presses, inclined shoulder presses, and hamstring curls. Even if you don’t have access to the gym, you can do squats, Russian twists, mountain climbers, push-ups, etc.

Remember, staying hydrated and rested is important for efficient workout sessions!