Workout Programs for Women

There are many myths surrounding workout programs for women. I've decided to do a mini series addressing a number of these myths, and provide THE FACTS concerning each.

Myth #1: "Strength training workout programs for women should consist mostly of isolation exercises which target tone, and sculpt specific muscle groups-such as the back of the arms, the butt, etc- individually."

Fact: the "toned look" most women are looking for will be achieved significantly faster by incorporating mostly multiple joint exercises which train many muscle groups simultaneously. These types of exercises create a significant demand on one's overall physiology and will burn more body fat both during and, more importantly, after the workout. Exercises such as squat variations, deadlift variations, lunge variations, step-up variations, upper body pressing variations, push-up variations, pull-up/chin-up variations, rowing variations, etc. will get you the "toned look" much faster then exercises such as tricep kickbacks, the inner and outer thigh machine, bicep curls, etc. The latter group of exercises just do not challenge one's body AS A WHOLE like the former grouping of movements. Yes, you may "get a burn" doing isolation exercise, but that doesn't mean the exercise is going to be very good for fat loss. It's common sense really (yet common sense is rarely applied in the gym): if you work 5 muscle structures at once using a multiple joint exercise, you are going to burn body fat much faster than using an isolation exercise which only works 1 muscle structure.

There is a time and place for isolation movements in anyone's program (mostly for activating and rehabbing or "pre" habbing typically weak muscle structures such as those of the scapula and shoulder girdle, the hip rotators, the ankle flexors, etc), but the bulk of strength training workout programs for women, espeically if the goals are fat loss and acheving a "toned" look, should consist of exericses which create a significant metabolic disturbance.