Best Workout For Legs, Arms, Core & Back For Women

The Ultimate Women’s Gym Workout Guide

Whether you're a gym newbie or a seasoned athlete, it's important to know how to target different muscle groups safely and effectively. This ultimate workout guide, crafted for women by fitness professionals. It combines scientifically backed approaches so let’s dive into the best workouts for women that get results!!

Leg Workouts

If there’s one group where women consistently search for help, it’s leg training. Terms like “best workout for legs,” “women’s leg workout,” “women’s leg workout gym,” “leg workout gym female,” and “gym leg workout female” are hot because women want powerful, toned, shapely legs... and I don't blame you! Strong legs help with balance, daily activities, and elevate your overall strength considerably.

Top exercises (In my opinion):

• Squats (Back, Goblet, Bulgarian Split): Targets glutes, quads, hamstrings. A gym must. Form is everything.

• Leg Press: Great for beginners and advanced lifters. Control the load to suit your strength.

• Lunges (Walking or Stationary): Build unilateral strength and balance.

• Deadlifts (Romanian or Stiff-Leg): Strengthen the posterior chain, hamstrings, and glutes.

• Glute Bridges / Hip Thrusts: For glute activation and unreal glute growth

• Leg Extensions & Curls: Perfect for isolating quads and hamstrings.
  

Upper Body Workouts

Upper body isn't as popular in the Google searches than lower body, but it is equally as important.

Arms

• Bicep Curls (Dumbbell, Cable, Hammer): Target those front-arm muscles with controlled form.

• Triceps Pushdowns, Dips, Skull Crushers: Essential for the back half of your arms; don’t skip them.
  

Chest

• Bench Press (Barbell or Dumbbell): Classic compound movement to build chest, shoulders, and triceps.

• Chest Flies (Cable or Dumbbell): Great for sculpting the pectoral fibres with isolation.
  

Shoulders

• Overhead Press (Dumbbell or Machine): Builds deltoid strength while engaging core.

• Lateral & Front Raises: Shape and define the shoulder caps.

• Reverse Flies: Balance shoulder development and improve posture.

Abs & Core

This just may be the most popular request when I onboard a new female client! Lets dive in.

Effective core exercises:

• Plank Variations (Front, Side, Plank with Leg Raise): Engages the entire core with anti-movement strength.

• Hanging Leg Raises / Knee Tucks: Great for lower abs and hip flexors.

• Cable Woodchoppers / Russian Twists: Add rotation and anti-rotation to challenge obliques.

• Ab Wheel Rollouts or Stability Rollouts: Excellent for deeper engagement if your core is ready.
  

Sample Circuit:

• Plank (60 sec) → Hanging Leg Raises (12–15 reps) → Russian Twists (20 reps total) → Ab Wheel Rollouts (8–12 reps) Repeat circuit 3 times for a time-efficient core blast.
  

Back Workouts

Back workouts are sometimes overlooked, especially among women. Lets have a look at why you should be training your posterior chain and what exercises I recommend

Back champions:

• Lat Pulldowns & Pull-Ups: Build width across upper back and lats.

• Seated Cable Rows / Bent-Over Rows: Add thickness and mid-back engagement.

• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row / Machine Row: Great for addressing imbalances.

• Face Pulls / Reverse Flies: Strengthen rear delts and improve posture.

• Back Extensions: Target lower-back muscles safely when done right.
  

Alternate vertical pulls with horizontal rows in workouts—for example, a superset of Pull-Ups (or Pulldowns) + Seated Cable Rows. Go heavy enough to challenge yourself with 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps.

5. Weekly Workout Plan: Putting It All Together

Here’s a sample 4-day split that balances workload without burnout:

Day	Focus	Sample Exercises
Monday	Legs	Squats, Lunges, Romanian Deadlift, Glute Bridge, Leg Curls
Tuesday	Upper Body (Push + Arms)	Bench Press, Overhead Press, Chest Flies, Tricep Pushdowns, Bicep Curls
Wednesday	Rest or Light Active Recovery	Yoga, stretching, or gentle cardio
Thursday	Back + Core	Lat Pulldowns, Single-Arm Row, Face Pulls, Back Extensions, Plank, Russian Twists
Friday	Legs (lighter volume) + Abs/Core	Deadlifts, Leg Press, Lunges, Ab Wheel, Hanging Leg Raises
Weekend	Rest, active movement, self-care	Walks, foam rolling, mobility drills

Pro tip: Rotate exercises to avoid boredom and keep progress and swap barbell squats for front squats, bench for chest presses, or add kettlebell variations.

6. Tips for Success: Consistency, Form, Progression

• Progressive Overload: Aim to gradually increase weights or reps, even small improvements add up.

• Focus on Form: Proper technique reduces injury risk and maximises results. Quality over quantity, always.

• Mix It Up: Rotate from heavier, lower-rep weeks to lighter, higher-rep weeks for strength and endurance.

• Recovery & Nutrition: Sleep, hydration, and protein-rich meals are your recovery foundation.

• Track Progress: Use a journal, app, or strength log to monitor performance.

• Mind-Muscle Connection: Feeling the muscle work rather than just “going through the motions” delivers better results long-term.