Best workouts for women: all our best exercise advice and home gym equipment

The best workouts for women looking to tone up and slim down

Woman with defined muscles lifting a barbell in the gym
(Image credit: Getty)

Are you a woman looking to get fit? All this is applicable to men, especially smaller ones, but strictly speaking these are the best workouts for women. It's T3’s women’s fitness hub, where you’ll find links to all of our fitness content for women, in one place. 

The workouts, news and tips featured here have been created with women in mind, but of course not everything is exclusively for women: men can do these exercises too and especially for smaller men or those starting out, they might actually be better than one of Matt or Leon's guides to GETTING BIG ARMS.

Workouts for women

Finding a workout plan that works for you can be a tricky business, because there are so many to choose from. There are literally thousands of videos and apps, as well as comprehensive fitness and nutrition plans from famous PTs like Luke Zocchi (Chris Hemsworth's trainer, so we're talking BIG muscles), Richie Norton or Kayla Itsines. 

If you’ve found yourself here on T3’s women’s fitness hub page then don't waste anymore time. Why not start with one of our tried and tested workouts for women? 

We have meticulously put together (and completed ourselves) every workout that we recommend. This means we know they work, and we know the exercises work together. 

Each of the below workouts should be manageable in one session. In case it isn't, we’ve noted where we advise adapting them. Usually it's by lowering the weight, or reducing the reps: 

Woman with well-defined abs in sportswear

(Image credit: Pixabay)

Of course you can do any of the exercises in isolation, or add them in to your existing workouts, but we designed the routines to target the whole of an area of your body. All of these workouts use weights to some degree, so if you’re an absolute beginner and don’t know what weight you like to use we’ve included some recommendations for that too. 

We’ll be putting our team through their paces to bring you even more workouts, whatever your fitness level or goal. From beginner cardio through to the best kettlebell exercises for your arms and abs, keep an eye for more women's fitness tips and workouts. 

Woman doing renegade rows with dumbbells

(Image credit: Pexels)

Buying advice

When it comes women's fitness, having the right equipment will help you get the most out of your workouts, and do them safely. If you’re a member of a local gym then much of the equipment you need will be provided for you, but you’ll still need to invest in a good pair of women’s running shoes, and at least a decent a gym water bottle

Don’t be fooled, running shoes aren’t just for runners. You’ll need a pair of trainers that offer support and comfort for all manner of exercise, whether it’s HIIT or rowing, a Zumba or Boxercise class, a sprint or a marathon. In our guide, Tina Chantrey of Women's Running magazine helps you choose the  best running shoes for you and your sport. 

Woman working out with a medicine ball

(Image credit: Getty)

Tracking your progress is essential to maintaining motivation to keep fit and healthy. There are a number of devices and apps that can help you better understand all aspects of women's fitness, from training to your sleeping and eating habits. 

Without doubt we recommend a GPS running watch that will accurately track your distance and speed. Again, running watches aren’t just for running; they also monitor your heart rate and use that data to estimate the calories you’ve burned.

If this is a little hardcore for you, then go for simpler fitness tracker that will monitor your steps and heart rate, without the fancy extras of a running watch. Our current top pick is the Fitbit Versa Lite

Nutrition and diet

A key element of women's fitness is weight loss and/or control. If your goal is to lose weight fast then check out our guide for the honest answer to how to do it. The truth is that you’re not going to lose weight quickly without hard work, or without burning more calories through exercise than you consume through eating and drinking, but there are ways to adapt your diet and your exercise regime to aid weight loss. 

Check out our tips on the best types of exercise to do to lose weight fast (hint: it’s not just cardio), and also some nutritional advice to help you make the most of your calorie allowance. 

There are of course specific diets available, and finding the one that works for you can be tricky. We’ve had a look at what the 16:8 diet is and whether it works, which largely comes down to whether it is right for your lifestyle. Find out more by clicking the link. 

Bookmark this page to stay up to date with our thoughts on the latest diets. We didn't say fad, you did.

Woman stretching her calves on her tip toes

(Image credit: Pexels)

So there you have it: thanks to our women’s fitness hub you have no excuse not to get started on achieving your fitness goals. 

Esther Docherty
Esther is a new addition to the T3.com team, covering Fitness and Outdoor content.