Best Exercises for Women (From a Trainer Who's Actually Worked With Them)

The best exercises for women who are just starting strength training are goblet squats, Romanian deadlifts, hip thrusts, dumbbell bench press, lat pulldowns, overhead press, face pulls, and farmers carries. These 8 movements cover every major muscle group, build bone density where women need it most, and scale from complete beginner to advanced. I've used this exact list with over 200 clients across 13 years of coaching.

But the exercises alone aren't the whole story. How you organize them, how you progress them, and how you modify them for your body is what separates a program that works from a list you found on Pinterest and abandoned after two weeks.

So let me walk you through all of it.

The fitness industry has been lying to you

Pick up any women's fitness magazine. Open any "workout for women" on Instagram. You'll find the same thing: 3 lb dumbbells, 30 reps, "feel the burn," something involving a resistance band around your ankles and a lot of bouncing.

That stuff doesn't work. I need to be blunt about this because I see the damage it does every week when a new client walks into the gym convinced that the only acceptable way for a woman to train is with light weights and high reps forever.

One of my clients came to me after spending two years doing exactly that. She'd followed every Instagram "booty builder" program she could find. Hundreds of banded walks. Thousands of bodyweight squats. She looked the same as when she started and couldn't figure out why. The answer was brutally simple: she never gave her muscles a reason to grow. The stimulus was never hard enough to force adaptation.

Here's the thing the fitness industry won't tell you because it doesn't sell supplements or cute workout clothes: women respond to progressive overload the same way men do. Your muscles don't care about your gender. They care about whether the load went up.

Women produce roughly 15-20 times less testosterone than men. That's the hormone that makes it easy to get "bulky." So the fear that lifting heavy will turn you into a bodybuilder overnight is just not how physiology works. What heavy training actually does is build the lean, firm, defined look that most women say they want when they describe their goals to me.

The 3 lb dumbbells? Those are great for physical therapy after shoulder surgery. For building strength, bone density, and a body that feels capable and confident? You need real weight. You need progression. You need these 8 exercises.

The 8 best exercises (and why each one earned its spot)

This isn't a random list. Every exercise here is in my programming framework because it passes three tests: it targets a critical movement pattern, it scales from beginner to advanced, and it has a track record of results with my actual clients. Not theoretical clients. Real women, ages 35-55, with jobs and kids and bad knees and surgical histories.

1. Barbell or Goblet Squat

Movement pattern: Squat (quad and glute foundation)

The squat is the single most effective lower body exercise that exists. I know that sounds like something every trainer says, and it is, because it's true. No other movement loads the quads, glutes, and core in a functional pattern that directly translates to real life. Getting up from a chair. Picking up a toddler. Climbing stairs without your knees screaming at you.

Most women I work with start with a goblet squat, which means holding a single dumbbell at chest height. It's easier to learn, it forces good posture because the weight counterbalances you, and it's gentler on the lower back than throwing a barbell on someone's shoulders on day one. From there, you progress to a barbell back squat when the movement pattern is solid and the load demands it.

2. Romanian Deadlift

Movement pattern: Hinge (posterior chain, bone density)

The Romanian deadlift, or RDL, trains the entire backside of your body. Hamstrings, glutes, lower back, grip. It's a hip hinge, which means you're bending at the hips while keeping your back flat and your knees slightly bent.

I program this for every single female client. Every one. Because here's something most women don't hear enough: bone density matters more than most people realize. Estrogen protects bone density. When estrogen drops during perimenopause and menopause, bone density drops with it. Heavy hip hinge movements load the spine and hips, which are the two places women lose bone density first. The RDL is bone density medicine that also happens to build an impressive posterior chain.

Start with dumbbells. Graduate to a barbell when you can handle 50+ lbs with perfect form for 3 sets of 10.

3. Hip Thrust

Movement pattern: Glute-dominant hinge (glute strength without spinal loading)

The hip thrust is the best glute isolation exercise available. Better than squats for glute activation, according to EMG studies by Bret Contreras. And unlike a deadlift, it doesn't load the spine, which matters if you have lower back issues or if you're post-surgical and need to keep spinal stress low.

I want to be clear about something. I don't program this because "women want a bigger butt." I program it because strong glutes prevent lower back pain, improve hip stability, make you faster at walking and climbing stairs, and are the largest muscle group in your body. If your glutes are weak, everything else compensates, and that's when knees, hips, and lower backs start hurting.

One thing I've learned the hard way with clients who've had a BBL: go easy here. Glute training after a BBL needs to be conservative, usually 0-4 sets per week at maintenance levels. The goal is to maintain results, not push hard. That's a very specific programming consideration most trainers miss entirely.

4. Dumbbell Bench Press

Movement pattern: Horizontal push (upper body, bone density in wrists and shoulders)

Most women skip pressing movements. I get it. The bench press feels like "a guy exercise." But pressing is critical for women, and not just for aesthetic reasons.

Weight-bearing exercises for the upper body build bone density in the wrists, forearms, and shoulder girdle. Wrist fractures from falls are one of the most common injuries in postmenopausal women. A strong pressing pattern is insurance against that. The dumbbell version is better than barbell for most women because it allows a more natural range of motion and doesn't aggravate existing shoulder issues the way a fixed barbell path can.

5. Lat Pulldown or Assisted Pull-Up

Movement pattern: Vertical pull (back strength, posture)

Posture problems are almost universal in my female clients. Years of desk work, phone scrolling, and carrying kids have pulled their shoulders forward and weakened their upper back. The lat pulldown is the fastest fix.

It trains the lats (the big muscles that wrap around your back), the rhomboids (between your shoulder blades), and the biceps. All of which pull your shoulders back into proper alignment. Two months of consistent lat pulldowns and my clients stand taller. Their necks hurt less. Their upper back stops aching at the end of a workday. It's one of those exercises where the functional benefit shows up before the visual one.

The assisted pull-up machine is even better if your gym has one. Same muscles, but with a bodyweight component that builds real-world pulling strength. Getting to one strict bodyweight pull-up is a milestone I love helping clients chase.

6. Overhead Press or Landmine Press

Movement pattern: Vertical push (shoulder strength, daily function)

Reaching overhead is something you do dozens of times a day without thinking about it. Putting dishes away. Lifting a bag into an overhead bin. Grabbing something from a high shelf. When your shoulders are weak, these simple tasks become painful or scary. The overhead press trains your body to handle load in that position.

I usually start with a dumbbell overhead press. Lighter, easier to control, forgiving on the joints. For clients with existing shoulder issues, the landmine press is a game changer. You press at an angle instead of straight overhead, which dramatically reduces shoulder impingement risk while still building pressing strength. I've had clients who couldn't press a 10 lb dumbbell overhead pain-free do 40 lb landmine presses within 8 weeks.

7. Face Pulls

Movement pattern: External rotation and horizontal pull (posture correction, shoulder health)

This one surprises people. Face pulls don't look impressive. You're pulling a cable toward your face with a rope attachment, and the weight is usually light. Nobody is filming face pulls for Instagram.

But I program them in literally every upper body session for every client. The reason is simple: they train the rear delts and rotator cuff muscles that nobody else is training, and those muscles are the difference between healthy shoulders and shoulders that click, pop, and hurt when you reach for your seatbelt. For women with desk posture, face pulls undo years of forward shoulder rounding. 3 sets of 15-20 reps, every session, no exceptions. That's the prescription.

8. Farmers Carry

Movement pattern: Loaded carry (grip, core, functional strength)

Grab heavy dumbbells. Walk. That's it.

The farmers carry is the most underrated exercise in the gym. It trains grip strength, which declines faster than any other physical quality as you age. It trains your core without a single crunch or plank. It trains your traps, shoulders, and legs. And it transfers directly to real life: carrying groceries, luggage, kids, moving furniture. Every client I've ever trained has gotten better at daily life from farmers carries alone.

Start with dumbbells that feel challenging to hold for 30-40 seconds. Walk the length of the gym and back. When that gets easy, go heavier. Simple. Brutally effective. The kind of exercise that doesn't get the attention it deserves because there's nothing flashy about walking with heavy things in your hands, and yet it might be the most functional thing you do all week.

How to put these together into a real program

Having 8 good exercises doesn't mean you do all 8 every session. That would take two hours and leave you too sore to move for three days. You need a structure.

For a woman training 3-4 days per week, here's what a split typically looks like in my programs:

Notice the biceps are on push day and triceps on pull day. That's intentional. Your biceps are pre-fatigued after a pull day (all those rows and pulldowns use them), so if you train biceps on pull day, they're already exhausted and you can't train them hard. Flip them. Biceps on push day, triceps on pull day. Fresh muscles, better results. It's a small detail that makes a real difference in arm development.

The progression follows a 12-week periodized system: 4 weeks of Foundation (12-15 reps, lighter weights, learn the movements), 4 weeks of Build (8-12 reps, weights go up, supersets get introduced), and 4 weeks of Challenge (6-10 reps, heaviest weights you've ever used). After 12 weeks, you reassess, rotate accessories, and start a new cycle stronger than you started the last one.

What if you have injuries or surgical history?

About half the women I work with have something going on. Bad knees from running in their 20s. A shoulder that never healed right. A tummy tuck. A BBL. SI joint dysfunction that flares up when they're stressed. This doesn't disqualify you from training. It changes the exercise selection.

The principle is the same every time: identify the movement pattern that's compromised, find the version of that pattern the client can do pain-free, and build from there. Nobody gets told "you can't squat." They get told "you squat like this for now, and we work toward that over time."

The perimenopause factor (this changes things)

If you're between 40 and 55 and experiencing symptoms like disrupted sleep, mood swings, hot flashes, unexplained weight gain, or brain fog, perimenopause is probably a factor. I bring this up because most fitness content aimed at women completely ignores it, and the adjustments matter.

Here's what the research says and what I've seen work with my clients in this phase:

• Protein needs go up. Anabolic resistance increases during perimenopause, which means your body is less efficient at building muscle from the same protein intake. The fix: bump protein to 1.0-1.2 grams per pound of bodyweight. Post-workout protein should be 40-60 grams within 45 minutes. That's higher than most generic recommendations because generic recommendations aren't written for perimenopausal women. Source: Dr. Stacy Sims.
• Creatine monohydrate, 3-5 grams daily. This is one of the most well-studied supplements in existence and it's not just for bodybuilders. For women in perimenopause, creatine supports cognitive function, mood, bone density, and exercise performance. There is no loading phase needed. Just 3-5 grams every day, mixed in water or a shake.
• Cap hard training at 4 sessions per week. Recovery capacity changes during hormonal transitions. Four hard sessions leaves room for adequate rest without sacrificing results. On off days, walking 7,000-10,000 steps is the best low-stress activity you can do.
• Readiness check each session. Rate yourself 1-10 before training. Under 5? Drop the weight 10-15% and focus on form. Over 5? Train as planned. This simple system prevents you from grinding through sessions when your body is telling you to back off, which is something that happens more frequently during hormonal shifts.
• Bone density protocol. Heavy compound lifts at 80-85% of your max, plus impact loading (step-ups progressing to box jumps over time), plus weighted vest walking. This is the evidence-based approach from the LIFTMOR trial for postmenopausal bone density.

Collagen supplementation is worth mentioning too. 15-20 grams of collagen peptides with vitamin C, taken 30-60 minutes before training, supports connective tissue repair. Your tendons and ligaments adapt slower as estrogen drops, and collagen gives them the raw materials they need.

I realize this section got technical. Here's the simple version: train hard 3-4 times a week, eat more protein than you think you need, take creatine, and listen to your body on days it tells you to slow down. That covers 90% of it.

What about losing fat at the same time?

Most women who come to me don't just want to build muscle. They want to lose fat too. That's called body recomposition, and yes, it's possible. Especially if you're relatively new to strength training or returning after a long break.

The short version: eat at a moderate deficit (400-600 calories below maintenance), keep protein at 0.8-1g per pound bodyweight, follow the 12-week periodized program, and the muscle you build will replace the fat you lose. The scale might not move much, but the mirror and your clothes will tell a different story.

I've written a full guide on how body recomposition works if you want the deep dive. The exercises in this article are the same ones you'd use for that goal.

Your first week

You don't need to understand periodization theory to start. You just need to start. Here's exactly what your first week looks like:

That's it for week one. No complicated loading schemes. No percentage calculations. Just show up, lift with purpose, track what you did, eat enough protein, and come back next session ready to do it again. The sophistication comes later, once you've built the habit.