Weight Lifting Program
for Women (12 Week)

Weightlifting is an Olympic sport based on the explosive exercises of lifting the barbell overhead. Weightlifting competitions today include two lifts: the snatch and the clean & jerk. Weightlifters have three attempts in each exercise. Each athlete has one minute to complete an attempt.

Men and women have different weight categories. Athletes compete in 10 weight categories:

Men:

55 kg 61 kg 67 kg 73 kg 81 kg 89 kg 96 kg 102 kg 109 kg +109 kg

Women:

45 kg, 49 kg, 55 kg, 59 kg, 64 kg, 71 kg, 76 kg, 81 kg, 87 kg, + 87 kg

The total of the kilograms of the most successful attempts determines the overall result in the weight category. A weightlifter who fails to successfully complete at least one snatch and one clean and jerk loses and is eliminated from the competition.

Snatch - an exercise in which the athlete lifts the barbell overhead in one continuous movement directly from the platform to fully extended arms.

Clean & Jerk - an exercise consisting of two separate movements. Clean - while taking the bar to the shoulders, the athlete pulls it off the platform and lifts it to the shoulders. Then he half-squats and with a sharp movement sends the bar up to straight arms, at the same time squatting under it, spreading his legs slightly to the sides (Push Jerk) or back and forth (Split Jerk). After fixing the position of the bar above the head, the athlete straightens the legs, placing the feet parallel, holding the bar above the head.

A fit body, stronger bones, healthy joints as well as amazing coordination are just a few advantages that the female Olympic weightlifting program may provide. can offer a lot of benefits: a healthy body, strong bones, flexible joints, and good coordination. Knowing that weightlifting enhances general health, physical growth, and self-confidence is crucial. Girls can gain a variety of advantages from weightlifting practice under the guidance of a competent trainer, including:

- boosting muscular tone;

- enhance mobility;

- improve motor skills;

- modify one's body composition;

- improve the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems;

– raise one's self-esteem.

It's crucial to realize that a women's lifting program doesn't always involve using heavy weights and building bulky muscles. Recent studies have demonstrated the benefits of regular strength training on health, strength, and endurance in daily activities. Along with healthy eating, weightlifting exercise can help prevent heart disease, overweight, diabetes, and osteoporosis. A second motivation for taking up weightlifting is the notion that one is "not strong enough." Women can also acquire strength.

Let's take a closer look at the benefits of weightlifting for women:

Strength training program for women helps prevent osteoporosis. As we age, we lose muscle and bone mass, and this is especially true for women, who are more susceptible to this condition. Strength training forces the muscles to adapt by getting bigger and stronger. Since your bones are the scaffold that supports these muscles, they will become stronger too.

Multi-joint weightlifting exercises such as the snatch, clean and jerk, squat and deadlift counteract the effects of office hunched over at the computer or long hours behind the wheel. Improving your mobility will greatly reduce your chances of back problems. While the stereotype of a bodybuilder who can't touch his toes is well founded, it absolutely does not apply to a competent training process in Olympic weightlifting. In order to perform snatch and C&J exercises correctly and technically, you will develop the mobility of some joints and improve the stability of others. The optimal range of motion in the shoulder and hip joints, the ability to fully squat and bend over, control over the balance and elasticity of the muscular system is an excellent and desirable result for any person.

Speed-strength training speeds up the metabolism, especially during rest and recovery. That is, you continue to actively burn calories throughout the day and even during sleep. Combine lifting workouts for women with a competent nutrition program and you will get amazing results.

Explosive exercises and other anaerobic exercises are more effective than aerobic exercises for losing weight and building strength. Women can build strength through weightlifting without gaining too much muscle because of the hormonal variations between them and men. Moreover, systematic women's weight lifting plan helps to reduce the amount of body fat.

Weightlifting will increase your muscle mass, which is the key to a healthy physique. After the age of 25, we lose half a kilo of muscle mass every year if we don't do something about it.

For Olympic weightlifting, you do not need rows of machine to work out each muscle group: a barbell with discs, racks and you can fully train.

You can often hear the question: “Is weightlifting safe for girls?” The answer to this question is: "A properly designed training program is safe and healthy"! Despite this, and today there are many myths that weight training is harmful to women's health!

The most common question from women in the context of strength training and weight lifting is: will I get bulky and huge if I start training with iron?

The quick and honest answer is no!

If you see a woman who is incredibly muscular and has an extremely low percentage of body fat, believe me, she has worked for a very long time with a very specific goal - to build muscle and look that way. Remember, this does not happen instantly or randomly.

If you exercise sensibly and eat adequately, you will not only not become bulkier, but become slimmer, because working with iron is a basic tool in the matter of losing weight.

One of the biggest deterrents for women starting out in weightlifting is seeing professional weightlifters lift huge weights and believing they have to throw themselves under the heavy weight.

If the girl is new to iron sports, then all your “weight lifting” should look like practicing the elements of movement with a plastic stick. After a while, it will be an empty bar, and after a year of training, when you get stronger, you will be able to approach loads comparable to your body weight. The point is to start moving more, improve your coordination, and make your muscles get stronger.

The back is not endangered by weightlifting. Weightlifting exercises are performed using a strategy that makes safe use of the back and leg muscles while distributing the load to avoid overloading the spine. Additionally, strengthening the torso's stabilizing muscles is a part of weightlifting training. In actuality, there are no physiological barriers preventing women from lifting weights. Women can also exercise more effectively and affordably because they are naturally more flexible than men.

Women who lift weights do not become infertile. A woman's capacity to birth or the consistency of menstrual cycle are unaffected by exercise alone. It mostly depends on the distribution of workloads, as well as the quality of diet and rest. Women who are physically active frequently deliver healthy children and have simpler pregnancies.

Do not worry that a female weight lifting plan would turn girls into violent people. Yes, participating in sports of any kind fosters "competitive qualities." Furthermore, it is typical to just be able to stay focused and maintain composure under trying circumstances. It is beneficial in lifestyle and trains how to handle stress in a healthy way. And this is the main reason so many girls visit the gym.

Building a baseline of fitness is key to long-term growth and injury protection. Adding basic plyometric, strength, and assistance exercises to every workout can really help diversify a girl's movements and health.

Solving problems with flexibility and mobility is key at all stages of training. Many beginners may lack control and basic flexibility in some positions. Most of these problems can indeed be solved by simply performing the movement.

Many lifters often want much heavier weights without having sufficient level of technique. Developing technical skills is a key priority.

Throughout the entire period of training, one must strive to build more muscles to become more explosive and strong. Without proper muscle hypertrophy training, many girls wouldn`t achieve long-term power and performance gains.

Weightlifting is a very neuro complex sport in which we must adapt to high motor control movements under heavy loads during speed based movements. The need for power & speed with very precise movement requires the athlete to develop high-quality neurological connections and impulses.

Performance or conditioning is a term that describes an athlete's ability, and more specifically their cardiovascular and muscular endurance, to train with increased load and volume without degrading work quality and undue fatigue. By increasing training volume, shortening rest periods, and adding assistive and fitness exercises, you can boost basic fitness so they can participate and progress in more intense training cycles.

Most of the girls who come to the coach to do weightlifting also want to do it because of the benefits for the psyche. Keeping track of fatigue, building strong relationships and staying positive are the keys to helping novice girls become proficient weightlifters.

What is the difference between a beginner and a professional athlete? The income of professional athletes directly depends on the results of their competitions. In addition to working with a whole team of trainers, doctors, masseurs, they devote a lot of time to sleep and recovery, which the average person can rarely afford, simply because he needs to go to work and live his life.

The professional athlete maintains his athletic form throughout the year, his diet is often very specific, and the percentage of fat, water and muscle is different from the healthy indicators of the average person. All this in itself is a great physical and psychological test.

Not understanding this difference, the beginner sets himself a too illusory goal and does not see his “ordinary” progress, even when it is very significant for his level of training. For example, learning how to do the overhead squat technically is a great result of the first few months of training, because so many people are basically unable to perform this movement.

Failure to understand this fact causes beginner girls to feel dissatisfied with even obviously good results. Unfortunately, the pursuit of results often leads to increased anxiety, lack of recovery time, the use of too much stress and emotional costs. And as a result, it causes oppression of other vital spheres, potentially more profitable and necessary for a normal person.

All athletes can be divided into 3 groups. They will differ in the level of skill, as well as the peculiarity of their training programs.

There are several types of newbies.

Up to 2 months of training.

Such female athletes have poor technique and have no idea about the purpose of most exercises. Even in the simplest exercises, they lack stability and coordination. A beginner usually never increases his strength or muscle mass and has no idea how to properly train and diet.

More than 2 months of training.

The category of girls includes those who did not retreat when the first training difficulties appeared. They already understand their personal weight limit. However, at this stage, novice girls should not go beyond their limits yet. 

From 6 months.

The experienced-beginner female weightlifter is quite confident in her technique, as she practiced and learned proper movement for the basic snatch and C&J exercises. But at this level, they do not need a 5-day weight lifting schedule for women, 3 days a week is enough.

The main features and tasks of programming this stage:

- increase in general fitness;

- improving technique and coordination;

- development of mobility and flexibility;

- strength training in basic exercises;

In snatch and C&J, middle-level female weightlifters reached up to 90% of their maximum technique and explosive strength. They have experience in state or small weightlifting competitions. The weight lifting routine for women of such level may include from 4 to 5 workouts a week with sufficient volume. This level female athletes need structure in the periodization, deloading and fatigue management. The intermediate lifter is aware of his major weaknesses and is modifying and creating his own exercises. He turns to more experienced athletes and coaches for help when he needs advice or help developing a program. Despite the difficulties encountered on his way, he manages to achieve his goals.

A very small fraction of athletes reach the top and advanced levels. Throughout their weightlifting careers, elite athletes faced many extreme challenges that they eventually learnt to overcome by trial and error. They have an in-depth weightlifting regimen, a firm understanding of their physical prowess and mental stability. These athletes are either Olympic weightlifting elites or are at the genetic edge of their sport. These weightlifters are frequently among the top in their nation, and a lot of them have participated abroad in top rank competition.

The differences between female and male athletes are in the size of body, the ratio of strength and length of the limbs, the specifics of the neural and cardiac systems and the presence of the menstrual cycle, which affects the functional state and performance of women.

The cycle duration is around 22-36 days, it consists of five phases: menstrual (form 3 to 5 days), postmenstrual (form 7 to 9 days), ovulatory (around 3 days), postovulatory (form 7 to 9 days), premenstrual (around 3-4 days)

The performance of women depends on menstrual phases. It is very important to take into account when planning the loads of female athletes.

During the first phase, the performance of women is very low, so during this days it is necessary to cut volume and intensity, especially on the leg muscles and front core. Also not the best idea to study new complex technical elements due to the bad focus and concentration. At the same time, training programs can be adapted to execute auxiliary exercises with light loads.

The best performance is after the end of menstruation and after ovulation. Therefore, the second part of the cycle will be best for the focus on strength and flexibility loads. It is also recommended to reduce the amount of extreme strength lifts during menstruation.

According to scientific studies, for pro female athletes, as a result of long-term adaptation, very often there is no change in performance. That is why, the decision to perform the training load in full or reduce it must be made personally.

Differences in the strength capabilities of women and men depend on differences in muscles and body sizes. The general female muscle strength is around 70% of that in men. The most noticeable difference is in the interval from sixteen to thirty years old. During puberty and after the age of forty, this difference usually is almost minimal. This indicates the participation of sex hormones in the muscle strength development. Muscle strength grows most actively in the period from twenty to thirty years, but it grows up 50% slower in female athletes than in male.

Women have relatively weak muscles of the arms and trunk. Max strength is 41-69% of the strength of men, and the max strength of the legs is 27% lower. Although women's muscle fibers are typically shorter than those of males, the amount of slow & fast muscle fibers in untrained men & women is almost the same.

Women have a higher average percentage of fat in their body mass than males do, at 30% compared to 20%. In absolute terms, women have 4 to 8 kg more fat than men. Women have 15-20 kg less lean body mass than males do, which is made up of bones, muscles & internal organs. Even among female athletes, body fat can only rise to the level of not trained men; skilled women athletes have less fat than women. Approximately 40% to 45% of adult males' body weight is made up of muscle, compared to 30% for adult females. Women have much less muscular growth stimulation from strength exercise than do males. This is brought on by women's lower levels of sex hormones.

Women's nerve systems are more excitable than men's are. Therefore, women almost always have the ability to lift 90% or more weight in snatch and C&J exercises, whereas males virtually never can.

The woman's heart is 11-21% smaller than the man's in volume, and the respiratory rate and HR are higher. Therefore, they have a longer recovery period after high volume training.

Compared to men, women have shorter arms and a longer spine. The length ratio between the core and limbs and the pelvic anatomy are the two most important hereditary elements that affect a woman's bone and muscle systems. Their biomechanics are impacted by these traits. On one hand, women's technical movements are less efficient, but on the other, shorter legs and arms and a low center of gravity add characteristics to the biomechanics of speed-strength workouts and the capacity for balance.

All of the above features certainly affect the programming of training programs and should be taken into account by both coaches and weightlifters.

Anyone who falls in love with Olympic weightlifting dreams of lifting weights and of course wants to achieve this goal as quickly as possible. These “heavy weights” are different for each person, but it is important to remember and understand that each of us has our own genetic potential. Together with a host of other contributing factors, this potential improves or hinders our ability to lift the heaviest barbell. The athlete must always remember that, by definition, finding your heaviest weight will not work right away - both strength and skill take time to develop.

Many athletes do not understand that before picking up the barbell, you need to do a general joint warm-up for at least 15 minutes. It is extremely important in this way to prepare your body for the main work, and for the heavy loads that you will place on your musculoskeletal system. Warming up improves joint mobility, muscle and nerve coordination, and increases metabolism. An increase in heart rate, an increase in body temperature is crucial. Proper warm-up helps open the capillaries in the muscles and thereby increase blood supply. Moreover, such an increase in body temperature reduces the viscosity of the muscles and increases their elasticity, protecting against possible sports injuries. It is also important to remember that the musculoskeletal system is not ready immediately after a warm-up for heavy loads. Give yourself 5-8 minutes after warming up before continuing. You can then pick up the barbell and start your exercise and training program.

Beginner athletes often say: I saw a video of a world champion doing this exercise in a certain way, so it must be correct. Yes and no. First, an athlete who has been training for 3 months should not compare himself to an athlete who has been training for 15 or more years. The beginner's technique and the professional's technique have different criteria, amplitude and speed characteristics. Secondly, the strongest athletes in the world are often unique, one-of-a-kind people with their own unique body structure and movement techniques that a novice beginner does not have. In other words, a professional who has mastered his craft often adapts his technique to suit himself. What works for them may not work for someone else. Of course, you can and should watch and admire a unique athlete, just don't blindly copy someone else's technique. Imitating someone else does not move you forward as an athlete. To develop your athletic skills, you need to feel and listen to your body and understand the rules that govern your every move. Start with simple movements, and only then move on to complex ones. And for this you will need to study patiently and focus on self-improvement!

Many athletes believe that if they constantly push themselves to their physical and mental limits, they will reach new heights and weight limits. In practice, this often means that athletes first drive themselves into a state of overtraining, which can lead to injury. As a result, such overtraining can make further training impossible. Remember, you can't always be at the peak of your athletic performance. Such a load on your body will destroy you physically. Professional athletes work for months to reach this state to prepare for peak performance during competition, but after that, their training load is deliberately reduced to give the body time to recover. Also remember: improvement is not a straight line. Your personal results will go up, they will go down, and some weeks they will seem worthless. Don't lose hope. Know the limits of your body. Check them, but don't overdo it and don't forget to give yourself time to recover.