By Will Duru, BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, Award-winning Personal Trainer with over 10 years of experience in strength training and optimising recovery.
As a personal trainer who has spent over a decade helping clients, especially women, discover their strength and build bodies they feel powerful in. I know that walking into a gym for the first time can be intimidating. There are so many machines and so much conflicting advice. My goal with this article is to give you a clear, effective plan that will make you feel confident and guide you toward the amazing results you deserve.
We’re going to forget the myth that women need to spend hours on the treadmill to see changes. I’m here to show you why strength training is the most powerful tool for shaping your body, burning fat, and even balancing your hormones.
Why Strength Training is the Secret to Shaping Your Body
From my experience with countless clients, the number one goal I hear is to ‘tone up.’ What that really means is building lean muscle and reducing body fat to reveal a strong, defined shape. Endless cardio can help you lose weight, but it won’t build the curves you want. Strength training does.
When you lift weights, you create tiny micro-tears in your muscle fibers. Your body then repairs these fibers, making them stronger and slightly larger. This is how you build lean muscle, which is metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns at rest. This turns your body into a more efficient fat-burning machine, 24/7.
Strength Training and Your Hormones
For women, hormonal health is everything. Strength training is one of the best things you can do to support it. Research has shown that a consistent strength training routine can have a positive effect on hormonal and metabolic levels, especially for women going through different life stages like menopause [1].
Lifting weights helps improve your body’s sensitivity to insulin, which is crucial for managing blood sugar and preventing fat storage. It also helps manage cortisol (the stress hormone) and can support a healthy balance of estrogen and progesterone. A well-structured program helps you work with your body, not against it.
The Power of a Balanced Diet
You can’t build a house without bricks, and you can’t build a strong body without the right fuel. A healthy, balanced diet is non-negotiable. While it’s important to be in a slight calorie deficit to lose fat, you must eat enough to fuel your workouts and recover properly. Calculating your calorie needs is a great starting point, and you can find many free calculators online to help with this.
Focus on whole foods: lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. This combination will give you sustained energy, help repair your muscles, and keep your hormones happy.
The 12-Week Push/Pull/Legs & Core Program
This program is a 2-day split, meaning you’ll be in the gym twice a week. It’s designed in two 6-week phases. In Phase 2, we increase the intensity by adding sets and a bodyweight superset to one exercise to really challenge your muscles and boost your metabolism.
Start each workout with 10 minutes of light cardio, such as an incline walk on the treadmill or a steady cycle. This helps increase your heart rate, warm up your muscles, and get your blood flowing. After that, spend about 5 minutes on mobility stretches to loosen your joints and improve range of motion. Try moves like cat-cow, the world’s greatest stretch, and arm rotations to prepare your body for training.
You can build, track, and log this entire program in the 12Reps app. It has video demos for every single exercise, so you’ll always know you’re doing it right.
Phase 1: Weeks 1-6 (Foundation Building)
Day 1: Push & Pull (Upper Body & Back)
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Weight | Rest Period |
Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 10-12 | Moderate | 60s |
Cable Lat Pulldown | 3 | 10-12 | Moderate | 60s |
Machine Shoulder Press | 3 | 12-15 | Moderate | 60s |
TRX Rows | 3 | 12-15 | Bodyweight | 60s |
Cable Tricep Pushdown | 3 | 12-15 | Light | 60s |
Dumbbell Bicep Curls | 3 | 12-15 | Light | 60s |
Day 2: Legs & Core
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Weight | Rest Period |
Kettlebell Goblet Squats | 3 | 12-15 | Moderate | 60s |
Dumbbell RDLs | 3 | 12-15 | Moderate | 60s |
Sled Push | 3 | 20m | Challenging | 75s |
Leg Press | 3 | 15-20 | Moderate | 60s |
Medicine Ball Slams | 3 | 15 | Moderate | 60s |
Plank | 3 | 30-45s | Bodyweight | 60s |
Phase 2: Weeks 7-12 (Increased Intensity)
Day 1: Push & Pull (Upper Body & Back)
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Weight | Rest Period |
Dumbbell Bench Press | 4 | 8-10 | Heavier | 60s |
SUPERSET: Cable Lat Pulldown | 4 | 8-10 | Heavier | 75s |
with Bodyweight Pull-ups | 4 | To failure | Bodyweight |
|
Machine Shoulder Press | 4 | 10-12 | Heavier | 60s |
TRX Rows | 4 | To failure | Bodyweight | 60s |
Cable Tricep Pushdown | 4 | 10-12 | Heavier | 60s |
Dumbbell Bicep Curls | 4 | 10-12 | Heavier | 60s |
Day 2: Legs & Core
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Weight | Rest Period |
Kettlebell Goblet Squats | 4 | 10-12 | Heavier | 60s |
SUPERSET: Dumbbell RDLs | 4 | 10-12 | Heavier | 75s |
with Bodyweight Glute Bridges | 4 | 20 | Bodyweight |
|
Sled Push | 4 | 20m | Heavier | 75s |
Leg Press | 4 | 12-15 | Heavier | 60s |
Medicine Ball Slams | 4 | 20 | Heavier | 60s |
Plank | 4 | 60s | Bodyweight | 60s |
My View on Progressive Overload
To change your body, you must give it a reason to change. That reason is progressive overload. It simply means you gradually increase the demand on your muscles. In Phase 2, we do this by increasing sets, lowering the rep range to handle heavier weight, and adding intense supersets. The 12Reps app makes tracking this easy, so you always know what you need to do to beat your last workout.
Nutrition for a Strong, Curvy Body
Protein is the star of the show for muscle repair. Aim for 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight each day, spread across at least four meals [2]. Combine this with complex carbs for energy and healthy fats for hormone support.
Your Best Training Partner: The 12Reps App
I designed the 12Reps app to be the ultimate tool for anyone serious about their training.
- Over 1,500 Exercise Demos: I personally demonstrate every exercise, so your form is always perfect.
- Track and Log Your Workouts Easily: No more guessing. Know exactly what you lifted last time.
- Personalised, Smart-Driven Workouts: Get access to expert-designed programs just like this one.
Ready to finally feel confident and strong in the gym? Download the app and start your free trial today.
Conclusion
This 12-week program is your roadmap to building a stronger, curvier, and more confident you. It combines the best of strength training to deliver results efficiently. Trust the process, fuel your body, and use the 12Reps app to guide you. Let’s get to work!
References
[1] The Efficacy of Strength Exercises for Reducing the Symptoms of Menopause: A Systematic Review
