Strength training for women: why, how and what to expect
Strength training for women is just strength training. You lift, push, pull and carry weight so you get stronger in everything you do day to day. You don't need a special women's programme, and it won't make you bulky. Twice a week is a great start.
My advice: learn a few basic movements properly first. Then train regularly and make it a little heavier, step by step. Below you'll read what strength training does for your body, which movements to learn first, a plan for two or three sessions a week, and what changes after 40, 50 and 60.
Sound familiar? You'd like to get stronger, but in the gym you don't really know what to do. Which weight do you grab? Are you doing it right? I get it. So let me walk you through it.
Updated: 2026-11-04
What is strength training for women, exactly?
Strength training is any training where your muscles work against resistance. That can be a barbell with plates, a kettlebell, a resistance band or your own bodyweight. In CrossFit we see strength as something you use. Lifting a heavy shopping bag, picking up your kid, carrying a moving box up those steep Amsterdam stairs. It's about what you can do with it, not how big your muscles are.
For women it works exactly the same as for men. Same movements, same way of building up. What differs is the weight and the pace, and that's different for everyone anyway. A woman who can do a pull-up is simply stronger at that than a man who can't. Want the basics first? Read what strength training is and why everyone needs it.
Six myths about women and strength training
- 'I'll get bulky.' No. Getting big doesn't happen by accident. It takes years of very focused training and eating. What you will notice: lifting, climbing stairs and carrying stuff gets easier.
- 'Women should train light with lots of reps.' Not true. Endless reps with tiny weights feel busy, but if you want to get stronger, the weight needs to be properly challenging now and then. Heavy here means heavy for you.
- 'Women need a separate programme.' CrossFit's view is clear: men and women train by the same principles. We do adjust per person. Tough week at work, bad night's sleep, struggling with menopause symptoms? Then you scale that day. That's something else than a separate women's plan.
- 'During menopause you should take it easy.' It's actually the other way round. Around menopause you lose bone, muscle and strength more easily. Lifting heavy and training with some intensity can help slow that down. With good technique and at a pace that suits you.
- 'Pilates or yoga counts as strength training.' It's much better than doing nothing. But it isn't the same as training with weights you keep making a bit heavier. Enjoy it? Keep doing it, next to your strength training.
- 'I need to get fit before I can start.' This might be the biggest excuse of all. You don't need to be fit to start. You do need to be willing to train. Every movement can be scaled to what you can do right now.
What strength training does for your body, bones and hormones
Strength training makes you stronger. Sounds obvious, but you notice it everywhere. Strong legs and a strong back make everything easier: stairs, lifting, carrying a child, putting your suitcase in the overhead rack.
Your bones respond too. When you load them well, they can get stronger. That's why lifting heavy is so valuable for women, especially in the run-up to menopause and after. That's when bone density drops more easily.
And your hormones? They change around menopause. Because of that, you lose muscle and bone more easily. Strength training won't turn your hormones back, but it can help slow down that loss. That's one of the best reasons to start, at any age.
And honestly: it just feels good when something works that didn't last month. A heavier weight. Your first push-up from your toes. That builds confidence, outside the gym as well.
Losing weight? Strength training can help with that, but it's no guarantee. What you eat, how you sleep and how much stress you have all count too. So I'm not going to promise you any kilos here.
Getting started: the five movements you learn first
You don't need to learn dozens of machines. Almost everything you do falls under five basic movements. Learn those well and you've got a solid base for everything else.
- Squat: sitting down deep and standing back up. Start by sitting on a bench or box and standing up again. Later you hold a kettlebell in front of your chest. That's called a goblet squat.
- Hip hinge: bending forward from your hips. Think of picking something up off the floor with a straight back. The Romanian deadlift is a great exercise for this. It trains the back of your thighs and your glutes.
- Pushing. A push-up, first against a box or a wall. Or pressing a dumbbell overhead.
- Pulling. For example a ring row: you hang at an angle under two gymnastics rings and pull yourself up. Or you row a dumbbell towards your hip.
- Carrying. A kettlebell in each hand and just walk. Simple, but it trains your grip, your core and your posture.
The order of learning is always the same. First you learn the movement. Then you do it often, and do it well every time. Only then do you make it heavier or faster. Skip steps and your technique goes. That's where it goes wrong.
A few mistakes I'd steer clear of when you're starting out:
- Staying light forever. The same small dumbbells for months feels safe, but your body stops getting a reason to get stronger.
- Adding weight too fast. If your back rounds or your knees cave in, the weight is too heavy for now. Go back a step.
- Training whenever it suits you. Once every two weeks won't get you far. Two fixed moments a week will.
- Never having anyone check your technique. You can't see your own squat. Someone else can, straight away.
A strength training plan for women: two or three times a week
Two strength sessions a week is a great start. Can you do three? Then you've got more room to work on your fitness as well. Leave at least one rest day between two heavy sessions.
| Twice a week | What you do | How you do it |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Squat and push | Goblet squat: 4 rounds of 8 reps. Then push-ups, against a box if needed: 3 rounds of 8 to 10. |
| Thursday | Hip hinge, pull and carry | Romanian deadlift: 4 rounds of 8. Ring rows: 3 rounds of 8 to 10. Finish with 3 carries of 30 metres. |
Training three times a week? Then you add a day with a short, tough workout. Strength and fitness come together in it.
| Three times a week | What you do | How you do it |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Lower body strength | Squat, a bit heavier: 5 rounds of 5 reps. Then a few rounds of hip hinges. |
| Wednesday | Upper body strength and carry | Press overhead, pull, and finish with carries. |
| Friday | Short workout | For example 10 minutes: 10 kettlebell swings (swinging a kettlebell from between your legs to chest height), 10 squats and 200 metres of rowing. As many rounds as you can, with clean technique. |
How heavy should you go? Pick a weight where the last two reps are tough, but your technique still stays clean. Did it feel easy? Go a little heavier next time. That's how you build up, step by step.
Not sure if you're doing it right? That's when a coach really helps. Someone watching sees straight away if your back rounds or your knees fall inwards.
Strength training after 40, 50 and 60
You're never too old to start. Something does change in your body over the years, and you can play that smart.
Around 40, perimenopause starts for many women: the years before menopause. Your cycle and your energy can vary more. It's a good moment to build a solid strength base. What you build now, you'll have later.
Around 50, you're often in the middle of menopause or just past it. Bone and muscle decline more easily then. This is exactly when lifting heavier pays off. So no reason to hold back. Just a good reason to pay attention to your technique.
After 60, it's mostly about staying independent. Getting up from a low chair, carrying your groceries, keeping your balance. Strength training helps directly with that, and you can still get stronger later in life. We've got a CrossFit 60+ class for this, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10:00. You'll find it in the schedule.
Got problems with your bones or joints, an injury, or are you on medication? If in doubt, talk to your doctor or physio first. After that, the coach adapts the movements to you. We don't take over the role of your doctor or physio.
Training at home or in a gym?
At home you can start just fine with your own bodyweight. Squats, push-ups against the kitchen counter, a plank. That's a good first step. But after a while it gets too easy. To really get stronger you need heavier weight, like a barbell with plates and kettlebells.
A regular gym has that kit. There you usually train on your own, with a plan, and you figure out which weight to grab yourself. That works if you already know what you're doing. Don't know yet? Then training with a coach right there makes it a lot easier. And you'll stick with it better.
Looking for a gym for women specifically? Ask yourself what you're really after. Usually it's a place where you feel welcome, nobody stares and someone helps you get it right. That's what we're after too, for everyone. Read more about our gym in Amsterdam East with a coach in every class.
How women train at CrossFit Zeeburg
We don't have a separate women's class. Everyone trains together, with the same programme, at their own level. Every workout gets scaled. Not pointlessly easy, but right for you and safe. You're not treated as fragile.
You walk in, the workout's ready and a coach is watching. You don't have to make your own plan or figure out which weight to use. A class lasts an hour. Most classes are a WOD (workout of the day) mixing strength and fitness. We also run classes like StrongLifts, Weightlifting and Gymnastics. New to all this? Read what CrossFit is for an honest explanation.
You'll find us at Cruquiusweg 96F in Amsterdam East. Our first workout was in 2016. Want to try it first? Come for two weeks of unlimited training for €45. You'll soon find out if it's for you.
Get stronger without figuring out a plan yourself
With Your Strong Start you learn the basic movements from this guide properly, with a coach watching. You just show up and we build the weight up with you, step by step. By the end you'll know exactly where you stand.
- 12 coached CrossFit sessions in 4 weeks, around 3 a week
- A personal starting assessment plus scalable Fit Test as your baseline
- A midway check, so one busy week doesn't break your rhythm
- Final assessment and repeat Fit Test: you see what changed
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Frequently asked questions
How quickly will I get stronger?
The first weeks often go fast, because your body is learning the movements. After that it slows down a bit. You keep progressing as long as you train regularly and add weight step by step. How fast exactly differs per person.
Should I train around my cycle?
You don't need a fixed cycle plan. Feeling tired or less strong on certain days? Then adjust the weight or the pace that day. A coach helps you with that. The training itself stays the same.
Can I do strength training while pregnant?
Often yes, but there's no single rule for everyone. Always check with your midwife or doctor first. Then see day by day what feels good. Later in pregnancy you drop movements with a risk of falling, like hanging upside down or climbing a rope.
Will strength training help me lose weight?
I can't promise you that. Strength training can help, but food, sleep and stress count too. What you will notice: you get stronger, and you feel that every day.
Isn't CrossFit too tough to start with?
No. You decide how hard you go. Heavy is always heavy for you, not for the person next to you. Technique comes before weight and every movement is scaled to what you can do right now.