Step up your fitness level and supercharge your results with this 5-day workout split made for women! This workout split is designed to help women lose weight, and strengthen and tone their muscles… at home.
As a Certified Strength Coach, I help women get stronger, leaner, and more confident by helping them maximize the time they DO have. Working out five days per week is a great way to hit your muscle groups multiple times and keep progress rolling.
Don't waste time stumbling around your workouts, not knowing where to start or what to do with the time you DO have. It's a sure-fire way to end up overwhelmed and frustrated - said from a mom of three.
Instead, make the most out of your allotted workout time by following a tried and tested split.
Not sure if a 5-day workout routine is for you? Stepping up your workout volume from four to five days per week can help you:
- Build solid muscle
- Lose stubborn weight
- Get super strong
Strength Training & Cardio: Which Is Better For Fat Loss & Toning
Most women are striving for that lean, sculpted look… but stick to endless hours on a cardio machine!
The truth is, strength training is what will help you build muscle and moderate cardio is what will help them look toned. It’s a combo effect.
It's also the exact formula I use in the SMASH Fit For Life home workout program.
And yet, so many women shy away from heavy lifting not realizing that building muscle is what tones!
Learn more about increasing your metabolism with exercise.
The Workout Split
As a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, I can tell you that in fitness, there are always multiple paths you can take to achieve a goal. However, this 5-day workout routine is geared toward busy moms.
This means that the workout split maximizes lifting time by not breaking each day into a muscle group.
Instead, your workout routine goes like this:
| Monday | Upper Body Strength |
| Tuesday | Lower Body Strength |
| Wednesday | Low intensity cardio |
| Thursday | Full body strength |
| Friday | Rest |
| Saturday | Full body HIIT |
| Sunday | Rest |
Though you can definitely put the full body HIIT workout back to back with strength workout, having a day of rest in between will reduce muscle soreness a bit.
Warming Up
As with any strength training routine, warming up is a crucial component (learn how to warm up). Make sure you focus on dynamic mobility drills to really get the joints happy before diving into anything strength-based.
Just hopping on the treadmill won’t do it.
Use the 5-minute warm-up videos below because your workouts
What Equipment Do You Need For The Split?
The best part about these workouts is that you can do them at home with some dumbbells and a strength band!
This is what I use for the SMASH home workout program because it's all you need to see great weight loss and strength results.
Opt for dumbbells that challenge you by the last repetitions and learn how to make exercises harder without increasing your weight.
My suggestion is to start with a set of 15lbs and move from there. This is because for the exercises you need lighter weight, you can just use one of the dumbbells.
You will need a resistance band for these workouts as well to give you maximum tension (learn about the best resistance band exercises)
Rep Ranges Of The Strength Workout
Because the focus of this 5-day workout split is on strength, the repetitions are a bit lower and range from 5-12.
That’s because the goal of the exercise is to push your weights as heavy as possible. So, even when the repetitions are on the lower side, the workout should feel intense.
Monday: Upper Body
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press | x6 |
| Eccentric push ups | x6 |
| Rest | x3 sets |
| 1 Arm Dumbbell Row With Pause | x8/arm |
| Resistance band face pull | x10 |
| Superman Row | x10 |
| Rest | x3 sets |
| Rocking Planks | x30s |
| Rest | x2 sets |
How to perform it: perform the first two exercises back to back without rest. After the push ups, rest for 45-60 seconds and then repeat the sequence for a total of two times through.
Then, move on to the next three exercises and perform them without rest. After the superman rows, rest for 30 seconds and repeat for three rounds. Finally, finish with the planks and rest 15 seconds between sets.
Tuesday: Lower Body
| Dumbbell Front Squat | x8 |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift | x10 |
| Rest | x3 sets |
| Dumbbell Single Leg Hip Thrust | x8/leg |
| Dumbbell Knee Extension | x8 |
| Side lying hip raise | x8/side |
| Rest | |
| Reverse Plank | x25 seconds |
| Rest |
How to perform it: perform the first two exercises back to back without rest. After the Romanian deadlifts, rest for 45-60 seconds and then repeat the sequence for a total of two times through.
Then, move on to the next three exercises and perform them without rest. After the hip raises, rest for 30 seconds and repeat for three rounds. Finally, finish with the planks and rest 15 seconds between sets.
Wednesday: Low-Intensity Cardio
This can be getting out for a hike, a light run, or incline walking on a treadmill.
It could also be something like this at-home cardio workout that is a bit of HIIT training but not too intense.
Thursday: Full Body Strength
| Bulgarian Split Squats | x8/leg |
| Inverted Pike Press | x8 |
| Rest | x3 sets |
| Plank Row | x8/arm |
| 1.5 Rep Sumo Squats | x10 |
| ½ kneeling dumbbell parlof press | x6/side |
| Rest | x3 sets |
| Duck walks | x20 seconds |
| Rest | x2 sets |
How to perform it: perform the first two exercises back to back without rest. After the pike press, rest for 45-60 seconds and then repeat the sequence for a total of two times through.
Then, move on to the next three exercises and perform them without rest. After the parlof press, rest for 30 seconds and repeat for three rounds. Finally, finish with the duck walks and rest 15 seconds between sets.
Saturday: Full Body HIIT
| Dumbbell Walking Lunges | x45 seconds |
| Mountain Climbers | x30 seconds |
| Step out lunge | x30 seconds per leg |
| Side Plank Push Up Rotation | x40 seconds |
| Rolling Squats | x30 seconds |
| rest |
How to perform it: perform the exercises back to back without rest. After the rolling squats, rest for 45-60 seconds before performing the circuit again for a total of four times through.
Workouts Printable (PDF)
Below is a PDF of the workouts for you to download (click the image). Here, you can record your weights and any notes.
Mark down the workouts and then as you go through them week by week strive to progress them by upping your weight, improving your form, or getting through the sets faster.
How do you know which 5-day workout routine is for you?
There are a ton of workout programs out there which makes it hard to choose. Before beginning a program, really ask yourself the following questions:
- Does it contain exercises I enjoy doing?
- Is it a style that I like?
- Do I have any injuries that might prevent me from being able to do it?
- Do I have the right equipment?
Think a 5-day split might be too much? Drop down to this 4 day workout routine and still crush your goals!
Having a custom workout plan is great but it’s not always possible. So, find a plan that works for your goals and lifestyle and dive in!
And don't forget to move your body in general throughout the day (5 minute workouts are great for that!)
Fast, crave-worthy snacks that hit your protein goals (without tracking or extra cooking time).
Other Fitness Tips To Help You Smash Goals
- 3 day workout plan
- 2 day workout split
- No equipment shoulder workout
- 25+ home workouts for weight loss
- 6 week fat loss workout plan
- How to make at home workouts harder
- The best mom workout for busy days
- Everything you need to know about home workouts
- How to master push ups as a beginner
- The best tricep exercises for women
- Wicked exercises for back strength
- 3 muscles to always stretch post-workout
- Why you should use pause reps
- Best bodyweight exercises for moms
- Follow-along at-home workouts
- Fitness tips
Frequently Asked Questions About Workout Routines
There are multiple ways to divide up workouts: full body workouts, upper/lower splits, push/pull splits, as well as muscle group splits. You need to find a workout split that works for your schedule as only then will you commit and see the best results!
Though there are subtle differences in regards to training for men and women, unless at an elite level both men and women can train pretty well the same when the goals are building muscle or weight loss.
Michelle says
Thank you for this plan! My work schedule has made it hard to go to the gym so I've been having to workout at home after my son goes to sleep. This has been easy to follow and not overwhelming for me at all. I'm able to get it done pretty quickly, get showered and get to bed! Been doing it for almost a month and already able to increase weights on most lifts.
fitasamamabear says
That's amazing to hear! I love that you rock it when your son goes to bed, I'm a morning person so you're a bada** to me haha. Keep pushing the weights and progressing!