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Strength Training Exercises for Women: Tone, Sculpt, and Stay Strong for Life
Packed with more than 200 visual step-by-step exercises designed to burn calories, strengthen the core, and tone the body, Strength Training for Women is a must-have for core-conscious women who want to target key areas of their body and maintain all-round strength and fitness.
- GenresNonfictionFitness
336 pages, Paperback
First published December 23, 2013
3 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 4, 2021
clear, detailed, easy-to-follow instructions/illustrations
simple, effective, time-efficient beginner-suited exercises and sample programs
simple, effective, time-efficient beginner-suited exercises and sample programs
April 27, 2025
Most information on how to stay healthy as we age emphasizes resistance training and strength training. Joan Pagano’s “Strength Training Exercises for Women” explains how strength training is important for young adulthood, middle years, menopausal years, and later years. My goal in reading this book is to find exercises that I can stick with, exercises that will help me maintain my muscles, and exercises that will help me stay a size 10 so I can fit into my clothes.
Each exercise is illustrated and comes with a range of intensities: Level 1 - light resistance, Level 2 - medium resistance with more repetitions, Level 3 - heavy resistance with maximum repetitions. Other features include an introduction that explains strength training terminology, a chart that lists exercises for specific muscles, and workout sequences. Pagano addresses real body concerns, for example, the One-Arm Lat Row “firms up the sides of your back and trim the bulges around your bra strap.”
I tried the four, 15-minute workouts and found one that is fun - Hop, Jig, and Jump. Hop, Jig, and Jump is a total body workout that also leaves me smiling from hopping and jumping. It’s a rare workout that is actually fun to do and this is it! Pagano has a YouTube channel but I’m glad that I started with her “Strength Training” book because it goes into detail about how to stay safe while exercising and it offers a good variety of exercises and equipment.
As a newbie to strength training, this book fits my needs to understand the importance of why to stay strong and how to stay strong.
Each exercise is illustrated and comes with a range of intensities: Level 1 - light resistance, Level 2 - medium resistance with more repetitions, Level 3 - heavy resistance with maximum repetitions. Other features include an introduction that explains strength training terminology, a chart that lists exercises for specific muscles, and workout sequences. Pagano addresses real body concerns, for example, the One-Arm Lat Row “firms up the sides of your back and trim the bulges around your bra strap.”
I tried the four, 15-minute workouts and found one that is fun - Hop, Jig, and Jump. Hop, Jig, and Jump is a total body workout that also leaves me smiling from hopping and jumping. It’s a rare workout that is actually fun to do and this is it! Pagano has a YouTube channel but I’m glad that I started with her “Strength Training” book because it goes into detail about how to stay safe while exercising and it offers a good variety of exercises and equipment.
As a newbie to strength training, this book fits my needs to understand the importance of why to stay strong and how to stay strong.
February 14, 2026
A nice solid version of a strength training book. It shows exercises and where they impact on the body with some tips on how to do them. With some alternatives and progression.
January 22, 2023
I got this book to reinvigorate my weight training, to learn some new exercises and start a new routine. I was looking for some motivation, but I didn't really get it.
Frankly, I should have known. My bias is to avoid any book targeted at "exercise for women" because I fundamentally disagree with the principle that women's bodies need special exercises. We can be just as strong and powerful and muscly as men. And we would be healthier if we believed it instead of believing that we need to be thin and svelte.
The exercises are quite light. The book would be good as a temporary measure for women who are not really doing any exercise at all, but I don't think it is a book you would want to follow for long. Pagano claims that the exercises will help prevent osteoporosis, but this is not correct. To prevent bone loss, you need to lift maximal weights. Your bones need to be needed. There is no harm to doing these exercises for a start, and then move on to much heavier weights as soon as you can. Unfortunately, the book does little to build confidence for such things, preferring to keeping women away from serious weight-lifting equipment.
Frankly, I should have known. My bias is to avoid any book targeted at "exercise for women" because I fundamentally disagree with the principle that women's bodies need special exercises. We can be just as strong and powerful and muscly as men. And we would be healthier if we believed it instead of believing that we need to be thin and svelte.
The exercises are quite light. The book would be good as a temporary measure for women who are not really doing any exercise at all, but I don't think it is a book you would want to follow for long. Pagano claims that the exercises will help prevent osteoporosis, but this is not correct. To prevent bone loss, you need to lift maximal weights. Your bones need to be needed. There is no harm to doing these exercises for a start, and then move on to much heavier weights as soon as you can. Unfortunately, the book does little to build confidence for such things, preferring to keeping women away from serious weight-lifting equipment.
March 26, 2014
A more apt title for this book might be "delicate stretching for very thin women".
You will find lots of 2lb weights, 1/4 squats (nowhere near parallel), and stretches, but nowhere in this book will you see anything resembling "strength training".
As a general rule, I'd recommend staying away from any book that has the word "tone" in the title. I've learned my lesson. STAY AWAY from this book and enrol in a proper powerlifting or weightlifting class where you'll actually gain some muscle.
You will find lots of 2lb weights, 1/4 squats (nowhere near parallel), and stretches, but nowhere in this book will you see anything resembling "strength training".
As a general rule, I'd recommend staying away from any book that has the word "tone" in the title. I've learned my lesson. STAY AWAY from this book and enrol in a proper powerlifting or weightlifting class where you'll actually gain some muscle.
December 30, 2014
Absolutely amazing book about strength training. I was always looking for examples of workouts on the internet but now I have all of them in one book. Every single exercise is perfectly explained with pictures and made into levels so you can choose the one which suits you the best. Book is divided into chapters about the exact part of body you want to exercise. You can also find how to warm up, cool down, stretch your muscles and so many other tips.
March 2, 2014
This was a great book with very clear photos of how to execute the exercises. This is book on my wish list to own. Great for women who are in any shape from (like me) completely out of shape to those who are expert at training.
RECOMMEND
RECOMMEND
February 8, 2014
Good variety of exercises. Slight variations like a side squat with weights adds a new element to my existing exercise regiment. Aside from the odd exercise that requires an exercise machine, most of these exercises require only dumbbells, resistance tubes or chairs/walls. Very doable.
March 12, 2015
Excellent instructions and helpful photos for me to follow!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews