While squatting, benching, and deadlifting impressive amounts of weight are on many women's bucket lists, there's a whole host of other fitness and strength markers you can add to your inventory that are equally as impressive.
The Fitness Bucket List for Women
We've collected some strength goals we recommend adding to your bucket list that are not only impressive on their own but that also help you build your capabilities with more traditional strength exercises, too.
2-Position Active Hang
Position yourself under a pull-up bar. Jump up and pull your chin above the bar. Hold for 30 seconds, and then lower yourself slowly in one controlled motion. Hang with straight arms for 60 seconds. It may take you time to build up to this length of time, so build slowly and incrementally until you can achieve 30 seconds up and 60 seconds hanging. Building your competency with this skill will also help you master pull-ups.
Heavy Kettlebell Swings
Kettlebell swings help with metabolic conditioning while increasing your aerobic capacity and muscular endurance. For the biggest gains, however, you need to go heavy. The hip-hinging motion is a bit intimidating for some people and prevents them from going as heavy as they can. Get over that intimidation and grab that heavy kettlebell you've been eyeing and go for it. Even if you can do only a handful of swings, you'll start to see serious gains in strength with continued practice.
Hollow Body Holds
Our core plays a critical role in everyday movements and helps protect our bodies in so many ways. Building your core strength is a great place to start if you’re looking to make huge fitness and strength gains.
One measure of your core strength is your ability to hold a hollow hold. Though hollow holds may appear easy, just a few seconds in this hold will often leave your entire body shaking.
To achieve great form, start on your back with your entire body touching the floor. Next, raise your arms, shoulders, and legs off the ground while keeping your back flat. Engage your arms and legs to ensure they are straight and active. Work up to being able to hold the pose for 60 seconds.
Strict Push-Ups
Push-ups are a great indicator of full-body strength, and yet they are one of the most challenging, especially for women. Being able to complete 10-20 strict push-ups off your knees is an impressive feat. Start on building strength on your knees, and then progress to coming off your knees, eventually working your way up to 10+ push-ups. Being able to complete off-the-knee push-ups will also help you make enormous gains on the chest press machines, too.
Sots Press
Completing clean and strong Sots presses help build mobility and stability, leading to improved health and movement. This seemingly simplistic strength goal is foundational in helping you develop strength for overhead positions and holding the bottom position of a squat, as well as improving form for the snatch or clean and jerk.
Clean and Jerk
Completing a real clean and jerk takes a lot of control and explosive strength. It’s a challenging move that will help you constantly learn more about yourself by improving your overall awareness of your body and how it moves.
Last Words
Whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or expert, you'll likely find something on this list to challenge you. By setting these movements as strength goals, you'll give yourself something to work toward and impress yourself and others along the way.
