Muscle Building for Women

Some women tend to shy away from building muscle and think that it’s a “guy thing”. They may also be reluctant to strength train because they are afraid they will gain muscle mass and wind up looking like "bodybuilders", and thus compromising their feminine appeal.

It is important to note that there are many women who ARE bodybuilders and figure competitors who train and diet just as hard as their male counterparts.  Our kudos to them!

But this article is mainly directed to women who are looking to get into shape and are at beginner and intermediate training levels.

Women can develop muscle mass for various goals; such as losing weight, shaping and sculpting their bodies, firmer chest and buttocks, and... to feel sexier!  Building the right muscles in the right places can do wonders for feminine esteem.

Here are some of the basic tips and training guidelines that can help women build muscle, lose weight and have a great training workout.

Workout at Least 3 Times Per Week

To build muscle mass and get the best results from strength training, you should workout few times a week—at least a minimum of 3 workouts per week.

Although the number of training sessions per week depends, for the most part, on your physical fitness level and training goals. If you are new comer to strength training, then start with 2 workouts a week and take it slowly and ease yourself into the workouts. Don’t push yourself too hard in the early stages of training; otherwise you risk injury or burnout.

If you’re more advanced at strength training and want to push the ante up, then 2 workouts a week may not be enough. Therefore, make sure you work up to 3 workouts or more per week if you really want to start seeing results and attaining a more toned physique, within a reasonable time-frame. Some women may encounter a plateau with their training progress just because they haven’t increased the frequency of weekly workouts.

For each workout, try to perform at least 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. Start with 12 reps on the first set, then decrease the number of reps after finishing each set— especially after reaching the point of fatigue by the end of each set. You should perform each repetition slowly and in a comfortable way so that you’re not letting momentum carry you throughout the movements. This will help you better build muscle mass, tone your body and prevent injury.

Cardio training can surely help you lose weight; yet overdoing it can compromise your muscle building efforts. The human body relies on 3 main sources of energy: carbs (stored as glycogen), protein and fats. However, during a long cardio training session, your body can begin to ravage your muscle to extract protein—this is especially true in case of carbohydrate deprivation when glycogen stores have been depleted.  When performing low intensity cardio on an empty stomach (or post-workout) your body will opt to burn body fat; as long as you stay in your target heart rate range for LI cardio.

On the flip side, those pressed for time may be interested in High Intensity Interval Training. Unlike long cardio at low intensity, HIIT takes no more than 20 minutes a session and will stay in line with your muscle building goals as long as you don't over do it. In fact, HIIT boosts your metabolism levels through the roof and builds up your stamina and cardiovascular system, while at the same time, tones your body and helps develop a rock solid body.

Protein is essential for building and keeping muscle mass. Hence it should be your priority to consume adequate amounts of proteins on a daily basis—especially after a hard strength training workout. Without adequate protein intake, there is no special weight lifting training program or diet that will produce the muscle gains you’re aiming to achieve. Optimal muscle mass gains take place only in the existence of enough intake of this valuable nutrient. Therefore, make sure you get some every time you eat.

The right amount varies from one person to the other; nonetheless, aiming for roughly between 1 and 1.25 g protein per pound of your total body weight is quite enough. And timing your protein intake is of paramount importance. Therefore, try to consume protein before and after a strength workout.

Consume some protein within an hour to an hour and a half, prior to the workout so you can further assist with the muscle building effect of training. In the post-workout period, you can have a whey protein shake or maybe even some supplements. In addition, you should vary your protein sources for maximum gains, and avoid high in saturated fat foods. Some of the healthiest sources of protein include: eggs, fish, nuts, lean meat, low-fat dairy products, beans and so on.

The keys to efficient muscle building for women are consistent training and adequate recovery. If you’re pushing yourself at the gym, but aren’t allowing for enough rest so your body can rebuild its muscle tissues and recover from the training load, then you may not achieve the muscle building results you are after. In fact, you’ll just increase the likelihood of injury and burnout. It also affects your immune system. And that, ladies, is not the healthiest and most efficient approach for building muscles.

Your recovery time is when real growth happens; not during your training session. Your body only builds muscle tissues when you’re not weight training. In other words, you build muscle while you’re sleeping and resting, not while you’re at the gym and pushing iron. Hence, if you lift weights and don’t get enough sleep and rest, then building muscle mass is not near as effective.

As a result, make sure to schedule your off days to relax and de-stress yourself. You can do this by spacing out your 3 training sessions with a rest day; if taking a full day rest is not an option, you can opt for a cross-training activity such as running or swimming. However, make sure not to exhaust and drain your muscles. Furthermore, you should get as much sleep as you possibly can—at least 7-8 hours of high quality and uninterrupted sleep. And if you’re sleep deprived, you should catch up on your sleep. This will get your body and mind fresh and ready for the next workouts.

You don’t need to follow the above training guidelines verbatim. Perfectionism is the not the best approach to muscle building for women. Therefore, remember that each person is unique and responds differently to weight training programs. The best workout is the one you enjoy doing most.  As a result, you need to become an expert on what makes you tick. Try different weight training programs, pick the one you like the most and have fun!