An Easy Guide To Building Muscle For Women

Cardio is a pretty popular go to when it comes to getting fit. However, when it comes to building muscle for women, it can be challenging. Lifting weights is a fantastic way to build muscle but how do you do that exactly? Here is a 10 step plan that will help you along in your journey! 

Here is an easy guide to building muscle for women

Create Your Plan

Your current goal is to build muscle, however having this goal without structure or a clear plan is doomed to fail. So, by you having this goal, you would need to implement a step-by-step plan which would make you progress and reach your goal. These strength training plans will give you specific moves to help you to build consistency for your workouts

If you don’t have a plan, just rocking up at the gym and doing random exercises won’t help you reach your goal. Your plan needs to be specific and consistent. Here are 7 Beginner Strength Training moves that will help you get started.

Get Yourself Stronger

When your body needs more strength, it would demand more muscle. Which is why weight training would be your best option, as you can start off light and slowly start increasing the weight over time. Bodyweight training is also great – like pushups, pull-ups, dips and chin-ups. Here are some body training workouts for you to get started with!

Technique

When you start your training program your main focus should be on your technique. In order to work your muscles in the correct way without compromising your body – which could lead to injuries, is using the best technique.

If you gym with the incorrect technique, you won’t build and make yourself, you’ll just end up hurting yourself. You’ll know that your technique needs work when you can’t feel the muscles that your training work properly.

By having good technique you will perfect each rep, which would result in you building your muscles and your strength. Here are some specific strength training moves you can start with!

Recover

When you first start training, you can’t immediately begin with long routines which are frequent- you need more rest to enable your body to recover and for your muscles to grow. To start, begin with 3 workouts weekly that workout your entire body. Recovery is super important!

Focus on the intensity and not the amount of time spent. Also, sleep. Try get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night and try have a short nap after your workout if your lifestyle and time allow for it.

Remember to stay hydrated, which aids muscle recovery. Sip water during your training. Most importantly, eat. Never skip your breakfast and always drink 100% Whey Protein (if you can!) after your training.

Eat More

By eating more frequently you boost your metabolism. Your body needs energy from food for muscle recovery and growth. By boosting your metabolism, you promote fat loss. As soon as you wake up in the morning, it’s best for you to take a protein shake.

This way you will end up getting calories from the get go. You need to eat after you workout, within 20 minutes of your session you should consume carbohydrates and protein.

This helps your muscles replenish and recover their energy stores. The fastest digesting proteins are 100% Whey Powder – which is optimal for just after training. It’s also advised that you eat more frequently, as in every 2 to 3 hours – averaging at about 6 plus meals a day. This way your body will get a steady intake of protein. Before bed, consume a slow digesting Protein shake.

Eat Whole Foods

By eating whole foods your body’s fat percentage will reduce, resulting in your muscles becoming defined. And the vitamin and mineral content helps recovery. Eat whole foods 90% of the time.

These include: Proteins like whey, milk, meat, eggs, poultry and fish. Vegetables like tomato, potatoes, broccoli and carrot. Fats like flax seeds, real butter, olive oil, nuts and fish oil. Carbohydrates like rolled oats, brown rice and whole grain pasta. Fruits like pears, banana, apple, orange and pineapple.

Sleep

When you think about sleep, do you ever think that it’s the ultimate way to recover? Because yes, it absolutely is. Sleep is needed in order for a person to be optimally healthy and in terms of building muscle, it is even more vital. If you’re looking to build muscle, you should sleep for at least 7 to 9 hours.

If you lack sleep, your stress hormone gets elevated which lowers the testosterone level in your body- this occurs in both men and women. When you sleep your growth hormone is at its peak, which assists in the recovery and repair of your muscles.

What if I want to Gain Weight?

To gain weight you would not only need an adequate amount of protein, but you would also need calories. Your aim should be to gain one pound weekly, and give yourself 2 weeks to achieve that. If you haven’t gained, increase your calories by 500 daily.

Monitoring your weight is important, that way you’ll know whether you’re gaining weight or not, or whether you gain weight slowly. To enable yourself to gain weight you need to eat more than what your body needs daily to naturally begin gaining weight.

Some tips on how to gain weight would be, eat foods that are calorie dense like olive oil, pasta, nuts and oats. Get stronger by increasing your squat by your body weight x 1.5 for one rep minimum. Deadlift your body weight x 2 again for one rep minimum.

By gaining strength, you gain muscle. Another way to gain a few pounds in months would be by drinking whole milk daily- like 3 litres daily.

Keep Track of Your Progress

To enable yourself to see measurable progress and results, which leads you to your bigger goals, it’s to keep track of your progress- which not that many people do so.

You should keep track of things like the following, water intake, daily calories, macronutrients, morning bodyweight (before you eat) and evening bodyweight (before you go to sleep), keep a training log, weekly progress photos (side, back and front), duration and quality of sleep, rate of exertion and body fat measurements.

Persist

Keep track of your progress, get stronger, and most importantly- persist until you’ve reached your goal and keep building from there. Follow this guide and you’ll begin to see a huge change in your physique within 6 months. It’s up to you at the end of the day and overcoming the mental challenge.