A common misconception most women have about their bodies is thinking that they don’t have any muscles just because it is not obviously seen. A normal human body is composed of muscles and developing and toning muscles may vary with gender and age.
Building muscle mass is rather a harder process for women than it is for men, because the female body is governed by hormones which is subjective to bodily changes. If a woman has a soft body figure, reducing body fat first is advisable before taking up any muscle toning regimen. But never fear ladies, building muscle mass is not only possible but is also healthy for you.
Here are some muscle building tips for females that you should absolutely follow…
Working out in a gym for 3 to 5 times a week may prove to be helpful in building muscle mass. If you are a beginner you may want to start at 2 times a week and you can make your way up from there. You have to give your body enough time to get used to the new activity. Do not startle your body by starting very strenuous activities. The secret is building your way up to more challenging exercises.
Building muscle mass does not necessarily mean that you have to go to the gym every day. There is such a thing as too much gym. For people who have just started going to the gym, let your body rest for 48 hours after your regimen. Your muscles become stronger in this period, not while you are lifting weights.
Training with weights is an inevitable activity inside the gym. Choosing weights can be a tricky business. Some people tend to overdo it and use weights their bodies cannot handle for a long period. Choose weights that you can do 5 to 6 reps with.
Bench presses, dead lifts and squats are three main weight training exercises you have to do regularly. Squats in particular can develop muscles on your legs and buttocks. Do 3 sets of 5 to 6 repetitions for each of the three main weight training exercises. Resting in between sets is essential. Assuming that you are lifting correctly, you need 2 to 3 minutes to regain your strength.
Women’s bodies do not have the genes or the hormones for that matter, to develop bulky muscles without requiring a great amount of effort or help from chemicals. So don’t worry about getting bulky.
Cutting down on gym time is essential for building muscles mass. You have to reduce the number of hours you spend in the gym. Building muscle mass requires short hard work outs. Prolonging your time in the gym increases your endurance and less on building muscle mass.
Running the treadmill does little when you are trying to develop muscles mass, but adding cardiovascular exercise sparingly to your training regimen helps reduce body fat and increase endurance and heart health. Doing cardiovascular exercise tones, rather than builds, muscles. But you must not skip on the cardio exercise, do a 45-minute cardio work to get you started. Focus your attention on weight training when trying to build muscles mass.
Most people underestimate the power and effectiveness of strength training in reducing body fat. Cardio work has its moments, but strength training does the job better and has faster results for fat loss.
Women, compared to men, require less calorie intake, between 1800 and 2000 calories per day to maintain their health. Eating less than the amount required would not be helpful in developing muscle mass. If you burn 300 to 500 calories on a daily basis you have to eat more throughout the day.
Eating food rich in protein and carbohydrates is the key to building muscle mass. Protein is a building block in developing muscles. You must eat protein-rich foods before and after training. Most women try to stay away from carbohydrates, but little do they know that carbohydrates give you energy to do strength training exercises. It also helps protein find your muscle cells.
Snacking throughout the day does not mean eating junk food and soda. You have to eat the right kinds of food to develop muscle mass. Eating snacks in between large meals help maintain your metabolism, which will aid in burning calories even when you are not working out.
Eat healthy carbohydrate and protein- rich foods. Do not rule out fat from your diet, there are good fats and oils you can get from eating avocado, olive oil, butter and mayonnaise.
Building muscle mass is only a matter of perseverance and determination. Push yourself to the limit when you are in the gym. But always remember when to stop. Find a gym partner or a trainer to help you with your exercises. All of these things will absolutely help you… For other useful muscle building tips for females you can also check the video below…
All the best!