Everything to Know About How to Gain Muscle for Women

Everything to Know About How to Gain Muscle for Women : Many women avoid weight lifting out of fear they will get “bulky” or look “manly.” This isn’t true! Lifting weights as a woman creates a strong, curvy body.

Strength training for women doesn’t just create an aesthetically pleasing physique, it also improves bone density and cardiovascular health.

This article will teach you how to gain muscle for women.

Eat More Protein

Protein is the building block of muscle.

If you want to see noticeable gains in the gym, aim for eating one gram of protein per pound of body weight.

So if you weight 130 pounds, try to eat 130 grams of protein.

This may seem daunting at first, but it’s easy to get there if you know the right foods to eat. Try making a protein shake first thing in the morning and again when you finish a workout. Drinking a protein shake right after a workout will help your muscles repair themselves more quickly.

Chicken breasts, eggs, yogurt, nuts, and beans are all also high sources of protein to munch on throughout your day.
Eat More Calories

It’s impossible to put on muscle if you’re eating in a caloric deficit.

A malnourished body will not gain proper muscle.

You need to be eating more calories than you burn if you want to gain muscle. Don’t shy away from food and you’ll see how fast muscle starts building.

This doesn’t mean you should binge on McDonald’s and ice cream all the time. You should still eat a mostly healthy diet of protein, carbs, and fiber. However, you should feel free to treat yourself to the foods you love.
Split Your Workout Days

If you want to workout several days in a row, try splitting your routine between upper and lower body.

This will allow you to go to the gym almost every day without taking extra days off. You can work your upper body while your lower body is resting and vice versa.

The quickest way to obtaining maximum body sculpting is by working out on a split schedule.
Focus on Progressive Overload

If you want to get stronger you have to keep putting your muscles under more stress.

You do this by utilizing progressive overload. It means every week that you workout, you increase either the amount of weight you’re lifting or the amount of reps you’re doing.

This causes increased tears in your muscles and makes them have to repair themselves stronger.
Hop Off the Treadmill

Remember that you need to be in a caloric surplus in order to gain muscle.

Spending hours doing cardio on the treadmill isn’t doing you any favors. Doing too much cardio while trying to build muscle can actually be counterproductive because you’re not giving your body enough time to heal.

If you really don’t want to give up cardio, try incline walking in the morning. Just thirty minutes of incline walking is enough to give you a good cardiovascular workout. The incline also strengthens your leg and glute muscles.

Try walking at a seven-point incline for one minute and then bring it down to a three point incline for one minute. Repeat this pattern for 30 minutes and you’ve got yourself a great workout.
Catch Those Z’s

Sleeping is an essential part of building muscle.

If you’re not getting enough sleep each night your body won’t be able to repair itself properly. Aim to get seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night.

If you have trouble sleeping try wearing a sleep mask to shut out light or listen to some ambient noise at bedtime.

Try to stick to the same sleeping schedule each night so your body gets used to a rhythm.
Take Rest Days

It can be tempting to work out seven days a week in order to see results quicker.

Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a sculpted and lean body. Your body needs rest in order to improve.

Be sure to take at least one rest day each week. Always listen to your body before heading to the gym. If one muscle group feels too sore or tired to workout today, don’t push it.

Pushing your body past its limits could lead to severe injury and fatigue. You should never be afraid to take a couple extra rest days if that’s what your body is craving.

You will come back stronger than ever. Remember that your body is repairing itself during your rest days. Your rest days are when you are actually becoming stronger. You’re not doing yourself any favors skipping the downtime.
Lift Heavy

If you want to get noticeably stronger and leaner, you need to lift heavy.

Don’t do a bunch of reps with 2 or 3-pound dumbbells. Instead, push yourself by lifting as heavy as you can for fewer reps.

If you’re not sure what weight you should be starting with, try a weight that you can lift for 8 reps without failure and begin there. You should quickly notice increases in your strength and be able to lift more each week you go to the gym.

Don’t be afraid that heavyweights will make you manly. They will actually just improve your feminine figure by adding curves in all the right places.

Now You Know How to Gain Muscle For Women

With these tips, you now know how to gain muscle for women.

Remember it comes down to eating plenty of protein, splitting your workout days, and getting adequate rest.

Read more on our site for tips on specific exercises for the body part you’re trying to grow.