Many people think of muscle building and think about men, but building muscle is so important for women as well. One of the best ways to lose weight is to build muscle, so if you want to lose some weight and tone up, muscle building can help.
Strength training has a ton of benefits for women: more strength equals more muscle and less fat, it builds better symmetry, you feel sexier, your butt will look better, prevents osteoporosis, etc…
Here’s one thing though, don’t worry about:
“I don’t wanna get all big and bulky!”
You won’t. If you’re a woman and you’re reading this just go to your local gym and ask 5 big muscular guys how hard it was for them to put on muscle. Then ask 5 skinny guys how hard it is to put on muscle (and how long they’ve been training). The truth is: you need to put in a lot of focused effort (and testosterone) to get “big and bulky”.
How women should strength train
Train with the same strength training protocols as a man and focus on strength first. Next, focus on building muscle. You’ll lose fat at the same time. Stop looking at the scale and start looking at the mirror to determine how “fat” you are.
How women can lose weight fast
The same way men do, with interval training — you can burn fat fast in 12 minutes or less. Stop doing slow, long distance (long time) cardio training–it sucks for fat loss. You’ll burn more fat, calories, and keep more muscle doing interval training. Plus, it’s better overall for your cardiovascular system, heart, lungs and health.
That’s the basics of muscle building for women. Here are a few tips especially for women:
Tip #1 - Keep Pushing
First of all, when it comes to tips for muscle building for women, it is so important that you keep pushing. While working out too much can be counter productive, Don’t be afraid to work out hard.
Tip #2 - Workout at Least 3x Weekly
If you really want to get the best results from strength training and muscle building, you’ll need to work out at least three times every week. If you have never done weight lifting workouts before, you may want to get started with just two workouts each week. However, once you get comfortable there, make sure you work up to three or more workouts if you really want to build up that muscle.
Tip #3 - Eat for Muscle Building
You’ll also need to eat good foods if you’re going to build your muscles. Many women forget this part and it hampers their muscle gains. Sure, a healthy diet is going to be important, but you will need to make sure that your muscle have enough food to build lean tissue instead of going into a catabolic state. Focus on getting good protein. Also, protein has a higher thermogenic rate than other foods so you can eat more of it and still lose weight.
Tip #4 - Consider Taking Supplements
When it comes to muscle building, you may want to consider taking supplements. Of course you should talk to your medical provider first, but often these supplements can help you enhance the training you are doing and help you gain muscle more quickly. At the very least you should take:
High Quality Whey Protein…
A good multi-vitamin…
Fish Oil
To start. There you go, follow these tips and you’ll be looking fit n’ sexy in no time flat!
Tip #5- Boxing for superior fitness
Ladies I have been preaching it for years. Train like a fighter on your cardio days, instead of long boring time on a stair stepper or tread mill. Heavy bag work, jumping rope, punch mitt work and yes even sparring. These exercises will build confidence, speed & reflexes. At the same time you will sculpt & develop lean muscular arms, thighs, abs and shoulders. Don't believe me? Just check out womans boxing champion Holly Holm pictured above. You will quickly see how very right I am.
Richard