The general perception of a woman working out in the gym is she is trying to burn fat. While this is true for many, some women go to the gym to get ripped and gain muscle. There are many benefits attached to gaining lean muscle, such as improving body composition. Several studies have also linked building muscle mass and better metabolism in women. So if you are thinking of ways to burn fat, consider gaining muscle mass.
Strength training is one of the ingredients to achieving the aesthetic look that many women covet.
If you want to increase muscle mass to achieve your fitness or aesthetic goals, here are five tips to help you reach them.
Lift weights
Your muscles will only increase in size depending on the amount of work we do with them. So, if your goal is muscle hypertrophy, you need to increase the stress/damage done to your muscles. One of the ways to get this done is to lift weights. When you lift heavy weights, your muscles experience micro-tears, which activates your body's repair system. It is during this repair stage that your muscles increases in size. Now imagine what happens if you repeat this process consistently.
Perform 6 to 12 reps and 3 to 4 sets of a particular weight per session. You can increase your volume and intensity as time progresses to increase size and strength. Keep track of your volume to see how much progress you are making. Also, lifting weights in the right form throughout all sets is crucial to building proportionate muscles. You can also get injured if you are lifting weights with poor form.
Nutrition for increasing muscle mass
For proper muscle growth, you must eat a diet rich in nutrients. Also, you must consume adequate amounts of protein because it helps repair the micro-tears that occur while you are lifting weights. Research suggests women need 1.6 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily to build muscle. It is also important to note that consuming more protein than you need won't give you better muscle gains. Eat protein-rich food such as poultry, dairy products, eggs, fish, and nuts.
Increase your calorie intake to build muscles. Your body needs a direct source of fuel to do the work in the gym to build muscles. But first, you need to know how many calories you need based on factors such as your height, weight, metabolism, and physical activity level. Too many calories can increase body fat, and too little can prevent muscle gains.
Rest
Rest is an essential factor for muscle gain. Your body needs 48 to 72 hours of rest between sessions for optimum results. Your muscles and tissues are repaired and rejuvenated during sleep. Also, your brain is at rest during sleep, allowing your body to maximize blood flow to your muscles, thereby increasing the oxygen supply needed for muscle repair and growth.
Be Consistent
One of the many challenges of building muscle mass is staying consistent. For many women, having the motivation to continue training and maintaining a proper diet can be difficult. Building muscle takes a lot of dedication. The more you train, the better your muscle growth results, and the more motivated you become. Being consistent with every aspect of your muscle gaining journey will give you your desired results.
Do your Research
It is one thing to know your goals, and it is another thing to know how to reach them. And this is where information gathering comes in. Various online and offline resources will get you started. The only downside is that you may become overwhelmed by dozens of strategies and hacks on the internet. Once you have a vision of what you want to achieve, finding useful information will become easier.
You can also get quicker and better results by using high quality supplements.
One of the best supplements for women would be Norateen II which helps increase muscle mass by increasing protein synthesis.
