Why Female Muscle Growth Is The Key
First the bad news.
It’s not humanly possible to target a specific area of fat on your body and then actually lose fat in that specific area.
I know, its a bummer. The good news, however, is that it is very much possible to increase lean muscle mass in a specific area by performing the right exercises.
Your ability to target and build lean muscle mass on specific areas of your body is key since there is much more to having an impressive physique then simply losing weight. See Skinny fat
In addition, not only will just losing weight (even a massive amount) not result in you having that body you deserve but since muscle mass makes losing weight easier and faster, by neglecting to build muscle, you are making your weight loss journey just that more difficult.
If these two reasons alone aren’t enough to convince you, below we list the top reasons female muscle growth is so important
Top Reasons Female Muscle Growth Is So Important
Burn more calories; forever –
Well maybe not forever, just for as long as you continue to workout consistently.
It’s true that the weightlifting portion of your workout doesn’t burn as many calories as you would burn running on the treadmill or riding a stationary bike.
However, the moment you get off that treadmill or bike your calorie burn is done, whereas, due to the afterburn effect of lifting weights your body continues to burn calories hours and even days after a workout.
As if that wasn’t reason enough to lift weights, your body has to burn calories in order to maintain muscle. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories your body will naturally burn just to maintain.
Longevity –
With everything else being equal, women lose muscle at a faster rate than men. The fact that men usually have more muscle to begin with makes this reality even more concerning.
It’s harder for us –
So we’ve already discussed how women lose muscle at a faster rate than men and that we usually don’t have as much muscle to begin with.
But the third unfair reality is that due to the fact that men naturally produce a lot more testosterone than women, it’s simply not possible for a woman to build muscle at the rate that a man can build muscle.
Top Reasons Female Muscle Growth Is So Important
A strong back, shoulders and neck allow you to keep your shoulder blades down
naturally resulting in a long and lean appearance.
The above pic may be extreme, but keeping your shoulder blades down is important because over time, poor posture will take a toll on your
shoulders
spine
knees
hips
resulting in not only the limited ability to stay in shape but more importantly, causing joint pain and poor flexibility which will have a negative impact on your quality of life as you get older.
You’ll Be and Feel Hot –
Is it just your imagination or are you really at your hottest right after an intense workout?Well, science suggests its not your imagination.
Gym rats call the look the “pump” but in reality, the toned look of your muscles post workout can be attributed to blood rushing to your muscles which is what occurs when you contract your muscles during resistance training.
In addition, studies suggest what we already knew which is that the confidence that comes along with a positive body image leads to people feeling substantially better about their overall appearance.
According to a study conducted in 2006, researchers at McMaster University in Ontario found that in as little as 12 weeks of strength training, women experienced a significant increase in strength and an equally significant increase in
a. how participants felt about others checking them out
b. how satisfied they were with their own appearance.
Exercises For Female Muscle GrowthArm Flab Exercise: Dips
Inner Thighs Exercise: Lunges
Thutt (No space between butt and thighs) Exercise: Squats
Love Handles Exercise: Plank
Back Fat Exercise: Bodyweight Good Mornings
Female Muscle Growth Specific Tips
Too Much Junk in the Trunk
Solution: Decrease Estrogen
Though an oversized butt is something some women are willing to pay for, it could be a sign of a hormonal imbalance; most likely due to too much estrogen.
As with most things body composition related, healthy changes in your diet such as eating leafy green vegetables and working out consistently has been shown to help reduce estrogen levels in the body.
Belly Fat
Solution: Avoid Stress
Belly fat is unfortunately not just something that men struggle with.
Ironically, the “Beer Belly” condition is not usually caused by drinking too much beer or the over overindulgence of any other food or beverage for that matter but by too much stress.
Though it is true that for most of us improvements in our diet wouldn’t hurt, studies have shown cortisol which is a hormone connected with stress is the primary cause of belly fat.
Stress leads to cortisol, cortisol leads to heightened blood pressure, high blood pressure leads to increases in glucose and glucose turns into belly fat
Muscles growth tips
Solution: Heavy and Fast
There’s an old gym rat saying that I learned from bodybuilding legend and trainer Diego Chairs; “If you ain’t huffing, you ain’t buffing”. Although us ladies aren’t concerned so much with buffing, the principles of this saying are scientifically sound.In order for your muscles to grow, they must be challenged by:
a. adding weight to a bodyweight exercise
b. doing a weighted alternative of a bodyweight exercise
c. adding more weight to an exercise
d. increasing tempo of each exercise repetition
e. decreasing rest time in between sets
By utilizing any of the above variations to your workout you can ensure that your muscles and body are continuously challenged and so, therefore, you continue to grow.
Female Muscle Growth Specific Tips Cont.
Get enough sleep
Believe it or not, sleep is where the magic happens. Think of it like this;
When workout you tear your muscles
Food and beverages provide your body with the nutrients necessary to rebuild those torn muscles and to hopefully make them stronger than before
When you sleep your body goes into overdrive utilizing the nutrients it has available to it to repair and grow those muscles.
As you can see clearly with the above example, the importance of sleep cannot be overstated
Weights > Cardio
I’m sorry ladies but the verdict is in. Resistance training will do more in helping you to achieve your desired body than cardio and it’s not even close.
Cardio gets your blood flowing so that your muscles receive more oxygen which promotes muscle growth
Cardio is beneficial to your overall cardiovascular health which is essential
In order to visualize what cardio at its best will do to your physique consider the build of a champion marathoner.
Now for comparison, visualize the physique of a world-class sprinter.
Both a champion marathoner and a world class sprinter are elite athletes who have dedicated a good portion of their lives honing their craft, but its the sprinter who is more likely to have the toned and curvy figure that you most women aspire to.
Conclusion
Now that you know:
Why female muscle is so important in achieving that body you deserve
The primary exercises you should focus on to produce that female muscle growth
Have specific tips on how to overcome common challenges women face when trying to achieve muscle growth
we hope you are convinced that female muscle growth should be your fitness goal and are ready to take action.
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