Many women believe they cannot build muscle, or that by doing so they will become “bulky.” This simply isn’t true!
Women new to weightlifting should expect to gain approximately one pound of muscle every month. Individual rates of muscle growth will differ.
1. Increased Strength
Women new to weightlifting typically start to notice muscle growth within weeks or months depending on genetics, training program and diet. No matter their starting point – either being overweight hoping to build some lean mass or skinny ectomorphs trying to add lean mass – when combined properly workout and nutrition plans usually result in significant gains in strength gains and muscle gains.
On average, women who are just beginning weight training can expect to see muscle gains of approximately one pound every month. Although this rate of muscle growth may seem quite rapid at first glance, individual rates may vary significantly and some individuals can see faster gains than others.
One sure sign that you’re building muscle is being able to lift heavier weights more easily – this indicates a better “mind-muscle connection,” whereby as your muscles grow larger it becomes easier to feel the muscle contract when lifting weights.
Clothing may also give an indication of muscle growth; as muscles take up less space than fat does, as you gain muscle your body will change shape as fat goes away and muscle builds up; your waist may shrink while thighs and arms might widen slightly as your physique transforms over time.
Keep an eye out for any sign that you can consume more calories while maintaining or even decreasing bodyweight or losing fat, thanks to an accelerated metabolism due to muscle gain. A qualified trainer or exercise physiologist is your best ally when it comes to developing an ideal training and nutrition plan for you.
2. Increased Muscle Size
Many women worry that lifting weights will result in too much bulk, but building muscle does not always equate to adding body fat. Muscle tissue takes up less space on your body than fat does; thus those who gain muscle often notice their clothes fitting looser even though their weight remains unchanged or increases slightly; this indicates rapid muscle growth coupled with fat loss.
As another way to gauge your muscular progress, taking measurements in key areas can also provide valuable indicators of progress. For instance, if your arms have become larger than usual it could indicate that you have gained muscle in the biceps and triceps. Furthermore, waist measurements will allow you to gauge whether fat loss is occurring alongside muscle gain.
Skinny women in particular often seem unfazed by strength standards like bench pressing 125 pounds or squatting 200 pounds; many can achieve these lifts after consistent training for several years; in fact, many have managed to hit these benchmarks while still falling below 170 pounds on average.
Dependent upon your goals, supplements such as whey protein powder and creatine monohydrate may help speed up muscle gains by aiding your body’s absorption of food nutrients and supporting recovery after workouts. They are available at most gyms and health food stores; but beware that these may increase appetite leading to fat gains.
3. Increased Muscle Tone
Women typically already possess a good deal of muscle on their frames due to genetics and being overweight when they reach adulthood; however, this doesn’t preclude women from adding muscle; some, particularly naturally slim and ectomorphic women can rapidly add muscle if given access to a quality workout program and diet that supports muscle development.
One telltale sign that a woman is building muscle is when her workouts become easier, due to muscles becoming denser and taking up less space than fat cells. Clothing will fit differently when she gains muscle, even though her overall weight remains unchanged.
One way to know if a woman is building muscle is to watch how her joints move. For instance, when trying to bend her knees with low muscle tone (also called hypotonia) her legs may feel more rigid than normal. On the other hand, women with higher muscle tone have more flexible joints that make bending easier compared to hypotonic women.
Women seeking to build muscle will require eating more calories than they burn through exercise and rest, which may prove challenging for some women. Seek advice from an experienced strength and conditioning coach or personal trainer, who can devise a workout program tailored specifically to your body and goals as well as offer nutritional guidance that supports muscle-building efforts.
4. Increased Flexibility
Flexibility may conjure images of stretching yourself into pretzels and an obscure Jeopardy category, but it is actually an integral component of being healthy. Aside from helping prevent injuries, flexibility helps your muscles and joints function as intended for improved movement during exercise sessions – an integral component in making progress possible!
Women tend to be more flexible than men due to hormonal and structural influences; however, their natural flexibility tends to decline with age and therefore it’s crucial that regular stretching sessions help build muscle while maintaining flexibility.
Puberty can also reduce flexibility as girls experience rapid bone growth that exceeds what their muscles and tendons can stretch to accommodate. Once puberty passes, this lost flexibility will typically return once adolescence has subsided.
5. Increased Lean Body Mass
Muscle addition can help build a toned physique while simultaneously increasing lean body mass (LBM). LBM measures your total muscle, tendon, ligament weight minus your fat weight. LBM is essential to healthy, functioning bodies as it burns more calories at rest than fat does – thus making weight management simpler.
Women often aspire to achieve a “lean but not scrawny” appearance with curves in all the right places like legs, abs, and butt. One effective method for accomplishing this goal is gaining muscle while keeping overall body fat percentage at an acceptable level.
One sure sign you’ve gained muscle is when your clothing starts fitting looser in key areas such as your hips and thighs – muscle is denser than fat, taking up less room on your body.
Gaining muscle can also increase your resting metabolic rate, meaning more calories will be burned when at rest – making weight loss much simpler in the future.
As there are various factors that contribute to muscle growth, if you are new to weight training it’s wise to consult a gym instructor, personal trainer, exercise physiologist or physiotherapist for advice. They will ensure you perform exercises safely and correctly to produce optimal outcomes for your body. With proper nutrition and recovery plans in place you should begin seeing results within weeks; but remember muscle gain doesn’t happen overnight and could take several months or years of consistent effort before significant strength and size gains occur.
