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Women of Mass Destruction:
How to Pack On the Muscle the Right Way
How to Pack On the Muscle the Right Way
This article was originally posted on FitnessGeared.com, one of the leading fitness and bodybuilding forums on the web.
Whether it’s a male trying to pack on a few pounds or a female trying to pack on a few pounds, there are a lot of similarities as well as differences on how to go about it. Looking to pack on some muscle? Of course you are — that’s why we are reading this.
Overall, when it comes to bodybuilding, there are a few key things that need to be done. We all have goals to achieve and transformations to complete.
Heavy Weights = BIG Muscles
In order to get big you need to lift big.
No one, female or male even for that matter is going to be able to throw some muscles on those arms by curling rubber bands. No girl is going to be able to widen her lat muscles by doing 10 pound rows. It is no surprise that people more often than not do not have the diligence to push themselves to the point of growth.
There is something known as the ‘overload principle’. Basically your muscles need a reason to grow. You need to overload the muscles with weight that they are not used to doing. Without the aspect of overloading, each and every muscle can only grow to the potential of what tools — aka the weights you are giving them are capable of producing. Without taking up too much time on what works repetition wise for each and every person, the basic principle of overloading works out seamlessly with pyramid sets. Repetitions of 15/12/10/8 while the weight progressively goes up/up/up/ and up.
Big Muscles Need Food
In order to get big you also need to EAT big.
Here is a little story — a story about the ‘average person’. The FDA reports that the usual woman eats between 1,600 and 2,200 calories a day. The average male is between 2,000 and 3,000, and as well as the average child around 1,800 and 2,500. Thus the average 2,000 calorie amount put on the back of food labels was made. Are we average? Does the average person walk around with every muscle in their body sore by the end of each week? Does the average person work out 5+ hours a week? We all know the answer to those questions. But just in case we are not catching the drift, the answer is no.
When someone is working out to the point of growth in muscles, then they need to realize they need to replenish the calories they burn. Eat lots and eat clean. When it comes to females and the word ‘diet’ the only thing that comes to most people’s minds are: yogurt for breakfast, celery and 3 carrots for lunch, hummus for dinner. In the bodybuilding world there is a different kind of diet. Opposite of the regular diet: it is the-eat a bunch of good food to replenish the muscles from all the work you did diet. Balance your portions though, and do not stray away from what we know about portion control.
Know your macronutrients! Nutrition is such an important part of exercise.
Protein Around the Clock
Protein each and every day. General rule of thumb for girls trying to body build is to do a minimum one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. The best way obviously is to get these sources as natural and unprocessed as you can. The best sources of protein calories come from eggs, lean meats, milk, nuts, beans, yogurts and protein shakes. They are the building block for muscle growth, and muscle toning.
Carbs and Fats Are Not Evil
Carbohydrates as well as fats are somewhat of an issue. And here is the issue; there are many incompetent people in the area of nutrition.
Too many times you will hear “cut out all fats” or “cut out all carbs”. Well, good luck on staying alive! Good route to take is to know what percentages of macronutrients you need for the goals you are after. But, both fats and carbs still need to be part of your diet plan in the long run. The best sources of carbohydrates come from fruits, vegetables, grains, oats, and rice. The best sources of fats come from nuts, avocado, fatty acids from fish, and coconut oil.
Change It Up! Keep Your Muscles Guessing
Overcome your plateaus. Whatever stage of the game you are at; know that you will hit obstacles in your bodybuilding life. There is only so much a girl can bench, squat, curl, deadlift, etc. before a plateau hits. There are strategies that need to be incorporated in order to overcome such obstacles though. Trick your body into overcoming these by changing your training habits. Remember the 15/12/10/8 progression mentioned above? Eventually that will plateau as well. Change the reps up every so often. Change the exercises often. Stick to the main compound exercises which are important, but don’t forget to vary up your exercises as well. Add on some rubber bands to your weights to change it up. Do more callisthenic exercises if you are not used to that. What this will do is incorporate more and more muscle fibers which will result in muscle growth.
Overall realize that we are all human, and we all grow and maintain our muscles the same way. Those who want to live in the world of bodybuilding need to know that gains will happen very slowly, and the losses can happen very quickly. Keep up with the workouts and the diet constantly.
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