Muscle Building Tips For Females – General Advice

The never ending effort to attain that body that looks amazing in those tight jeans and even better without them is a constant struggle women face. This can be so daunting at times especially with all the media consistently broadcasting what their idea of beauty and perfection is. Women want to be the best they can and this can be magnified even more so physically.

The woman’s body is an amazing yet complex piece of art which needs nonstop attention and care. Sometimes goals may want to be achieved but without a true understanding of how the female body works well, we can make things harder on ourselves. There are many factors involving the care and maintenance of these glorious creatures.

Why the Weight Gain?

There are many reasons why it can be difficult for a woman to lose weight and even maintain themselves after. Statistics show that a woman can carry almost double the amount of fat as a man. The main reason being that this extra fat helps to nourish and protect a baby, it serves as a much needed and vital energy source for the growth and protection of a fetus.

Although we clearly have no way to control where this fat decides to grow and shrink women tend to put on more inches in the lower body than men do.  If you have ever been on a weight loss diet and or exercise plan you can attest to the fact that the extra weight disappears from the upper body first and it can be a bigger struggle to work on the lower regions.

Oddly enough, it is the opposite when gaining weight. Women gain weight in the lower body before the upper body. There are, oh, so many reasons a woman gains weight from, yes pregnancy, to the menstrual cycle due to hormones. These hormones encourage water retention and that slows down circulation making it that much more difficult to burn fat.

Let’s not forget progesterone which directly affects both the appetite and mood in a woman. Progesterone causes extreme hunger during the second half of the menstrual cycle and is responsible for the never ending appetite women experience during pregnancy. Other factors such as menopause and aging may factor in to weight gain as well.

The Dreaded Fat

Before setting our weight loss and muscle building goals we must first understand that there will always be a certain amount of fat in our body we have adipose tissue all over our body.  This tissue is made of adipocytes (fat cells) whose only purpose is to store energy in the form of the dreaded fat.

The distribution of body fat will of course vary from person to person. The two general forms of fat storage are visceral (fat which surrounds the organs) and subcutaneous (also known as corporal), subcutaneous is beneath the skin and makes up about eighty percent of all body fat.

Is this a Myth?

There are various ways to lose weight and maintain your body. Finding the correct method for your body type and lifestyle can be difficult. Everyone has an opinion on how to lose weight and build muscle. This can actually be a controversial subject with many varying conclusions.  Some say eating late at night may cause weight gain, try fasting or crash dieting for quick and noticeable results.

The famous no-fat or low-fat diet is an all-time favorite. What about “cholesterol“ is bad for you. Maybe it is your metabolism that causes you to be incapable of losing fat and building muscle. When it comes down to it the basics still remain, a good and consistent exercise plan and of course a healthy diet.

What to do for Dinner?

When exercising and dieting to gain muscle it is essential to understand that muscle gain requires fuel (food). Calorie intake is vital, if you weigh one hundred and eighty pounds but are only consuming one thousand calories well, that is not enough. Experts say the proper calorie intake is your body weight times ten to even twelve.

Lower but do not eliminate your carb intake, eliminating it will not promote muscle but yes stay away from the daily donut. Lean meat only is not at all necessary, increase your protein. Increasing your protein will help you especially in maintaining the lean muscle mass you will acquire.

Resistance training and cardio combined are the perfect dynamic duo. You want to of course burn away the unnecessary fat, exercise your heart and lungs and build that strong lean muscle in the process and do not forget to hydrate.

Reaching your fitness goals can be a fun and exciting journey. Plan your meals carefully and be sure to mix it up. Exercise regularly and combine your cardio and weight training. Allow your muscles to rest and heal, this will add to the results. Most importantly have fun, find healthy yet delicious forms of nutrition and upbeat enjoyable exercise routines. Enjoy yourself and your body.