Like most all girls on Earth, you have certain requirements for your body. You want to be slim, but not too skinny. You want to have a chiseled figure, but not look pumped up. You want elastic contours of your legs and ideally shaped buttocks that are not subject to gravity. And very important - a flat stomach, but with slightly defined lines... Well, all this is achievable. Seriously. You don't need to train for decades or be born with superior heredity to do this. It is important to understand what needs to be done for this.
Why does a girl need muscle mass?
Most girls do not know how different the body looks with and without pronounced muscle mass development.
For example, take a look at the following 2 pictures:
Which figure do you like best?
Most girls will prefer photo 2...and will be very surprised by the fact that both of these women in the pictures have the same percentage of body fat. What makes the second more attractive is muscle mass. Hers is much larger. As you can see, it is the muscles that give your body elasticity, roundness and expressiveness.
Muscle growth progression
The most common mistake in the gym is setting the weight and number of repetitions. If you do 25 squats with a load of 20 kg for a whole month, then the muscles do not grow, they are statically tense. You need to choose a training method that will get things moving.
- 1 method. Increasing reps. If, say, the first week you did 6 repetitions with a weight of 20 kg, then with each new day do at least 1 repetition more. This will allow your tissues to grow and become stronger.
- Method 2. Increase in cargo. For example, if you have reached the maximum number of repetitions of 12 with a weight of 40 kg, then you need to increase not the approaches, but the weight. Switch to the mode of 8 repetitions of 42 kilograms.
Do not forget that only progression will allow you to feel the development of muscle tissue. It doesn’t matter what kind of progress it will be, even the smallest, but it is important.
In this material, we tried to introduce you to the basic exercises for gaining lean muscle mass for women. Note that in the case of sports, theory will only become useful when you put it into practice. Don’t put off working on your own beauty and sexy shape.
BMI calculator
From a medical point of view, we can calculate our ideal weight based on the Body Mass Index: I = m / h² In this formula, m is body weight in kilograms, and h is height in centimeters.
Enter your data into the calculator below.
Ideally, we should aim for a result in the range of 18 - 25 kg/m². Anything below 18 is classified as underweight, and anything above 25 is considered obese.
With excess weight, the strategy is more or less clear, but what to do if you are underweight? The first thing a girl with underweight needs to do is understand the reason for this phenomenon. There may be several reasons: from the constitution of the body to various diseases of the endocrine and digestive system. Often weight loss can be observed due to allergies, helminthic infestations and some other reasons. First of all, you need to make sure that you are healthy and seek advice from a doctor. If no pathology is identified, we can confidently accept the fact that weight deficiency is a consequence of the special structure of the body. Despite their constitution, even very thin girls can achieve more feminine forms, the main thing here is the right approach to gaining muscle mass.
Underweight
Why does the body of some people react sensitively to every extra calorie, storing it in the form of fat deposits, while the body of others does not seem to notice them? It turns out that it's all about metabolism and genetics. Ectomorphs are people who, due to their constitution, are faced with the problem of increasing their body weight. They are thin, and no matter how hard they try, they cannot gain extra pounds. They say about such people: “not good food for a horse.” They are characterized by an asthenic body type - thin bones, thin elongated limbs, a long neck, below average fat mass, and a poorly developed muscular system. But they have excellent digestion and endurance. If you are the owner of most of these signs, then you can be sure that you are a person with an ectomorphic body type and the problem of excess weight does not threaten you. The difficulty of gaining both muscle and fat mass is not a disease of the body, it is a feature of it. Moreover, this is a rather valuable feature - you don’t have to panic about what you eat and how much, and many girls would give everything just to not constantly go on diets and eat whatever their heart desires.
Rules for proper weight loss and body drying
No girl or woman should strive to lose weight quickly. Unfortunately, this rule is usually broken. It is girls who want to lose weight for a holiday, a first date, a vacation, etc. At the same time, common sense is turned off, the daily menu is reduced to incredible sizes. A week or two of such “drying” leads to:
- to health problems;
- to a persistent slowdown in metabolism;
- problems with skin that begins to sag;
- to loss of vigor and meaning in life, the development of depression.
So try to remember what you need to do to make the drying process successful:
- reduce daily calories by about 5-10% per week;
- train about 4-5 times a week in the gym or with special equipment at home;
- workouts should last at least 40-50 minutes;
- combine strength and cardio training;
- don't rush and don't give up.
The last tip is perhaps the most important. Don't try to create your dream body in a few weeks or months. This process is long. The same goes for diet. If you think that you will suffer for a few weeks and then start eating everything again, then you are mistaken. When you decide to lose weight, you must realize that it will take several years. Or maybe even all my life.
Watch a video that explains how to train dry:
Principles of muscle development
Muscles respond to stress by growing - it's simple! Undoubtedly, regular strength training is needed, and multi-joint basic exercises provide the greatest and fastest effect. Well, the key point is a regulated diet, that is, you need to understand how food helps us increase muscle mass, get rid of excess fat and maintain health.
Nutrition planning and regulation
To make it possible to increase muscle mass, you need to eat an excess of calories, otherwise it will be impossible to achieve the desired result. If before you started going to the gym or decided to train at home, you ate two or three times a day, now you need to gradually accustom yourself to eat more often (6-7-8 times a day). In addition, protein-rich snacks, such as cottage cheese, will be useful before bed. Frequent meals help speed up metabolism, which has a positive effect on the growth of muscle tissue. Yes, you should eat more and more often, but not everything you need, but only those foods that will become a source of energy and building material for your body.
Energy value
To find out how many calories per day you need to multiply your weight in kilograms by 30. The result obtained is the average amount required to maintain life. This is where all calculations begin (use a calculator). As a result, we get the approximate energy value of food for 1 day - how many calories you need to consume per day in order not to lose weight or gain weight. To gain muscle mass you will need 500 kcal more. It is important to take into account the structure of the body. For thin girls, instead of 500 kcal, you can try adding 1000, and for people who are prone to obesity, five hundred kilocalories will be quite enough - they will not have time to transform into fat, but will be spent on increasing muscle mass. Let's look at it with an example. The girl's weight is 50 kilograms. Using the above formula, we get 50 × 30 = 1500 kcal - this is exactly how many calories her body should receive every day in order for her weight to be within the normal range. Plus 500 for mass gain. As a result, the daily energy value will be at least 2000 kcal.
Preparing the right diet
- In gaining muscle mass, not only the amount of energy consumed plays a role, but also the foods that are included in the daily diet. It is important to adhere to the following percentages of essential nutrients:
- Fats – 10-20%
- Proteins – 20-30%
- Carbohydrates – 50-60%
This proportional ratio is optimal for mass gain, and it is also safe for the body. Yes, it is worth saying that we are talking about gaining lean muscle mass - without the accompanying growth of fat deposits.
Carbohydrates
All carbohydrates are divided into slow and fast. The most valuable property of slow carbohydrates is that they are practically not deposited as fat in the subcutaneous tissue (rice, buckwheat, durum pasta and various cereals). Ideally, it is advisable to completely switch only to them. And try to completely eliminate fast carbohydrates (sugar, confectionery) - they contribute to the formation of fat.
Squirrels
They act as building blocks from which muscle fibers will be built and the best source is animal products (meat, fish, cottage cheese and poultry). You need to know 2 important points:
- The amount of protein consumed per day is approximately 2 grams per kilogram of weight . A 50 kg girl will need 100 grams of protein per day.
- You need to distribute your protein intake as evenly as possible throughout the day.
Fats
They play an important role in the formation of both muscle tissue and maintaining health in general. The main thing here is to be careful when separating unhealthy fats from healthy ones. Bad (saturated) fats are those foods that are extremely difficult to give up, such as cakes and animal fats. Good (polyunsaturated) fats are found in less attractive foods: seeds, nuts, fish oil. Don't forget about fiber, eat plenty of vegetables and fruits.
How to eat foods that increase muscle mass
Muscle volume depends on compliance with certain rules. Breakfast provides the body with energy for the whole day. In the morning, you need to eat foods with a significant amount of carbohydrates, which increase muscle mass. A good option is oatmeal with honey and fruit.
Lunch is the main meal. During the daytime, you need to eat the maximum amount of protein food. Adequate intake of carbohydrates and healthy fats is essential. Foods for gaining muscle mass should include Omega-3 PUFAs. Such a diet will not contribute to the deposition of calories into adipose tissue.
You need to have snacks between meals. At this time, you can eat dried fruits or nuts.
For dinner, it is recommended to eat fish or lean meat, complemented with vegetables. You can choose buckwheat porridge as a source of carbohydrates for muscle growth.
Attention! After training you need to drink a protein shake.
You can build muscle with certain foods. You should eat food 5-6 times a day. A small volume of portions and adherence to the drinking regime are essential. It is important to drink at least 2 liters of water during the day.
The meat is cooked on the grill, in the oven or in a steamer. It is advisable for men to avoid fried foods to increase muscle mass. Immediately before bed, you are allowed to eat cottage cheese (up to 200 g).
Approximate menu for the day
Energy value - 3000 Kcal. Breakfast
- Oatmeal – 100 grams
- 300 ml milk (fat content – 1%)
- Boiled eggs 3 pcs. During a meal, you eat one egg completely, of two - only the white
- Whole grain bread – 1-2 slices
Lunch
- Banana – 1 piece
- Bun – 1 piece
Dinner
- Cleaned rice – 100 grams
- Chicken – 150 grams (breast or fillet only)
- Fresh vegetables – 100 grams
- Whole grain bread – 1-2 slices
Afternoon snack
- Rice – 100 grams
- Boiled chicken (breast) – 120-150 grams
- Fresh vegetables – 100 grams
Dinner
- Vegetable salad seasoned with sour cream – 150 grams
- Boiled potatoes – 150 grams
- Pollock – 200 grams
Before bedtime
- Curd mass – 150 grams
- 150 ml kefir with 1% fat content.
Diet for weight gain: day by day
Below is a diet for one week, which can be extended for another 7-14 days. The volume of products in grams is not indicated, since in each case there is an individual approach (much depends on the constitution of the body, weight, tasks and other factors).
Diet for girls (goal - weight gain):
- 1 day . After waking up, you are allowed to satisfy your hunger with white chicken meat (the breast part is suitable) and rice. To add flavor, you can season the dish with tofu and wash it down with juice. After two to three hours, the second breakfast comes, which should be light. Walnuts (20-30 grams) and orange are allowed here. At lunchtime, the body should receive the maximum of healthy foods - it is worth boiling beans and seasoning them with onions or garlic. Chicken meat (breast, legs) and 1-2 tomatoes are allowed. At 3-4 o'clock in the afternoon you should “kill” your appetite with a fresh apple and yogurt. In the evening, enough fish (boiled, stewed) and vegetable salad.
- Day 2 Here the diet changes. In the morning, a couple of soft-boiled eggs and oatmeal will be enough (make it with milk for satiety). Supplement all this with juice and yogurt. After a couple of hours, have a kiwi snack, and for lunch satisfy your hunger with salad, fish and corn porridge. At 15:00-16:00 you should eat a portion of berries, drink a glass of kefir and eat cottage cheese. Make dinner light - 100-200 grams of turkey and salad.
- Day 3 After waking up, eat a portion of pasta with meat and turkey. The drink is grapefruit juice. Second breakfast - cottage cheese and banana. At lunchtime, give your body nourishing food - buckwheat, canned peas, beef chops and tomatoes. Second lunch (afternoon snack) - berries and a protein shake. For dinner, make cottage cheese casserole and salad.
- Day 4 In the morning, “quench” your hunger with beef liver. Also eat oatmeal, cucumber and tomato salad. After a couple of hours, make an impromptu “salad” of dried apricots and cashews (they need to be mixed 30-40 grams each). For lunch, cook the meat in the oven. You should also eat boiled rice and pumpkin here. 2-3 hours after lunch you can suppress your appetite with protein bread and apples. Dinner - seaweed and stewed fish.
- Day 5 Immediately after getting up, drink a glass of juice, make an omelet and cook buckwheat. Second breakfast - cottage cheese and corn. At lunchtime, give your body an extra serving of protein in the form of turkey, Greek salad and pea soup. After 2-3 hours, have a snack with fruit (orange, tangerine). Don't overeat before going to bed. Chicken breast (boiled) and fresh salad are allowed.
- Day 6 In the morning, make steamed porridge (any kind) and beef cutlets. Grapefruit juice is suitable as a drink. After 2-3 hours, satisfy your appetite with curd mixture with the addition of banana. For lunch, you should treat yourself to buckwheat with ham and salad. After some time (in the afternoon), eat yogurt and kiwi. In the evening, choose fish (must be steamed) and salad.
- Day 7 Start your day with lentil pate, oatmeal and fresh cucumber and tomato salad. For second breakfast you are allowed to eat orange and hazelnuts (30 grams, no more). At lunchtime, please your stomach with wheat porridge, beef (just cook) and “canned” peas. After 2-3 hours, when hunger strikes, you are allowed to eat an apple and drink a glass of kefir. In the evening, prepare chicken wings and salad.
Sports nutrition for girls
The most difficult thing is to provide your body with a sufficient amount of protein, and it is for this purpose that whey protein concentrate is most often recommended for girls. Take it in the morning on an empty stomach or during the morning meal. Protein should enter the body 1.5-2 hours before the start of strength exercises or within 40 minutes after they finish. This way it will give maximum effect. On weekends, when you take a break from training, it is advisable to consume protein twice a day with a break of 8-10 hours. In the end, I would like to answer the question: is it necessary to eat at night? Undoubtedly yes. Muscles grow best when you sleep. And for the growth of muscle tissue, energy is needed and again the same protein (protein), so before going to bed it is recommended to eat cottage cheese or take casein - a “slow” protein. It provides muscles with nutrition throughout the night.
Products for drying the body for girls and women, diet menu for a month
On the one hand, drying is a diet in which you can eat, and even quite often. But on the other hand, there is a limited list of foods that can be consumed, while almost all foods containing carbohydrates will have to be abandoned, even fruits.
The most protein is in meat, cottage cheese, eggs
As for proteins, both plant and animal, they form the basis of the diet when drying the body. Saturated fats and carbohydrates are strictly prohibited, while unsaturated fats are allowed to be consumed.
When drying, you can use the following products:
- meat (with a minimum amount of fat and skin, preferably chicken)
- fish and seafood (even fried fish is not prohibited, but cooking it in oil is prohibited)
- dairy products (low fat)
- egg white
- coarse porridge
- fruits: no more than one apple per day, lemons (bananas are strictly prohibited)
- vegetables: preferably green (potatoes are strictly prohibited)
During drying, it is permissible to eat 1 apple per day
1st week
The beginning of drying is aimed at reducing the amount of carbohydrates that enter the body, but not completely abandoning them. For the diet to be effective, you need to accurately count carbohydrates, the table will help with this:
Carbohydrate content in foods
With the start of the first week of cutting, forget about fruits as healthy food and an excellent snack. They are contraindicated as a source of carbohydrates, and you can get the necessary fiber in the form of a special powder or from cereals.
Although whole grain cereals contain carbohydrates, these carbohydrates are complex, that is, those that take longer to break down than simple ones and require a certain amount of energy.
Buckwheat is a source of fiber
- Proteins should be the basis of the diet. It can be fish, meat (especially chicken breast), cottage cheese.
- It must all be low-fat, and the permissible amount of fat consumed this week is no more than 2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil per day.
- Salt is also prohibited, the amount of which must be reduced every day. The allowed amount of carbohydrates is 2 g per 1 kg of weight.
2nd week
In the second week, it is necessary to reduce the amount of previously allowed healthy carbohydrates in the form of cereals and some fruits (apples) and vegetables.
The menu becomes composed almost entirely of proteins, food should be completely unsalted. The allowed amount of carbohydrates is 1 g per 1 kg of weight.
In the second week of drying, salt is prohibited
3rd week
The allowed amount of carbohydrates is .5 g per 1 kg of weight. An almost complete absence of carbohydrates can cause dizziness and worsening general condition.
The smell of acetone from the mouth during drying is an alarming sign of ketoacidosis
4th week
The last week of drying can take place according to two options, which involve the correct way out of the diet:
- Stick to the menu for the third week, when 5 g of carbohydrates per 1 kg of body weight are allowed for consumption until the desired drying result is achieved.2. Gradual exit from the diet by switching to the diet of the second week, and then the first.
