How to gain muscle mass for a girl: nutrition, menu, exercises

The question "How to gain muscle mass for a girl?" excites many representatives of the fair sex. If you want to get a beautiful, toned and pumped up body, then this article is for you.

We will consider the basic principles, the observance of which will help to achieve the desired ideal, and also pay attention to the main problems that arise in the way of building an athletic body.

How do muscles grow?

Before talking about how to build muscle, it's important to understand a little about the physiology of its growth.

You may have heard that muscles are made up of special types of proteins, primarily actin and myosin, and their subtypes and supporting micronutrients. These muscle proteins and hormone-enzymes are created and rebuilt from available free amino acids in the bloodstream. These free amino acids can be obtained from dietary protein foods such as chicken, meat, fish, eggs, whey, and dairy products, but our body can also obtain them by breaking down its own proteins when there is a lack of dietary protein.

Is the training program universal or individual?

Any program is developed taking into account the individual characteristics of each girl. However, exercises for gaining muscle mass are general and universal.

Any workout starts with a good warm-up. It is designed to warm up the muscles and joints in order to avoid unwanted injuries in the future.
Work on the muscles of the legs is the most energy-consuming. This is due to the fact that the triceps muscle of the leg is the largest in the entire body. You can work it out with lunges and squats.
To pump the muscles of the arms and back, you should do traction with dumbbells or a barbell.
The abdominal muscles swing with the usual lifts of the upper body.

What to eat to gain muscle mass for a girl

An optimal diet for muscle growth should include a large amount of protein. How to gain muscle mass for a girl? Nutrition will be one of the answers to this question and the components of the steps towards achieving this goal.

So how to eat to gain muscle mass for a girl? Women involved in strength training should eat 1.7-1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of weight every day. For a girl weighing 64 kg, the daily dose of protein is approximately 115 grams. It must come from meat, dairy products. For vegetarians, peas or hemp can serve as a source of protein. These proteins are called "complete". The reason they are so important is because only the essential amino acids, which are abundant in "complete" protein, stimulate muscle protein synthesis and prevent joint destruction.

How much protein is needed for muscle growth?

Proteins are the main assistants in finding the answer to the question "How to gain muscle mass for a thin girl?". Above was the figure of 1.7-1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of weight. But this is the lower limit of its use, for muscle growth it can be slightly increased. What are the benefits of a higher dietary protein intake?

It's more thermogenic than carbohydrates or fats, so it can help you burn more calories.
It is more saturated, so it helps to control appetite and will not be stored by the body as body fat.
It is a source of energy for muscle work, it can be used as a "fuel" for training.
May help prevent blood sugar from rising or falling because it converts to glucose more slowly than carbohydrates.

Calories and muscle gain - enemies or allies?

Increasing calorie intake tends to be confusing and scary for some women, especially those who are used to dieting and restricting their intake. But in order to build muscle, trainers are advised to increase the number of calories eaten to achieve an optimal balance.

During periods of excessive caloric deficit, the body begins to consume the energy it needs from the muscles. Symptoms of a calorie deficit:

The body does not recover from exercise and is excessively sore after it.
There is severe fatigue.
No desire to go to the gym.
Bad mood and sleep disturbance.

Maintenance of caloric balance or its excess?

This is not the optimal condition for muscle growth. During periods of energy balance, the constant breakdown of proteins in the body does not lead to muscle growth because there is not enough calorie content to support both metabolic requirements and increase muscle mass.

A calorie surplus is a sure help in gaining muscle mass, but a small amount of body fat can also appear at the same time. But it shouldn't be too much. This is how bodybuilders and bodybuilders work. For a certain time, they gain weight, while not forgetting about training and pumping the necessary muscle groups. Then they go on a strict diet called "drying" and get rid of excess fat. As a result, they have a beautiful body and clear contours of each muscle. Only in this way the girl will gain. To begin with, you should work out the muscles, and then “dry” them.

How to determine the amount of food you can eat

Hands are a universal meter for determining the single rate of food consumed.

Use your palm to determine the required amount of protein.
Clenched fist to determine the amount of vegetables.
Bent in the form of a "bowl" palm for determining the amount of carbohydrates.
Thumb to determine the required amount of fat.

Based on 4 meals per day, we offer the following nutrition scheme to gain muscle mass for a girl:

For people who have low levels of physical strength and training volumes - 1/2 "cup" of carbohydrates, 1 "palm" of protein, 1 "fist" of vegetables, 2 "thumbs" of fat.
For people with a high metabolic rate and physical strength - 1 "cup" of carbohydrates, 1 "palm" of protein, 1 "fist" of vegetables, 1 "thumb" of fat.
For people with a slow metabolism - 2 "cups" of carbohydrates, 1 "palm" of protein, 1 "fist" of vegetables, 1/2 "thumb" of fat.

These are good general guidelines because your arms are in proportion to your body size. Adjust your portions according to how you feel and how you look. For example, if you're gaining weight, try reducing your carbs and fat. But in no case do not completely give up carbohydrates and fats. They are indispensable assistants in the fight for the beauty of the skin and hair.