How can females gain muscle mass

From explosive strength think: the ability to reach a basketball hoop to absolute strength like the ability to deadlift pounds , there are a multitude of approaches to strength training. The kind that will help you to see increased muscle mass, though, is called hypertrophy. As for how often you should be training, Wilson says three to five times per week is ideal for muscle growth. So if you've been sticking with those pound dumbbells for upper-body exercises, stop underestimating yourself—grab those heavier weights as long as your form is on point!

Wilson recommends picking compound movements for the most bang for your buck muscle activation-wise. That being said, though, if you prefer isolated exercises say, biceps curls or the hamstring curl machine , just make sure that you hit each muscle group legs, back, chest, arms at least once per week.

Here are five of her favorites:. How to: Stand with feet hip-width apart and hold a weight in front of chest, elbows pointing toward the floor. Push hips back and bend knees to lower into a squat. Push yourself back to start. That's one rep. How to: Holding two kettlebells or dumbbells, stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed out. Position weights in front of thighs, palms facing in. Keeping knees slightly bent, press hips back as you hinge at the waist and lower the weights toward the floor.

Squeeze glutes to return to standing. How to: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. With your right foot, step back about one and a half times your normal stride length, landing with the ball of that foot on the ground and your heel up.

Lower the back leg straight down until it gently grazes the ground or close to, creating a degree angle in the front leg.

Push through the heel and midfoot of the front leg to return to standing, bringing your right foot back in line with your left. Repeat on the left side. How to: Bring yourself into a high plank position, with your feet a bit wider than hip-width apart. However, a greater stimulus must be placed on the muscles to see any real changes. You need to get out of your comfort zone and put greater physiological demands on your muscles.

Once you can make this paradigm shift in your mind, you will be able to make substantial progress in both your strength and muscle gains. Women often underestimate their strength and, by default, grab the lighter weights. This is a mistake. Instead, choose a weight that can be lifted 10 times, with the last two reps posing a significant challenge.

It is important to maintain good form when performing your exercises. As soon as you notice your form starting to fail, drop the amount of weight being lifted or take a rest. The goal here is to lift heavy and well, not lift heavy and get hurt. Be sure to have a spotter when performing exercises such as a back squat, bench presses and overhead presses, especially when going up in weight. The typical recommendation for building muscle is to complete three to four sets of eight to 12 reps of an exercise.

If you choose a heavier weight and do fewer repetitions e. If you want to increase muscles size, reduce the amount of rest you take between sets. One of the most important elements to achieving muscle gains is consistency, so aim to weight train four to five days a week, if possible.

Recording your exercises and weights in a journal is a great way to track gains. You can have good intentions to lift heavy, but the only way you will know if you are getting stronger is by writing down the sets, reps and weights used during each workout.

Another thing to consider is the breakdown of your weight-training sessions. Will you perform total-body workouts or focus exclusively on upper- or lower-body exercises?

Or maybe two body parts per workout? Whatever you end up deciding, the key is consistency and overload. There are countless ways to create a workout to gain muscle mass. Doing so enables you to expend greater energy on these movements, while still being able to perform well on smaller movements toward the end of your workout. Choose six to eight exercises to perform on any given day. You can split them up into circuits or do them separately, keeping your rest in between sets around 60 seconds.

As mentioned above, stimulating muscle growth happens when muscles are pushed beyond their comfort zones. Be sure to include some of these movements into your workout to maximize your muscle hypertrophy.

Whether you choose heavy dumbbells, a barbell or the squat rack, this exercise is great for shaping and building muscle in your quads and glutes. The supplements below can help you on your way, though.

Did you know different types of protein powder can be better for different types of people? For example, pea protein can be a better choice if you find yourself regularly bloated.

Or, if you're trying to lose body fat , slow-releasing casein protein powder could be a better choice. One thing to keep in mind whichever type you choose, is powders and bars with added sugar, artificial flavourings or sweeteners can contribute to your overall sugar intake and are probably best swerved.

If in doubt, skip the buzz-word covered front and take a gander at the ingredients. They'll detail exactly what's inside the pretty packaging. This amino is the signal for muscle protein synthesis to start. Taking around g of leucine at every meal via a drink or tablet form will really maximize your muscle-building programme.

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