Female Training: Here you go ladies
Ladies, have you recently started working out or even weight lifting? Many women (not all) are inexperienced when it comes to weight lifting. Not knowing what or how to use the weights is something that can greatly affect their end results. Many women actually don’t want to give female training a shot, but this can seriously hold them back from achieving the results they want.
Female training at its finest
One important thing to consider is that testosterone is mainly responsible for muscle growth. It is relatively easy for men to add muscle because of their higher levels of testosterone as compared to women. Men have about 200-1200ng/dl of testosterone, while women have just 15-70ng/dl, which is negligible compared to men.
Even if a man has just 200ng/dl, they have more than double the hormone levels of a woman having 70ng/dl testosterone.
This is a good example of why women must put in more effort to build muscle and why women won’t get “bulky” after one lift (which many women fear).
A woman will have to put in more time and effort to induce muscle gain (no muscle gain like the Hulk either, but a more toned look) but the point is that it is doable!
Let’s first tackle the nutrition that can help women build muscle and achieve a toned physique!
Diet and Nutrition
Although we’ve already talked about how men have more testosterone than women, the nutrition requirements between the two sexes are not incredibly different.
It is known that women burn more fats than carbohydrates; this makes a lower-carb diet more ideal. The most important thing to monitor is the number of calories needed for daily functions and how many extra calories you will burn via your exercise routine.
Here are a few norms to follow for losing fat and gaining muscle:
1. Control over the calories
This is definitely the most important factor. The ratio of the calories consumed versus the calories burnt. Consuming more than you burn will of course lead to weight gain in the form of fat.
That being said, if you starve yourself and eat fewer calories, you will not gain lean muscle. Thus, it is important to make note of the number of calories that you should consume in a day and stick to this schedule.
2. Keep a watch on the quality
It is important to make sure that you consume fresh and home-cooked food. Pre-packed and processed foods that are available in the market come with high amounts of preservatives such as sodium and saturated fats and also sugars that will cause you to gain weight.
3. Manipulating macronutrients
The body requires proper amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. They should be consumed in a proper ratio. This ratio can help you determine whether you are prone to gaining or losing muscle or fat.
4. Control the amount of insulin
Insulin is a hormone that when secreted, causes low-fat burning. Insulin secretion can be prevented by consuming high GI (glycemic index) carbs that will help increase fat loss and reduce fat gain. Consuming more fruits and raw salads will help control insulin secretion and therefore fat gain.
Wrap-Up
These four main dietary tips will help reduce fat storage and help induce muscle growth.
Drinking water and getting plenty of sleep/rest between workouts will help keep the body hydrated and give the muscles plenty of recovery time. A hydrated body with healthy muscles and a healthy diet will contribute to muscle growth.
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