When most of us hear the words “muscle gain”, we tend to immediately picture a bodybuilder or someone that is so bulky they cannot perform easy everyday tasks. Muscle gain can be very beneficial to your body and overall fitness but if not done correctly, can be equally as detrimental.
The How
When trying to pack on muscle, you are going to have to eat. It will take consuming both carbohydrates and proteins. Proteins are the key to building and maintaining muscle and rely heavily on the amount of carbs your body takes in. If you do not take in enough carbohydrates, your body will begin to use the proteins, which we need for muscle growth, as an energy source. During our workout sessions, it is important to partake in high intensity, full body exercises. Try using supersets (mixing multiple exercises together instead of taking breaks) and avoid taking breaks in the gym. Finding work out routines that encompass multiple muscle groups will benefit your gains more and provide balance to your new body.
The Why
Muscle gain provides many benefits to our overall health, most of which revolve around you feeling like the best version of you. Most women feel that muscle gain does not concern or benefit them, which is not accurate. Women afraid of becoming too bulky from muscle gain need to know that this outcome is almost impossible without taking supplements to do so. Women lack testosterone needed to overly bulk up, so they can work out hard as well. As we age, our metabolism slows down naturally, but by increasing your muscle mass, your metabolism will boost to burn more calories to keep up. Studies have also shown that by adding muscle and becoming more fit, you can decrease your chances for serious disease such as diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis.
Everyone will always have different person-specific goals and will accomplish these goals on different timelines but it is important to remember that the journey to becoming the best version of you takes hard work and discipline. Adding muscle to your body frame can be just what you need to become more confident about your appearance and provide your body a vast range of health focused benefits.
