Q&A for How to Gain Muscle in Women

During sets, your last repetition should be nearly impossible for you to accomplish. You want your muscles to be completely fatigued after a set.

When we work our muscles harder than what they are used to, they form micro tears. Our bodies repair and reinforce the torn tissue, building the density and size of muscle. It is a very gradual process.

Protein supplements help to provide the essentials for muscle tissue building and can help control hunger. Remember losing fat requires an overall calorie deficit, and no supplement can reduce your calorie intake!

Try tracking your calorie intake and figuring out your basal metabolic rate . If you are very active, you may find that you are not consuming enough calories. Even though you think you eat a lot, keep a food journal to make sure that is really the case. Limit your cardio to a range of 150-300 minutes per week so that you won't be burning muscle tissue during cardio. Lift weights at least twice a week and aim for the big muscles like the gluteals, back, chest and thighs.

To lose body fat, you must consume fewer calories than you burn. Calories consumed should be 20-40% protein, 15-25% fats and 40-60% carbohydrates. Avoid all forms of sugar.

The minimum recommended exercise for healthy adults is two twenty-minute sessions of resistance training each week, plus 150 minutes of vigorous or 300 minutes of moderate cardio per week.

You can expect to see muscle mass gains on the scale or in your clothing in 6-8 weeks after keeping up a resistance training routine.

Prioritize compound lifts during workouts. For instance, do exercises like squats, deadlifts, pulldowns, and presses.

Yes, muscle growth and recovery occurs during sleep. Try to average 7-8 hours of sleep a night.

Walking is good for cardio but you won't build muscle by that activity alone. Doing squats and weight training will be more effective.

Consider increasing the quantity of calories you eat per day, while also trying to strengthen your body.

Start very small. If you're not used to using your muscles, you'll need really small quantities of weight to activate your body musculature.

Get a fitness tracker, preferably one that is also waterproof, this way you can wear it in the pool and when you shower.

Try vegan protein powder, along with some whey proteins that are approved for people with lactose intolerances. Try to get protein in your diet from sources like meat, tofu, eggs, and beans.

You can measure around your waist, arms and neck. When you lose weight you become thinner, so you'll probably see a decrease in these areas.

I’m not sure if this will work for you but when I stopped focusing on weight loss and just enjoyed eating super healthy and exercising (you do need to exert yourself though) I found I lost weight more easily. My focus was enjoying what I ate (even though it was calorie controlled) and enjoying a flat out workout. Then weight came off without me stressing too much. In the meantime love the body you have. Your shift in focus may help you as it did me.

Of course, you can. Make sure you talk to your doctor first, as there is more risk of injuries. Seeing a personal trainer for a few sessions will also help, to make sure you are doing the exercises right and to avoid any injury.