Over the past few months, I've worked my booty off to put on some muscle. I've been hitting the gym 4-5 times a week, lifting what I can, resting when I should or just legitimately need one.
It's taken me awhile to see any changes. But my trainer (who I really can't thank enough) told me these things take time, and I wholeheartedly believe her. I'm still not where I want to be, but I am happy with where I have gotten and I am still motivated to keep going. Do you think someone like Dana Linn Bailey or Phil Heath put on their muscle in a few months? Heck no. They've built more and more over the YEARS. It takes consistency.
I used to view muscle on a woman as something that was simply too masculine. I used to think that it looked gross on a woman and wasn't necessary. But my oh my has my outlook changed. I view muscle as something that is earned, and I think it's beautiful.
I want to look like this one day, and I don't care what people think:
I realize that many people are naive and ignorant when it comes to a women having lots of muscle. I mean, they're only supposed to do things like the treadmill and elliptical, right? Wrong. Half the time, my trainer, her awesome daughter and I are the ONLY women in the weight room filled with men. And we are not intimidated one bit.
I should also mention that I am quite the hardgainer, but I've worked well against it. I prove myself wrong every time. When I think I can't push out that last rep, guess what? I push harder.
If you want to build muscle but are confused as where to start, here's some tips that have really helped me:
1. EAT
They say you have to be in a caloric surplus to put on muscle and a caloric deficit to lose weight. I use to think this was crap and that I could eat a minimum of what I had to and still build muscle. Let me tell you, I was SO wrong. When I finally realized I wasn't putting anything on, I let my guard down and upped what I was eating. And it has made ALL of the difference. I don't fuss with numbers though. It's not necessary for me. I have put on so much more muscle when I listen to the facts not what I think is right.
2. Don't believe everything you read/hear.
I've read that fruit should be forbidden, and I've read that you should eat a lot of fruit. I've heard that you should only do compound exercises, and I've heard you should incorporate isolation exercises. I've heard that you have more energy when you work out in the afternoon, and I've heard you should work out right when you wake up. You see where I am going with this? There will ALWAYS be differing opinions and studies, but don't believe everything. You have to work what works for YOU and is getting you results.
3. Don't give up.
I can't tell you how many times I have felt like just throwing my hands in the air and giving up when I didn't make the progress that I wanted to make. But I kept pushing forward. Why? Because I want it. I want this. And if I give up, I will never reach my full potential. If you gain a few pounds after an indulgent weekend, guess what? There is a new week ahead of you to eat clean and train hard. Don't give up just because you feel like you failed. Often times, failure is our greatest motivator (or at least for me!).
4. Get enough rest.
AGH. This one is huge for me. I used to think I would have to work out 7x/week. NO. Muscles grow OUTSIDE of the gym, not when you're bench pressing. If you overtrain, you face so many issues and hindered muscle growth. That's the opposite of what you want. I know this guy who has lost SO much weight and looks incredible but I always see on Facebook EVERYDAY that he is at the gym. It's not my life and I can't tell him what to do but he has told me he wants to build more muscle. I told him that he needs rest days and he finally started taking them. All in all, you need your rest days and apart of that is getting enough SLEEP.
5. Work every part of your body.
The worst thing would be to have a disproportionate body. You may want those killer legs so you train those all the time and neglect your upper body. You can't do this, unless you want to look a little funky. You have to train all the muscles, in some way or the other. Women tend to love the legs and men tend to favor the chest and arms. Personally, I LOVE leg day but I am not too big on chest day. However, I do it anyways and I feel great when I do!
*By the way, a little "disclaimer," I am NOT a professional on these subjects by any means. This is just what has helped ME personally so if you disagree with anything I said, I can take it.
Okay, enough blab from me, so here's a progress picture I took last night after working on chest with the coolest person ever (a.k.a. my trainer):
Yes, this is my new favorite shirt. I may or may not have stolen it from my trainer.
Remember, train hard, eat clean, and feel good about yourself. You might fall along the way but as Chumbawamba said: "I get knocked down, but I get up again. You're never gonna keep me down."
Yes, I admit I am a corny.
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