How to Gain Muscle As A Woman Naturally

6 Tips To Get Ripped

There was once a time when only men wanted to become more muscular and lean. But that has all changed in the past 30 years. Women are becoming stronger, more defined, and more muscular.

Some of this is due to using performance-enhancing substances like anabolic steroids, but even on a natural level, women are continuing to set the bar higher and higher.

When talking about natural women looking to build their physique, many of the same tools that work for men will also work for women.

In this article, I want to talk about how to gain muscle as a woman naturally 

1. Heavy Resistance Training

The first tip on how to gain muscle as a woman naturally is heavy resistance training. And when I say heavy, I mean heavy for you.

When doing an exercise, you want to pick a weight that you can do for 8-12 repetitions. Once that weight feels easy and you can do more than 12 repetitions, move up the weight by 1- 2.5-pound increments. 

Then try to get 8 reps, then 10, then 12 until you can move up in weight again.

This steady increase in weight is called Progressive Overload.

2. Use a slow controlled tempo

One of the best ways to put more stress on the muscle is by slowing down your tempo when lifting a weight.

So when you’re doing a bench press for your chest muscles, push the weight up very slowly and count from 1-5 as you’re moving the weight up. Then as you’re bringing the weight down, count again slowly 1-5. 

This is very challenging and you should do much lighter weight when starting out.

But it also produces great results and puts much more tension and stress on the muscle without a ton of weight.

Remember that more stress and tension means more muscle teardown and, eventually, growth

3. Ensure you’re getting enough quality protein

Protein is the building block of your muscles so getting enough protein is key.

But how much is enough?

There are many debates online about the right amount of protein for muscle growth, but a good rule of thumb to start with is 1 gram per pound of body weight.

So if you’re a 130 lb woman, 130 grams of protein per day. That may seem like a lot (and it is if you’re not eating enough protein now) but remember you’ll be doing intense strength training and need the extra protein to rebuild your body.

Not all protein is created equal, and these are the sources of protein that I have used for the best results in building muscle.

• Chicken
• Lean Beef
• Fish
• Shrimp
• Lean Pork
• Eggs/Egg Whites
• Dairy (whey protein, cottage cheese, Greek Yogurt)

As a 200 lb man, 200 grams of protein was too much for me to consume with whole food meals. To supplement my protein, I used a whey protein shake for 3 of my meals. 

Check out the Natural Whey Protein I use at My Supplement store here.

4. Eat enough healthy carbs and fats

Continuing the talk about Nutrition, the other two pieces of the food puzzle are carbs and fats. I have found that for a woman focusing on building muscle naturally, a combination of carbs and fats should be consumed, with a lean healthy protein of course.

These are the sources I would recommend for each macronutrient

Carbohydrates

• Sweet Potato
• Rice
• White Potato
• Whole Wheat Bread/Pasta
• Oatmeal
• Fibrous vegetables
• Fruit

Healthy Fat

• Avocado
• Nuts
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Grass Fed Butter

Remember to experiment with your body to see how certain foods affect it. Some women do better with lower fat and some women do better with lower carbs. Your mileage may vary.

5. Improve Muscle Recovery

Since the way new muscle tissue is built is by breaking down current muscle tissue and rebuilding, it makes sense to try to optimize this process.

One personal recommendation is you make sure you’re not working out a muscle when you’re sore.

We have noticed that when some clients begin weight training on a beginner level, they use a program that a professional bodybuilder uses, working out 5-6 times per week.

Everyone will be different, but we find that 2-3 times per week works great when starting a new routine.

If you work out a muscle too many times a week, you will not get adequate time to recover. 

Another reason women should get more rest is due to having different hormone levels than men.

Men generally have more testosterone than women. One of the qualities of testosterone is muscle recovery.

This is why steroid users (which is synthetic testosterone) can work out so much and recover quicker than natural athletes.

Find what works best for you and if you’re still really sore on your workout day, take another day or two until you feel okay to work out again

Also, getting adequate quality sleep is crucial to building muscle. Even a 30-60 min nap a day extra really helps with gains.

6. Use quality Natural Supplementation

The last tip on how to gain muscle as a woman naturally is through proper bodybuilding supplementation. Keep in mind these are not essential, but they will help speed up the muscle-building process. 

Women generally are at a disadvantage due to having lower testosterone, so any help that you can get that’s still healthy is something I would look into.

The 3 supplements I would recommend for a woman wanting to gain as much muscle as possible naturally would be a high-quality protein powder, Creatine Monohydrate, and a Safe and Legal performance-enhancing supplement.

Here’s why.

Whey Protein Powder

Protein powder is a great tool to not only help you build muscle but is great for the busy individual who can’t eat 6 meals a day of whole food. Whey protein has been proven to increase athletic performance and muscle size when used in conjunction with strength training

We use optimum Nutrition Natural Whey Protein because it has minimal ingredients and still tastes very good.

Check out current prices for Natural Whey protein at My Supplement Store

Creatine Monohydrate

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Creatine is one of the most researched athletic supplements in recent history. What most of these studies have found is that creatine works.

We have noticed two positive effects when taking creatine. The first is that we are noticeably stronger during our lifts.

The second is creatine’s volumizing effect. Creatine basically super hydrates your muscles, making them look fuller and noticeably larger.

Creatine is also very inexpensive. We use the Optimum Nutrition brand currently and have for many years.

You can check current prices for ON Creatine at My supplement store here

Safe and Legal Performance Enhancement

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The last supplement we would recommend is a safe and legal performance-enhancing supplement.

Let’s face it, steroids work. So if you can use a supplement that gives similar results to them without the harmful side effects, it seems like a no-brainer right?

We have seen great results when using Brutal Force’s muscle-building supplements and many women have as well.

Just take a look at some of the before and after of women using Brutal Force Supplements.

Check out the female Bodybuilding Definition Stack at Brutal Force here