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Adding muscle for a girl!

S

Sindy23

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Hi guys.

That's right I'm looking to add a bit of muscle. I don't want to get "ripped" or big but I'm 5' 7", 120lb so I think I can get away with putting a bit of lean muscle on without it upsetting my figure. I do mainly fitness work and use machines but am looking to try something else.
I don't mind using free weights if that's the best thing to do and I can train about 3 times a week with weights as I do cardio, gymnastics and other sport on the other days.
I keep seeing that full body or a two-way split is probably best. Can anyone give me some pointers or will my training be the same as you guys do it (but with less weight!)
Sorry if I'm asking the same questions you've heard over and over again!

Thanks in advance
xx
 
SerbMarko

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hi and welcome, in all honesty i think you should do nothing different then a man would, the misconception that many people have is that women have to train differently then men because they will get too bulky, well thats not true, the amount of muscle your produces is based on the hormones your body outputs, being a women you have less testosterone then a man thus you cant possibly build a frame like a man, if you have 3 days a week to train i would do something like this.

chest/back
shoulders/arms
quads/hams/calves

your rep range should be from 8-12 reps, dont be scared of heavier weights :)
 
P

perfectzero

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Like SerbMarko said, train like a dude. Focus on multijoint exercises, especially squats, and keep your protien and caloric intake up. Also if you are trying to add mass, make sure you're not going to crazy with the cardio. 20-30 minutes of light-medium intensity at the end of your workout is the maximum you should do.
 
philosopher

philosopher

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I would advise an fullbody routine like rippetoes. More info can be found here: https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224

This would give you an solid base, strength and technique wise. As you might know your diet plays a major role in building muscle. You have to be in a caloric surplus. Eat big and stay high in protein. Make sure you keep track on your BF and dont let it go too far up.
 
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TJ

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I would think something along the lines of fullbody/lower body/upper body would be a good split for 3 days. For example, on the fullbody day you could do flat BB Press, front squats and deadlifts and perhaps calves. Upper body day do a press for chest, row for back, lateral raise for shoulders and something for bi's and tri's. Lower body day do regular squats, some type of basic hamstring movement (glute-ham raises, pull throughs would be best to start), some sort of accessory move for quads and hams.
 
Maxmonzter

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all im gonna say is keep the reps low 4-6 and lift real heavy weights
 
samutown

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Work out like we men do, not as heavy though :p
 
Maxmonzter

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Work out like we men do, not as heavy though :p

i would have to disagree, i say workout like a man and train heavy as you can for 4-6 reps. she will get some serious mass that way. men and women ain´t that diffrent. muscle is muscle and needs to be stimulated
 
Ryan.C

Ryan.C

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all im gonna say is keep the reps low 4-6 and lift real heavy weights

Bad advice :hsughr: 4-6 reps is not a good rep range for Bodybuilding.

Sindy there are plenty of female role models that you can model your workouts from. Look them up or if you want I can PM there workouts to you
 

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Daniel Andersson

Daniel Andersson

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Low reps means higher weights...but not a bigger muscle
 
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alex

alex

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Low reps means higher weights...but not a bigger muscle

i wont say that one thing works and the other not.As long as you eat and sleep
properly you will gain with both methods,i have trained with both high reps and
low reps.I had better gains with bigger weights\low reps.saying that 4-6 rep range is not good for bbing is retarded in my opinion...
 
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Ryeland

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Sindy,

You do not have too worry about getting to bulky if you don't want to be. Muscle is not an easy thing to add. You will not all of a sudden wake up one morning with 17inch arms 25 inch thighs and be shredded to the bone. Bodybuilding, and musclebuilding is a marathon sport. I have been working out, hard for years, if i gain 5 - 10lbs of muscle in a year that is a great year for me. I eat big and work hard and its very challenging.

Women often fall into the trap of "I don't wanna be bulky, i just want to trim and tone", the average trainer will recommend light weights and high reps. While light weights and high reps have their uses, such as improving muscular endurance and they are also said to benefit the tendons, they will not help you "trim and tone". The toned look comes from a very well trained body. It comes from proper diet, hard exercise and long term commitment.

Do not shy away from the heavy and hard freeweight exercises, they will give you the most balanced and toned physique.

To add to the arguments above, anywhere from 2 to 15 reps or more have been shown to increase muscle mass, so change it up, try a light day followed by a heavy one.
 

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