Did you know?
Don't be afraid! Lift heavy, rest, eat and repeat. That's the secret to success.
Female bodybuilders who are about to embark on a winter muscle mission would be wise to follow the points I've put together below. These will help you maximize your bulking schedule! Learn more...
For many of the female fitness enthusiasts out there entering a period of bulking can be slightly frightening. While many of the females around you are trying desperately to lose weight you are actually wanting to gain weight.
Some people will start questioning why you would ever want to do this and may even make negative remarks regarding your newly developed muscle mass. Learning to block this out and not let it bother you is critical to ensuring you see success on your winter bulk.
Females Don't Get Huge:
The first thing you have to remember is that FEMALES DO NOT GET HUGE! I can tell you from personal experience that the vast majority of females simply do not have enough testosterone in their bodies to add extreme amounts of muscle over a short period of time. In fact, you'd be lucky to gain a solid 10 pounds of lean muscle mass a year naturally.
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Not only is this due to the lower levels of testosterone in a female's body but also do to the contrasting high levels of estrogen. This creates a hormonal environment that is simply not the best for adding muscle mass. That isn't to say it can't be done, just that you are not going to have as easy of a time as a 25-year old male would for example.
Click Image To Enlarge. There's Not Enough Testosterone To Put On
Extreme Amounts Of Muscle Over A Short Period Of Time.
Building Muscle Takes Food:
The next thing to keep in mind is that adding muscle TAKES FOOD! Most females are not going to have luck trying to gain muscle mass consuming a 1600 calorie diet. This may work for a few who are smaller in nature and don't require as many calories to function but many females are going to find they need to enter into the 2000+ calorie per day range to see noticeable effects.
Definitely don't go out and gorge yourself with food as then you would add a lot more body fat in this process but don't be afraid to up your calories either.
Click Image To Enlarge. You Shouldn't Just Start Gorging Yourself!
You will find that oftentimes your metabolism will speed up along with the increased calorie intake, especially if you have been dieting beforehand and have a suppressed metabolism.
Exercises & Weights:
When choosing your exercises it's best to make sure to include mostly compound lifts in your routine. You may think you are making great progress on that butt blaster machine but I can guarantee you that you will see far more benefits if you do some heavy squats and deadlifts.
Barbell Squat Video.
The next factor with regards to your training program is that all pink weights must go. Those 5 pounders that you see many females using in the gym are not going to do anything for your muscle mass quest.
Click Image To Enlarge. You Don't Need To Fear Weights.
Read More Of Brawn's Gym!Here.
You need to be challenging your body, hitting between the 8-12 rep range and chances are 5 pounds just isn't going to do it. Don't be afraid to lift heavier weights, provided you are still maintaining proper form throughout the lift this will be far more beneficial for your training.
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"More and more women are realizing the importance of packing on lean muscle to their frame to help them offset the chances of osteoporosis later on in life, help them function more easily in their day to day activities, and help to create a nice tight appearance."
Cardio is another subject that should be touched upon. How many females do you see slaving away on the elliptical day after day? A great many I'm sure. Doing this would be completely counterproductive to your goals and should be avoided.
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If you must do cardio, that's fine, there is nothing wrong with doing so on a bulk but you should try and limit it to 2-4, 20-30 minute sessions a week and make sure you increase your calorie intake accordingly to account for the extra calories expended.
Click Image To Enlarge. Try To Limit Your Cardio Sessions!
Another option is to do some HIIT sprints, however keep in mind that if you are already doing 2 or 3 leg workouts a week this could become too taxing on your system and limit your growth due to improper recovery.
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Conclusion
If you are about to embark on a winter muscle mission I suggest you strongly consider the points suggested above. You want to unveil a new you come spring and if you are only giving half your effort, afraid you are going to just gain body fat or scared that people might think you are too masculine from lifting heavier weights, then you are likely to end up looking like an exact picture of your current self in April.
Don't be afraid! Lift heavy, rest, eat and repeat. That's the secret to success.
Check Back On October 30th
For The Bodybuilding.com Bulking Superfeature!
Females Don't Get Huge:
Click Image To Enlarge. 
