Beginners Guide to Female Bodybuilding

By Phil Sims

Many women are concerned with how their bodies look. Dieting and weight obsession are very real parts of life for many women. Body building and women really fit together well when you think about it. Focusing on healthy weight gain and muscle fitness makes a woman look and feel a lot better.

Body building is a lot more than just dieting and lifting weights. Much of the advice given in previous chapters can apply to both men and women. But women do need to change a few things when it comes to a workout plan that will work.

Some women have never considered body building as a sport because they are afraid that they will get big, bulky, and become masculine looking. Nothing could be further from the truth. A trim, solid body on a woman is extremely sexy and very healthy.

Women cannot naturally produce the amount of testosterone that men do, so it is impossible for women to increase their muscle size in the same ways that men do just by picking up a weight or two. Without artificial substances, women won’t be able to get the same bulk as men do.

However, many of the same workout advice that we give to men apply to women as well: eat 5-6 small meals per day, drink plenty of water, and get lots of rest. The workouts are the same as well although some women may want to limit their reps initially until their strength is built up.

Many women struggle with excess fat and flabby muscle tone on their thighs and in their buttocks. Because women are naturally curvier than men, working these areas makes for a very flattering figure.

To work these areas, you will want to do a lot of dumbbell squats, leg curls, standing calf raises, and leg presses. Add some lunges as well as dumbbell squat dead lifts as well for maximum effectiveness. You may want to invest in an exercise ball so that you can work your abs and make them tight and defined.

Change your workout every time you perform it and focus on one or two body parts each day you train. By doing this, you are not over-exerting muscles without giving them time to heal. Recovery is very important to the body’s muscles, so give them the time they need to heal and grow.

Many women live their lives by the numbers that they read on a scale. When you are body building for fitness, this is a mistake. Don’t concentrate on what the scale says you weigh, focus on your size and tone.

This can be calculated in the form of inches or body fat percentage. You will probably not see a huge weight loss on the scale, but you should see an improvement in your overall body’s look after a period of time.

Here are some areas that women should really focus on in their body building routine:

• Upper Back – Use pull-ups to build the muscles in your upper back which will accentuate your shoulders and make your waist look smaller.
• Side Deltoids – Side laterals and overhead laterals will help tone these muscles making your shoulders more defined and, again, your waist look smaller.
• Hips and Waist – These areas are mostly chiseled through diet by teaching the body to re-distribute body fat. It is the finishing signature to the rest of your body and will make your overall appearance look much more pleasant.
• Quads - The front muscles in your upper thighs need to be worked so that they are toned and defined. Doing lots of squats will help in this area and will complete your overall look. After all, what woman doesn’t want to have some killer legs!

Women are used to dieting and depriving themselves of food. When you are body building, however, the reality is that you need to actually eat more. The key lies in the foods that you eat. Eat the right foods, and they will work for you instead of against you!

As a woman, you need to remember that you will not be able to build your muscle like men do; however, your approach toward body building will be much the same. The results will be different, but you will still look incredible and be able to be proud of how you look.

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