Tone and Sculpt
If you're reading this, you most likely want an enviable tone and shape to your physique that many women struggle to achieve. It takes hard work, discipline, and most importantly, knowledge. Joining and training at a gym with the goal of toning and sculpting your physique can be confusing for anyone. So, this blog will detail some scientific truths about building the body you want, so you can experience less confusion and more results, quickly!
1. Understand that weight training for women doesn't result in huge muscles
Too many women think that lifting heavy weights like men means they'll grow copious amounts of muscle and never look feminine again.
But it's just not how it happens.
Men have up to five times more testosterone than women, meaning they are able to grow much more muscle!
Further research should ease your concerns: men have 12 kilograms more muscle mass than women, whilst women have about 40% less upper body strength, and on average, 33 per cent less lower-body strength.
So the chances of you growing the same amount of muscle as a man is near impossible.
Instead, weight lifting gives women a bikini body; one that appears devoid of fat because of the muscle that overshadows it. Most females with enviable physiques know that weight workouts are indeed for women, and have been capitalising on it for years.
So when you hear or read the term "muscle growth" mentioned with female body transformations, please remember that this is not a "bad" or "dirty" phrase!
2. Don't be scared of carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, in the absence of a calorie surplus, don't make you fat.
So, if you can eat 1900 calories before you gain weight, then eating 1800 calories from carbohydrates won't make you gain weight. Now of course you wouldn't do that, but we mention it to make a point.
This is referred to as the "carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis of obesity", and has been disproven by scientists many times. One example is in this review where 32 studies were examined, and the conclusion was that low or high carbohydrates diets made no difference for weight loss.
Moreover, carbohydrates are required for better performance.
Recent recommendations suggest your carbohydrate intake can be as much as 55-60% of your dietary intake.
And it's the result of the company's years in the market and listening to consumers.
So sign up with WM 360, and you'll immediately get:
When you put all this together, you get a toning and sculpting workout plan for women designed to get you results as quickly as possible.
And this is just what we want for you!
So don't be shy, get stuck into your carbohydrates for the energy to tone and sculpt your body!
3. Get enough protein, as lots of women don't.
Generally, women don't tend to eat as much as men, so consuming enough protein can be hard.
But it's absolutely critical, as protein promotes muscle growth and strength.
The latest recommendations are to consume about 1.6 grams to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.
And you can ensure you reach these numbers by ingesting three meals, each containing about 0.53 g/kg protein, or 4 meals containing ~0.4g/kg protein.
Lean sources like kangaroo, chicken breast, white fish and eggs are a great start. Mix up your protein sources to ensure dietary satisfaction and variety for your muscle gain meal plan.
Moreover, protein will provide many health benefits like strengthening your immune system.
Not enough protein intake results in physical weakness, anemia, edema, vascular dysfunction and a weakened immune system.
Also, once you enter your 40s, you're at a higher risk of developing sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is a loss of muscle tissue and function, which has a severe impact on our ability to walk and thus our quality of life.
4. Join a woman's workout plan like Workout Meals 360 (WM 360)
The Workout Meals 360 (WM 360) body transformation coaching program is perfect for women who are looking to achieve the best physique possible.
And it's the result of the company's years in the market and listening to consumers.
There are three factors to a successful body transformation for anybody:
1. Nutrition
2. Training
3. Motivation and knowledge.
1. A nutrition plan from a nutritionist (who also keeps you motivated!)
2. A personal trainer who designs a tailored gym workout plan to lose weight (and who keeps you motivated, too!)
3. Meals delivered to your door (and of your choosing!) from our team of restaurant-quality chefs
And this is just what we want for you!
5. Keep performing your glutes and legs workout frequently: science says it's the only way
An old strategy performed by men and women who want to grow muscle is to simply train one more muscle group once per week.
This is NOT a good strategy!
Research shows that muscle protein synthesis levels (your body using protein to build and repair muscle) return to normal after 36 hours.
This means, for example, your booty building can start once again....you don't need to wait another week!
It's better to train your glutes on a Monday and Wednesday again because they're fully recovered!
Further research carried out here in Australia found that women should train their quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves two to four days per week.
And here's an interesting fact about your training: research finds that women recover strength faster than men after a workout!
This means you're a recovery expert and can get right back to training the same muscle group faster than men.
Who run the world?!
This brings us to our next point.
6. Perform lots of squats to maximise your booty building results
Most would be forgiven for thinking that hip thrusts are the best when it comes to glutes growth.
Now don't get me wrong, they're terrific and you should do them.
But the humble squat doesn't get enough credit for being a solid booty builder.
And this is in line with other research: squats allow for the glutes to be worked in a longer range of motion whilst hip thrusts work the glutes at a lot shorter range of motion.
The more your muscle is stretched during a movement and asked to shift weight, the more muscle can be grown.
This is called stretch-mediated hypertrophy and applies to all muscles.
So make sure you're squatting regularly; you can do it two to four days per week!
This information isn't common amongst many weight workouts for women programs, so be sure to share it with as many of your friends that need to know!
7. Spend enough time in a minor calorie surplus to grow adequate muscle
You can't grow enough muscle without being in a calorie surplus.
That is, you have to eat more calories than you burn for a given amount of time to grow adequate muscle.
Now sure, newbies to the gym can actually gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, but those glory days fade relatively quickly!
So how much muscle can you gain in what time frame? Research suggests:
First 6 months: 4.5 - 5.5 kilograms of muscle mass
Second-year of lifting: Half the amount you gained in your first year
Third-year of lifting: Half the amount you gained in your second year.
So for maximal muscle tone, three years might be ideal.
A lot of women (and men for that matter) might want to do twelve months in the gym and then "shred down."
But you want to consider maximal muscle growth, as growing muscle naturally is hard enough as it is.
Moreover, if you think that means you have to be "fat" for three years -- you're incorrect.
There's a misconception that one can't grow muscle mass without getting "fat" and sacrificing how they look.
Now sure, you can't be as lean as possible when trying to gain muscle, but the truth is you don't need as big of a calorie surplus for muscle growth as you might think!
Research shows we might only need a surplus of 200-300 calories ..
So, you don't need to be showing down on hamburgers and pizza and getting "fat" for the sake of it for maximal muscle growth.
With these findings in mind, it's recommended by researchers to eat in a 200-300 surplus of calories per day.
And this is information a lot of women wish they got sooner.
8. Once you're happy with your muscle mass after 3 years, then shred down.
Don't cycle from "bulk" to "cut" just because summer is coming.
This ultimately hinders progress.
Stay committed to the bulk for as long as you need; then worry about stripping down.
There's no point spinning your wheels when maximum progress is on the cards.
After a three year period, you can strip the fat down to find a happy medium for the ultimate lean shape.
9. Don't compare yourself to other girls on social media
When this topic comes up, I'm always reminded of the great quote by legendary American author Mark Twain:
“Comparison is the death of joy."
You don't know what has gone into the pictures you're looking at.
Editing, surgery, filters, fancy lighting, it can go on forever.
There are plenty of stories where women have had a particular role model for their glute development, only to realise that the woman has glute implants.
You don't know what people are doing in order to achieve the "perfect" look on social media. It's as simple as this: social media isn't real life.
The future version of what you can be is your competition. Along with the person staring back at you in the gym mirror. That's enough competition for anyone, and one unlikely to make you unhappy.
So don't compare yourself and your progress to anyone else. It never ends well and is always counterproductive.
10. Throw out your "fat-burning" supplements
A recent and extensive review of the evidence surrounding weight loss supplements found none one of them resulted in significant weight loss.
In fact, some were found to have detrimental health hazards.
When it comes time to lose body fat, it's about getting your diet and training right, and not relying on any magical pills, powders or potions.
Hard work trumps all, including "fat-burning" supplements with shiny labels.
So, there are 10 ways for you to tone and sculpt your physique! By understanding and implementing each one, you'll be well on your way to crafting the body you want.
All the best on your sculpting and toning journey!
(And remember, "muscle growth" is not a dirty phrase!).
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