How to build muscles at home for a woman: exercises for legs, chest and abs

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Women need to be more active in the process of gaining muscle. The greater the number of mitochondria, the faster the metabolic process will occur, because mitochondria speed up metabolism. Gaining muscle mass helps maintain muscle tone over time, which stops weight gain later in life. That's why you should take care of your body right now and check out 15 ways to gain muscle mass for a girl without going overboard.

Before starting training

In order for home workouts for women to be effective, it is necessary to properly draw up a lesson plan. The best solution is three full workouts per week, each of which is dedicated to one muscle group. So, on Monday you can have a “legs day”, on Wednesday – a back and chest day, and on Friday you can “finish off” your body with a combined load.

You can create a training plan based on your existing body features.

1. If you are overweight, it is not enough to just pump up your muscles by doing isolated exercises; you also need to get rid of those extra pounds. To do this, you need to focus on performing basic exercises that involve several muscle groups at once and stimulate the fat burning process. You definitely need to add cardio, at least 40 minutes twice a week.
2. Women with an asthenic physique need intense strength training on all parts of the body. To gain muscle mass in this case, you need to reconsider your diet, you can add whey protein to the menu.
3. For women with a pear shape, excessive lower loads using heavy weights are contraindicated. Emphasis should be placed on working the upper body.

For home exercises you will need dumbbells and elastic expanders. An additional advantage will be the presence of a step at home or a stable wide bench. If you don’t have sports equipment, there is no need to despair - basic exercises can be performed with your own weight. This will give a certain result, but for the best effect you still need to buy the missing equipment.

Muscle building process

Men are more muscular than women, and they also produce more testosterone, the hormone responsible for muscle growth.

To get pumped up, a girl needs to constantly strain her muscle fibers so that they become stronger and larger.

To do this, you need to do strength training or, in other words, lift weights. And rest, because muscle recovery and reconstruction are no less important than their growth.

The female body does not produce testosterone in the same amount as the male body, so women cannot build muscle mass as much as men can.

Of course, we understand that a “too muscular” body is not suitable for women. But there are ways to make your body slim, toned and athletic. To do this, you need to follow the rules below.

For the lower body

Before starting work, you need to do a warm-up. Five minutes of jumping rope is enough to prepare the body for the load.

Lower body training is a top priority for many women. Sample plan:

• squats;
• lunges;
• swings (any);
• pelvic bridge or stepping onto a bench;
• calf raises.

In general, any workout needs to start from the base, so squats and lunges remain a constant part of the plan. The rest of the exercises can be changed and supplemented. For example, on Monday, do back swings and bridges, and on Friday, do bridges with hip extensions and steps onto the platform. It is recommended to complete the workout by loading the calf muscle - this is just one simple exercise.

Squats

Squats will help any woman build up her gluteal muscles at home. This is a base that you can’t do without. The classic squat is performed according to the following scheme: spread your legs slightly narrower than shoulder width, soft knee, feet parallel. From this position, lower the pelvis, at this time the knee is bent at a right angle and does not extend beyond the level of the toes. Keep your back straight and place your arms in front of you for balance.

There are several variations of the classic squat.

1. "Plie". Spread your legs wider than your shoulders, point your toes in different directions. Squat down as deeply as possible without turning your knees inward. You can pick up a kettlebell or dumbbell.
2. With elastic expander. Put a fitness band on your legs, placing it just above your knees. Perform a classic squat, overcoming the resistance of an expander.
3. With weights. Hold a dumbbell weighing 6-8 kg with both hands. Do a classic squat, holding your hands between your legs, touching the dumbbells to the floor at the bottom.

Squats effectively work the thighs and buttocks. To focus on the work of the buttocks, you should stop at the plie, or do a deep squat below parallel with the floor.

Lunges

Beautiful buttocks and elastic thighs are impossible without lunges. They are performed in several ways.

1. Classic forward lunges. Starting position – standing, legs apart, narrower than shoulders. Step forward with one foot, the other lowers as close to the floor as possible. Return to the starting position by pushing off with your forward leg and taking a step back, and repeat for the other leg.
2. Step back. From the starting position, a wide step is taken back, while the body weight is transferred to the leg that remains in place.
3. With weights. Take two dumbbells of the required weight, make a short lunge forward, touching the knee of your supporting leg to the floor. Can be performed on the spot, or “walking” lunges around the room.
4. Bulgarian. Stand up straight, place a bench or chair behind you. Place your supporting leg on the bench, take a step forward with the other and squat deeply, returning to the starting position. Can be performed with your own weight or with dumbbells.

Beginners are advised to start with classic forward lunges without weights. Squats and lunges are the basis without which it is impossible to form beautiful muscles. They must be performed at the beginning of each workout.

Pelvic bridge

A simple and effective way to add volume to your buttocks. Bend your legs and slightly spread them apart, but your knees are parallel to each other. Raise your pelvis as high as possible without lifting your shoulder blades and upper body, hold for a second and lower to the starting position.

To increase the load, you can place a 5-6 kg dumbbell below your stomach. Then in the top position you should linger for two counts so that the buttocks become more tense. An alternative option is with an elastic band above the knees. In the upper position, you need to spread your hips to the sides, stretching the elastic band as much as possible.

Mahi

Performed standing against a wall, on all fours or lying on your side. Here are just some examples:

• to effectively work out the buttocks: standing on all fours, resting on your elbows, move your leg as far as possible to the right, then to the left;
• for the inner thigh: bend both legs, lie on your side, lift your bent leg up;
• for the back of the thigh, get on all fours and swing your leg back.

Working with your own weight is ineffective; it is recommended to use an elastic band, wearing it just above the knees, or weights on the shins.

Stepping onto a bench

Walking will help “finish off” your buttocks. You need to stand in front of a bench that is at least 50 cm high, climb onto it with one leg, while simultaneously pulling the other leg bent at the knee to your chest, lower down and change your working leg. You can do it with dumbbells, weights or an elastic band - this will only increase efficiency.

For calves

Lifting exercises will help pump up your calf muscles at home. This requires a low step. You should stand on it with the ball of your foot, with your heels down as far as possible. Then rise on your toes, simultaneously raising your heels, and lower yourself again, stretching the calf muscle. To increase the load, you can pick up dumbbells or put 3-4 kg weights on your calves. It is recommended to complete your lower body workout by loading your calves.

Workouts for weight gain for girls at home

In girls, the muscles of the lower part are the most pliable for development, therefore, with proper training, they contribute to the fastest weight gain, of course, together with increased nutrition

Before each workout, you need to warm up and warm up well. In winter this should be done longer, and in summer the time should be slightly reduced. On average, warm-up should be 15-20 minutes. Warming up is a must if you don’t want to stretch or tear your muscles.

A properly performed warm-up increases blood circulation and blood flow to muscles and ligaments, and this:

1. reduce the risk of injury;
2. will make your workout more effective;

What exercises should you do to warm up:

• Walking or running in place.
• Circular movements of the arms at a fast pace - forward and backward.
• If you have one at home, you can twirl a hula hoop (hula hoop) around your waist for a few minutes.
• Stretch your neck (bending back, forward, circular rotations).
• Upper body twists. We place our hands on our belts and place our feet shoulder-width apart. At an average pace, turn your body to the left, then immediately to the right. You can also bend down and touch your toes with cross movements of your hands (that is, with your left hand to your right toe and vice versa). This exercise is called “mill”.
• Squats. The main thing in performing this exercise is to keep your back straight. You can put your hands behind your head or hold them in front of you.
• Jumping rope. On average, they should knead for 3-5 minutes. This is a great warm-up exercise.

A training program to increase muscle mass consists of an average of 5-6 exercises. To achieve the desired result, you need to carry out such a program several times a week if possible. It is suitable for any age.

It’s best to exercise “for mass” every other day or take a break of 2 days after hard days of training. It takes time for muscles to recover.

For the chest

To pump up your pectoral muscles at home, you need to use dumbbells or an elastic band. Chest training can be combined with back or arm exercises. The following complex will help make the muscles stronger and more expressive, tighten the chest and improve posture.

Push ups

The main base for the chest, it is recommended to start working on this part of the body. Classic push-ups are performed from the floor, emphasis on the toes and arms wide apart. It is necessary to lower your body to the floor, bending your elbows, and then straighten your arms, returning to the starting position. The wider your palms are, the more the chest is loaded.

It is difficult for beginners to immediately do a full push-up, so it is allowed to do it on your knees. The easiest option for those who have never played sports is wall push-ups.

Chest press

The main exercise for the chest, after push-ups, is the dumbbell press. This is done as follows. You need to lie on the floor (preferably on a bench), bend your legs at the knees and spread them a little. The shoulder blades are pressed to the floor. Take two dumbbells in your hands and stretch them above your shoulders. Inhale and lower your arms to your chest, while exhaling, do a press, lifting them at the level of your collarbones and straightening them completely. The weight of dumbbells for beginners is 3 kg.

You can adapt the exercise for elastic bands. To do this, take an elastic expander with free ends, place your hands at a short distance in the center of the elastic band, and secure the ends with your elbows. Press the band up with your palms, loading your chest.

Dumbbell flyes

The starting position is like a bench press. Raise your arms up and spread them to the sides, stretching your chest as much as possible. It is necessary to use less weight - from 2 kg.

Alternative execution: take an elastic band in your palms and stretch it to the sides, raising your arms above your chest.

What is relief?

Reducing the fat layer makes the muscle texture more expressive.

The appearance of relief is associated with two factors:

1. presence of muscle volume;
2. burning subcutaneous fat.

That is, first you need to pump up the muscles, and only then draw them.

It is impossible to combine building muscle mass and losing weight for relief, since the diet for this should have completely different goals:

• to build muscle, you need to eat with a surplus of 300-500 kcal from protein and carbohydrates;
• On a diet for a sculpted body, you need to eat with a deficit of carbohydrates.

It won’t be possible to quickly create relief with expressive muscles, because, as bodybuilding fans say: “a brawn with abs doesn’t count.”

It’s easier for a girl who doesn’t need a mountain of muscles to look athletic - it’s enough to have a toned body, a flat stomach, and round buttocks.

You can tone your muscles in 1-2 months – quite quickly if you don’t skip training.

A month is necessary for the appearance of relief, provided that muscles are present.

In a month, you can burn up to 5 mm of fat throughout your body, which will be helped by a strict diet and intense training, and then existing muscles will become more noticeable, but they will most likely not be enough for relief.

Workout for a beautiful back

1. “Boat” for stooping. A simple and effective method to “unfold” hunched shoulders. Performed while lying on your stomach. Your hands should be clasped behind your back. Raise your arms and legs at the same time, stretch your arms as far as possible in the opposite direction, stretching the upper back muscles.

2. Raising arms. Performed while standing. Raise your arms with dumbbells above your head, then spread them out to your sides. During execution, not only the back works, but also the shoulders.

3. Swings. Leaning your body forward, raise your arms bent at the elbows to your shoulders, working your upper back and shoulder girdle.

4. With an elastic band. Stand up straight, place the band on your forearms, and extend your arms in front of you. Extend your forearms to the sides, stretching the band as much as possible, while simultaneously bringing your shoulder blades together.

You can perform the complex on the day of working on the pectoral muscles.

Take care of your body

“Unfortunately, it is not always possible to devote a lot of time to special procedures, but it is simply necessary to do this,” says Ekaterina Krasavina. – Sauna and hot bath are good for coping with muscle pain. Massage also improves blood circulation and helps remove waste products from the body, improving recovery. After water procedures, do not forget about moisturizing the skin and a good scrub. Scrubs made from coffee or nuts and seeds provide excellent skin care, and various oils provide hydration and nutrition.” Ekaterina advises not to neglect these simple and very pleasant procedures that will help make your body perfect.

On this topic:

• Fitness at home in 10 minutes: full body exercises
• How to make your workout as effective as possible
• Strong back and strong arms. Complex from Ekaterina Krasavina

Working on the hands

Arms, especially triceps, are one of the problem areas for many women. The following simple complex will help make them fit and sculpted.

1. For triceps: lean on any surface with your hands, holding them at your sides, bend your knees at a right angle. Raise and lower your body, fully straightening your arms. To complicate the execution, the legs should be straightened and placed on a support - a chair or bench.
2. Take a dumbbell with one hand and place it behind your back at the level of your shoulder blades. Then straighten your arm, fully straightening it, and lifting the dumbbell above your head.
3. While standing, tilt your body until it is parallel to the floor. Take a dumbbell with one hand, bend it at the elbow and pull it to your chest. From this position, extend your arm as far back as possible, and then return to the starting position.
4. For biceps: sit on a bench, take a dumbbell, bend your arm at the elbow as you exhale, and straighten it as you inhale.

The biceps are also worked with push-ups. To emphasize the work of this muscle, you should place your palms on the floor at a distance of 15-20 cm.

First results from cardio training

Most girls use long-term cardio exercises to accelerate fat burning.

The standard duration of one workout is 60 minutes. During this time, approximately 600 kilocalories are burned when running on a cardio machine, and 400 kcal when walking.

A session on an orbit track burns 800 kcal per hour, and on a rowing machine – up to 1000 kcal. But they spend the least amount of energy on an exercise bike - only 200 kcal.

Many girls, fascinated by these numbers, work hard at cardio until they sweat, often forgetting about one equally important point when working to lose weight.

When losing weight, the main success factor is maintaining a proper diet. And cardio exercises only speed up this process.

That is, diet is primary, training is secondary.

The speed of weight loss will depend not on how much time and effort you spent on cardio equipment, but on how much you adhere to a calorie deficit diet.

For a flat tummy

You can pump up a girl’s abs any day. However, devoting an entire workout to working on the abdominal muscles is impractical - they quickly become clogged, so it is unlikely that you will be able to effectively perform several different exercises in 3-4 approaches. You should choose one, maximum two, and perform them at the end or beginning of any workout.

1. Plank. Tightens the abdominal muscles, forms a flat tummy and increases overall endurance. Especially recommended for those who want to lose extra pounds. Take an emphasis while lying down, standing on your elbows and toes. Tighten your abdominal muscles and buttocks. Stay in this position for 30-40 seconds.
2. Twisting. Helps pump up the upper abdominal muscles. To perform, lie on the floor, bend your knees and pull them to your chest. Place your hands behind your head. Raise the upper part of the body, lifting the shoulder blades off the floor, keep your legs suspended all the time, buttocks and lower back pressed to the floor.
3. Leg lift. Works the lower abdomen. Lie on the floor, fix your upper body in one position, arms extended along the body. Raise your legs straight, tensing your abs, and then lower them to the floor and immediately repeat the rise.

You can pump up your abdominal muscles on the uneven bars. To do this, lean on them with your forearms, then raise your straight legs to 900. If it is too difficult, you can raise your legs bent at the knees.

How to pump up a girl’s butt: basic methodological rules

The gluteal muscles can only be pumped up if you eat right. The diet should include both proteins and fats. Carbohydrates are necessary to maintain physical fitness if you do intense exercise every day. To correct your shape, it is enough to exercise once a week and follow a protein diet. The body feeds on carbohydrates when it expends a lot of energy.

Therefore, if you do not plan to completely reshape your butt, but just want to make it higher and “stick out,” remember, carbohydrates and fats are interchangeable, and they must be controlled by the diet. Otherwise, you will get a delicious nut, like a mulatto, but your belly and sides will grow along with it.

Workout plan

In general, the exercises described are already a ready-made training plan. They must be performed sequentially, starting from the base. You can combine loads on different parts of the body and change the number of repetitions and weight used depending on your goals.

To lose weight, you need to focus on basic exercises - squats, lunges, push-ups and planks. They can be performed on the same day, supplemented with isolated loads on the hips (swings), chest (press) or arms. You should complete your workout by working on your abs.

For weight loss, it is recommended to use a minimum weight, but the maximum number of repetitions is 3-4 sets of 20 times. Rest between sets should not exceed one and a half minutes.

Slender girls who want to improve their relief are recommended to perform the exercises sequentially, working a specific area in one session. In this case, you need to prefer higher weights with fewer repetitions - 3 sets of 8-12 times.

Find additional sources of inspiration

It is difficult to continue working on yourself while in a bad mood. Always spend time on things that can please you and charge you emotionally. «

A good strength workout when I'm tired and a cardio workout outside also help me relax. A good dream always comes after this. Moreover, it so happened that my hobby and my work came together, and for me, the successes of me and my students are an excellent source of inspiration,” admits Ekaterina Krasavina. Celebrate your successes, because nothing motivates you to continue exercising more than small victories on the way to your cherished goal - an ideal body.

Get in shape with a training program for perfect buttocks from Ekaterina Krasavina. Read more here.

Nutrition and lifestyle for a beautiful body

Without proper nutrition, it is impossible to achieve harmonious development of the body and the appearance of relief. Home exercises must be supplemented with lifestyle and diet corrections.

1. Eliminate fast carbohydrates and sugar-containing foods from your diet. For dessert you can eat fruits, berries and dried fruits.
2. Calculate the permissible daily caloric intake depending on the initial parameters. To lose weight you should consume 15% less than normal, to gain weight – 15% more. Moreover, a calorie surplus must be created by increasing protein intake.
3. Take proper rest between workouts so that your body and nervous system have time to recover. This is why it is recommended to exercise every other day, but not more often.

And one more important nuance - a good night's rest. It is necessary to go to bed no later than 23:00, while devoting at least 8 hours to sleep every day.

You won’t be able to quickly build muscle at home, so you need to be patient. The first results are noticeable after 2-3 weeks of regular exercise. Then you need to adjust the training plan by adding new exercises or increasing the weight.

Lifestyle

Have a rest

Rest will help your muscles recover and rebuild. If you don't rest, your activities will do more harm to your body than good, and you may end up in bed for a few weeks. Rest between classes, and after returning home, relax for at least 20 minutes. Don't do strength training every day.

Wake up early

Waking up early will help you go to bed early. This way you can go to the gym in the morning or evening. This will also give you plenty of time to make a quick breakfast before leaving the house or prepare a protein-rich dinner after returning home.

Monitor your sleep

Lack of sleep is very harmful to your health . You will feel tired and dizzy the next morning, and you may also notice weight gain.

If you want to gain lean body mass without fat, then you must sleep at least seven hours a night. It is during the process of sleep that your muscles will rest and recover, and your brain will function better and work in sync with your muscles while you work out in the gym.

Meditate

To achieve an athletic and strong body, you will need a certain level of discipline. Meditation will help you stay focused on your goal and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It will be difficult at the beginning, but don't give up. Gradually, you will learn to control your brain, hunger, sleepiness, anxiety and other emotions that slow down your progress.

Surround yourself with positive people

Positive people will help you stay inspired and motivated. By surrounding yourself with good friends, you increase your chance of achieving your goal. No matter where: at home, at work, in the gym, look everywhere for people who radiate energy and optimism, and follow their example.

Consult with experts

Beginners will benefit from a personal trainer who will create a suitable set of exercises for them. Consult a professional nutritionist for advice about your diet. You can also consult with other specialists to surround yourself with good professional support, and it will be useful to you in order to perform the exercises correctly and not harm your health.

A few words about other sex hormones

Testosterone alone is not our friend and helper. Estrogen is also a good guy. Most people, even women, treat estrogen as a “bad” hormone, because of which it spreads by leaps and bounds, and in general, don’t expect any good from it. Although few people actually list the specific negative effects of estrogen, most firmly believe that it does not add slimness. Which is really just nonsense.

Estrogen has a very positive effect on abdominal fat stores, and also has several other beneficial properties:

• Estrogen helps in muscle recovery.

• Estrogen has anti-catabolic activity and helps prevent muscle loss.

• Estrogen protects ligaments, bones and tendons from injury.

And these are not some isolated incorrect studies that are listed only to confirm this point of view. Hundreds of scientific experiments demonstrate the anabolic effect of estrogen.

Since women produce much more estrogen than men, this gives them certain advantages: women do not get tired as quickly and recover faster.