The amount of muscle and fat may depend on many things apart from what you put in your mouth. It could depend on genetics, lifestyle, and both (for most, it’s usually both). If you want to stock up on lean muscle, you need to know which factors affect you the most.

In order to bulk up on muscle one important factor is weight training. In women this translates to weight workouts, although the weights are way lighter compared to those for men but still able to create muscle fatigue. Girl weight training is not different from those followed by guys in that sufficient muscle fatigue is achieved followed by rest and recovery periods. Sufficient muscle fatigue can stimulate muscle growth and this leads to the creation of more muscle mass. A common suggestion by trainers is to choose a sufficient weight that will cause fatigue done in 8-12 repetitions for the upper body and 12-15 repetitions for the lower body.

Body structure and composition and the ratio of fat to lean tissue that you are predisposed to have on you can affect the way you respond to weight workouts. Some women tend to respond to weight workouts quickly (they tone more quickly) while those who are generally thin and frail or have pear-shaped bodies can expect results to take longer. Those with more fat on their lower bodies need to work-out a bit harder and longer than those who are naturally lean, since subcutaneous fat tends to get in the way of seeing the developing muscle mass underneath.

Some women respond to this by working out way too much often than they should. But when it comes to muscle building, less is more. How much time you spend working may mean less than how you spend it. Stimulating muscle growth, as we have discovered, involves creating a certain level of fatigue coupled with periods of rest and recovery. Nutrition and rest are important here. If you over-exercise you are not giving your muscles the rest it needs to recover. Often this leads to injury, and injury can lead to weak muscles with less growth. Trainers recommend 3-4 hours as enough to keep your muscles toned with less risk for over fatigue and injury.

In order to take advantage of a weight workout, you need to seek the help of a professional who can help you determine which program suits your body composition and type best.

Working out with weights is not the only thing that needs to be done when you want to build a little muscle. Apart from strength and weight training, perhaps one of the most important things that you have to do is to get the right muscle-building diet. The best diet for building muscle is one that will help you gain weight but not a lot of fat.

A common advice is to eat more protein before training and more carbs two hours after. Protein helps the body stock up on material for growth, and the post-workout carb meals are important in helping the body repair itself. 30% of proteins, 40%-50% of carbs and 20%-3-0% of nutrients is often just the right combination for muscle-building meals. Supplements, like multivitamins and creatine may also be useful. Post-workout you need to quick, small meal to provide fast replacement of glycogen stores, prevent protein breakdown and stimulate the formation of new protein. Supplements that can be loaded on your post-workout shake can include dextrose, maltodextrins, creatine, amino acids, anti-oxidants, and whey protein.

So if you want more muscles the healthier way, start by finding out how your body tends to respond to food and exercise. Don’t overdo it and make sure that you equip your body for the journey. That means maintaining the right diet and making sure that you do not hurt yourself while you stock up on muscle.