Strong Girls Only: Muscle Building Diet for Women

Are you looking to gain some lean muscle? One of the most effective ways is to eat right. Here’s a quick guide on muscle building diets for women.

As a woman, trying to build muscle can be a complex process due to the lack of testosterone in our bodies. If you are looking for information on how you can build muscle and why you should follow a specific diet then look no further.

We have seen a growing trend of women who would like to simply “tone up” but not look masculine. Toning up is simply the process of gaining more muscle and losing fat, therefore, making your muscles more defined.

To gain muscle continue reading to find out what food you should be eating on a muscle building diet.

Calories

In order to gain muscle, you need to consume more calories than you burn in a day.

This is part of this is to calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). You can calculate this by simply using an online calculator.

Your BMR is the number of calories you will burn in the day if you sat down and did nothing active. From here you can work out how many calories you burn during a normal day by your steps and your workout plan. 

If you are looking for a workout plan to gain muscle, check out this article by Crazy Mass.

Ben Walker from London Fitness states once you have your BMR calculated and you know how many calories your workout burns, you then need to eat more calories than this to gain muscle. The extra calories should come from a lean protein source as protein is the building block for muscle growth.

MyFitnessPal is a really useful app to track workouts and meals. 

Protein

Protein is the building blocks of your muscles in your body. It is made from amino acids. Sources of protein including meat, eggs, beans, and some vegetables like spinach.

You should aim to fill your diet with 25 to 35% protein. If you struggle to consume the required amount of protein from food intake alone, then you can look at alternative supplements like protein shakes and protein bars. Make sure the supplements have complete animal protein in them and not plant-based protein.

Carbohydrates

Even though you are looking to gain lean muscle mass, consuming carbohydrates is still important for correct bodily function and energy reserves. If you are wanting to gain muscle look to consuming healthy carbohydrates like sweet potato, wholewheat pasta, and brown bread.

Carbohydrates should make up 50% of your diet.

Fat

Your body requires fat to function normally so it is important to still consume fat even though you are wanting to gain muscle mass. Always consume healthy fats like avocados, vegetable oils, and some kinds of butter.

Fat should take up 20 to 25% of your overall calories for the day.

Example Meals

Take a read below of an example day of food intake for lean muscle mass gain. This will have to be adjusted in quantities to fit your specific calorie needs. Always drink plenty of water throughout the day. 

Breakfast

• Scrambled eggs without milk or butter
• Avocado
• Whole wheat toast
• Mixed berries and yogurt
• Coffee or tea

Lunch

• Lean meat like chicken or fish
• Sweet potato mash
• Frozen mixed vegetables

Dinner

• Baked meat like fish
• Or grilled meat like steak or chicken
• Rice or whole wheat wrap
• As many non-carbohydrate vegetables as you would like to consume

Snacks (pick 2)

• Unsalted nuts
• High protein yogurt
• Protein milkshake
• Protein bars
• Any low-carb piece of fruit

Start a Muscle Building Diet Today!

So what are you waiting for? Start a muscle building diet today!

Ensure that you follow your calorie needs by calculating your BMR first and going from there. Before starting a new diet you should always check with your doctor.

For more information on health and fitness, take a look at the other articles on our blog!