Girls who train "in an adult way" know what mass gain, "drying" and other techniques from the arsenal of a real jock are. Of course, we all want a Brazilian butt, beautiful shapes, relief and abs, so we are ready for anything for the sake of the result. After all, not only the peasants plow in the hall! And there is nothing wrong with this desire. We all know that hard work always pays off. And you can't even pull a fish out of the pond without effort. Yes, but not all the ways of male bodybuilding are fully suitable for women. Although, of course, the basic principles are the same. Below will be described only my personal experience, as well as observations of other training girls. The article deals exclusively with natural bodybuilding. And let's talk this time about the coveted mass. I guess if I wasn't a preoccupied hardgainer with not the best genetics for muscle growth, I wouldn't have much to tell you. But years of work on myself, which allowed me to turn from a skinny girl into a rather appetizing young lady, gave me experience, understanding and certain knowledge.
Any girl wants 24 hours a day 365 days a year to look like she's going to the beach tomorrow. But the laws of nature say that you must first gain mass, and then "dry out." And something should appear in the output. Overcoming themselves, the girls sit down "on the mass". Why overcoming? Yes, because basically you have to swim in fat and mourn the cubes along with other beauties of the relief body. They cannot look at themselves in the mirror and often perceive the "mass" as a special test for their psyche. Well, after that they sit down on a rigid low-carb diet and burn everything (often even muscles, which, it seems, should have grown). "That's right, that's right!" the reader will say. But I would like to talk a little about something else, to shift the emphasis. As a person advocating a healthy lifestyle, I'm scared to hear stories about how girls drive about 8-10 kg back and forth in six months ... And this is not healthy or healthy - whatever you want! Therefore, I urge you to be prudent and look at yourself in a distant perspective.

“But what to do? beautiful ladies will ask me. “Is it really possible to recruit and burn at the same time?” In its purest form - no! No, but there will be an increase in fat along with muscles. Another question is how critical. My opinion: if you want to look great always and work for the long term (that is, for the rest of your life), then sit down "on mass ”like men is absolutely not necessary. You can remain feminine and beautiful even in this period. The main thing is to find a way.

It's good that women already know that lifting heavy weights is not scary. Significant differences from men in the hormonal aspect, as well as in body composition (ratio of muscle and fat mass, musculoskeletal system, etc.) do not allow ladies to build large muscles. It also affects the process of accumulation and burning of fat. Like it or not, but in this sense it is much easier for men. Therefore, as my friend perfectly noted: “You can’t pump over, you can only under-pump.” Accordingly, women absolutely do not need to follow the same aggressive diets as men.
Now let's get down to specifics. Let's highlight the main components of a successful set of muscle mass. They do not differ in men or women:

1. Nutrition
2. Workouts
3. Recovery and rest
4. Sports supplements

Let's deal with each of them in order.

Food

In order to grow, you must eat. And even if this is true for fat burning, then for gaining muscle mass it is simply necessary. Somehow I came across a wonderful phrase: half of the ectomorphs are malnourished mesomorphs. And it's hard to disagree here. A lot of skinny girls complain about genetics and say they'll never gain weight. At the same time, they diligently squat in the gym with a bodybar and eat only a couple of apples and one yogurt a day. Very "strange" that nothing grows, isn't it? Of course, I exaggerate. But in fact, anyone can grow up, even with the most unfavorable genetics. For example, I have long limbs, muscles, a fast metabolism. All the ingredients for an unfortunate hardgainer. But in a year, taking into account two competitive "drying", I managed to gain 7 kg of muscle mass, adding 8 cm in such an important part of the body for women as the hips. And growth gradually continues without the use of any extreme.
It was a lyrical introduction. Now let's get down to specifics. So where do you start? Of course, with the calculation of the daily intake of calories and BJU for mass gain. Here you can go in several ways. The first. Calculate how many calories and BJU you consume per day at the moment. The zone diet is considered optimal for weight gain (40% carbohydrates, 30% proteins and 30% fats). The amount of carbohydrates can be Furthermore. But do not forget that we are women. It is much easier for us to increase the fat component than for men. Let these be the initial data. Based on how much you eat, increase your diet by 200 kcal per week. For example, you ate at 1600 kcal, now increased to 1800. Do not be surprised if you lose weight. Increasing calories as well as carbohydrates in your diet can boost your metabolism. But don't give up. Natural bodybuilding has come a long way. But the final result will please you. If this increase is not enough, then add another 200 kcal next week. And so on until the first results appear.

Second option. Calculate the need for calories. Again, the data obtained will not be the ultimate truth. This is just a guideline. I advise you to gradually increase the calorie content until you reach the desired number. Why gradually? Firstly, so as not to shock the body and give it the opportunity to adapt. Secondly, to avoid excessive fat gain. Thirdly, at first it will seem that such an amount of food simply will not fit into you. And most likely it will be so. But gradually you will be able to eat larger portions.

Very important advice! The numbers on the scales are not an indication of progress. In addition, measure the thickness of the skin fold. Pick one location to target. For women, the best is the lower abdomen. It is there that we do not like the fat depot, which replenishes very quickly, and then slowly decreases. If the thickness of the fold increases with weight growth, this is an occasion to think about how and what you are gaining. Here the advice would be to review the nutrition in the first place. In my practice, there was a bad experience when I thought that I was gaining cool. But after the fat burning stage, I realized that I was gaining mostly fat. We will discuss this error below.

We follow the same principles when eating "for mass" as we do when eating to burn fat or keep in shape. Only the total calorie content and the ratio of BJU differ. A common mistake is the opinion that when gaining mass, you can eat everything. After all, all the same, then "dry". I used to type like that, I know many girls who do the same. They eat everything indiscriminately, reassuring themselves with future “drying”. But fat burning is a dubious pleasure. And when you collect a large amount of excess fat will have to extend this period. And, of course, it’s nice to look good even in the mass-gaining period. Yes, you are bigger than usual. But you don’t look like a fat seal, but a sporty phyton. And, of course, do not forget about health. This question usually worries us little, although, in my opinion, it is the key one. What you eat is absolutely important. Calorie sources should be as natural, healthy, whole and fresh as possible.

So here are the basic principles to keep in mind:
1. Fractional meals (every 1.5–3 hours).
2. The absence of harmful products (“mass” is not a reason to pop cakes).
3. The presence of complex carbohydrates (whole grain pasta, wild or unpolished rice, buckwheat and other cereals) and simple carbohydrates (mainly from fruits, but not cakes, sweets, etc.).
4. Even distribution of food throughout the day. Try to include protein in every meal.
5. Restriction of simple carbohydrates in the evening. Of course, this does not apply to pre- or post-workout carbohydrate intake. But if you are not exercising, worry about body fat, or rather, about their absence. Opt for complex carbohydrates.
6. Sufficient amount of water (at least two liters per day).

Regarding nutrition before and after training. For high-quality strength work, you must be full of energy reserves and “building material”. A combination of complex and simple carbohydrates and fast-digesting protein is ideal. After training, you definitely need to restore the spent body reserves as quickly as possible and stimulate the processes of anabolism. Immediately after training, it is recommended to drink in liquid form a carbohydrate-protein drink (3: 1) or drink protein and eat a fruit with a high glycemic index. And within an hour and a half, make a full meal with complex carbohydrates, protein and a