Muscle Mommy

Sunday, November 5, 2023

5:35 PM

I'm sure there are women out there who want to compete with the boys and build the biggest biceps. They have the super ripped and cut back, the 6 pack that rivals Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime, and the bulging boulder shoulders. I admire the confidence and the work ethic it took to build that body… but baby, that ain't my goal.

My goal is health. Aging gracefully. Protecting myself from injury. Improving my self-image and confidence. Managing my blood sugar. Improving brain and heart health. Increased cell turnover, which improves skin, tissues, organ health, etc. And breaking the necks of every ninja I walk past 🍑👀 (just joking… maybe).

Building muscle will also raise your metabolism. As your body recovers from your workout, it uses energy (calories) to repair your muscles and tissues. Muscle requires more energy to maintain, which means that the mere presence of muscle helps your body burn more calories at rest. Burn more calories ➡️ Raise your metabolism ➡️ Eat more food without excessive weight gain. Who doesn't want that?!

The average woman doesn't produce enough testosterone to build a super ripped back or boulder shoulders without assistance from certain supplements or steroids. However if your goal is to build muscle, you will need one nutrient in particular: Protein.

Building muscle without protein supplements is possible. You can absolutely consume enough protein to build muscle by simply eating protein-rich foods. Whether you rely on whole foods for protein or you're using protein powders/shakes, make sure you're getting enough. The simplest way to remember it is to consume as much protein in grams as your goal weight. So if you're goal weight is 150lbs, try to get as close to 150g of protein per day. 150g of protein is a lot, how the hell am I supposed to hit that every day and still stay in a caloric deficit? This is where you choose your protein supplement wisely. Whey protein is a derivative of milk and is the easiest to find and cheapest form of protein supplements, but they are typically higher in calories. Vegan protein powders, like pea or soy, are typically lower in calories and will support weight loss better.

Aside from protein, you will also need progressive overload in order to grow muscle. To build those big perky glutes, you will need to constantly get stronger. To get stronger, you will need to lift heavier. So if you hit the gym and squat 20lbs on Monday, great! Don't stay there too long though. If you can get through an entire set without much effort, it's time to increase the weight. So squat 20 this Monday. Pay attention to your body and how you perform while squatting 20. Perfect your form, establish mind-muscle connection, and get confident squatting 20. By next Monday, you might be ready to squat 30. Again, pay attention to your body. Perfect your form, make the mind-muscle connection, build your confidence. By the following Monday, you might be ready to squat 40. This is progressive overload. Get stronger in order to see growth.

Lastly, like anything good in life, this process takes time. Building muscle is a slow, deliberate process. Every time you lift weights you are causing micro tears in your muscles that, when healed, cause your muscles to grow. When you consider the fact that you are inflicting injury on your muscles intentionally, you'll realize that this is not something to take lightly. Regardless of your genetics, your muscles will grow with the right targeted exercises, the right amount of protein, rest, and progressive overload. This cannot be rushed. Take your time, trust the process, and don't let your ego convince you that you're not making progress fast enough.

Until next time, my insatiable friends… be well.

Love,

Danielle