Body Building for Girls

The term “girl” is generally thought of to be a young female, but when we’re talking about body building for girls, we’re really referring to female body building for teen girls.  Body building isn’t a sport just reserved for the male sex.  Girls can get strong, fit, and toned just like boys although their approach needs to be different.

Girls need to set realistic body building goals when they are trying to figure out just what they want to accomplish with their weight training.  Some girls just want to lose weight.  Others would like to become toned and firm.  Still others are using body building as a way to excel at sports.  Set goals and keep those goals in mind during workout programs.  Don’t lose sight of those goals and use them as motivation to keep going.

Guys – especially teen guys – produce much more testosterone than girls do, so remember that, as a girl, you won’t be building muscle in the same ways as your male counterparts.  You can, however, tone your muscles and sculpt a beautiful body when you keep an eye on the end result you want to achieve.

When it comes to nutrition, girls who are starting a body building routine need to keep a few things in mind.  First of all, girls need different nutrients than boys.  They require much more iron due to blood loss during menstruation, and they also can benefit from more protein.  Protein provides muscle building material in the body, so it should be consumed both through diet as well as supplements.

When speaking of supplements, girls should shy away from testosterone replacement supplements.  These types of artificial substances can make a woman or girl look more like a man and can seriously impede health.  While they will make your muscles grow stronger and quicker, they should still be avoided for girls who are body building seriously.

Keep in mind that both girls and boys who are body building need to get lots of rest.  This is very important for any young person, but when you are working your body, you really need to get a lot of rest.  Muscles are grown when the body is in a sedentary state.  While you sleep, your muscles will grow and you will be repairing any damage you’ve done while working out.

Get the advice of an adult before you undertake a body building program.  It’s very possible for girls who want to use body building as a fitness program to make beautiful bodies that they can be proud of.  Just be sure you do it safely and know what you are doing before you start.  Then watch the results and enjoy what you’ve done!

Body Building Diet

In body building, your diet is one of the most effective weapons you can have if you want to achieve maximum potential.  Diet is so important to the body builder as it not only supplies the body with the energy needed to perform your exercises as well as giving you the nutrients you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

A good body building diet will include a lot of protein.  It is critical for building muscle, losing fat, and contributing to the overall health of our tissues and organs.  You should be consuming 1 gram of protein for each pound of your body weight.  Body builders should increase that amount to a gram and a half per day.  Good sources of protein include meat, fish, and milk.

Carbohydrates should also be a big part of the body building diet.  Carbs are a major source of the fuel our body uses for activity.  You should include complex carbohydrates in your diet through starches and fiber.  That means eating pasta, whole grain rice, and whole grain breads as well as potatoes.

Believe it or not, fats are also an important part of a body building diet.  Our bodies need fats to function correctly and efficiently.  They are an energy source for the body and regulate most of our bodily processes.

The key for including fat in your diet is to consume the good fats as opposed to the bad one.  Good fats are unsaturated ones found in olive oil or flaxseed oil.  Unsaturated fats are ones that are liquid at room temperature.  Saturated fats can clog your arteries and lead to health problems, so they should be avoided as much as possible.  Animal lard and butter are saturated fats and are solid at room temperature.

You should also have adequate fiber in your body building diet.  Fiber helps your body flush out impurities on a regular basis and helps contribute to weight loss.  Some good sources of fiber are whole grain as well as nuts and seeds.

Finally, you will want to include a lot of vegetables in your diet as well as a moderate amount fruit.  Fruit can cause you to retain water and contribute to a larger amount of sugar that you would otherwise need.  However, vegetables contain essential vitamins and nutrients that you body needs to operate efficiently.

A good body building diet is one that is balanced and nutritious.  You should consume the majority of your protein and carbohydrates in the morning and eat five or six small meals daily instead of three large ones.  A good diet is important to effective body building, so know what your body needs and then go for it.