Skinny women can build major muscle mass and get curvy, although many times they are hard-gainers. If you are naturally skinny, you are technically an ectomorph.
Ectomorphs are slim or linear in shape. They often lack muscle tone and sometimes have postural problems of the vertebrae (scoliosis is an example). Therefore, weight training is very important just to begin building a curvy, muscular frame. Because of their high metabolisms, ectomorphs often have to eat more just to maintain weight.
You can also have high body fat even if you are skinny. So, just like everyone else, skinny women need to burn body fat and build muscle mass to get lean. Its also important that you burn off belly fat for health reasons. Your appearance will take care of itself. Research has documented that too much belly fat damages blood vessels and cells. Belly fat has also been associated with contributing to coronary artery disease, Metabolic Syndrome and cancer.
Here are 2 tips to help you build muscle mass on a skinny frame:
1. Many times, skinny women don’t eat enough to build muscle mass. Remember, you have to maintain a caloric surplus (eat more calories than you burn) to gain weight and build muscle. On the days you workout, you have to eat even more food.
Did you know you need to eat within 30-45 minutes to feed your muscles after a tough weight training workout? Do you know what you should eat before and after your workout?
Post-workout nutrition is important to help your body recover from intense weight training or speed work. Replenishing your body’s fuel will optimize your tissue’s repair and growth. And, it will help you recover and get ready for your next workout.
2. Skinny women also need to lift heavy weights to build muscle (full body lifting, 3 days a week). Using supersets are effective for skinny women. Lifting with high repetitions is not enough. Recovery time, for muscle repair and rebuilding, is also important for skinny women, such as 2 days rest between heavy weightlifting sessions.
Concentrate on compound strength exercises to build large muscle groups. Squats, deadlift, rows, pullups, bench press and barbell lunges are some examples.
Are you a skinny woman? There’s hope for you to build a strong, muscular body without getting bulky.
Be sure and download your FREE 10-Day Curves and Abs Jumpstart now!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
