Female who wants to gain 10 lbs of muscle

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KellysBBody
KellysBBody Posts: 5
in Introduce Yourself
I'm 5'3, 130 lbs and want to gain 10 lbs of muscle, any other female do the same thing who can give me helpful tips for exercise and diet? I would appreciate it! Thanks!

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  • My0WNinspiration
    My0WNinspiration Posts: 1,146 Member
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    Find out what your TDEE is and eat ABOVE that while following a heavy lifting program such as Strong lifts or Starting strength.
  • Crazy4Healthy
    Crazy4Healthy Posts: 626 Member
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    Hey there, also 5'3" and currently around 115 and on maintenance. Start lifting and go heavy, heavy meaning you can only lift a particular weight 6-8 times to failure (each exercise will vary). Eat slightly above maintenance and increase your protein to 30-40%. You want more protein and higher weights.
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    +1 Manply.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Number one tip. Have patience. 10 pounds of muscle for a woman is a very ambitious goal, I'd plan for it to take at least a year.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    Have you lifted before? If the answer is no, I'd also recommend something like Strong Lifts for at least 4-6 weeks. It's not a "hypertrophy" program but I think all beginners should start with something that establishes a basic level of strength and teaches the main basic compound lifts. If you've already done a program like that go ahead and jump into a hyptertrophy program. I've given a link to Lyle McDonald's (fitness expert) routine below.

    You'll need to eat ABOVE maintenance. Start with 10% above TDEE. Aim to gain about a half pound a week. At least 1/3rd of what you will gain will be fat, probably more. Women can really only gain about a pound of muscle a month. Make sure to get at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass.

    Good reading:
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/general-philosophies-of-muscle-mass-gain.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/muscle-gain-mistakes.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/training-frequency-for-mass-gains.html

    His generic bulking routine:
    http://forums.lylemcdonald.com/showthread.php?t=1696
  • fittiephd
    fittiephd Posts: 608 Member
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    It takes on average 47.5 days to gain 1 lb of lean muscle mass (source: bodybuilding.com), so first off, expect it to take more than a year to get the 10 lbs of muscle mass you desire. Otherwise, I would say bodybuilding.com is a great resource for you. Lots of workout plans and eating plans for gaining muscle etc.

    In general eat above your TDEE by about 15%, up your protein above 30%, eat clean and LIFT HEAVY. I like stronglifts 5x5 for beginners or NROLFW but there are other programs or you can make your own. That's really all you can do.
  • dhakiyya
    dhakiyya Posts: 481 Member
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    I'd like to gain 10lb of muscle too :)
  • KellysBBody
    KellysBBody Posts: 5
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    Thanks everyone for you helpful advice! I only do some strength 2x a week, so I am going to look into the Super Lift program!
    I'll plan to hit my goal in a year, I want to make sure I do it right!
  • hedgehogia
    hedgehogia Posts: 40 Member
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    I love The New Rules of Lifting for Women - it's a great intro to lifting heavy and a lot of us here have had great results. Feel free to add me or join the group bb

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