Muscle building for women - Why you don't build up muscles despite strength training

Strength training is becoming increasingly popular amongst women. Not only because muscle building brings many health benefits, but also for many athletes, an athletic, well-trained body is an aesthetic ideal.

Everyone’s body is unique and reacts differently to training stimuli. Gender also plays a major role: hormonal factors and genetics have an enormous influence on muscle building in this respect.

A big difference between the sexes is the average muscle percentage. While this is around 45% for men, it is only about 35% for women of the same age and training level. This can be explained by hormonal differences between men and women. Although the hormone testosterone is released in both men and women, the concentration is usually much higher in men.

As well as being responsible for a male appearance, the sex hormone testosterone is also responsible for muscle building. However, this does not mean that women are not capable of having a muscular body. Women also benefit from the health advantages of stronger muscles, such as positive therapeutic effects in the cases of type 2 diabetes, better posture and less wear and tear in old age.

Successful muscle building depends on many different factors. In addition to psychological and training-specific aspects, the right diet is also of enormous relevance. A sufficient supply of carbohydrates and protein can ensure that the body’s energy stores are always full and that the muscles have access to sufficient nutrients. For an optimal supply, 1.3g – 1.6g of protein per kilogram of body weight are generally recommended (in the case of increased physical activity). With our BMI calculator is is possible to calculate your perfect nutrient distribution, among other things. When increasing the intensity and frequency of your training, your nutrient intake should also be increased. Both animal and vegetable proteins help you to cover all amino acids.

A protein shake for women is particularly helpful, as it supplies the body with proteins that are readily available. The range of protein shakes is constantly growing and many companies now offer an enormous selection. They often differ in taste or the source of protein, the most common of which is whey. However vegan protein sources such as hemp or soy proteins are becoming increasingly popular.

When you are sure that you are supplying your body sufficiently with all of the necessary nutrients, you should make sure that your training is clean and progressive. If your goal is to build muscles, depending on equipment used, it is recommended to do exercises that use your own body weight. Even if classic strength training at the gym seems like a man’s domain, the training stimuli can be controlled much more precisely by complementary strength training. By constantly adapting the exercises and weights, the intensity can be adjusted according to the performance target. Three sets of 8-12 repetitions are recommended for standard muscle building – as as rough rule of thumb, this is sufficient. To achieve optimal results, however, the training should be varied and, if necessary, accompanied by an experienced trainer.

• Son, J. W., Lee, S. S., Kim, S. R., Yoo, S. J., Cha, B. Y., Son, H. Y. et al. (2017). Low muscle mass and risk of type 2 diabetes in middle-aged and older adults: findings from the KoGES. Diabetologia, 60 (5), 865-872. doi: 10.1007/s00125-016-4196-9.
• Penker, M. & Aschwer, H. (2011). Triathlon für Frauen. Einstieg und olympische Distanz ; der Trainingsbegleiter bis zum ersten Wettkampf (Ironman Edition Triathlon, 2. Aufl.). Aachen: Meyer & Meyer.