Weight Training Diets For Women

According to ESPN contributing writer Sharon Howard in her article "Diet and Strength Training," aging is a leading factor in muscle loss and fat gaining for many women. This fact emphasizes the benefits of a weight-training diet instead of a simple fat-loss diet, particularly in older women.

Function

The goal of a weight-training diet is to provide you with enough calories to energize you through your workouts, but not so many that you begin to gain fat. Many weight-training programs have you reduce your caloric intake while focusing on a proper balance between proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Strength training also increases your overall metabolism, meaning that when you finish your reduced-calorie diet your body will be better equipped to keep off excess weight.

Features

Many weight-training diets for women recommend increasing the amount of protein you consume in a day, as this is a key nutrient in muscle building. Other diets focus on increasing your carbohydrate intake, as these are critical in giving you enough energy to do your workouts. How you distribute your calories varies depending on your goals and genetic makeup, but registered dietitian Karen Ansel in her article "Power-Packed Protein" advises that you split your meal closest to your workout in half, consuming part of the protein before the workout and part of it after.

Considerations

Low-calorie weight-training diets, such as the Bowflex Body Leanness Program, can bring a woman's diet down to as little as 1,000 calories per day. According to program creator Dr. Ellington Darden, this type of diet's main focus is "maximum fat-loss effectiveness and nutritional value." When muscle strength and size gain becomes a greater focus of the diet, reducing calories is a less-valuable approach.

To improve muscle gain, a woman should raise her protein intake to 1-1/2 to 2 g per kilogram of body weight. Some programs encourage you to reduce your fat and carbohydrates to compensate for this increase in protein, but your overall calorie intake should remain the same to keep your energy up for workouts.

Expert Insight

Regardless of whether you engage in a low- or moderate-calorie diet while weight training, balance is still an important factor to consider. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, it is critical for adults to obtain all of their nutrient needs within their caloric guidelines. When increasing your protein or carbohydrates for a strength-training diet, it is easy to leave out other essential nutrients. Women should ensure that they are eating plenty of nutrient-dense vegetables and taking in calcium for bone strength while weight training.

Warning

You should consult with your doctor before beginning any diet or weight-training program. Changing the balance of your diet and caloric intake may be detrimental to your overall health, depending on your needs. It is also recommended that you increase the amount of water you drink to at least 2 L a day, as working out and eating increased amounts of protein can dehydrate your body.