One of the biggest challenges female bodybuilders face in comparison to male bodybuilders is the difference in hormones --- men have higher levels of testosterone, which means that, with exercise, their bodies reach an anabolic, muscle-building state easier and remain there longer. Higher levels of estrogen in women means, among other things, that burning fat can be more of a challenge, placing a premium on cardiovascular exercise. Women also sometimes struggle to put on weight in the form of muscle mass, meaning proper nutrition and weightlifting approaches are also important.
Rapid Muscle Growth Workouts
Heavy duty, intense workouts emphasize adding muscle mass quickly. If you're looking to bulk up and build muscle in a short amount of time, choose a bodybuilding plan with an efficient workout schedule --- shorter, more-intense lifting sessions. These workouts can help women add size and shock the body into exercise mode using heavier weights and fewer repetitions per set. Rest becomes even more important when tackling an intense weightlifting routine, so allow muscle groups to recover at least a full day after targeting them with heavy lifting. These workouts also place a high level of importance on proper form and technique to ensure you're getting the most out of your shorter visits to the gym.
Quick-Rotation Workouts
Plateaus are a common problem for male and female bodybuilders. If you stick with the same workout routine long enough, your body will adapt, you will begin to get fewer results from your exercise, and, ultimately, you might get bored. To combat this, many weightlifters change their regimens every month or so. Among the ways to do this is to throw in quick-rotation exercises every few weeks to keep your body from adjusting to a routine and to constantly challenge it in different ways. One way bodybuilders accomplish this is by focusing on three or four different lifts at a time, moving quickly from one lift to the next and cycling through the different exercises with little or no rest in between. This workout strategy can help improve endurance as well as strength and will keep your workouts on the shorter side.
Failure Workouts
Weightlifters use the term "failure" to note the point at which your muscles can no longer continue. Performing lifts until "failure" is one way for female bodybuilders to ensure complete muscle fatigue, which can help build size and strength. Muscles are built during the recovery period after workouts, so lifting until failure requires sufficient rest afterward, usually at least a full day for the muscle groups you're targeting. Always use a spotter when performing failure lifts with free weights. Among the ways female bodybuilders tackle failure lifting is to start out at a heavy weight and lift it as many times as they can, then drop the weight down and lift that as many times as they can. This continues until you ultimately cannot lift anything. Warm up and drink plenty of fluids before taking on intense workout routines to help reduce the risk of injury and ensure that you get the most out of your workout.
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