Female muscles can be shaped and enlarged with these 4 types of exercise

Strong muscles are synonymous with a strong, healthy, and fit body. Hence, the dream of having a muscular body is not limited to the people of Adam— but also the Eve. However, women do need to work extra hard to get the muscular body they dream of. The reason is, women's bodies naturally contain more fat than men. In addition, women's physical endurance is also below that of men, even though women's muscular endurance is proven to be twice as strong as that of the opposite sex.

Female muscles can still be toned and enlarged. The steps that women need to take to get strong muscles are actually almost the same as what men should do. Namely regular exercise, at least 20-30 minutes per day for 3 times a week. The following are the types of exercise that are right for women who want to increase their muscles.

The right type of exercise to build women's muscles

Here are four types of exercises you can do to help build muscle in no time.

1. Walk or run

No need to bother paying membership in an expensive gym to get your dream body. You just need a good pair of running shoes for running, or a 20-minute afternoon walk around the house complex.

Yes, cardio exercise is one type of exercise that is fairly effective for building muscle. Most athletes, be they runners, swimmers, and even soccer players do more cardio training to build and maintain muscle mass rather than endurance exercises such as push-ups or sit-ups.

Try doing brisk walking or slow running for 15 to 30 minutes on a regular basis at least 3 times a week. If your body is able to adapt, increase the exercise time up to 5 - 10 minutes each week.

2. Squats

Squats are one of the best exercises you can do to work your lower body and core. If you do this exercise regularly, you can tone and tone the muscles of your thighs and buttocks.

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and place your arms straight out in front of or behind your head. Then, position your buttocks back and bend your knees, as if going to a squat. Look straight ahead and keep your chest and back straight. Then, jump into the air and land in the same squat position as before. Do this for 1 set of 15 to 20 squats. If you are used to this movement, try doing squats with a dumbbell in both hands.

3. Push ups

Push-ups are the most common form of muscle tone for the arms, shoulders, and chest. Start in a prone position on the floor with your arms slightly wider. However, make sure that the hands stay in line with the shoulders. After that, lift your body using your arms and allow your body weight to be supported by the hands and the base of the toes.

Hold your stomach as tight as possible for a few seconds - your body should form a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Then, lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor, making sure your elbows are tucked in close to your torso. Repeat this movement for 5 sets. With 1 set consisting of 15 to 20 push ups. Modify the push up movement every week according to your ability.

4. Crunches

Crunches is a great exercise for building strong abdominal muscles. This movement is almost similar to sit ups because it is done in a lying position. But in contrast to sit ups, the range of motion of the crunches is narrower and the position of the feet is not flat on the floor but is lifted together with the upper body. If you do it in the right and regular way, this movement can help you to improve your balance.

The first step you can take is to lie on your back with your knees bent so that they are in a 90 degree angle. Then, place your hands on your head - don't lock your fingers or push your head up. You can also cross your arms over your chest. Then, lift your shoulders toward the ceiling using your abdominal muscles and hold for a few seconds. After that, slowly lower yourself back down while taking a breath.

Apart from exercise, also pay attention to your food intake

In addition to focusing your energy and time on building muscle, you must also pay attention to your daily food intake to support muscle building. Proper nutritional intake acts as fuel for female muscle cells to work properly.

Protein is the best source of nutritional intake for enlarging muscles. But that's not all. Carbohydrates and fats are also needed to support optimal muscle building. These three macro nutrients are needed by muscles for their growth. So, make sure that the food you consume daily contains balanced nutrition to help speed up the process of building your muscles.