A Woman’s Beginner Workout Plan For Muscle Gain
Looking for more curves, more muscle, and more strengthโbut confused about how to actually get started?
In this post, we’ll teach you how to start lifting weights and give you a full-body workout plan designed for females that you can do either at home or at a gym. If you pair this routine with a good muscle-building diet, you can start building muscle right now.
- The Best Beginner Exercises for Building Muscle For Females
- The Four Big Compound Exercises For WomenโVideo Tutorials
- Putting Your First Workout Routine Together
- The Workout
- Video Demonstration
- Use a Moderate Rep Range
- Challenge Yourself But Stop Just Shy of Failure
- Start With Two Sets, Then Add More
- How Many Days A Week Should I Workout To Build Muscle As A Female?
- Rest 1โ2 Minutes Between Sets
- Add Isolation LiftsโIf You Want
- Fight to Outlift Yourself Every Workout
- How To Gain Muscle For Females
- What Next?
The Best Beginner Exercises for Building Muscle For Females
If you’re new to lifting weights, working out just 2โ3 times per week is often enough to maximize your rate of muscle growth. You don’t need to do that many different exercises, either. In fact, all you need to do is focus on getting stronger at four compound exercises. These exercises are: the squat, the deadlift, the push-up, and the chin-up.
These four exercises work all of the major muscles in your body, they’re great for developing general strength, and they can be loaded progressively heavier as you get stronger. To pick up a kid, you squat down and pick them up. If you want to carry your share of a couch to change up the living room, you deadlift it. If you want to push someone, you’ll be doing a push-up. And if you need to climb up something, that’s a chin-up. If you get strong at these movements, you’ll be strong at everything.
The problem is, the most popular versions of these liftsโbarbell backs squats, conventional barbell deadlifts, push-ups from the floor, and chin-ups from a dead hangโare difficult and require quite a bit of time to master.
Some beginners can do them right away, but they usually have an athletic background and someone to coach them in person. But you don’t need to start with advanced variations. There are simpler variations that beginners can do at home, or during their first workout at the gym. No coach required. And these simple variations are just as good for building muscle.
If you’re a beginner, we recommend starting with these beginner variations:
- The goblet squat will work your biceps, shoulders, quads, obliques, abs, calves, lower back and butt. You can do these with a dumbbell, kettlebell, or weight plate.
- The dumbbell sumo deadlift will work all the muscles in your thighs, your grip (forearms), all the muscles in your back. And it’s arguably the best lift in the world for building a bigger, stronger butt. You can do these with a dumbbell. If you are going to the gym and have access to a barbell, you can do Romanian deadlifts.
- The raised push-up will work your triceps, shoulders, chest, and abs. You can do these against a weight bench or couch.
- The dumbbell row will work most of the muscles in your backs, including your lats, traps, and rear delts. You can do it with a dumbbell, but if you don’t have one, you can do a barbell row instead.
You can still use some of these variations even as an advanced lifter. Even the strongest woman in the world can get a good workout from doing goblet squats. It’s just she’ll be using a hundred-pound dumbbell instead of a thirty-pound dumbbell. But after a few weeks of doing these lifts, you’ll probably have the strength and coordination you need to do more advanced variations: back squats, Romanian deadlifts, push-ups from the floor, and lowered chin-ups.
For now, though, you can begin with just four lifts. Let’s go over each of them in detail.
The Four Big Compound Exercises For WomenโVideo Tutorials
The Goblet Squat
Here’s Marco and Simone teaching the goblet squat. This is a great lift for building bigger quads and glutes, and great for strengthening your torso and posture. Don’t be discouraged if it takes you a little while to master. You don’t need to be perfect on your first day. Just strive for gradual improvement.
As they demonstrate the lift, notice that they lift the weight smoothly and explosively. There’s no jerking, but they’re pushing into the weight with confidence. Then, on the way down, they’re keeping the weight slow and under control. This lifting “tempo”โlifting explosively and then lowering under controlโis ideal for gaining both muscle size and strength.
The Dumbbell Sumo Deadlift
Here’s Marco and Marielle teaching the dumbbell sumo deadlift. This lift is great for developing the hamstrings (back of thighs), glutes (in a slightly different way from the squat), upper and lower back, forearms and, again, hundreds of other muscles. This is one of the best lifts for improving your posture too.
Once you get strong at the dumbbell sumo deadlift, you can do the Romanian deadlift instead, either with dumbbells or a barbell. It’s another great beginner deadlift variation, and it’s arguably the best lift for building bigger hips and bigger glutes. It’s also fantastic for developing general strength.
The Push-Up
Here’s the push-up. This is a great beginner lift for gaining muscle size and strength in your shoulders, chest, arms, and abs. Bracing your core is also great for strengthening your posture.
Once you’re able to do 20 push-ups on the floorโno small feat!โyou can switch to the bench press if you want. The only real advantage of the bench press over the push-up is that it’s easier to gradually load heavier. If you want to stick with push-ups, you could just as easily switch to move advanced variations, such as the deficit push-up.
The Dumbbell Row
This is the dumbbell row. It’s a great beginner exercise for building muscle in your upper back. The main muscles it works are the lats, traps, and rear delts. It’s also fairly good for your arms, though, and should stimulate a bit of biceps growth.
Once you get comfortable doing these rows, you can start practicing the lowered chin-up. And from there, you can transition to doing full chin-ups from a dead hang.
Putting Your First Workout Routine Together
The Workout
The workout is very simple, and we’ll go over the instructions in a moment. Here it is:
- Goblet squats: 2 sets of 10 repetitions.
- Dumbbell sumo deadlift: 2 sets of 10 repetitions.
- Raised push-ups: 2 sets of as many reps as you can do (AMRAP).
- Dumbbell row: 2 sets of 10 repetitions.
When doing the workout, worry less about the number of reps and more about challenging yourself with the weight you selected and bringing yourself close enough to failure. If you fail at 8 or 15 reps, that’s just as good as failing at 10 reps. Anywhere from 4โ40 reps will build muscle. 10 reps is just a good default.
GET THE GOOGLE SPREADSHEET OF THE
FREE female BEGINNERโS FULL-BODY WORKOUT
Get the workout as a Google spreadsheet. Youโll be able to pick from exercise alternatives, fill out the sheet, and get our beginnerโs warm-up.
Plus, weโll make sure youโre on the Bony to Bombshell newsletter, and send you all of our best women's muscle-building content.
Video Demonstration
Okay, now that you know how you do the four main beginner lifts, let’s talk about how to put them together into a workout routine. Here’s Reetta from Finland, a Bombshell member turned Bombshell coach, with a video demonstrating the routine. (Note that since filming this video, we’ve added the dumbbell row as a core lift.)
Reetta is using a kettlebell because that’s what she has at home. If you have dumbbells, those are even better. If you’re training at a commercial gym, they’ll have everything you need. If you want to train at home, you can start with whatever you have, but we recommend buying some adjustable dumbbells, such as IronMaster, Bowflex, or PowerBlock dumbbells.
Use a Moderate Rep Range
For all of these lifts you want to choose a weight that you can do 4โ40 repetitions with. If you can’t do 4 repetitions, use a lighter weight or an easier variation. For example, if push-ups from the floor are too hard, then switch to doing push-ups from something like a couch edge to make it easier.
If you can do more than 30 repetitions, use a heavier weight or a more difficult variation (such as doing push-ups from the floor). That will guarantee that the workout is helping you gain muscle size and strength, not making endurance adaptations. But your strengths and the weights you have available will vary, so some flexibility will go a long way.
If you have access to adjustable dumbbells, choose a weight you can do 8-12 repetitions with.
Challenge Yourself But Stop Just Shy of Failure
Ideally, you’ll stop your set when you’re just about to fail. But as a beginner, it’s hard to know exactly how hard you’re pushing yourself. If you aren’t sure if you’re taking your sets close to failure, try doing more. Try pushing yourself all the way until your muscles give out. That way you’ll know what it feels like. Next time, stop right before that point.
Start With Two Sets, Then Add More
Start with just a couple sets, then add more sets as you get stronger. We recommend doing two sets of each exercise the first week. Practice your form, find the right weights, take your time.
Next week, if you aren’t too sore at the start of each workout, try adding a set to each exercise. If that goes well and you feel ready for more, add another set next week. You can do around 3โ6 sets per exercise. Most people will do best with 3โ4 sets (including us). If you ever start to feel worn down, or if you’re coming back after a long break, start the cycle over again, going back to just two sets per exercise.
How Many Days A Week Should I Workout To Build Muscle As A Female?
As a woman, you’ll want to do three full body workouts per week for optimal muscle gain. Each workout will stimulate muscle growth for the next 2โ3 days. After those 2โ3 days, your muscles will be (mostly) repaired, and you should be ready for another workout. More importantly, you should be stronger. You should be able to lift more weight or eke out more repetitions than last time.
Because each workout stimulates a couple of days of muscle growth, training every second or third day works very well. Here’s a good default schedule, but feel free to adjust it:
- Monday: workout #1
- Tuesday: rest
- Wednesday: workout #2 (even if sore)
- Thursday: rest
- Friday: workout #3 (even if sore)
- Saturday: rest
- Sunday: rest (and full recovery)
Rest 1โ2 Minutes Between Sets
How long you rest between sets isn’t very important. Whether you rest 2 or 10 minutes, you’ll still stimulate a similar amount of muscle growth. The important thing is that you rest long enough to catch your breath, ensuring that your cardiovascular system doesn’t limit the performance of your muscles.
We want to challenge your muscles, not just your heart (though your heart will get a good workout, too!).
The main reason to rest for just a couple of minutes is to keep your workouts short and dense. But if you need more rest or get interrupted partway through your workout, no problem. Just pick up where you left off.
If you want to blast through your workout even faster, you can do the lifts in a circuit/superset. Do a set of push-ups, rest a minute, then do a set of squats, rest a minute, then do your second set of push-ups, and then do your second set of squats. That way, you’re still giving your muscles plenty of time to recover between sets, but you’re doing another exercise during the rest period.
Add Isolation LiftsโIf You Want
This simple workout is a great foundation, but feel free to build on it. If you want bigger glutes, no problem. You’re already doing squats and deadlifts, which is plenty, but there’s no harm in adding in some extra hip thrusts or glute bridges to the end of your workout for extra glute stimulation.
At The Gym Glute Exercise: Barbell Glute Bridge
At Home Glute Exercise: Bodyweight Single Leg Hip Thrust
Fight to Outlift Yourself Every Workout
We’ve mentioned this before, but it’s important enough to be worth repeating. To build muscle, you need to force yourself to get gradually stronger over time. You can do this by lifting more weight (e.g. choosing a dumbbell that’s five pounds heavier), squeezing out more repetitions (e.g. doing one extra rep on your second set), squeezing out more sets (e.g. doing 3 sets of exercises) or using a deeper range of motion (e.g. switching from push-ups to deficit push-ups). This is called progressive overload.
Every workout, fight to outlift yourself. That doesn’t mean going to failure, but sometimes that can happen. Sometimes you’ll add a bit of weight, you won’t be strong enough to get all your reps in, and you’ll fail. That’s okay. Try to outlift yourself again next time. And next time, if you can, try to stop right before that point of failure.
If you’re getting stronger over time, that’s a great sign that you’re training hard enough, eating enough food, eating enough protein, and getting enough sleep. Just keep going!
For more, we have a full article about how to use progressive overload to gain muscle size and strength.
How To Gain Muscle For Females
Aside from lifting weights, make sure to eat enough calories and protein!
Working out is the best place to start. Worry about exercising before you worry about your diet. But once you’ve done your first workout, it’s time to start eating for growth.
To gain weight you’ll need to work on your nutrition as well. Combining this workout with enough calories and enough protein is key in order to gain weight and build muscle.
For more, we have an article about how to eat for muscle growth. But some basic pointers are to:
- If youโre a skinny beginner, gaining 0.25โ0.75 pounds per week is a good place to start.
- If your diet is already made up mostly of whole whole foods, is fairly consistent, and your weight stays about the same each week, then you donโt need to count calories. Just add 200โ300 calories on top of what youโre already eating. That will bring you into a small calorie surplus.
- If your diet needs a total overhaul, you might want to track calories. 13x your bodyweight in pounds (or 29x your bodyweight in kilos) is about how many calories it takes to maintain your weight. So to start gaining weight, add another 200โ300 calories on top of that. For a woman who weighs 100 pounds, thatโs around 1300 calories to maintain, and 1550 to gain.
- Weigh yourself each week and adjust your calorie intake accordingly. If you arenโt gaining weight, add another 200 calories. If you gain too much weight, remove 100 calories.
- Your weekly calorie surplus determines how much weight you gain each week. Ideally, youโd get into that weekly surplus by eating a small surplus every single day. But if you need to, you can make up for a day of undereating with a day of overeating. So if youโre 200 calories short one day, eat an extra 200 calories the next day.
- Eat 0.8โ1 gram of protein per pound bodyweight per day (2.2 grams per kilo). Most people can do this by eating protein-rich foods, such as meat, dairy, soy, legumes, and nuts. But if you find it hard to eat enough protein, consider buying some protein powder. Itโs the easiest way to boost your protein intake.
- Eat the foods you already loveโjust add more calories and protein. You donโt need any dietary restrictions. Try to build a diet that you enjoy. The only thing we recommend is eating mostly whole foods. More fruits, veggies, legumes, yogurt, and nuts. Fewer packaged cookies and chips.
- Donโt fret about advanced nutrition techniques until this is easy! This is everything you need to build muscle and gain weight leanly and effectively.
After that, you can start tweaking other variables like getting enough sleep, improving your recovery (like hot baths with Dead Sea salts, etc.), getting in enough cardio work like daily walks, and so on.
GET THE GOOGLE SPREADSHEET OF THE
FREE female BEGINNERโS FULL-BODY WORKOUT
Get the workout as a Google spreadsheet. Youโll be able to pick from exercise alternatives, fill out the sheet, and get our beginnerโs warm-up.
Plus, weโll make sure youโre on the Bony to Bombshell newsletter, and send you all of our best women's muscle-building content.
What Next?
If you liked this article, youโd love our muscle-building newsletter. Weโll keep you up to date on all the latest muscle-building information for women. Or, if you want us to walk you through the process of building muscle, including teaching you the lifts, giving you a full workout program, a complete diet guide, a recipe book, and online coaching, check out our Bony to Bombshell Program.
Shane Duquette is the co-founder of Outlift, Bony to Beastly, and Bony to Bombshell, and has a degree in design from York University in Toronto, Canada. He's gained sixty pounds at 11% body fat and has over ten years of experience helping over 10,000 skinny people build muscle, get stronger, and gain weight.
Marco Walker-Ng is the co-founder and strength coach of Outlift, Bony to Beastly, and Bony to Bombshell. He's also a certified trainer (PTS) and nutrition coach (PN) with a Bachelor's degree in Health Sciences (BHSc) from the University of Ottawa. His specialty is helping people build muscle to improve their strength and performance, with clients including college, professional, and Olympic athletes.
FREE women's Muscle Growth MINI-COURSE
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- How women should train for muscle growth
- How to gain weight as a skinny woman
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Ooh so excited for this free starter plan! Should be perfect to get me motivated since I’ve been putting off buying the full plan! Thank you so much Bony to Bombshell Team!
Really glad we could help, Bonnie! Good luck and let us know how it goes! ๐
I’ve too have been putting off buying The Program.
I want to know if you can make progress using the information given on the website alone?
*I too/I’ve also
Of course you can, eat enough calories and protein..track it with an app;) and then do the routines.
Self motivate
Yes! Definitely. I did it for 3 weeks and saw great results and ended up buying the program.
I have been going at if for a year now. First time I ever stuck with any workout for this long and I feel and look great!
Can you recommend a good starting weight?
Hey Sarah, you’ll need to do some personal experimentation to find the right starting weight. Someone might be able to do 20 goblet squats while holding a 40 pound dumbbell when just starting, whereas another person may only be able to do 10 goblet squats while holding a 20 pound dumbbell. If I gave the average starting weight the stronger woman wouldn’t grow at all because the weights would be too light, and the weaker woman wouldn’t be able to finish her sets properly.
Start light and work your way up. The sets that are too easy count as warmup sets. The first “real” set is the one where you get almost to muscular failureโto the point where no matter how hard you tried you wouldn’t have been able to do another rep or two with proper technique.
Thank you so much!!! That helps!
There’s no way I can lift my boyfriend’s 20lb dumbell.
I can start at like, 5 or 8lbs & still see good results?
You might not be able to curl it yet, but you could probably do some goblet squats or dumbbell sumo deadlifts with it, and then it will quickly become too light for that.
But yes! So long as the weight is heavy enough that you can’t do more than, say, 20 reps before hitting muscular failure, then you’ll build muscle just fine even if it’s light in an absolute sense.
Hey Shane ! I am having some trouble
I am 21 years old and my weight is 103
I am having trouble gaining weight… I have recently started counting my calories to see if I can eat more than I burn off
however I find it soooo difficult to eat more than 1200-1400 a day
I get full so easy and on top of that I do not eat any meat(I have tried to, cant, and don’t plan on starting)
Do you know of any foods that are high in calories or shakes that are high in protein and calories? maybe if I find something high in calories then I will not have to eat as much
I struggled with this at first too! I started using the My Fitness Pal app to track what I was eating which helps a ton. There are TONS of great protein powders out there. Just experiment to find one you really like. I love using a hemp protein and make a shake of hemp protein, one frozen banana, powdered peanut butter and cacao powder and almond milk. Nutrient dense and great source of proteins! So I drink that after my work out and then mid morning also have a protein bar (I love Oatmega). Use nut butters (great source of calories, healthy fats and protein), avocados, and healthy fats. Once you start to track your foods you’ll be able to see where you can make easy adjustments to get the calories you really need!
I can totally relate to all of that. Eating enough is without a doubt the hardest part for almost all of us naturally thin people.
Sarah has you covered with the smoothie.
Some other good easy-gainers are:
Legume stews cooked in bulk (e.g. lentil stew or vegetarian chili)
Trail mix (add dark chocolate for bonus points)
Cottage cheese + strawberry jam
Muesli cereal + yoghurt or milk
Snacking is great, too. Adding in a handful of trail mix between meals and then maybe a protein powder shake after the gymโthat’s often all that it takes ๐
…(if you are doing this at home.) And thank you so much for your helpful articles!
Would it be wrong to use a kettle bell for the The Goblet Squat and The Dumbbell Sumo Deadlift?
I’m just starting out (still very bony lol) and there are two areas in my gym – the dumbbell area (which is really crowded for space) and the kettle bell area (not so crowded at all).
Kettle bells are great for those lifts, yeah ๐
Hello! I am 17 years old, im 5’7 and i weight around 126. Im interested in gaining muscular mass and your program seems very effective. I have a little question, the models from the before and after pictures transformed their bodies by only doing those 3 excercises for several months? Are those the only excercises required? Thank you!
Hey Sonia, they aren’t models, just regular people doing the Bony to Bombshell program. They didn’t do just these three exercises, they did the full Bony to Bombshell program, which features many different assistance and isolation lifts, progresses you through several phases, etc. However, this would be a pretty perfect place to start ๐
After you do this for a couple months, gain a few pounds of muscleโฆ then you progress to the next stage.
When does the free nutrition article come out? Been stalking you guys for a while, figured I would get all my basics done before starting the full program. Super excited!
Glad you’ve been liking the free content, Davya! Soon ๐ In a couple weeks, I hope. We might put out another mini-article first though.
I’ve done this three times in the past week. I already have a good diet that works well with my body, and already eat high-calorie nutritious food. At my heaviest when I was 13-14, I was 108lb. Now,nearly 18, I have been 103 at 5’7 for the past several years. I weighed myself this morning- 107! I really cannot believe this- it’s amazing. Is there a way to purchase the exercise portion of your program?
So glad to hear it’s working so well for you, Tuberose! ๐
You can purchase the whole program here: http://bonytobombshell.com/weight-gain-program-for-women/
We aren’t selling the workout program separately, but we might come out with a smaller and cheaper version of the program (that doesn’t include the community or coaching) later, if there’s enough demand for it!
I hope that helps, and keep it up!
Hey Shane!~
So I’ve read your articles and been totally obsessed with your website. In reply to your comment here about releasing a smaller, cheaper version of the program, is that still in the works? I’ve been very unhealthy and underweight most of my life due to digestive issues and with medical bills and life in general I just can’t afford the full program. Unfortunately! Because I’m sure the value of your program exceeds the cost, based on the before and afters. I’m excited to try some things based on your articles as well but hoping I can get more out of a small version of the program. Thanks a lot!
Greetings!!
I’ve been struggling to gain weight and have a consistent diet to keep up with. I’m 23 weighing about 110 lb, my average weight before my weird weight loss was 130 lbs.. I would looove to get my curves back. I’m planning to start this weight out routine this week!!! However I’m worried about my diet, I do not eat meat, are there any foods/shakes/bars, etc.. Anyone can recommend to help me gain weight that are not meat ??
You don’t need meat at all. If you consume dairy that’ll be more than enoughโmilk, greek yoghurt and cottage cheese are all very rich in protein. Lots of carbs have a little protein in them as wellโlegumes, whole grains, nuts, peas, etc. And while eggs are mostly fat, they can be a good protein source too. Then there’s the muscle-building stable: whey protein. It can can be mixed with water, milk or blended up into smoothies.
If you want to avoid animal products altogether you can get some plant-based protein powder. They make it pretty easy to hit your daily protein targets even without meat, eggs or diary.
(We have some recipes for homemade protein bars and some simple higher protein vegetarian meals included with the program too!)
Hey, thank you for such a helpful article! I don’t have a gym membership but experimented with this for the first time today at home. I used a 5kg (11 pound) dumbbell that I already had in the house. I did 15 reps – it wasn’t easy but I wasn’t at the point of almost failure by the 15th. I’d like to buy a heavier kettle bell so I can do my first “real” set but was wondering what kind of weight to choose? I know it’s difficult as you haven’t seen me lift but any advice would be really appreciated ๐
Hey Julia,
Getting a heavier weight will certainly help, especially if you get one with some growing room in it. Maybe if you got a 40โ50 pounder, for example, at first you could do lower rep goblet squats, progress to higher rep ones over the course of a couple months, and then switch to lower rep single leg squats, then higher rep, etc.
However, it would be even better if you invested in some adjustable dumbbells. Those would grow with you, and they would allow you to combine together a bunch of different rep ranges and do a wider variety of lifts ๐
Would love the program but the price is way out of my league:((((
Don’t worry, Mariz. We’re going to keep coming out with free content like this as well ๐
This is awesome! I’ve just completed my first week and I feel amazing! Plus, I’ve gained 2 pounds! That never happens! Thankyou!
Yesss, congrats on the two pounds, Kelly Marie! ๐
Hi! I’ve been reading your blog and I am really interested in the program. I was just wondering if these exercises would be appropriate for someone with knee injury. I have a tear on my left meniscus (this is a very old injury) and I have always been wary of squats and the like. Do you know if the exercises are safe?
Thank you!
Yes, we can help you work around your injuries ๐
(Coaching is included with the program, and Marco is well trained to deal with your particular issue.)
This is amazing I finally found something that made me feel better and excited about gaining weight…ppl usually look at me and say why do you even bother working out…but thanks so much I’ve been really wanting to gain muscle and weight. Going to try this.
Really glad we could help, Ramirez! Good luck ๐
Hello I’m 5 feet and weigh 91 pounds. all my life I have been little and its time to change… my question is how long before I start seeing results.. thank you
Hey Love, if you don’t see measurable results without your first week then it’s time to change something. For members of our program, for example, we recommend gaining around 0.3โ0.5 pounds per week when the goal is building muscle. If they don’t gain that amount, we increase their calorie intake so that they grow the following week. How long until this creates noticeable, visual improvements? Usually 5โ10 weeks, depending on their genetics and how consistently they follow the lifting and nutrition program ๐
hello i would love to know if we need to warmp up before the excercises and if so what kind of warm up we need
That’s a really good question! The most basic warmup would be running through the exercises but with weights that are only about half as heavy to limber up and get some blood flowing. Dynamic warm-ups can work well in addition to that though. That might make for a good follow-up blog post ๐
(In the meantime, just don’t stretch. It isn’t very good for increasing mobility/flexibility and it reduces strength for a little while afterwards, so you’d get a little bit less out of your workouts.)
Do you need to be a member of a gym to do this and do you need to buy a lot of equipment if you are at home?
Hi Myra,
You definitely don’t need to be going to a gym. Many of our members are working out from home ๐ And the good news is that you don’t need a lot of equipment. You do however need heavy weights. We recommend getting two very heavy adjustable dumbbells (80-100 pounds each) and a bench. That will allow you to do every exercise you’ll need to do with heavy enough weights to be able to build muscle.
I hope that helps, and you can email us anytime if we can help clarify anything else ๐
Hi, thanks for all the awesome info! I am 5’10” and 115 lbs, starting out at home with lifting. I did it for about a week as recommended in this article, but am finding that my lower back is really sore… is this normal for a bit when starting out with lifting because I don’t have much strength in my back yet? I do generally have a stiff/sore back (lower and upper), likely from poor posture and lack of muscles ๐ I feel like my technique is good while lifting, but I don’t want to hurt my back.
Your lower back will be trained when lifting, we just want to make sure that you aren’t relying on it too much. Oftentimes soreness is caused by your hips being tilted forward, putting your lower back in a perma-flexed position. This can make it really tired and sore, especially when lifting.
Is the soreness in your spinal erectors? (The muscles running up alongside your spine.)
Its hard to say exactly. Possibly… it just feels sore in a general sense, I think. I will pay more attention to that and see if it makes a difference! Thanks!
I just found this program and boy, am i excited! I am about to turn 50, and i have been lifting weights since i was 18 and have only been able to put on minimal muscle. Now that I’m older, I’m turning skinny-fat! I would REALLY LOVE to put on as much muscle as i can and be a kick-ass 50 year old! Is this program for me, even tho I’ve recently gotten thicker in the middle? (Hint: PLEASE SAY YES!)
Oh no! The dreaded skinny-fat stage! Ahaha we see this happen in a lot of people as they get older. We can help you with that for sure. You’ll find other women in the community in similar places with similar goals too.
So the answer: YES! ๐
hello! I’m 20, 5’4 and 40kg.
I am student so kind of on a budget but I have a holiday to go to in August and was wondering if I use these weights my dad has at home which weighs 3kg will that work?
Hey Sana,
3kg is pretty light! Your muscles wouldn’t need to grow any stronger/bigger to use weights that are already light for you. I would recommend getting some heavier dumbbells (or getting your dad to get some). They aren’t that expensive, sometimes you can get them second-hand, and that would give you everything that you need to build muscle properly ๐
Hi, Shane. Im Melissa and Im new in this workout stuff. Im skinny. I wanted some muscles. But im not a kind of girl that eats a lot. Any other suggestion for nutritions or workout tips for ads/muscles? If i workout 6 days a week, any chance that muscles will develop quickly for women?
Hey Melissa,
Working out six days per week won’t build muscle more quickly than working out just three times per week, but in either case, yes, women can build muscle very quickly! Women build muscle at a similar pace to men, actually, once you factor in their smaller overall sizes. Just make sure to do a program designed to build muscle, not a general fitness program.
You will need to eat more though! Learning how to eat more, more easily is a big part of the program, and we’re going to be writing more about how to do that here on the blog soon ๐
My body can’t gain any weight..i mean i can’t get fat. Im weight abt 50 to 55kg.
And also, if i wanted to workout at home, any other stuff tht can use as weights other than buying dumbells?! I mean dumbells doesn’t come cheap in my hometown.
Ahaha it’s possible for you to get fat, just difficult. Once you figure out some appetite hacks and more about how to eat for weight gain, you’ll be in pretty good control of your weight. That means you could gain muscle or fat. I’d recommend building muscle, but you’d have the power to do either ๐
You could get a barbell and some weight plates instead, but that wouldn’t be quite as good for a beginner and that’d probably be more expensive. I’ve heard of people using dry-bags for camping. Those watertight bags designed to keep your stuff dry when canoeing and whatnot? You can fill them up with varying amounts of water so that each week you can lift heavier and heavier weights. Honestly though, it’d be worth spending an extra $20 and getting some actual adjustable dumbbells. If you order them onlineโAmazon or somethingโthere are some cheap ones!
Like my friends said to me tht you must be fat so that the fat change to muscle when u workout. Is it possible for skinny people like me to have muscles? I mean..im skinny right?! So does that i can be more skinnier or its impossible cause i don’t have any fat to burn?
Muscle doesn’t turn into fat and fat doesn’t turn into muscle. They’re totally separate things.
A skinny person can build muscle. A skinny person can also lose fat, but if you already have a low body fat percentage, it will probably make you look and feel a lot better if you focus on building muscle instead.
Hi! Just learned about your program and trying to figure out if it would work for me. I’m pretty much thin all over but store fat in my belly ๐ I’m 5’2″ and weight 114 lbs. I do have some fat I need to loose around my belly. Should I loose this fat before I can start this program to gain more curves in other areas of my body or will this program help me loose the belly fat and gain muscle weight as I do it? I know the program is intended to gain weight and I definitely need that around my legs and booty but I need to loose my belly. I’m afraid of starting the program and gain more weight in my belly due to the high calorie intake. Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you!
Hey Nina,
If your goal is maintain/build muscle mass as you lose the fat, and it sounds like it is, then I’d recommend starting up a program like this one before you lose any weight. Otherwise some of the weight you lose will be fat, some will be muscle. (Your calorie intake would be specific to you and your goals.)
And yes, we have fat loss guides included with the program as well, although always with muscle and strength in mind ๐
Hi! Just learned about your program. I’m 23 and weigh 43Kgs, I’ve been trying to put on weight but nothing really helps. I have started to take care of my diet and also started working out. Could you please help me with some lower body work out?? I have skinny legs and nothing fits me well!:( And also if you could tell me how many mintues of work out is helpful.
Hey Neha, this beginner’s workout should help get you started. For a more thorough, optimized routine that includes coaching and customization, I’d check out our full Bony to Bombshell Program.
How long your workout takes doesn’t matter much, but 45โ75 minutes 2โ4 times per week is often about right.
HI I’m Stace I’m 16 and I need help to make my body look more attractive and yeah sexy .haha.im trying my best to be fit .i eat a lot I exercise but it seems like it’s not enough.
Hey Stacy, did you read our other post about nutrition?
http://bonytobombshell.com/beginners-nutrition-guide-for-women-looking-to-build-muscle-gain-weight/
If you’re doing a good lifting workout a few times per week and eating enough calories to gain weight, eating enough protein to build muscle, then that should at least get the scale moving in the right direction. Based on how you progress in terms of strength in the gym + bodyweight on the scale, you can then adjust things as needed to keep moving forward.
If you want coaching through this whole process along with a more comprehensive guide (and tons of strategies to make things easier), we have the Bony to Bombshell Program as well:
http://bonytobombshell.com/weight-gain-program-for-women/
I really hope that helps!
Hi do you have pre-beginner tips. I can’t do even one push up. And barely able to do 15 squats without holding a weight.
Hey H,
Did you watch the full push-up video? Most people will need to start with a raised push-up to make it easy enough, and that’s perfect fine ๐ That’s actually good news as far as muscle growth goes too because you have a long time before you’ll become so strong that push-ups won’t build muscle anymore. (Once you can do 30+ push-ups from the floor, they’ll cause you to improve your endurance instead of your muscle strength / size.)
Same thing with squats. Right now you’re in the ideal muscle-building rep range, so no issue whatsoever. Start with a range of motion you can do properly, and gradually work your reps higher. When you can do 20 or even 30 reps, start loading it up with weight to get you down in that under-15 range.
The workout will still feel awkward for a couple weeks, but that’s not because it’s too difficult, it’s just because you’re moving your body in new waysโlike trying to brush your teeth with your left hand. Feels weird at first, but you’re more than capable of doing it with a little practice ๐
Hi, My names Taylor I’m 19 and weigh 89lb and a girl. I’m very underweight and have been that way since like 15. I eat a ton of food per day, I eat small snacks but about 6 times a day and I’ve tried just eating large meals 3 times a day and nothing seems to work. I really hope this helps put on weight. I have a pretty small chest.. Will the push ups make it smaller or will that help with growth as well?
Hey Taylor,
Eating more frequently (or snacking between meals) will often work well when trying to gain weight, especially for us naturally thin people who have smaller stomach capacities. Nothing wrong with eating three, four, five or six meals, so just pick the schedule that allows you to consume enough calories ๐
Making a muscle stronger will always make it bigger (provided you eat enough calories to gain weight, and enough protein to build muscle). This is true for your chest, which will become bigger by doing push-ups, and even your abs! The more crunches you do, the bigger your waist will become. For some this is good, for others not so much. In your case though, with your chest, yes, push-ups are a good way to grow it ๐
Hi, I’m trying out this routine and I got some adjustable dumb bells, but the disks are much wider and when stacked are thicker than what’s used on the video so I can’t hold the same way – is it ok to hold by the bar one hand above the other? Or would it be better to get a kettlebell for that one?
I’ve got those dumbbells too. I know what you mean. Holding it however works best is okay, just switch up which hand is on top from set to set so that you develop your muscles in a symmetrical way. Also be careful! The most common lifting injury is dropping a weight on your foot ๐
Hello! How much is the program? Do you have any promotions going on?
Hey C,
The program is 197, and it includes the main eBook that teaches you everything you need to know about muscle-building nutrition (including how to comfortably eat enough to gain weight), everything you need to know about lifting, supplements, and everything else. It also includes a 5-month workout program and videos teaching all of the lifts. Perhaps most importantly, it includes a yearlong membership in the community + coaching from us along the way to make sure you can overcome every obstacle ๐
http://bonytobombshell.com/weight-gain-program-for-women/
For promotions, we could set you up with a payment plan. If you’re a student, we also have a student discount. Send us an email at us@bonytobombshell.com for the details on those ๐
I’ve alrdy brought some protein shake powder. Hw often should i drink it? I mean i’ve workout only in the evening and should i only drink during workout? Cuz i’ve read some other wedsite abt it, and said i should drink it before bed, after i wake up, and 30 minutes before starting workout. And also, if i didn’t mix anything but the protein shake powder, it still works on growth or should i really mix with vegetable, fruit and etc to make it work?
You can have the protein shake whenever you aren’t hitting your protein goals with whole foods. So if you aren’t going to get a gram of protein per pound bodyweight that day, add in some protein powder. If you realize that right before bed, have it right before bed. If you already know you’re going to have a low protein day in the morning, have some when you wake up.
You can also have a scoop of protein powder after working out.
You don’t need to mix it with anything, but you can!
Hi, i am 21 and i don’t have any hips at all and i have a larger upper body and thin legs. I measure 32-26-34. Is there any workout i can do to balance out my body and gain some hip muscle. And also for weight lifting, do you think 10kg dumbells are good enough to build a bigger lower body for me or do i need heavier dumbells and also what exercises do i need to trim my upper body? Thanks.
A workout like this one would be a good place to start. Our Bony to Bombshell program would be even better. We have all the isolation and lower body emphasis lifts in there, along with videos teaching you how to get the most out of them. It includes everything you need to know about nutrition as well, a membership in the community, and coaching from us throughout and ๐
You can do some stuff with 10kg dumbbells. You could do even more with 20kg dumbbells. And even more with 40kg dumbbells.
Generally, the lower body needs heavier weights than the upper body. Women can usually build a much heavier squat than bench press, for example. This is even more true with the lower body isolation lifts, like the glute bridge and hip thrust. Mind you, in a pinch, you can get some good results by focusing on single-leg stuff with lighter weights. You can do a one-legged hip thrust with lighter weights than a regular hip thrust, and you can do a split squat or lunge with much lighter weights than you would need for a goblet squat.
To trim up your upper body, the main thing you’d want to do is lose a little body fat. This is best done by losing weight overall. Given your goals, though, that might not be something you want to focus on right now. Fortunately, those who are new to weightlifting can often lose some fat and build some muscle at the same time if their nutrition and lifting programs are good enough.
You can also get some visual improvements in your upper body just by following a good lifting routine. A good lifting routine will include some upper body compound lifts, and those will help you tone up your upper body by adding some muscle mass ๐
Hi, I live in newzealand and have tried contacting you via email, I would really love to start this program but, would like to now how the format works, do I need a laptop or is it a book? I have a few other question, thanks Melissa
Hey Melissa. We answered your question via email, but for the sake of anyone else reading, the book is digital, so you can read it on your laptop, desktop, tablet, smartphone, or however you like ๐
Hi! My name is Samantha, I’m 17 years old, around 5’0″ and 118lbs. I’ve been very insecure with my body for such a long time now, since my freshman year of high school. It really upsets me that although people in my school are alarmed when I tell them I weigh as much as I do, that I’m still considered “small and skinny”. I have no problem being short, I’m just very unhappy with my body. I wear a size 00 in jeans right now, just about everything that I wear is a size XS/S. I’ve been wanting to change my body for a long time now but I’m unsure of how to start. My goal is to try to go up a few jean sizes, like instead of being a 00/0 I would like to be a size 3. I’m also very fond of a body shape that I’m not exactly sure if I have. My ultimate goal is to have a larger/wider bottom portion than my top half- pear shaped. My measurements are 34-29-37. All I honestly want for myself is to be a little bit thicker, with thicker thighs and wider hips. I’m so in love with the idea of being this way that I’m very sad with myself. It just really depresses me being called skinny, knowing that I barely have “anything” to my body. And I know this may sound ridiculous, but this has affected me so much that if I can’t achieve the body I want on my own I would perhaps resort to surgery in the future, if such a thing is possible. I would really love to hear your input and advice, and if this is something that is truthfully attainable for me. I have profile images if that would help. Thank you for taking the time to read this, it means a lot.
Hey Samantha, I think the news here is pretty good. Your lower body, especially your hips, and thighs, are covered in muscles that all have a great deal of growth potential. So your ability to get the shape you want should be fairly achievable if you’re willing to lift some weights, diet right, gain some weight, and rest like a bear. (Note: Hips will get deeper more so than wider, but some width will be gained as well!)
Perhaps better still, you can definitely, definitely, 100% get strong and curvy enough that no one will ever think of you as skinny ever again. And you can do it in a very healthy, natural way that will cost a fraction of what surgery would cost ๐
You might think that it sounds ridiculous given how few people you know who are struggling with the same thing, but as someone naturally skinny who deals pretty much exclusively with other naturally skinny peopleโฆ I couldn’t relate more. Even drastic measures like surgery didn’t sound so unreasonable for me. That is, until I realized I didn’t have to do that (and that surgery wouldn’t look/feel/be nearly as good as doing it with lifting/diet.)
I really hope you decide to join our program! You sound like exactly who we wrote it for. But even if you don’t, you’ve already stumbled on a great way to get started ๐
Hi My name’s Rach in 24. I was a dancer for about 15 years ,lots of ballet etc however i have stopped dancing about 3 years ago, and therefore stopped training. I am 5ft 5 inches tall and weigh 46kgs. My biggest issue is that my abs are muscular but they stick out rather than being flat (I have no boobs so this makes it look worse). I think this may be due to years of incorrect technique for sit-ups etc. Could you recommend the best way to correct this? Thanks so much in advance ๐
xx
Hey Rachel, it sounds like your hips are tilted forward, making your stomach stick out. There isn’t a super easy fix for this, but it’s very common, and a well-rounded approach to training will gradually get your hips back into a more neutral position. The general workout advice here should help, but it’s important that you do the exercises with great technique so that you get all the benefits. If you’re doing everything with your hips tilted forward, it won’t do much to fix them.
There are some exercises, like planks, which teach you how to hold a neutral position, but you’ll also want to use loaded exercises, like deadlifts and goblet squats, that will strengthen that position.
You know what, this merits an article of its own. I bet Marco would like to write that article, too.
(Also worth pointing out that in the meantime, the Bony to Bombshell program fully covers all of this, with tutorial videos explaining exactly how to lift with your hips in a neutral position so that they’ll stay that way naturally in your day-to-day life.)
Hi, my name is Mystical Allen. I’m only 18 years old but I’ve been struggling to gain weight for a while. I eat a ton but I can never gain extra weight, I’ve been 119 lbs and 5’8″ since I was 13 years old. I tried working out, I’ve bought pills, and I also purchased an online workout regimen similar to yours but I still saw little to no results. I’m really skeptical about purchasing anything new because of my past experience, but I still wanted to know if you thought there was any hope for me.
Of course there’s hope! At 18 I was in the same bony boat as you, with lots of failed attempts under my belt. I was 125 pounds at 6’2. That’s why we made this program. To help people struggling with that same issue of not being able to gain weight no matter what they try.
I get the skepticism for sure. I would think the same thing. Would it help to know that we have a full refund policy? You don’t need to wonder if it will work, you can try it. If you don’t dig it, you send us an email and you get a full refund.
Fortunately, you’ll get into the community and realize that other people struggling with the exact same thing as you are are succeeding, and I think you’ll find the confidence to trust us for long enough to get you results. After you first week alone, you should be up 0.5โ1 pound, and then you’ve just got to keep at it ๐
Hi there, im so excited that i found this site! Im 20 yrs old, 5’1”, and only 95 lbs. Ive been slowly losing weight as i get older & tired of it! Ive began drinking protein shakes that add an extra 1300 calories per day to my meals. I dont substitute meals for shakes, i always eat with them. I use 2 10lb dumbells. What advice can you give me to improve? I want to start the program. Are the shakes going to help? Thanks!
Shakes are definitely going to help. Getting some heavier adjustable dumbbells (or a gym membership) would also help. After all, building muscle is about getting real strong, and to do that, you’ll need some heavy things to lift ๐
First thank you for the free guide. So excited because I have to wait until July before I can look into buying this program.
I am curious about whether I matters how we do our push ups. Do we really need to do it on a bench or does a regular floor position or kbee to floor position count as fine? I don’t get close to 15 reps for push ups 5-7 doing regular and about 10 on knees.
As long as they are proper and not stressed should I just do extra sets in a work out or just stick with 2 for the first week ?
The bench or raisded push-up is better than the knee position on the floor.
It’s good to remember that you don’t need to annihilate your muscles, just stress them enough. So it sounds like from the floor is just a little bit too tough for right now. So try them off the bench and in a week or two you might be back down to the floor but stronger than ever ๐
Hi im monica and iam 17 years old , i wanted to know how to get a more curves amd a bigger butt by weight training but iam skinny all over except for my stomach which is the place i store fat and gain weight the most in …..how much calories a day should i eat?….should i eat more calories than i burn to gain weight or eat less calories that i burn to lose weight ? And also i eat 1000 calories a day but it only contains junk food or white rice,etc.
Hey Monica,
Being under 18 you should always talk to your doctor or parents first before beginning *any* lifting or nutrition program.
We don’t know exactly how much bodyfat you’re carrying, some people that say they’re fat are extremely lean and vice versa. But generally it’s best to focus on one goal at a time. Either burning fat or building muscle. Check out the beginner’s nutrition guide on this site for a bit more info on calories.
This sounds amazing and I want to try but I have to wait until I can cancel my gym membership in November so I can afford it. I have been working out for years. I played sports all through high school. I had 2 kids the past 2 1/2 years and after both kids I lost so much weight so fast. I was worried so I had my thyroid checked but it was fine. I am 5’1 or 5’2 and had always weighed around 100lbs through high school and after (103 being my heaviest and 98 being my lightest) I had gotten sick with bronchitis and had stress from two kids and being in a wedding and remodeling a house this past December and got down to 93 lbs!!! I immediately went to get a gym membership and a personal traniner. She helped me gain muscle and got me back up to 98-103 lbs (varies by the day /time of the day) but she moved out of state so now I am at a stand still with my weight being 99-101. I have always eaten a lot and any foods that I want however I tend to eat a lot of fruits and veggies just because I like them. Also a lot of sweets. I love meat too I just don’t know how to cook it / have time to cook it since I work and have 2 young kids. I am definately interested in starting this program. I was thinking in the meantime I would start with the first couple week work out plan that you had in a video on your page. I deff need to get my chest and shoulders bigger. They are so bony!!! So annoying and annoyed with people saying how small I am, I don’t want to be so small !
November isn’t so far away ๐
Agh, the sounds like a really stressful time. Being a busy mother with bronchitis living in a house undergoing renovations while being in a wedding sounds crazy. Crazy how our body type responds by losing weight, whereas the average person will gain a few pounds.
If it helps, we’ve just, just released a brand new version of the entire program, and along with the new release, we’ve included the option to pay with a payment plan:
https://bonytobombshell.com/weight-gain-program-for-women/
It includes a recipes that should help you with the cooking / appetite side of things, too ๐
#biggertomorrow
[…] grams of protein, which is ideal in most cases, but when you train your entire body each workout, as we do, we’re stimulating an unusually large number of muscles all at once, so we benefit from a […]
I know its 2018 and it’s been a long time this article was written but if anyone see my comment can you help me please? First of all sorry for bad english (it’s not my first language).
Here are my questions:
-The workout in the video is the only work out we do all along the week or do I need other exercices?
-My arms are so weak I can’t do even 2 push ups what sould I do?
-The weight I can “grab” is very light I see some people grab 30kg I can’t do that. Is their a specific weight to grab if I want to gain weight?
Thank you if someone can answer me.By the way article is very cool and helped me understand some things I was wondering about.
Hi Jennifer! Is your goal to gain muscle in all areas? In my personal opinion, you target a different muscle group each day. I started lifting in August of 2017 & my weight went from 95lbs to 108lbs since then ๐ I dont do cardio, i just lift HEAVY & stay consistent. 5 days a week & rest on weekends. I hope this helps!
What foods would you recommend eating to help gain weight?
Iโve been using the resources you have available online for 2 1/2 weeks now and my boyfriend has already noticed a difference. Canโt wait to keep it up!
On rest days, can you do a form of cardio or would that hurt building muscle? If so, how much should I do and intensity? Also, how long should the beginner workout be done for on those days? 30 minutes? 60?
Hi! I have been able to gain weight and get to my desired number on the scale. However, now I am really confused how I can just maintain this weight, not lose or gain any now. If i stick to my skinny days diet and workout plan, i would only get back to skinny. And if i keep on doing the workouts and eating enough calories as during the weight gain journey, I will keep putting on weight. Any suggestions? Thanks!
OMG- LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS- thank you. I am a squat pushup girl, but need to up my game. Want to be able to do it at home. SO many of the workouts for strength are overwhelming, even when they say ‘beginner’. This is so do-able and I never even thought about adding weight in those two positions to the squats (you don’t know what you don’t know). I’m kind of a bony girl in some ways, but have the dreaded weight around the middle- cannot diet away anymore and need to build muscle. Want a TON more weight/bulk in my legs and arms, more in my butt is fine, and also want more strength in my core. Why are we not talking about this more, as women who are looking to lose or gain ‘weight’? Anyway, thank you, thank you, and I can’t wait to get moving (like literally going to do it now). I’ll be back!
Woot! Good luck ๐
i heard you need to do 3 exercises per muscle group to see real results. i donโt see each muscle group worked here and i donโt see 3 for each muscle group. can you explain why you still expect to see results with this routine, results like 10 lbs muscle gain in first year for an average woman as you describe? thanks!