Active Recovery
Heads-up: you’ll be reading a lot about recovery throughout this article, and for good reason. Muscles need time to repair and grow stronger after you put them through their paces, and that recovery can take many forms. “Active recovery involves low-intensity movement—like walking or yoga—that promotes blood flow and helps flush out metabolic waste without placing additional stress on the muscles,” says Nicole Thompson, MA, an ACE-certified personal trainer and account manager of Course Partnerships where she works with experts and organizations to bring relevant education to fitness professionals. Without it, you risk plateaus, increased injury, and overtraining.
Back
“One of the most overlooked areas [to train] for women is the back, especially the upper back and posterior chain,” says Noel Davis, former archeologist turned award-winning trainer and STRONG’s May/June 2023 cover athlete. “Too often we focus on the aesthetics of abs and glutes, but a strong back is the foundation of true posture, power, and pain-free movement.” And she should know—following a near-fatal car accident, training her back helped her return to emotional and physical wellness.
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Cardio
Overdoing it on the treadmill or bike can eat away at your hard-earned muscle and spike cortisol levels, according to Davis. But there’s a smarter way to apply it: try two to four high-intensity interval training sessions each week, paired with strength-focused sessions, for improved heart health while protecting your gains. As Davis says, “Think of cardio as a complement, not a crutch.”
Dietary Supplements
“I think nearly all people should be taking creatine monohydrate,” shares Chad Landers, author of Building Strength and Muscle After 50. “It’s the most studied supplement, is safe, and allows people to train harder, longer, thus leading to faster progress. It also continues to show huge promise for brain health and cognition (at three to five grams daily), and for that alone it’s worth considering.”
Equipment
Changing up your equipment is a great way to challenge your muscles in new ways. Thompson recommends considering resistance bands, suspension trainers, and sandbags the next time you work up a sweat. “These tools challenge your muscles through instability, variable resistance, and dynamic movements, which can enhance strength, control, and coordination,” she explains.
Functionality
When you get into a heavy-lifting routine, you may find yourself literally going through the motions, which isn’t great for your results. Make sure you build in exercises that take you through multiple planes (rotational, forward and back, up and down) and that mimic athletic or real-life movements, like sled pushes or woodchops.
Genetics
Your ability to build muscle (and where on the body you can most easily add it) will largely be dictated by your genetics. Another factor: women tend to have a harder time packing on mass, especially in their upper body. But that shouldn’t stop you from trying. “Consistency of training and intensity of workouts are the equalizer,” insists Landers. “Train everything—leave no weak points.”
Hormones
Since men have 10 to 20 times higher testosterone than women, it’s often easier for them to build strength and muscle, says Landers. “The good news is that research shows that there are negligible differences between the sexes on a relative hypertrophy basis (percent gain), if—and it’s a big if—lifting volume and intensity as well as protein and calorie intake are equated.” For example, a 100-pound woman and a 200-pound man could both gain five percent muscle, but the woman would “only” gain five pounds while the man gains twice that amount. Remember: as with most things, gains are relative.
Independence
An oft-overlooked benefit of building muscle and strength is the freedom that comes along with it. “I always think of independence first and foremost [when thinking of muscle],” notes Landers. “Like the ability to lift a 35-pound carry-on into the overhead bin of an airplane without assistance, or in the case of my 95-year-old client, the ability to get on and off the lowest public toilet without getting stuck.” Hey, you may not be there just yet, but that day comes for us all.
Joint-friendly
Always be aware of your joint health and range of motion, especially when you’re lifting heavy. Thompson recommends peppering resistance band exercises into your routine to help maintain strength without the impact.
Kettlebells
People, especially those who are new to the gym, can be intimidated by these ancient-looking bulbs. But they are fantastic for combating anterior (front of the body) dominance, often brought on by sitting for long periods of time. Kettlebells can be used in ballistic movements like swings, which support better muscular function and build stabilizing muscles that are important in heavy lifts.
Leisure (between sets)
You caught us: there’s only so many ways you can say, “Take a break, already!” But if strength and hypertrophy are your goals, you need to be fatiguing your muscles with heavy weight and pausing appropriately between sets. “Studies show three minutes of rest is better than one minute in this regard,” explains Landers. “I find two-minute rests to be the sweet spot for most people, although those really adept at pushing hard and heavy do better with a bit longer rest, usually.”
More, More, More
If you’re confused as to where to start, reps, sets, and weight-wise, follow Lander’s rule of thumb: “If you can do three sets of 12 to 15 reps in good form, try going heavier the next time. Shoot for at least eight reps with the new weight, [and if you can’t] you’ve likely gone a bit too heavy.”
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Nosh
“Generally, it’s recommended to consume 20 to 40 grams of high-quality protein within one to two hours after resistance training to support muscle protein synthesis and recovery,” says Thompson. “Some individuals may also benefit from a small preworkout snack of carbohydrates and protein (for example, 50 grams of carbs with five to 10 grams of protein) about 30 to 60 minutes before training, to enhance energy and performance.”
Off-Kilter Loads
Resistance that forces you to respond in real time to its shifting weight, such as sandbags, can greatly improve your general strength, according to Thompson. Bonus: they’re fantastic for boosting your core, too.
Protein
We all know this macro is important for muscle-building goals, and the options are endless. Davis lists wild-caught salmon, pasture-raised eggs, Greek yogurt, bone broth, and collagen peptides as great animal-based sources, and quinoa, lentils, and high-quality pea protein isolate for those looking for plant-based alternatives.
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Quiet Time
Okay, we’re technically not talking about silent time. Less-aggressive exercise, or passive recovery, is important for supporting your heavy-lifting goals. According to Thompson, “It refers to complete rest days with no activity, which allows the nervous system and muscles to fully reset.”
Resilience
It’s not just about resistance—it’s also about how strong you are in fortitude, which can be seen in every aspect of your life, says Davis. “Whether it’s carrying your child, recovering from surgery, or standing tall in boardrooms and breakups, muscle holds you up. It gives you something that no one can take away: your power.”
Stopping
In short, don’t do it, at least when you’re not gassed. “Many people will stop a set at whatever number they have in their head but often have way more than one ‘left in the tank,’” explains Landers.
Timing
Thompson notes that most guidelines generally recommend people train all major muscle groups at least twice per week, with 48 hours of rest between sessions. And to build muscle, three to five days of strength training per week is ideal. “The key is balancing training intensity and volume with adequate recovery to allow muscle adaptation,” says Thompson.
Underlifting and Undereating
Davis believes these two approaches are prevalent because many women still—STILL—fear “getting bulky.” At one point, even she did! “You have to eat enough to grow and lift enough to challenge yourself,” she says. “Lift heavy. Eat more. Rest harder. That’s the real recipe.”
Volume
This can refer to both how much exercise you are doing each week and the amount of effort (i.e., reps, sets, and rest) within a specific workout. And don’t forget about resistance. “Studies show most people self-select too light of a weight,” says Landers, which leads perfectly into…
Weight
Of course, progressing with how much weight you’re lifting each week is important for muscle building. Whether you’re choosing to do all sets to failure or leaving “one in the tank,” to quote Landers, don’t underestimate how much you can handle. Also, keep track of what resistance you use for each exercise, each week, so you can see how you’re advancing—and so you can celebrate your wins! (Might we suggest the STRONG Fitness Magazine app to help in this regard?)
(Cross) Train
This is where your range of motion comes into play yet again. In your upper-body workouts, for example, Landers recommends doing push and pull exercises in one session, for better muscular balance. Cross-training also refers to the inclusion of different types of workouts in your overall regimen, from cardio to athletic drills to standard lifts.
Youth, Fountain of
Okay, calling strength training a “fountain of youth” is a misnomer. But it does offer benefits outside of just looking good in a tank top. “Building muscle improves metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, and resting energy expenditure,” notes Thompson. “It also strengthens bones, enhances balance, and supports joint health—key for long-term mobility and injury prevention.”
ZZZZs
Or, you guessed it, rest. “Muscle growth happens during recovery—not necessarily during the workout itself,” says Thompson. This not only means making sure you take full days of rest but that you also get enough sleep to power you through your next workout—at least seven hours is ideal for adults, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Written by Rachel Debling
Photography by Paul Buceta
