Tips for Women to Gain Weight and Muscle

Weight Loss vs. Weight Gain

Much of fitness is geared toward weight loss. However, not everyone wants to lose weight, and getting bigger and more muscular requires a different approach.

Your goal in the gym is not to burn more calories, but to build muscle. Likewise, your goal when eating is not to consume fewer calories, but to eat more in total while upping your intake of certain nutrients. In some instances, you may do the opposite of what you’d do to lose weight.

Women's Muscle-Building Workout Routine

A training plan for women doesn't necessarily need to be different from one designed for men, according to a review published in 2025 in Frontiers in Physiology. In fact, the difference in how men and women respond to resistance training might not be as significant as you think.

For the review, researchers investigated how recreational and elite athletes responded to resistance training and the underlying mechanisms that may effect change. They found men and women saw similar improvements in relative strength. Their recovery times and injury risks were also similar.

The authors wrote that these findings suggest women probably don’t need specific exercises to gain muscle; the same moves work for any sex. Researchers also note that other factors, such as genetics and age, can impact how a person responds to training. Ultimately, they concluded, individualized training programs are best to meet people’s distinct needs and goals.

With that in mind, it’s important to speak with your doctor before starting an exercise program if you have an underlying condition or are new to fitness. You may also want to work with a personal trainer who can teach you how to train safely.

Resistance vs. Aerobic Training

When you set up your training plan, the first thing you should figure out is the type of exercise you're going to do. There are two basic types of exercise: aerobic and resistance. Each type has many variations, but those are the two general categories.

The American Heart Association has basic recommendations to get you started if you're new to strength training. First, aim to train each muscle group at least twice weekly. That means you can do two full-body workouts each week, or work different muscle groups (like your legs, arms, or core) on different days. Just make sure not to work the same muscle group two days in a row. Your body needs time to recover in order to get bigger and stronger.

For each muscle group, you can aim to first do one set of 8 to 12 reps. Use a weight that feels heavy enough that your muscle is fatigued by the end of your set. If you don't feel that you're getting results from this amount of weight training, you can gradually increase the number of sets or reps, or lift a heavier weight.

In fact, lifting heavier weights for a lower number of repetitions is best for bulking up, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine. You need to “overload” — that is, work your muscles more than they're used to, and then slowly increase weight and reps as you get stronger. So: heavier weights, fewer reps, and more sets of each exercise.

When you set up your training plan, there are a few variables you can play with. You can increase sets, reps, weight, or the number of workouts you do per week. The most important thing is to increase volume.

Training Volume and Muscle Growth

Training volume is a number you get by multiplying the number of sets and reps you do and the weight you use in a given exercise, according to the American Council on Exercise. For example, if you do 3 sets of 10 reps, with 10 pounds for a dumbbell bicep curl, your volume is 300.

You can calculate your training volume for almost any exercise. Body weight exercises will be difficult to calculate, because you can't figure out exactly how much weight you're lifting, but you can increase your sets and reps. Keep track of your volume for each exercise, because you’ll need to increase it over time in order to gain muscle.

According to a study published in 2022 in Peer J, you can build about the same amount of muscle mass whether you boost volume by increasing the weight you’re lifting or the number of times you lift it.

Training Frequency and Muscle Growth

According to an umbrella review published in 2022 in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, working out more frequently may help improve muscle strength, but volume is most important when it comes to muscle growth. For you, the easiest way to increase volume may be to do more workouts each week. Going back to the example of the bicep curls, if you do that exercise twice in a week, your volume doubles, from 300 to 600.

This is where “split training” comes in. Instead of doing full-body workouts, you do a few muscle groups per workout, and repeat muscle groups every few days. This gives the muscles at least 48 hours to recover between workouts.

For example, you can work your chest and biceps on Monday, quads and glutes on Tuesday, back and triceps on Thursday, glutes and hamstrings on Friday, and shoulders and trapezius muscles (traps) on Saturday. That gives you five days of workouts with two days of rest per muscle group each week.

Consistency is crucial, according to the American Council on Exercise. Once you figure out a routine that works for you, stick to it. Do your best to stay in your groove, even if you have to make adjustments. For example, if you can’t make it to the gym one week, work out at home until you can get back in. Once you fall out of your routine it's hard to get back to it.

Diet and Weight Gain

While exercises can stimulate muscle growth, it's only half the equation. The other half is your diet. You need enough protein and calories to give your muscles the resources they need to get bigger.

To gain weight, you’ll need to consume more calories than you burn, according to Cleveland Clinic. It may be difficult to burn fewer calories, since you’ll be exercising regularly. You might want to reduce the amount of aerobic activity (such as running or swimming) that you do. You can also eat more.

An article published in 2023 in Sports Medicine suggests that people new to resistance training eat around 15 to 20 percent more calories than they need to maintain their current weight, while advanced weight lifters should eat closer to five percent more than maintenance. That’s because you tend to gain muscle faster when you first start training.

Most women should eat around 1,600 to 2,000 calories daily to maintain a healthy weight, while most men need about 2,000 to 2,400, according to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

However, many other factors can also affect how many calories you’ll need to gain muscle (or maintain your current weight), including your age, general activity level, height, and sex, according to Cleveland Clinic. It’s best to speak with a healthcare provider, such as a dietitian or doctor, to determine your individual needs, especially if you have an underlying health condition.

Additionally, bear in mind that not all calories are equal. Empty calories from added sugar and highly processed foods, such as chips, packaged snacks, and deli meats, may adversely affect your health, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. So, prioritize nutritious foods that will help fuel your body.

Protein for Weight and Muscle Gain

Increasing calories isn't the only thing you need to do to gain weight and build muscle. You need to eat enough protein, as well.

Most people need at least 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight, according to Harvard Health Publishing. However, you may need more if you’re trying to build muscle. Specifically, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency suggests aiming for closer to 1.6 grams of protein for each kilogram of body weight. Again, these recommendations aren’t one size fits all. You may want to speak with a dietitian or doctor to determine how much protein you need.

Increasing your calorie intake can be challenging if you're not used to eating a lot. You can use some tricks to get more food in your stomach, without stressing your digestive system too much.

Tips for Increasing Calories

University of California San Francisco Health offers tips for increasing calories and protein in a healthy way.

Their first tip is to eat more fat, as this quickly increases calories. Fat has 9 calories per gram, whereas protein and carbohydrates each only have 4, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

One way to do so is by adding heart-healthy oils, such as olive or canola oil, to your food. Other sources of healthy unsaturated fats include nuts, seeds, and avocados, according to The Nutrition Source. You can sprinkle nuts and seeds on salads or on cereal, ice cream, or yogurt, or enjoy them as a snack. Soy products and oily fish like tuna and salmon can provide both protein and healthy fat.

Drink Shakes and Smoothies

Smoothies and shakes can be healthy, convenient ways to get more calories and protein. You can make a protein smoothie with half a banana, frozen berries, milk (or a plant-based milk substitute), and protein powder.

Snack Throughout the Day

Snacking can help you avoid that stuffed feeling that sometimes comes with eating more in a single meal. Spacing out your meals and snacks so that you're eating every three to four hours can prevent your stomach from filling up too much.

Remember, you’ll need to combine eating more with an increase in daily exercise volume to gain more muscle and not just fat.