7 Mistakes Women Make Trying to Lose Fat or Gain Muscle

Many have been lured by those fad diets, promising quick fixes to get lean and strong overnight. However, real and lasting results take time. Quick fixes often trap people in a vicious cycle, making it increasingly difficult to achieve the desired results.

Cori Lefkowith has personally made almost all these mistakes, and that’s why she wants to share the seven most common mistakes she sees her female clients making.

Cori Lefkowith founded Redefining Strength in 2014 with a mission to empower people through fitness, nutrition, and proper supplementation. She is a former Division I athlete who wants to train smarter, not harder. Cori also has a YouTube channel with nearly 1 million subscribers that you can check out.

Hopefully, her knowledge and insights will help you avoid wasting time falling into these traps.

7 Mistakes Women Make Trying to Lose Fat or Gain Muscle

Mistake #1: Under-Recovering

One can only train as hard as one can recover. Period. Often, this is labelled as overtraining instead of under-recovering, which leads to sabotaging one’s own success. Recently, there’s been a trend of avoiding intense training due to the fear of rising cortisol levels. But exercise is a good stressor—one that is needed to build muscle, become stronger, and look leaner. Intensity and load are crucial, but they must be balanced with adequate recovery. The intensity of training needs to be cycled, the muscles targeted varied, and focus placed on what is done between sessions to recover.

To maximise each session, it is important to fuel the body properly and focus on recovery. Prioritise sleep, hydration, and nutrition. Proper recovery includes maintaining a consistent bedtime routine, staying hydrated to help muscles repair, and ensuring muscles have the fuel they need to rebuild. Neglecting these areas will sabotage results.

Mistake #2: Falling for Restrictive Diets

Jumping on restrictive diets that eliminate entire food groups can sabotage long-term success. These diets often lead to the belief that metabolism is broken and that one must accept the middle-aged spread. Avoid completely cutting out macros or food groups. While adjusting macros based on health concerns or activity levels is fine, demonising foods or macros can create hormonal imbalances and negatively impact health.

For instance, cutting carbs too low when active can lead to losing muscle and gaining fat. Fear of healthy fats may result in chronic inflammation and poor recovery from workouts. Eat to fuel the body and support training to improve strength and conditioning.

Mistake #3: Avoiding Intensity in Training

As people get older, they often fear pushing too hard in training. However, challenging oneself is crucial for creating change, especially with age. Avoiding high-intensity training, such as sprints, is a mistake.

Including sprint work and varying intervals in the weekly routine can enhance cardiovascular health and support muscle growth. Short, intense sessions should not be stretched into long workouts. For example, 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 4-8 rounds can be effective.

Mistake #4: Not Eating Enough

Eating less to lose weight faster is a common mistake. While a calorie deficit is needed to lose weight, a small deficit of 100-200 calories is more effective. Larger deficits can cause the body to conserve energy, negatively affecting workouts and overall metabolism. Ensure enough food is consumed to support muscle repair and growth. Muscle requires more energy to maintain, so the more muscle present, the higher the calorie requirements.

Mistake #5: Not Prioritising Protein

Prioritising protein is essential, especially for women. High-protein diets help build and retain muscle, even in a calorie deficit, and prevent gaining fat in a surplus. As people age, their bodies use protein less efficiently, so larger portions are necessary to stimulate muscle growth. Instead of dismissing the need for more protein, start by adding a small portion to each meal.

Mistake #6: Avoiding Heavy Weights

Fearing heavy weights and opting for lighter, higher-rep workouts can hinder muscle growth and fat loss. Strength training with heavy weights is essential for building muscle and improving metabolic health. Age is not an excuse to avoid heavy weights; in fact, it’s more reason to include them in a routine to maintain muscle mass and strength.

Mistake #7: Over-Prioritising Cardio

Relying heavily on steady-state cardio or high-rep, low-weight workouts can limit progress. Strength training is crucial for metabolic health and muscle growth. Incorporating a balance of strength and cardio workouts will optimise results. Heavy lifting should not be feared, and muscles should be challenged with low-rep, high-intensity strength training.

So there you have it, the 7 mistakes women make trying to lose fat or gain muscle. A good balance between nutrition and training tips for you to carry on during your fitness journey.

Regardless of your goals, remember that consistency is one of the most important aspects of actually seeing results on the mirror and on the scale.

Read More: The Smartest Way for Women to Kill Belly Fat