For many women, learning how to build strength is a crucial part of their routine. Whether you have never stepped foot into a weight room or you used to go and stopped trying to build strength, you may want to return to the gym and start gaining muscle. These tips are sure to help you.

Lift Weights

Many women are afraid of lifting weights, perhaps because they think it will make them "bulky." Whether you use weights at the gym or you have a weight room rack in your home gym, you should be lifting to build muscle quickly.

You can still do cardio, but it is a good idea to mix weight training with cardiovascular exercise. You can hit the treadmill or elliptical before you move to the weight room rack and start your lifting routine.

Train Different Muscle Groups on Different Days

You might want to train different muscle groups together. For instance, you might spend Monday training your legs, calves, and shoulders, and then Wednesday training your back, biceps, and abs. On Friday, you might train your glutes, chest, and triceps.

Divide Workouts Into Sets of Reps

Many women who are training for strength will focus on trying just a few exercises per muscle group each day and performing about 10 to 15 reps. They might pair two or three exercises and perform several sets of reps. They may cycle through the exercises about three or four times.

Eat Many Small Meals Each Day

It's a good idea to eat about six meals each day, but they should be smaller than the meals you would eat if you were to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You might eat several large meals and include a protein shake as one meal, for instance.

Know What Foods Provide What Nutrients

It's a good idea to know which nutrients are in which foods. Each one provides something else your body needs.

For example, carbohydrates provide your body with energy. You will find carbs in brown rice, oatmeal, whole wheat toast, and sweet potatoes. You find protein in fish (like salmon), chicken breast, turkey breast, and eggs. And of course, your body also needs fats. You can find fats in fish, avocado, nuts, and olive oil.

As you can see, building strength for women is all about developing a routine that revolves around eating healthy and doing strength exercises, including lifting weights regularly.