8 Exercises To Gain Weight For Females: Workouts To Do At Home 2024

For most people, exercising is one of the ways to lose belly fat and manage weight. Were you aware that you can use exercise to do more than lose belly fat? You can use it to gain weight and muscle mass. Exercising may not be the easiest and preferred way for most people looking for healthy weight gain, but it is very effective at bulking up. While for some people, it is challenging to lose weight through exercise, it is even more challenging to gain weight.

However, the good news is that knowing the proper exercises to help you gain weight and doing them the right way will help you achieve your desired results quickly. There are even workouts to gain weight for females that you can effectively try out. Below, we have compiled a list of exercises to gain weight for females, and the best part is you can do some of them at home with a tracking application (app) and no equipment.

Exercises To Gain Weight For Females

Pull Up

Pull-ups^[1] are an effective weight-gain exercise to bulk up muscle, especially when combined with weights. You mustn’t start with the most strenuous pull-up workouts, mainly if you are a novice. Start with basic exercises and then move on to advanced pull-ups (weighted pull-ups) once your core strength improves; thus, you can handle them more easily.

These weight-gain exercises are easy to do at home or the gym; you only need a pull-up bar.

How to do:

1. Ensure your arms are aligned to your shoulder (the width between your arms should be the same as your shoulder width), and you’re facing the back of your palms. Now, grab the bar with both hands.
2. Start pulling yourself up until your feet leave the ground, and then continue pulling your body up until the chin is clear above the bat.
3. Start lowering yourself slowly until your feet touch the ground and your arms are straight.
4. Repeat until you reach the number of pull-ups you desire.

Tips:

• Maintain a firm grip on the bar with palms facing away.
• Engage your back and core muscles to pull your body up.
• Lower yourself down with control to maximize muscle engagement.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for three to four sets of six to 10 repetitions per set.

Push-Ups

If you are a novice, push-ups^[2] are an excellent exercise routine for those who want to build muscle in their upper body. It is, therefore, one of the most effective workouts to gain weight for women while strengthening their arm and shoulder muscles.

How to do: 

1. Start by lying face down on the ground.
2. Ensure your hands are slightly wider than the width of your shoulders.
3. Slowly push your upper body up until you fully extend your arms.
4. Now, lower your body until your chest is slightly off the ground.
5. After a slight pause, slowly push your body up until your arms are fully extended.
6. Repeat as many times as desired.

Tips:

• Maintain a straight line from head to heels to avoid sagging or arching.
• Engage your core and glutes for stability and support.
• Start with proper form and gradually increase sets and reps.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for three to four sets of eight to 12 push-ups per set.

Squats 

One of the most standard exercise routines for those looking to strengthen and tone the lower body is squats.^[3] Additionally, they are frequently and widely used as a workout to gain weight fast for females.

As in most basic workout exercises, maintaining the correct form is essential when doing squats. Also, novices should start with conventional squats before moving on to more challenging variations (which involve adding weights).

How to do: 

1. Start by standing straight (ensure your back is straight) and position your feet, so they are a little broader than the width of your hip. Move your arms in front while still ensuring your posture remains straight.
2. Next, your glutes should be squeezed together, and start moving your butt backward.
3. Exhale to engage your body’s core muscles and simultaneously push your butt outwards as you bend your knees.
4. Sit (use an imaginary chair) while ensuring that the heel supports your weight. Continue lowering the hip joints until they are below your knee line. This position is what is called a full squat.
5. Keep yourself in this posture for a few seconds.
6. You can now exhale and start standing while ensuring your weight is only supported by your heels.

Tips:

• Keep knees aligned with toes to protect joints.
• Maintain a neutral spine by looking straight ahead.
• Engage core muscles for stability and strength.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for three to four sets of eight to 12 squats per set.

Tricep Dips

These simple back and arm workouts can be done at home and do not need fancy equipment. Tricep dips^[4] are one of the best workouts to gain weight for women. While maintaining the proper form, the workouts also help promote muscular growth in the upper body. It is also a good exercise for developing lean muscles and strengthening your body for other workouts such as bench press routines.

How to do: 

1. Sit on the edge of a bench or a chair and use your hands to grip the edges.
2. Get off the seat or bench and lower your hip until it is slightly off the ground.
3. Ensure that you maintain this posture while applying pressure only to the palms.
4. Slowly raise yourself until you return to your original seated posture.
5. Repeat the steps until you get to the number of dips you desire.

Tips:

• Focus on a controlled, full range of motion to maximize effectiveness.
• Maintain a stable core and avoid shrugging your shoulders.
• Use proper form with elbows pointing backward, not flaring out.

Optimal Sets and Reps:  Two or three sets of eight to 10 reps.

Lunges

Like squats, lunges are a good exercise for women who want to tone and gain hip and leg muscles. Lunges^[5] offers an effective exercise routine to gain weight due to muscle bulking. As with most other workout exercises, beginners should start with simple workouts and then go to complex lunge variations involving weights.

How to do: 

1. Stand straight and start by flexing the abdominal muscles.
2. Take a significant forward step.
3. Begin lowering the body while ensuring that your shin remains vertical. Also, the thigh has to be parallel to the ground.
4. Press back on the heel and slowly return to your starting position.
5. Repeat the exercise with the other leg.
6. Repeat this set until you achieve the number of repetitions (reps) you desire.

Tips:

• Keep knees aligned with toes to protect your joints.
• Maintain an upright posture to avoid leaning forward.
• Engage core muscles for stability and balance.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Aim for three to four sets of eight to 12 lunges per leg.

Bench Press

These weight-centered exercises use weights to gain chest muscles. Since these exercises involve weights, you should take the necessary precautions to avoid any workout injuries. Also, training properly will lead to more efficient bench press exercise^[6] routines, meaning you will gain weight faster.

How to do: 

1. With the bar of the weights (only the bar without any weights), lay on the bench and assume the right position and form.
2. Start with warm-up exercises with only the bar before adding any weights.
3. After adding weights, make sure that you hold the bar properly and lock out your elbows.
4. Inhale while lowering the bar to your chest
5. Lower the weight slowly until it is slightly off your chest.
6. Next, slowly raise the bar of your chest while you exhale until your arms are completely stretched. Watch the ceiling, not the bar
7. Once the bar is in the initial position; you can repeat the steps until you complete your desired reps.
8. When you are finished with your reps, place the bar back in the rack with your elbows in a locked-out position.

Tips:

• Keep your feet flat on the floor and your back slightly arched to maintain proper form and stability.
• Ensure your grip on the barbell is slightly wider than shoulder-width to engage the correct muscles effectively.
• Lower the barbell to mid-chest level and press upwards in a controlled manner, avoiding locking your elbows at the top.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Three to four sets of eight to 12 repetitions each.

Deadlift 

This exercise is good for improving one’s posture and gaining muscular mass. It also serves to strengthen and tone the muscles in your legs. Deadlift^[7] equipment that can be used includes barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells.

How to do: 

1. Start by standing and ensure the midfoot is below your barbell.
2. With your hands shoulder-width apart, bend and grasp the barbell.
3. Now, kneel until the shin and bar make contact. From this position, raise your chest and ensure your spine is straight.
4. Breathe deep, and now bring the weight to your feet. Lift the weight while maintaining your posture and ensure the knees and hips are locked for about a second.
5. Bring the weight back to the ground by sliding the hips backward and bending the legs.
6. Relax for one second, and repeat as many times as you want.

Tips:

• Keep your back straight and core engaged to prevent injury and ensure proper lifting form.
• Start with your feet hip-width apart, gripping the barbell so your arms are just outside your legs.
• Drive the lift through your heels, keeping the barbell close to your body as you stand up fully.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform three to five sets of five to eight repetitions.

Crunches

In addition to being a way to lose belly fat, crunches^[8] also help you gain lean muscle mass and strengthen your core muscles.

How to do: 

1. Start by lying flat on a yoga mat or carpet. Ensure your feet are flat on the mat and bend your knees.
2. Contract your abdominals and cross your hands over your chest as you inhale.
3. Relax your neck and head, and bring your upper body up as you exhale, using your abdominal muscles to pull you up.
4. Go back to the starting position and repeat the steps as frequently as desired.

Tips:

• Keep your chin off your chest and gaze upwards to avoid neck strain.
• Engage your core and lift your upper body slowly without pulling on your neck with your hands.
• Exhale as you crunch up and inhale as you lower back down, maintaining controlled movements.

Optimal Sets and Reps: Perform three sets of 15-20 repetitions each.

Do Workouts Help Females Gain Weight?

Short answer, YES. However, you have to make sure you do exercises geared towards helping you improve your muscle mass and thus weight. The workout plan to gain weight for females above is a great place to start. Also, ensure you exercise correctly and with the right workout equipment. And, remember to breathe!

How Much Weight Should You Gain?

No one answer fits all answers to this question. You can safely add two pounds per week with proper exercise and a diet plan. Remember that this is muscle mass.

You can stop or relax your exercising when you achieve the body weight you want. From this point onward, you should consider a weight gain workout that will help you maintain your weight and body shape while keeping you fit.

Conclusion

The above exercises to gain weight for females are an excellent way to get you started on your journey to achieving the body you want. To be safe and get the most from any workout session, please observe the following:

Ensure you are doing the exercises correctly, and maintain the correct form while doing them. This will help you avoid any exercise-related injuries and get the most out of your workout routine. When exercising, please ensure that you stop the exercise if you feel any pain. While exercise can be strenuous and tiring, it should not be painful.

Pain is a sign of doing something wrong or more than your body can handle. It might also be because of an injury. In short, never try to push through the pain. Ensure you combine your exercises for weight gain routines with a healthy diet plan and tracking apps. Doing so will ensure you get even better results and give your body the necessary nutrients before and after workouts.

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