Before we get into these gigantic reasons you aren’t building muscle after babies, let’s start with the first and most important thing. Your body is amazing and you have accomplished something absolutely incredible by bringing a baby (or babies) earth side safely. What a feat. Standing ovation. Let that sit for a minute.
Yet, our next immediate thought is getting our “body back”. I strongly encourage you to rethink this phrase and focus more on how you can build your body to be the strongest it’s ever been rather than long for something it once was.
Let’s long for the feeling of being strong in our own bodies, meeting ourselves where we are at and striving to be the best version of us today moving forward. Especially as those kids get heavier to carry and way more active. Let’s focus on being able to take a long walk or hike with them. Imagine being able to feel good about running around with them as they get older and just simply being able to keep up! Or, participate in a parents vs. kids basketball game one day. The need for strength as we get older is so important.
Research suggests our bodies are able to build muscle at any age however, muscle power and performance peaks around ages 30-35 declining slowly after this time period. For the elderly, the reason they struggle to move around is due to a loss in muscle mass and strength (known as sarcopenia.) You can drastically slow down this process though by staying physically active and incorporating resistance training!
While it may seem far out of reach right now, building muscle on the body after babies is absolutely possible. Most importantly, research shows that by having more muscle on the body, we actually burn more calories because of the amount of resources it takes for the body to maintain muscle (metabolically active tissue) as opposed to fat.
So here we are, wondering why building muscles after babies doesn’t seem easy and question whether it is even worth it at our age and point in our life. Let me answer that for you. Yes, a million times over, yes, it is that important. It’s important now and it will be important as you age.
Let’s tackle these annoying reasons you aren’t building muscle after babies. I’m sure the list is longer, but these specific reasons are some of the most common. Once you incorporate these into your lifestyle, watch your annoyance turn into motivation. You’ve got this!
Spoiler alert..These reasons actually apply to almost anyone that is looking to build muscle. So if you know someone who isn’t a mom and they are struggling, pass this along!
1. Not having a plan and targeted goals.
This one comes first because without it, you’ll end up running in circles. Making lifestyle changes and building a body that is strong and has enough energy to keep up with the kids, is a choice. It is a predetermined plan, that while it may ebb and flow, remains a targeted goal. Wandering aimlessly into building muscle (or losing weight) rarely works. Easier said than done, right? I suppose. So let me spell it out for you.
First, figure out what your immediate goal is. If losing weight is the first priority, then you need to go with a plan that focuses on burning calories and focuses on reducing overall calorie intake. This may look like HIIT training, cardio, and full body resistance movements that can get the heart rate up.
Whereas when we focus on muscle building, you will want to prioritize resistance training (free weights, cables, machines, etc.) to actually break down the muscle fibers which is what allows them to “grow” (when fed and recovered properly.) Think of the gym as a place where you get the process going and then what you do afterward (eating and resting) actually helps them grow. We will get to that later.
Let’s be clear. If you are a beginner, doing anything above and beyond what you are currently doing is progress. You don’t need to wake up tomorrow and decide you’re going to squat at your one rep max. Baby steps. The body responds to such a small amount of new stimulus that it doesn’t take much to get started in the right direction.
If you’re doing a mixture of cardio and resistance training, you may even find that as you lose weight you are building muscle at the same time. Hence why looking at a scale is not solely a good indicator of “health”. While muscle and fat might weigh the same, their density is different! Even the scales that claim to know your body fat % can be off. If you do choose to use this, you’ll want to get a baseline and see if the percent of body fat where you started is going up or down. So even if it is off, you at least know it is going down from wherever it “thinks you’re at” currently.
Where do I see the most success though? I recommend my clients take pictures of their progress (front, back, and side angles with arms up) and then every 6-8 weeks take updated ones. When using this method, you’ll put the beginning and updated pictures side to side and you’ll be able to see a difference over time.
What about stepping on a scale? For the purpose of this blog post, stepping on a scale isn’t always the best way to determine overall progress especially when focusing on muscle building. If you must, make sure to weigh yourself at the same time each time (preferably in the morning after you pee.)
Additionally, you could use a pair of pants or shirt as a way of assessing body composition changes (more so for weight loss than muscle building). You can feel the difference in the way it fits over time!
Once you’ve determined whether you’re actually looking to build muscle or not, the second thing you’ll do is make sure your workout program supports this goal.
I’ve mentioned this before, but you do not want to get your scheduled workout time at home or at the gym and not know what you’re doing. You need a plan. If you don’t have one, get one. There are plenty of free resources to get you started. You can even grab one of my free downloads on building your own workout.
If you don’t have a plan and don’t know where to get one, contact me and I can help build a customized program tailored to fit your needs!
2. Not considering other factors (genetics, hormones, sleep, etc.)
This is next on the list because building muscles after babies has a lot of factors that go into it, some that are not as noticeable to the eye. Genetics is a huge factor on one’s ability to “transform” their body if you will. It’s sad to see that social media has turned into a lot of people claiming that you can have a butt that looks just like theirs. While this may be true, you need to make sure you put your body in the best position to be successful.
Depending on their methods and programs, maybe you can achieve a more round butt by building muscle, but it will be your butt just rounder. It sounds silly to have to say this but you can’t look exactly like the people advertising. And that’s how it should be! Aim for finding relevant and correct information that aids in achieving your goals for your body structure and genetic makeup.
Additionally, the impact that poor sleep and hydration have on the body alone is enough to set you back from hitting your goals. However, one sneaky guy is hormones. Depending on how far postpartum you are, what medications or birth control you might be on, etc. all play a factor in your hormone production. Cortisol also gets a bad rap as a hormone that can deter health; however, cortisol is healthy in certain amounts and at certain times of the day. While it’s hard to know which of these factors are impacting your muscle growth (or weight loss) we can set ourselves up for success by eating the right foods, drinking water, exposing ourselves to nature (light, fresh air, etc.) and prioritizing sleep (when it’s possible.)
3. Not prioritizing protein
As mentioned above, eating foods that help set us up for success when building muscles after babies is so important. Incorporating protein in your daily intake is what helps build back the muscle fibers after you’ve broken them down in the gym. Again, we start the process in the gym and the real work happens afterward.
Protein is the focus here because I’d venture to say that for most people, they don’t consume enough on a daily basis. You should aim for protein to account for 20-25% of your total caloric intake. While each person’s goals might be different, when building muscle, it is imperative that protein is consumed in adequate amounts.
Hence, why you see people consuming protein shakes sometimes. That’s a quick way to get the protein through the body (easily digested) to aid in recovery and support muscle growth.
A general suggestion is to aim for a daily intake of protein that is around 0.75-1.0g per lb of body weight to allow for muscle growth. Note: This is not medical advice and should not replace information from your provider.
4. Not resistance training or lifting heavy enough
People tend to get defensive on this one for two reasons. They either are lifting at the gym and argue that they are lifting heavy enough/have enough total volume to aid in muscle growth. Or they argue that they don’t want to resistance train and/or lift heavy because they are afraid of getting “bulky”. Let’s discuss both.
Let me quickly tackle the latter first, as it is very common and not based in a lot of science. Why must we all think of a competitive bodybuilder every time we think of a woman who has muscle or achieves some level of definition? The amount of time, sacrifice, food focused decisions, etc. it takes to build muscle the way a competitive bodybuilder does, is on a different level than the general public. There are people who have lifted for decades and haven’t achieved that level of muscle. There are different levels of creating a body we ourselves appreciate and I promise you, it’s way harder to “get bulky” than you think. So please don’t let that scare you off from lifting weights.
When looking to build muscle after babies (and just in general), there are multiple different ways to progressively overload your body. You can manipulate rest time, rep ranges, time under tension (increasing/decreasing rep speed), or total volume (sets and reps in a set period of time). For this discussion, we are looking at load, or better yet the amount of weight you’re choosing to lift. Oftentimes, I see people lifting without any attempt to lift to failure. What does failure mean? It basically means you’re selecting a weight heavy enough that by the last rep or two, you’re struggling to finish the rep and/or cannot complete the full rep.
While there are multiple factors to building muscle through resistance training, I often see women skimp on the weight. Maybe it’s because of the fear of the “ugly face”, the appearance of struggling or chance of injury. When done properly, lifting heavy enough is a game changer. When you start to feel your body “struggling” or shaking to get the last rep out, this is the CNS (central nervous system) adapting and in most cases, should be seen as a good thing. (Barring no medical conditions, lightheadedness, dizziness, etc. Again, this is not medical advice.)
You could also try to find a lifting partner so you can spot each other and really max out on what you’re able to lift. Without a spot, lifting almost to the point of not being able to finish the set utilizes a strategy called “Reps in Reserve” (RIR). You’ll want to aim for 2 RIR. Meaning, you’re lifting heavy enough that you only had two reps left until you were going to hit failure.
So to put this all together, if you’ve got three sets of 8 reps of shoulder presses, you should aim for a weight heavy enough that reps 7 and 8 are very difficult to complete. You can even start with a lighter weight to get the form if you want and then increase to a heavier weight once you’re comfortable with the movement. From a personal training perspective, when aiming to fatigue the muscle, I’d rather you go heavier and stop one rep short than breeze through the 8 reps like it was nothing.
Key point: make sure you’re lifting heavy enough that you are struggling to push out the last two reps. If you’re not, try to go up in weight so long as it doesn’t affect form.
Hey, building muscle after babies comes with a little effort and sweat. I never promised it wouldn’t. 🙂 Stay with me here for the last one.
5. Not taking enough time
This final reason actually sneaks up on even the most advanced lifters. Remember when we said we are eager for feeling strong again or to lose the baby weight? Well, looks like this happens to pretty much everyone in their journey. So it’s worth reminding you.
Building a baby takes time. Building a strong and muscular body takes time. Sometimes longer than it does to build a baby. It can take years. It’s about making a commitment, finding the right plan, staying the course and not giving up when you’re not seeing results “fast enough.” Plus, if you’re comparing yourself to social media, most of what we see on there today is either edited or takes a lot of time to get there.
Nothing great happens overnight- you know this. But it’s hard to remember. Especially when you see success happening and you want more of it. You’ve lost the baby weight? Great. Now you want to build muscle after babies? Back to square one.
I’d even argue it takes longer to build muscle that it does for you to lose weight. Yet, most people want results to happen at the same rate. Why was I able to lose weight and now I’m struggling to build muscle? Well, take a look at the time table and set yourself up for a reasonable expectation. And make sure your other lifestyle behaviors are supporting growth.
My suggestion? I’d set a realistic time frame to get yourself to your goal (period of time in general, time spent lifting heavy, and time spent on nutrition) and if you don’t know what a realistic time would be, ask! Ask a professional who can help you plan out how long that would take and then finally, allot time for grace. A grace period for when life throws you a curveball.
With these annoying yet important reasons in mind, building muscle after babies doesn’t have to be impossible, however it does require effort, trial and error, and some sweat!
But having a plan, understanding your body’s hormonal and essential needs, making sure it supports muscle growth (eating protein and lifting heavy), and giving yourself ample time, you can have that strong and energetic body you’ve been striving for. Now go get it!
