It’s not easy to pack muscles on the human body. To do so, one has to defy things the human body would normally do. To some people, gaining muscle mass is both an art form and a science.
If you are contemplating putting on muscle mass to optimize athletic performance or to improve your overall health, you have to start with an actual plan. You can’t just walk into a gym and start lifting weights. That might help you lose a little weight and improve your strength but every bodybuilder knows you have to have an effective workout regimen that they can apply consistently over time.
Instead of going out and hiring a trainer at the gym, we thought you might be able to get by with a few tips on how to build your muscles. To that end, here are six things you need to consider:
1. What You Eat Matters
Nutrition plays a big role in how your body functions. As a bodybuilder trying to add muscle mass, your diet needs to include three very important nutrients: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
For your body to endure the day to day strain of intensive workouts, your body is going to need energy. That’s where fats and carbs come into plays. You need to take in lots of fats to use as energy sources during your workouts. The best food sources of fats are fatty fish, eggs, and coffee to wash things down. Carbs are the other primary sources of energy. The best carbs for a bodybuilding regimen would include cereal, bread, potatoes, and pasta. At this point, you don’t need to be worrying about weight loss.
Your body also needs nutrients it can convert into bulk. That’s why you need to take in plenty of proteins. Protein synthesis is the process that repairs and builds muscles. The bigger the muscles you want to build, the more protein you need in your body. Your best sources of protein would be eggs and meat. Protein supplements are also highly recommended. Your target should be 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.
2. Focus on Resistance Training
If you want leans muscles, you would need to focus on doing more reps with lighter weights. That’s also the right path towards health and fitness. If you want to build muscle mass, you have to do resistance training, which means fewer reps with heavier weights.
The science behind muscle building goes something like this: resistance training will help tear muscle fibers down. Your body will then use stored proteins to repair torn fibers and help make them bigger and stronger to prevent further tearing. As your muscles get bigger and stronger, you will want to increase the weights you are working with to continue this cycle. The best resistance exercises for mass building are squats, leg lifts, bench presses, and curls.
3. Add Endurance Exercises to Your Regime
As you increase the intensity of your workouts, your endurance will be tested. You will need to train your body to efficiently burn carbs and fats. That’s why you will want to include endurance exercises in your daily regimen. The best endurance exercises would be rope jumping, wind sprints, and long-distance running. All of these exercises will also help with your overall health and fitness.
4. Include Light Days in Your Workout Schedule
At all times, your safety is paramount. As you layout your weekly exercise program, you have to include days where you drop the intensity and focus more on maintenance. You need to be doing what you are doing responsibly. That means you need to make sure your body has time to “heal”. If you want, you can use light days to tone your muscles with less weight and more reps.
5. Work on Muscle Joints
As you increase the weights you are lifting, you are going to be challenging your joints. Your shoulders, elbows, wrists, back, knees, and ankles have to be able to support your efforts. That’s why you need to focus on strengthening the muscles around your joints. Here’s a list of exercises you can use to strengthen the muscles around your joints: pullups, push-ups, squat thrusts, lunges, leg lifts, and bench presses.
6. Pay Attention to What You Do After a Workout
After wreaking havoc on your body in the gym, you need to give it a little TLC at home. After a good workout, you need to replenish your body with nutrients and fluids. That’s the primary reason why bodybuilders eat four or five meals a day. Also, you need to get plenty of rest everyday. A small nap during the day will help.
Reminder: Muscles are heavier than fat. You shouldn’t be expecting to see weight loss when you are focusing on building muscle mass. Instead, you need to focus on your overall health, fitness, and putting together a safe and efficient exercise regimen.
