There are different ideas, methods, and preferences when it comes to muscle growth. There is no shortage of advice to help you get there, whether your aim is enhanced health, beauty, performance, or a mix of all three. So much so that it may occasionally become unnecessarily convoluted, causing you to lose sight of the fundamentals. But it’s not as complicated as it appears.
Protein
Protein is essential for muscle building and maintenance and should be consumed with every meal. Aim for one gram of protein per pound of body weight each day — less active people may require less — and spread it out over five or six modest meals.
But don’t go overboard. Excess protein consumption, particularly from animal sources, has been associated with kidney stones.
Carbs
Protein will only be utilized to create muscle if you ingest enough carbohydrate calories to fuel your body. Otherwise, your body will use protein as fuel. Carbohydrates give energy for muscular activity and serve as a fuel source for the brain. Choose carbohydrates that are less processed, such as vegetables, steel-cut oats, and quinoa.
Eat Often
Eating five or six little meals every day keeps your body’s metabolism running smoothly. If you don’t eat frequently, muscle is the most easily available item for the body to consume—not fat. The body is resistant to fat loss and will rather assault lean muscle. Maintain a sufficient supply of gas in the tank to ensure that muscle is not depleted.
Don’t Skip Foundation Exercises
Beach muscles and Olympic lifts are gaining popularity. However, the myriad little stabilizer muscles that surround your shoulders, hips, and torso — together known as the core — create a solid foundation. Using medicine balls, physio balls, mini-bands, and rotational motions to challenge the stability and mobility of these core muscles yields significant returns.
Don’t Get Stuck In The Same Routine For Too Long
It’s a good idea to train at the same time every day. A routine workout, on the other hand, is not because the body adapts rapidly. Continually push yourself by incorporating new movements. When you do return to a familiar workout, try to beat your personal best.
Focus On Your Glutes
Our sedentary, technology-based culture has resulted in a population of bent over individuals with tight hips and weak backs as a result of excessive sitting. It is impossible to build muscle efficiently without a well-functioning set of glutes. You’ll be well on your way to moving properly and gaining muscle effectively and safely if you learn to move through your hips and engage your glutes.
Time Your Snacks and Workout Shakes
Your body is begging for nourishment at the conclusion of a workout. The sooner you replenish your tank, the faster your body will heal, and your muscles will expand. One easy technique is to have a post-workout recovery mix and a shaker bottle in your gym bag, which you can prepare immediately after the session.
Lifting Isn’t Everything You Should Do
Carrying logs, flipping tires, hauling water jugs, kayaking, maneuvering monkey bars, and numerous more activities can help you grow strength. Muscle-building workouts that mirror everyday actions are the most effective. They’re also more enjoyable and can help you prepare for obstacle races if you’re interested.
The More Muscles You Do In The Exercise The Better It Is
Why waste time on isolated exercises like bicep curls or leg extensions when motions that bring in more of your body might provide far more benefit? Consider rotating, chopping, and swinging actions, which allow a far greater range of motion.
Go For More Intensive Workouts
Don’t be that person at the gym who spends two minutes between sets fiddling with their phone. You will lose the focus and intensity essential for muscular building. Even better, don’t relax between sets. Superset with a pushing exercise, such as a set of pushups, followed by a pulling exercise, such as a dumbbell row. You’ll get better results since the non-working muscles recover faster while the opposing muscles operate.
Active Rest
On rest days, the body heals and muscles expand. Rest is a wonderful tactic, but active rest aids in recuperation. Rolling on a foam roller creates deep compression, which helps to roll out muscular spasms that form over time. This allows the muscles to relax and release, increases blood flow, and aids in the body’s recovery.
Water and Water Sports
Swimming, surfing, and stand-up paddle boarding are all excellent methods to increase muscle. However, regardless of how you workout, consuming enough water is critical to muscular growth. Drinking enough of water before, during, and after exercise can boost performance by up to 25%. To stay hydrated, drink 12 to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight every day.
You Won’t Bulk Up Too Much If You’re A Woman
Women, contrary to popular opinion, will not get too muscular unless they use steroids or other dangerous substances. Women lack the testosterone required to build that kind of muscle.
Sleep Is Very Important
It’s tough to gain muscle if you don’t get enough sleep—at least seven hours every night, ideally eight. Most of your hormones, such as growth hormone and testosterone, are released during sleep, helping your body to heal and grow. You’re undermining your muscle-building efforts if you don’t get enough sleep.
Age Doesn’t Matter Too Much
We lose muscle mass as we age, beginning in our thirties and especially in our fifties. That doesn’t mean we can’t slow things down and keep what we have. Strength training is a great strategy to keep your mobility and independence in your later years.
