Building more lean muscle
mass can be a tricky thing to do. It requires a good amount of effort
and, like weight loss, the right
combination of smart exercise, clean diet, and proper supplementation
- especially if you don't want to add a lot of bodyfat in the
process! The good news is that there are a few proven muscle-building,
'body-transforming' techniques that work for most people most of the
time.
Here is a simple guide to getting more muscle
and building a better body quickly:
Smart Exercise: The key to getting bigger, stronger muscles
is to workout hard but briefly, with medium to medium-heavy weights.
Basically, you want to quickly and efficiently "tear down"
your muscle fibers and then give them ample time to rebuild. And remember,
too much exercise - especially aerobic exercise - can make it very difficult
to put on muscle mass.
- Perform short, intense weight-training workouts 3-4 times per week.
- Never workout for more than 45 minutes per session
- Warm-up 5-10 minutes before
lifting weights.
- Focus on basic "compound" movements: squats, bench press,
pullups, rows, deadlifts, etc.
- Keep your reps in the 6-10 reps per set range.
- Do 2-4 sets per bodypart.
- Rest 1-2 minutes between sets.
- Use 60-85% of your one-rep
max (1RM) weight for each exercise.
- Change up your workout frequently (exercises, set/rep schemes, rest
between sets, etc.).
- Perform 10-20 minutes of cardio exercise 2 times per week, preferably
immediately after your weight training sessions.
Clean Diet: To build muscle, you must consume more calories than
your body uses during the day. And to build muscle without packing on
a ton of bodyfat, you've got to eat the "right kind of calories"
- lots of lean proteins, whole grains, veggies, and healthy fats. Cut
out all the junk food, fried food, sugar, alcohol, etc. and you'll be
well on your way to a better-looking, healthier, more-muscular body.
- Eat 5-6 healthy, balanced meals per day.
- Each meal should be approximately 30% protein, 30% fats, 40% carbs.
- Consume 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight every single day.
- Good protein sources include: eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, lean
beef, cottage cheese, low-fat cheese, whey protein powder, protein
bars, and meal replacement powders (MRPs).
- Good sources of carbs include: vegetables, fruits, legumes, and
whole grains (including oatmeal, brown rice, whole grain wheat, etc.).
- Good sources of fats include: nuts, seeds, olive oil, peanut butter,
low fat cheese, fatty-fish, low-fat mayonnaise, and flax seeds.
- Drink about a gallon of pure water per day.
- Eat a high-protein, high-sugar, low-fat meal immediately after
working out. Whey protein powder mixed with fruit juice is a great,
easily-absorbable option.
- Cheat once a week. Eat whatever you want for one meal.
- Keep your overall calorie intake high. If you're gaining too much
fat, lower your carb intake. If you're not gaining enough muscle,
increase your carb intake.
Proper Supplementation: The right supplements serve two functions
when it comes to muscle-building. First, they help keep you from becoming
"over-trained," which is a common problem for many over-zealous
weight-lifters. Second, they can speed up the rate at which you pack
on muscle mass. It's important to realize though that only a handful
of supplements have been proven to really work. Here they are:
- Whey Protein Powder. A good whey
protein powder is probably the best muscle-building tool you can
buy. It'll make it MUCH easier to get enough protein in your diet
while ensuring that your overall health is at a peak level. A whey
protein shake is also the perfect post-workout meal because your muscles
can immediately absorb and use the amino acids in the whey for rebuilding.
- High-Quality Multivitamin/Multimineral
Formula. Taking a good "multi" is by far the easiest
way to ensure that your body has all the vitamins & minerals it
needs for energy and muscle repair. This is definitely a "foundation"
muscle-building supplement.
- Essential Fatty Acids. EFA supplements
help you get enough of the good "healthy" fats you need
for optimal fitness and health. Many fitness experts consider EFAs
to be another foundation supplement.
- Meal Replacement Powders. MRPs make it easy to get in the 5-6 meals
per day you need for optimal muscle growth and fat metabolism. Many
of the newer ones taste great and pack a good amount of high-quality
protein, carbs and vitamins/minerals.
-
L-Glutamine. Considered to
be one of the most important amino acids, L-Glutamine provides a long
list of muscle-building and health-enhancing benefits. These include
aiding protein synthesis, maintaining muscle cell volume & hydration,
and increasing natural growth hormone production, among other things.
- Creatine Monohydrate. Although
there has been some controversy over creatine-use, an increasing amount
of research shows it to be not only safe but very beneficial for increasing
muscle mass. Most people can expect at least a 5-10 lb increase in
lean muscle after a few weeks of creatine use. Some people gain much
more.
So those are the basics of muscle-building. Most people - even so-called
"hardgainers" - can put on a significant amount of new muscle
by closely following the steps outlined above. Of course, genetics plays
a huge role in determining your maximum size. But, for the average person,
even a 10 or 20 pound addition of new muscle can make a big difference
in the way they look and feel. Good luck and - most importantly - HAVE
FUN!
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