Have you been going to the gym regularly for months and haven’t been able to put on any serious poundage? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s time to step back and make some plans. According to bodybuilders, building muscle is not rocket science. Four key factors will mean the difference between building muscle and staying skinny. But first, ask yourself these four questions.
Is my diet optimized for building muscle?
It’s time to get out of the three meals per day mentality. Suppose you want to gain weight. You need to feed your body whole foods six times per day. Also, this means splitting your enormous meals up and eating about once every three hours. Thus, this is good for your metabolism, but your body will use the foods instead of storing them as fat.
Your six meals per day should comprise mainly complex carbohydrates and protein. You should aim for at least thirty grams of protein per meal. High-protein foods include lean meat, chicken, fish, egg whites, cheese, and milk products. We find complex carbohydrates in brown rice, brown bread, and potatoes. Stay away from foods high in salt and sugar.
Should I be using supplements, and when should I be taking them?
If you can afford supplements, use them. The primary three you should consider are protein, carbs, and creatine. Whey protein supplements are the fastest known way to deliver quality protein to your muscles. Also, this makes shakes effective after your workouts, when your body is craving protein for muscle re-growth.
There are three critical times that you should take supplements. First thing in the morning, after your workout, and before bed. If your diet is up to scratch, you shouldn’t need supplements at any other time. Finally, don’t use supplements to replace meals. Supplements are supplements, not meal replacements.
Am I training hard and not smart?
The biggest mistake the new lifters make is thinking that the more they workout, the bigger they’ll get. Also, this couldn’t be further from the truth! Two basic rules you must remember for weight training. First, quality is better than quantity. Second, compound exercises are the kings of building muscle.
Compound exercises require at least two joint movements. Extensive compound exercises are the squat, bench press, deadlift, and seated row. These movements recruit many more muscle fibers to be used to move the weight. Also, this means you work out more muscle groups, the exercise is more challenging, and the growth potential is much greater.
It would be best to do three compound exercises for one isolation exercise. For example, your back/biceps workout might comprise the deadlift, seated row, bent-over row, and standing bicep curl. Might you think this is not enough work for your biceps? Wrong. You work your biceps heavily over these exercises; the bicep curl finishes them.
The length of any training session should not exceed one hour. And you only need to train one muscle group once per week. Also, this means a split routine should only need to be three days per week. Most professional bodybuilders only train four times per week. Remember, it’s quality, not quantity.
Do I get enough rest and recovery time?
When your workout, you’re not building your muscles. You’re breaking them down. You looked pumped up when you were in the gym because your muscle tissue is swollen and damaged. Your muscles grow when you are resting. So, in simple terms, no rest equals no muscle growth.
So take it easy when you’re not working out. Ease up on the cardio. And make sure you get plenty of sleep. Sleep is the body’s number one time for building muscle. Also, therefore, it’s important to eat before bed, so your body has the fuel to repair muscles in your sleep.
The Last Eye-Opening Word on Bodybuilders 4 Biggest Confessions on Building Muscle
So you can see that despite what you read in magazines or on the web about building muscle, it’s simple. You will build muscle if you follow the four aspects mentioned in this article.
The difference between you and people who build muscle is that they have a science-based game plan. When you do what they do, you will get what they get. So stop wasting time and follow the science-backed rules that every bodybuilder follows to build muscle.
What do you think? Please share your response in the comment section below so that others can benefit from your experience.
By PureGym