Working out and improving the state of your physique takes, you guessed it, a lot of hard work. There are people that have the misguided notion that they can go from a scrawny little person to a man with bulging muscles by lifting weights a few times a week.
The truth is that increasing the amount of muscles that you have and reducing the amount of body fat, requires a lot of time, devotion, and dedication. If you are just starting out then accept the reality that getting those defined pecs, sculpted abs, and bulging biceps are going to take time and a lot of sacrifice on your part.
But in the end, when you have achieved your goal, and have that buff body that you have dreamed of having, all of the hard work will have been worth it.
How to Build Muscle Mass
The most important step involved in building muscle mass, and stimulating its growth is with old-fashioned hard work. That means you are going to have to hit the gym and do the work. Determine your physical goals and develop an exercise and lifting plan that will help you to get the muscles that you want to gain.
For beginners in the world of bodybuilding, you are going to need to work out your full body a minimum of three times a week. Incorporate a variety of exercises or movement into your routine to work your entire body. Consider combining time spent doing deadlifts, squats, military press, chin-ups, and the bench press when working out. When training, remember that either you can work the entire body, or you can split up your routines. If you split up your system, one day can be spent with a focus on the back, chest, shoulders and arms, while the next day is spent focusing on your lower body and legs.
Progression is Crucial
Getting the full effects of a weight lifting routine is achieved if there is a gradual progression for weights lifted. Progressively increasing the amount of weight that you are lifting helps you to reach your ultimate goal, increased muscle mass. Simply put, “The law of progressive overload simply says that you must increase the amount of reps or the weight lifted every single workout (or as close to this as humanly possible) in order to ignite muscle growth.”
Along with progressive overload, the number of reps, or repetitions completed, is essential for the growth of muscles. When working in the lower range of 3 to 6 reps, you are building muscle strength, but not muscle growth. When doing reps of 8 to 12, the ideal number, you are not only building your strength but you are stimulating muscle growth as well. Reps in higher rangers, such as 15 to 20, can stimulate muscle growth, but not to the extent of the optimal number of reps body builders do.
Watch Your Diet
Stimulating muscle growth does not only depend on the exercises that you do, but it also depends on the type of diet that you have. One of the most important things is to stay hydrated. Water is one of the most important things to consume when working out. Along with water, you need to consume proper foods, this means including plenty of protein into your diet. The consumption of protein helps with the growth and strength of muscle mass. The rule of thumb for protein consumption is Lean Mass Weight (Kg/lbs.) x 2.75 = Daily Protein Requirement. Good protein sources include – steak, pork, chicken, eggs, cheese, nuts, seeds, seafood, and also whey and other protein shakes.
Along with protein, eat the correct amount of healthy fats, decrease the amount of carbohydrates in your life, and never forget that supplements can help with both overall health and stimulating muscle growth. A combination of diet, exercise, and overall healthy living can help you achieve the body goals you desire.
When all of these factors are combined you will be able to speed up the rate of your muscle growth and start to see results as soon as possible.
Guest Blog Post Written By: Geoff Howard.
Geoff is a former personal trainer who is now the owner of Mutant Nutrition.
He is passionate about training and fitness and enjoys sharing his knowledge with others.
7 Comments
Buddah Dominguez
Left a comment on the muscle growth blog
dalton
i need strength and size in about 2 months for football thanks
Harris Scott
I was recommended this web site by my cousin. I’m not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my difficulty. You are wonderful! Thanks!
Harris Scott
Will be following new reader but I enjoyed the posts. Wish I could eat like a fat kid lol.
Anthony
I think keep your protein intake high to increase muscle mass. Muscles rely on protein to perform all of their major functions as it will be difficult for your body to increase its muscle mass if you are not consuming enough protein in your diet.
Jennifer
Im not sure what I should be doing to make growth faster? I just want a killer beach body with larger breasts, 6 pack & all that. Im not sure how to speed this up. I can lift 30 reps depending on the muscle Im working. Other muscles with the same weight have lower reps because its too heavy for that group. Biceps I can do 30-50 reps, triceps I can force 15-20 & do them to failure. Will doing this give me the result I want? Sometimes Im not sure what I should change or if I should change something? How much protien am I supposed to get? I eat about 60 a day from eggs, chicken, & Im adding tuna, & ham (just starting that) so I will get now about 100g a day. Is that enough or do I need more? Will this get me the dead sexy beach body I want or should I do this differently? Advise is very helpful please. Thank you Lee.
leehayward
Jennifer,
The weight you lift is going to vary greatly from exercise to exercise. There is a big difference in how much weight you’ll be able to deadlift vs. how much weight you’ll be able to bicep curl. That’s normal for everyone and you need to adjust the weights accordingly.
As for your protein intake, a good guideline to strive for is to eat 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. Spread this out over the course of about 5 meals / snacks per day.