The
Science of Gaining Muscle
Putting
on more muscle mass is the priority for anyone who is serious about
increasing overall strength and muscular endurance. Whether you are
playing a sport or have weight loss or other physique goals gaining
more muscle will increase performance as well change the look and
feel of your body. The question becomes how to do this optimally,
allowing for the greatest gains in an acceptable time frame. Here are
some tips that will accelerate the anabolic process: - Increase
training intensity:
The body responds the most rapidly to a dramatic stimulus. You must
push your body in each workout to new levels of intensity, so that
your muscles must do more work, or work harder. Doing unfamiliar
movements, fewer repetitions with heavier weights, and taking
shorter rest periods between sets are ways to jump start muscular
stimulation. If you go into the gym and do what your good at, doing
the same movement you always do then your body will remain the same
as it always is, period.
- Increasing
calories:
It takes approximately 3500 EXTRA calories assimilated to create a
pound of body weight. So, an extra 500 calories a day over 7 days is
1 real lb of body weight, assuming you are training and your energy
expenditure is the same relative to the number of calories you
consume each day. If you are looking to gain muscle without losing
body weight than we can assume you are lean already, or a “hard
gainer”, so eating more food will only help you. Its best to focus
on gaining weight if you are lean and not to worry about every pound
you gain being muscle. “Lean” gains in muscle mass that come
quickly are only achievable with steroids, it is impossible to do
naturally in a short time window like a month or two. If however you
would like to dedicate yourself to 5 lbs of lean mass for 6 to 8
months then it is achievable naturally, but people who want to “put
on mass” are generally looking for faster gains.
- Increase
protein:
shooting for 1.5 grams of protein a day per pound of body weight is
a great way to ensure you are getting enough protein for optimal
recovery. Muscle is built of protein so getting enough of it is
essential. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids and include small
amounts of carbs or fats to help with assimilation.
- Rest
to recover:
getting at least 8 hrs of sleep is critical to making muscular
gains. Your body will heal itself in the evening and while you
sleep, these are the periods of the day when you are least active
and resources are the most available for repair. Take advantage of
this process by lengthening the amount of time your body has to
rebuild your muscles.
- Hormonal
support:
a natural testosterone booster is a great way to increase muscle
mass, as well as stamina and muscular endurance. Boosting your
body’s own production of testosterone, even a small percentage
above baseline levels can pay huge dividends when it comes to
building muscle. Testosterone dramatically increases protein
synthesis, the process by which skeletal muscle is repaired after
training. Boosting test levels naturally will speed the body’s
natural recovery process which leads to faster muscular gains.
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