How To Increase Muscle Mass
You see these people on Instagram. You see them at the gym. People with veins the size of anacondas. People that are more built and bigger than you. However, this can soon change. Do you want to learn how to gain muscle mass in the fastest way possible? Keep reading this article to find out.
One of the first steps in gaining muscle mass is to properly understand the commitment to muscle building. Thus it is important not to believe those ads you see on Youtube, or the supplements or ‘routines’ that fitness models follow to maintain their body. Muscle building does take time, and sacrifices have to be made. There is no completely safe shortcut in gaining muscle. Many people make the choice to take steroids or other substances to gain muscle faster. However, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the use of anabolic steroids can lead to paranoia, short-term temper, and commonly can cause acne breakouts. Some more serious side effects however, include kidney failure, higher blood pressure, and a higher chance of blood clotting.
The next step is to create a routine that you know is possible to follow but will still require commitment and hard-work to maintain. A routine can consist of things such as the foods you consume, when you consume them, and your exercise times. For example, you can create a routine to work out at the gym every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It is very critical to stick to the plan as much as possible, while additionally making modifications for it to better suit you. You know your life the best, and what comes first (work, school, studies). However, if the routine is indeed possible, and requires a few sacrifices, it is important in forcing yourself to follow the schedule. This will help reframe your mental mindset of pushing past the limits, something that is prominent in exercise and muscle building. Additionally, in your routine, you should also create plans for what work-outs you will do in the gym, and what muscles you want to focus on; such as arms, legs, back, and chest. If your primary focus is into building your upper body, you should split the days you hit the gym, into push and pull days. Push days primarily work the chest, shoulder, and tricep muscles. Pull days work on back, bicep, and forearm muscles. The names of these two days originate from the motion one must do during the workouts, such as pushing the bar while benching.
Push muscle groups (top), pull muscle groups (bottom).
The final step in increasing muscle mass quickly and efficiently, is eating the right foods. In order to get bigger and stronger, and to ‘bulk’, one must eat large quantities of clean food that help rebuild and grow the muscle. However it is important to eat ‘clean’ and in regulated increments/quantities as it is advised to consume between 250-500 calories extra every day. To add on, one macronutrient or type of food that is critical for muscle growth, is protein. Thus, a piece of advice given by experts is to drink large amounts of water. The water helps transport nutrients to different parts of the body, including protein. Additionally, you should consume foods that have large amounts of protein. This includes poultry, red meat, fish, and eggs that will help build and grow muscle tissue, resulting in larger muscle mass. You should also consume regulated amounts of carbohydrates which help the body function by providing energy for us humans to utilize. Consuming too little or too much carbohydrates can interrupt the cycle of muscle building and result in little to no progress. Finally, consuming fats can also help with muscle growth. Again, in controlled amounts, fat can help humans store energy and produce hormones that have positive effects on their bodies.
The USDA recommendations on what percentage these different macronutrients should take up on your dish are a great model to help you know what foods to eat and when to eat them. Carbohydrates should take up 45-64%, proteins 10-35%, and fats 20-35%. However, it is difficult to research and determine what sort of foods you are currently eating, as well as extremely time consuming. Thus, there are several apps that help calculate your calories and what macronutrients are included in every one of your meals, with a simple click of a button! MyFitnessPal is highly regarded as the most useful and efficient app in controlling and maintaining diet.
In conclusion, muscle growth can take time. However, it can be compared to running a long marathon. In the journey of becoming the fittest version of yourself possible, you will learn many valuable lessons along the way. One main lesson is the understanding of hard work and dedication. People will also learn how to manage their schedule so that they are productive in their life, not just in the fitness aspect, but also in their work, school, and studies. Thus, you will learn to be healthier, both physically and mentally. Remember, it is your choices that can make the journey harder or easier. In those moments where you want to give up, remind yourself of your goal, and on how hard you’ve worked thus far, and push yourself through. It is in these moments where true change and growth occurs. Now, let’s get working!
Sources:
Information:
https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/anabolic-steroids
https://ladder.sport/pages/pull-day-workout/
https://ladder.sport/pages/push-day-workout/
https://www.everyoneactive.com/content-hub/gym/eight-tips-help-build-muscle-mass/
https://www.ironflask.com/blogs/blog/how-does-water-promote-muscle-gain
https://avitahealth.org/health-library/macronutrients-a-simple-guide-to-macros/
Pictures:
https://barbend.com/best-biceps-exercises/
https://fitbod.me/blog/4-day-push-pull-workout/
https://stock.adobe.com/images/muscular-man-bodybuilder-training-in-gym-and-posing-fit-muscle-guy-workout-with-weights-and-barbell/410804410?as_campaign=ftmigration2&as_channel=dpcft&as_campclass=brand&as_source=ft_web&as_camptype=acquisition&as_audience=users&as_content=closure_asset-detail-page
