What do you not like about yourself? Do you focus on this when you look at yourself? If so, now is a good time to change the way you think, and you can start by getting your body into shape. In order to firm up and build yourself some muscles, check out the tips below.
Eating lean meats will assist you in bodybuilding. Make a goal of consuming 1 gram of lean meat for each pound of body weight that you are carrying. This gives your body the protein it needs, and allows you to more easily build muscle.
When you are formulating a diet to aid in your muscle-building efforts, do not neglect carbohydrates. Carbs are essential for keeping you energetic. When you run out of your carbohydrates, your body will burn protein to create the energy it needs. By eating enough good carbohydrates, your body will function well and you will have the energy you need to finish your workout.
Motivate yourself by setting goals that are short-term, and then rewarding yourself once you attain them. Since it will take quite some time to gain muscle, you must remain motivated. Make your rewards coincide with your goal to gain muscle. As an example, obtaining a massage can not only improve the blood flow to your muscles, it can also aid in recovery on days you take off from working out.
Try changing your routine. If you do the same workout routine day in and day out, there is a higher chance that you will get bored, and probably stop your workouts altogether. Change the order in which you do your exercises, and rotate new exercises in and out of your routine. If you are able to do this successfully, you will not get as tired of your routines, and you will want to continue to do them.
The body's protein intake plays a big role in the muscle-building process. Protein shakes or supplements are a great addition to your diet, but should not be the only source of protein you get. They are especially beneficial after a workout and also right before going to bed. If you are looking to both lose weight and gain muscle, limit yourself to one of these supplements each day. If you want to bulk up in mass as well as muscle, then you can consume as many as three daily.
Do not exceed 60 minutes, when working out. The body begins to produce more cortisol, a stress hormone, after sixty minutes of working out. Cortisol may block testosterone, wasting effort you put toward building your muscle. Keeping your workouts under an hour should provide optimal results.
Create the illusion that your body is larger than it really is. This is accomplished by focusing your attention on developing your upper chest, shoulders and upper back. This makes your upper body look bigger in proportion to your waist, which gives the illusion that you have a larger body.
Some people mistakenly consume too much extra protein at the beginning of their muscle-building program. This can lead to an additional amount of calories than you need, and if you aren't exercising hard, you might gain fat instead of the muscle that you want. Slowly increase protein intake, about 200 calories daily, and you will have a much better chances of building muscle.
Train opposing muscles while in the same session including your chest and back, or quads and hamstrings. This will let one muscle group rest while the other is working. This allows you to engage in shorter, more intense workouts without risking injury.
Staying hydrated is important to proper muscle development. If you are not drinking enough water, then you can injure your muscles. In addition, your muscle mass depends on adequate hydration. You won't be successful in building muscle if you are constantly feeling dehydrated.
Make sure that you are consuming enough calories. There are many calculators available, some even online. They can help you to determine what your intake should be based on your muscle mass goals. Use a calculator, and then adjust your diet accordingly.
Now that you have the knowledge to change your body, it's up to you to focus on what you actually do like about yourself. You will swell with pride in the big changes you can make to your body in a relatively short period of time. Now is the time to make positive life changes.