If you are hoping to increase your muscle mass, there are many valuable resources available to help you along the way. If you are working on building muscles in your body, you need to understand what exactly your body needs. In this article are some excellent ideas on muscle building to jumpstart your journey the right way.
Make certain you eat plenty of protein if your goal is to build muscle. Protein is what muscles are grown from. If you do not consume enough protein, it will be extremely difficult to increase your muscle mass. Look for proteins that are lean and healthy, and include them in a minimum of two of your meals per day, as well as in daily snacks.
Remember carbs when you want to build muscles. Carbs provide you with energy that lasts through your entire workout. If you are limiting carbs, you run a risk of your body breaking down protein in order to get energy. Get enough carbs that your body needs for functioning, and you can have the fuel you need to get through your exercise.
Your body can benefit from a varied routine. As with any workout regimen, it may become tedious and that can keep you from attempting it. Use different exercises every couple workouts to ensure that you are targeting all of your muscle groups. By keeping your workouts new and different, you will stay interested in and committed to your muscle-building routine.
Though creatine is safe for use when trying to build muscle mass, there are precautions you must be aware of. These supplements can be harmful if you have any sort of kidney issues. Furthermore, creatine has been linked to muscle compartment syndrome, muscle cramps, and heart arrhythmia. Youths and teens face particular risks from these as well. Be sure you keep your creatine intake at or below suggested safety levels.
Strength Training
If you're planning to engage in extreme cardiovascular exercise, leave your weight training on hold for a while. Cardio exercises are excellent for overall fitness, but intense cardio workouts will interfere with efforts to bulk up your muscles through strength training. If your goal is gaining muscle, you should do strength training more often than cardio.
Make sure that your diet is nutritionally sound on days that you are going to lift. Approximately one hour prior to exercise, eat an additional amount of calories than you normally would. This doesn't mean you should go crazy with your diet on the days you work out. Instead, it means that you should eat a little more compared with the days that are not working out.
60 Minutes
You workouts should last around 60 minutes, each. Beyond 60 minutes, your body starts releasing the stress hormone, cortisol. Extra cortisol may block testosterone and your efforts at muscle development can be wasted. For the best results, only spend 60 minutes or less working out.
Try to look bigger than you really are. Increase the size of the muscles around your chest and legs. That way, your waist will seem smaller than it is, which can make you seem larger.
Know your limits, but don't stop doing a particular exercise until you know you have nothing left. With every set that you do, try to push your body until you can not lift even one more pound. This may require shortening your sets as your workout continues.
When lifting weights, it's alright to cheat now and then. Using the leverage of your body weight to squeeze out a few more reps is an easy way to increase your workout results. Just be careful that you don't cheat too often. Make sure the speed of your repetitions is consistent. Never allow your form to be compromised.
The introduction to this article stressed the importance of having the proper information if you want to make a transformation that will turn heads. Take as much time as you need to learn about the proper ways to increase your muscle mass. The advice laid out here will send you in the right direction to get where you want to be.