Regardless of your age, building muscle is a healthy and fun option to get into shape. The article below contains tips to help you get everything you can from your workouts by smartly deploying your muscle-building efforts. Read on for more information.
The bench press, squat and deadlift are a important exercises to focus on. These are the cornerstone exercises for a body builder. They are proven exercises that increase bulk, build strength, and improve overall condition. No matter how you vary your routine, always perform these basic exercises.
You need to take in more calories when trying to grow muscle. Shoot for enough calories in your daily diet to gain a pound per week. Research different methods to increase you caloric intake. If you don't see any changes in your weight within two weeks, you may want to think about ingesting even more calories.
Ramp up your food intake on days when you will be doing your muscle-building workouts. To ensure your body has enough calories and protein to build muscle, have a snack an hour before your workout begins. This does not mean that you should overeat on workout days, but you should eat more than you do on days that you aren't in the gym.
Compound exercises are an important part of any bodybuilding plan. These moves incorporate many muscle groups at once, so they are efficient and effective. Bench presses, for example, work your chest, arms and shoulders at the same time.
Many people mistakenly increase protein to build muscle. This can increase your calories and if you don't exercise enough, you can gain fat. Up your protein intake over time, 100-200 calories every three to four days, to ensure your body can keep up.
Hydration has a huge impact on muscle building. If you are not keeping yourself well hydrated with water, there is a good chance that you would injure your muscles or yourself. Also, hydration has a big part in maintaining your muscles and increasing them during workouts, so you need water for many different reasons.
Plyometric Exercises
Do some plyometric exercises. These types of muscles develop fast-twitch muscle fibers in your body, which assist you in stimulating muscle growth. Similar to ballistic moves, plyometric exercises require you to accelerate your movements. For example, plyometric push-ups require you to propel your hands off the floor, pushing your body into the air.
If you want to bulk up, you have to focus on squatting, dead lifts and bench presses. These three specific exercises yield maximum benefits fast and let you continue building good muscle. These certainly shouldn't be the only exercises you do, but they are truly essential to muscle development success.
A great idea when trying to build muscle mass is to eat protein rich foods before and after your exercise routine. As a good rule of thumb, eat 15 grams of protein about 30 minutes prior to exercising, then another 15 grams when you are finished. This is equal to consuming approximately a glass or two of milk.
Be mindful of the different types of exercises you try, as some are not helpful to extra weight. Dips, neck work and split squats can involve unfavorable joint positions where you really risk serious injury. Bigger exercises like, rows, deads, presses and squats are more appropriate for the heavier loads.
It is very important that you begin your workout by stretching. Stretching helps to warm-up your muscles, which prevents injuries. Stretching after a workout helps your muscles enter recovery phase, building up more new muscle tissue. Massages can also help relax and promote muscle recovery, an important part of muscle building.
Fitness is important regardless of your age and so too are strong muscles. By using the tips presented here, you are ready to start a program that will build muscle, get you into better condition and give you the skills needed for a lifetime of good health and fitness.