Building muscle extends beyond a few trips to the gym every week to lift weights. There is more to it than that. Diet, sleep and mental motivation also play a big part. Read on to find out how you can get maximum muscle growth with minimal effort.
If you want to build muscle, give yourself enough time for recovery. It may seem tempting to go full steam ahead, but your body needs time off so you do not hurt yourself. Stick to a muscle-building routine that is about three times a week; beginners may need to start with twice a week.
Include the “big three” exercises in your exercise regimen. These mass-building exercises include dead lifts, squats and bench presses. These exercise add muscle mass, improve balance, and make your body stronger and more agile. Do some variation of the “big three” exercises regularly.
If you are working toward “bulking up” your muscles, do not do cardio for more than 90 minutes per workout. Too much cardio can cause the body to form “lean muscle” instead of the bulk that you desire. Cardio is very important, but put a limit on it for best results.
If you really want to start gaining muscle, consider getting a trainer. A trainer is an expert and has likely been where you are now. Ask a trainer about what kind of exercises are best, what kind of diet you should have and how often you should be at the gym. Trainers can be a great source of information and motivation so you can meet your own muscle building goals.
Try varying the order that you do exercises. People who workout typically do exercises out of habit. However, it is important that you switch the exercises around in order to promote additional muscle growth. Try reversing the order of your typical routine. This lets you do heavier weights on the exercises that you typically do last, which can increase the growth of those particular muscles.
You need to be focused on what you are striving to achieve when looking to build your muscles. Do not train for endurance and focus on cardio when trying to build muscle mass. Cardio and weight training are a great combination, but they will contradict each other if you have excess cardio in your muscle building routine.
When your exercise workout is complete, be sure to engage in a series of stretches to ensure the best environment for your muscles to build and repair themselves. If you are under age 40, hold your stretches for at least 30 seconds. If you are a little older, try to keep your stretch for about a minute total. Following these guidelines will help prevent injuries after muscle-building exercises.
Make sure that you select the best weight for yourself when doing lifting exercises. Research has proven that doing six to twelve reps at around seventy to eighty percent of your maximum for one rep, will give you the best combination of both volume and load. This can stimulate additional muscle growth.
As you become more experienced in working out, it’s very important that you make sure to adjust the amount of weight you lift. Once you get stronger, you are either going to have to increase your weight or your reps in order to get that pump you need for achieving additional muscle growth. Try to increase gradually the amount of weight you lift to ensure that you don’t overexert yourself.
When you are trying to build muscle to improve your health and fitness, it is essential to recognize that rest is just as important as the exercise in encouraging muscle growth. Muscles need recovery time to repair damage and build new fibers. Working out too frequently or too aggressively can work against you in the long run.
Schedule your workouts intelligently, as this will maximize muscle growth while minimizing the risk of injury. Beginners should limit themselves to two workouts a week, increasing to three per week once they have gained more experience and conditioning.
Calculate your dietary intake to coordinate with muscle building workouts, for faster and better results. On the days you workout, eat well and eat plenty. Taking in the best foods about an hour before your workout will maximize the effects, but make sure not to overeat or consume unhealthy foods as this will be counterproductive to your muscle building efforts.
Be patient when you are building muscle. Building your muscles properly does take time. There is no exercise routine or magic supplement that will help you develop your muscles overnight. So be sure to take your time and do it properly in order to keep yourself healthy and help prevent an injury.
After reading this article, you should be aware of how easy it is to change your daily habits to incorporate techniques for successful muscle building. You can improve your progress towards you muscle-building goals by using this article’s advice to fine tune your existing exercises or even to set up a whole new routine.
