Building muscle isn’t an easy or a fast process. It takes a lot of time and effort to get to the point that you want to be at. A lot of people will become discouraged after trying to build muscle because they don’t see a lot of significant difference but what they don’t know is that they might be doing certain things incorrectly or not doing them at all and that could be what is inhibiting your muscle building. To make your journey easier we have compiled a list of the ten things that you must do in order to effectively build muscle.
- Focus On Your Food
Food is such an important yet underappreciated aspect of muscle building because our body and your muscles need fuel in order to grow. It is best to eat five to six calorically-dense meals a day so that you are feeding your muscles often. Protein is something that you should try to focus on and incorporate into every meal because that is what is really going to help your muscles grow.
- Switch Up Your Routine
You should be switching up some aspect of your workout routine whether that is your reps or one of the exercises you are doing. You can keep track of these details by writing them in a journal or as a note in your smartphone.
- Drink Protein Shakes
After or during your workout it is a good idea to be sipping on a protein shake. The shake should be two carbs to one protein ratio. This will help you by feeding your muscles and getting the nutrients to them much faster than it would if you ate a high protein and carb meal because of the easier digestion time.
- Rest Your Body
This one is so important but it is also something that a lot of people tend to forget or think that it is not as important as the rest of it. However, rest and recovery is extremely important for your muscles and your body as a whole. You should aim to get seven to eight hours of sleep every night. It is okay to miss a couple nights here and there but it should always be a priority because being well rested has shown to decrease cortisol levels. Cortisol is the stress hormone which has been shown to cause people to store fat and burn muscle.
- Keep Your Training Sessions Under An Hour
When you are training it is best to keep your training sessions to an hour or less. This is so that you focus more on the intensity and less on the longevity of the exercise. Once you are finished your workout you can rest and allow your muscles to heal.
- Limit Your Breaks
During your workouts you should limit breaks to under a minute each. It can be tempting to take a couple of minutes and check your phone but this can interfere with your workout and may cause you to lose momentum.
- Lower Your Reps
A lot of people think that the more reps you do, the more muscle growth. However, it is best to stick to around six to eight reps per set and increase the weight instead. If you are able to do more than twenty reps per set there is a good chance you are not lifting enough weight.
- Limit Cardio
Doing cardio is a great way to lose fat but it is also possible to lose muscle if you are overdoing it. You should stick to thirty minute cardio sessions three times a week in order to maintain your muscle while getting all the health benefits of cardio.
- Don’t Avoid Carbs
Low-carb diets are extremely popular and have made carbs out to be the devil. However, carbs are extremely important when you are trying to build muscle because it fuels your body. Carbs are especially important before your workout because it will give you the energy necessary to make it through.
- Do Full Body Workouts
Instead of targeting specific muscles, do either full body exercises because it will help muscles that you didn’t even know you should work.
If you want to build muscle then it is important that you follow these simple guidelines and be safe. It also helps to have a personal trainer during at least the first couple months of building your muscle because they encourage good behavior. Anyone in Tarzana, Reseda, Encino, Woodland hills and Calabasas is welcome to come in and explore our house of trainers at the Shape It Fitness private gym in Tarzana.