From muscle growth to muscle replenishment, protein plays a very important role in a healthy body. Protein allows your body to repair the stresses that you put it through during exercise, and so generally speaking you’re much more likely to see noticeable results from your efforts if you have protein with you. However, protein isn’t the only source of building muscle mass. Here is a step-by-step guide that you can rely on to get those muscles pumped!
Step 1: Eat the right foods.
The formula for muscle gain is simple; eat enough protein to meet your energy needs, but not so much that you put on your body fat. For the best results, eat five to six times a day, ideally. One of the keys to hitting your weight-building goals is having a steady stream of fuel coming in, and using that fuel efficiently. When your body fat is too low, you won’t be able to lift weights, and your genetics won’t be able to develop muscle as readily.
Step 2: Get enough sleep.
Getting enough sleep is also a very essential part of your overall strategy for building muscle. Your bodybuilding workout can be cut short by a lack of sleep, and even worse, lack of sleep leads to a loss of skill. Not enough sleep makes you feel lethargic, making you less productive at work or at playing with your children. It also reduces glucose efficiency, and that will affect your ability to muscle pump.
Step 3: Eliminate stress.
Stress is an important contributor to fat gain, because it affects your insulin levels. When your body is under stress, your cortisol production skyrockets, which decreases your uptake of nutrients from grains, resulting in a lower calorie intake. Interestingly, this drop in cortisol has a conducive effect on your muscles. When your muscles are tired, they aren’t getting the nutrients they need, and their fibers aren’t getting the right nutrients to rebuild your muscle fibers.
Step 4: Start your day with meditation.
Before each day, have a posture assessment, then meditate for at least 20 minutes. By identifying the areas of your body that need improvement, you can focus on them. By knowing which areas need improvement, you can implement a plan to have them improve. Meditating in combination with the other elements of this strategy will increase your noticeability, and your overall health, allowing you to make more progress with your bodybuilding workout.
Step 5: Squat and deadlift form.
A prerequisite for building muscle is the ability to squat properly and that means allowing your knees to be under your hips. The deadlift is another great workout, and it incorporates the strength you need for compound exercises. These two basic exercises are very important, as they increase strength, size, and hypertrophy of the muscles being trained.
Step 6: Increased protein intake.
Building muscle requires protein, lots of protein. Although increasing your caloric intake is important, protein synthesis is even more important. If you aren’t getting enough protein into your body, your body may be using up all your resources. Increasing your protein intake will allow your body to use other sources of the molecules that combine to make muscle, as opposed to protein, which is an essential nutrient.
Step 7: Supplements.
The final part of this article series will take a look at supplements that can either increase your current progress or can develop more muscle mass. The best supplements for increasing muscle mass are multi-sources of nutrients. In other words, in addition to getting the right nutrients, get as many of them as possible.
Failure to follow these steps can result in a wasted opportunity. Always recognize why you are where you are, and make the necessary changes to correct the gaps between where you are now and your goals (such as bodybuilding goals of increasing strength and muscle size). Sometimes doing this will allow you to avoid frustration and achieve your goals more easily and more readily.
Final Words
Exercise alone is the best way for you to build muscle. However, as mentioned, exercise is extremely important as it allows the muscle to undergo a number of changes to its chemical composition and to acquire the acquired properties that will make the muscle grow.
The breakdown and production of protein, lipids, and carbohydrates are also beneficial aspects of exercise, as it allows these substances to be absorbed by the muscle cells, to supply the necessary vitamins for energy consumption. Carbohydrates are advanced to be used as fuel to power the muscles, fats for lubrication and transformation, and proteins as building material.
