Top 10 Basic Rules for Building Muscle Mass
”Each workout is like a brick in a building, and every time you go in there and do a half-baked workout, you are not laying a brick down, somebody else is.”
– Dorian Yates
Despite spending an inordinate amount of time at the gym, if you aren’t making enough muscle mass gain, it is definite that you are going wrong somewhere. Many sites will tell you a lot on muscle gain and how to do it. Some websites focus completely on home-based techniques and diet, while others will ask you to do a power-packed workout at the gym.
The answer to gaining the intended mass is by combining both the strategies. Shedding sweat at the gym is an absolute necessity, but it has to be fused with proper diet and discipline for gaining an enviable body.
Let us have a look at the 10 of the most basic rules for muscle mass gain: –
1. Work on Targeted Areas
The first leap towards anything greater is via analyzing the lacunas and weak points. You have to do the same with your body. Analyze your body well and see if any part is out of proportion. People always have some parts of their bodies that are more developed than the rest. To make your physique look attractive, you have to work more on the parts of your body that need working out.
2. Use Free Weights
Free weights include dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells or anything that you can pick up and exercise your muscles. The advantage of using free weights is that it works up more muscles at once by working against gravity. Lifting free weights results in more mass gain than any machine can make you achieve.
3. Focus on Muscle Groups
If you are a beginner who has joined the gym to gain mass, any workout will help you build muscle. However, if you are someone who has been working out for a while, your body is now accustomed to the intense exertions at the gym. It is time you target muscle groups like back, legs, and chest.
Add more intense workouts, such as pull-ups, deadlifts, squats, dips, bench-presses, bent-over-rows to your working-out sessions. These are exercises that will help in muscle mass gain.
4. Increase your Rep Capacity
In the first week, you step into the gym; you will get a fair estimation of your rep capacity. To achieve the intended muscle gain, you will have to increase your rep capacity. The key to gain muscle healthily is to take it slow but steady. Remember, as you train your body, your muscle will become stubborn and will need more exercise to stay in shape. So, increase your rep capacity if you want to have and maintain a hunky body.
5. Inculcate Discipline
While endeavoring for gaining muscle, you must be disciplined. Form a chart and follow it religiously. You must know that all the top body-builders follow a strict routine and work-out schedules. To have that type of body, you must do the same. Set the alarm for the morning and make a diet chart. Do not skip working out. Cheat days are for cheaters; you aren’t one of them. Make discipline, consistency and hard-work your habit. Success will automatically follow.
6. Understand your Body
You have a different body than anyone else. It is a primary reason for the uniqueness of your existence. Gym instructors are knowledgeable persons, but it is you who would understand your body and its capacity more. Try not to rush your body to do things that it is not prepared to perform. You might even incur an injury in the process.
Another thing to remember is, it is not your pace that can achieve that physique; it is your steadiness instead. So, make sure you rest your muscles between completing a set and beginning another to avoid an over-worked body and sore muscles.
7. Compound Movements: The Ultimate Key to Muscle Mass Gain
To make every muscle group stand out, you must include compound movements in your workout sessions. Compound movements work on multiple muscles at the same time and help immensely in muscle gain. Exercises like barbell squat, deadlift, etc. are a few examples of compound movements that will aid in increasing muscle fiber and muscle separation.
8. Drink More Water
Water is the single most important component in our body. Your muscles will be deprived of electrolytes if you do not drink sufficient water. It helps nutrients to reach the muscles and makes them function properly. Water also helps in the structure-formation of protein and glycogen, and so, hydrating your body is immensely essential if you are trying to gain some muscle.
9. Incorporate Carbohydrate in Your Diet
Everyone knows that protein is the best friend of every body-builder. However, did you know that you must not avoid carbohydrates? Yes, you heard it right. Carbohydrate is the best when it comes to replenishing your body with energy; which you need in ample amounts while exercising. Another factor for which you would want to incorporate carb in your diet is, carbs fill your muscles with glycogen, which helps your muscle increase in size while you are resting.
10. The Power of Protein in Imperative to Muscle gain
You must eat enough calories to supply your body with constant energy while trying for muscle gain. Protein and bodybuilding go hand in hand. This macronutrient helps in re-building the tissues that are damaged while working out.
An average individual must consume 0.8gms of protein per body pound. But if you are aiming at muscle mass gain, you must increase it to 1.5 to 2.0 per body pound. You must consume high-quality protein such as whey, lean meat, eggs, and milk. Protein is immensely important as it increases the strength of muscles.
Conclusion
A well-structured body looks attractive. But building it is not a cake walk. You will have to be determined in your pursuit and do everything mentioned above with a positive mindset to have a good body that is healthy and fit.