Regardless of the reason behind your muscle building efforts, here are 10 surefire ways on how to build muscles for men. If you have just started, you will greatly benefit from these 15tips no matter how simple they seem to be.
- Pile up on protein. The process called synthesis enables your muscles to grow larger as more and more protein is stored. But protein is also used for other body processes including the production of hormones. Thus, your body’s protein storage level may become depleted.This is the reason why several protein products including protein shakes or protein bars are offered in the market to aid body builders in their quest to build muscles. These supplements are packed with protein the body requires in order to beef up. Alternatives on the other hand include protein-rich foods like turkey, cheese, and crackers to name just a few.
- Eat lean meat. This is still related to the first tip because most meat products are protein rich. The advisable amount of meat to be consumed must be 1 gram for every pound of body weight. This means that a person weighing 200 pounds must ideally consume at least 200 grams of meat daily. But when we say meat, it should be lean meat.
- Saturated versus Unsaturated. Avoid fatty meat, particularly saturated meat as they may pose health dangers including cholesterol and heart problems. Fat intake should not exceed 30% of your body’s daily dose of calories. Fat is only good when it’s the unsaturated fat variety. Some of which include special oils made from olive, canola, sesame, safflower, sunflower and soybean. Avocado, nuts, corn, soybeans, flaxseed, and sunflower seeds also contain good fat. Lastly, omega-3 fats are the runaway winner when it comes to beneficial fat. Cold water fishes like tuna, salmon, sardines, and trout are rich in omega-3.
- Consume calories. Aside from protein, you must also consume a lot of calories. Most food products provide a table of ingredients and their corresponding amount. This will help you measure calorie intake and find out if you are actually consuming enough. To find out how much basic calorie intake your body requires, you simply multiply your weight in pounds by 12.
- Build the biggest muscles. Beginners can always benefit from any type of workout such as strength training as it helps increase the process of photo synthesis. But if you have been working out for a while now, it will help to build the biggest muscles first such as the chest, back, and legs.
- Workouts. Some of the workouts which will benefit these muscle groups include bench press, military press, squats, dips, pull ups, dead lifts, and bent-over rows. You can perform 2 or 3 sets with about 8 to 12 repetitions for each activity and just rest for 60 seconds in between. Less and more is the key. This translates to less repetition (12 is the ideal) but with more or heavier weight at no more than 45-60 minutes each time. You may also alternate muscle groups when training. Some of the target areas you can focus on include chest, triceps, shoulders, lower body, back, biceps, and arms.
- Personal Trainer. In relation to body building, it will benefit you to hire a personal trainer or to at least seek the assistance of one when it comes to formulating a specific exercise regimen that will suit your needs. The same trainer can help you update your training program every 3 to 8 weeks depending on your progress. It will also help to keep a journal to record your muscle building development.
- Have a drink. A protein shake prior to exercising actually boost protein synthesis. The ideal amount will be about 10 to 20 grams of protein. This is equivalent to a single scoop of whey protein product. Although the same amount of protein can be gained through a whole wheat bread stuffed with turkey and cheese, a liquid drink can be digested and absorbed by the body faster. So just drink your amino acids (protein’s building blocks) despite their weird taste. You’ll get used to it in no time.
- Water. Water before and after workout is also suggested. You should take about 12 to 16 ounces of water before the routine and 8 to 10 ounces for every 15 minutes. In case you prefer sports drinks, make sure to drink only when working out for over an hour. Otherwise, you may suffer from electrolyte depletion.
- Take a day’s rest. It has been said that your body grows muscles when you’re resting and not while you’re working out. Thus, it is recommended to participate in a workout session only every other day. Recovery is as crucial as exercise when it comes to building muscles.
- Eat carbs. Carbohydrates aids in building muscles during your rest days. This is because carbohydrates raise insulin levels which in turn slow down protein breakdown.
- Eat every 3 hours. While we are used to eating 3 full meals each day, it is actually better to eat small, frequent meals 6 times daily or every 3 hours. In relation to this, simply divide the amount of calorie intake you need by six and make sure to eat protein-rich foods with about 20 grams per meal.
- Cool down with ice cream. If protein shakes are for pre-exercise, then a bowl of ice cream is an ideal post-workout snack particularly 2 hours after the exercise routine. It will boost insulin levels better than any other food. See tip #8 again for the correlation between insulin and protein.
- Drink your milk. This is because milk is rich in carbohydrates and protein. Calories will remain during your sleep and will decelerate the protein breakdown process. Milk or any other supplementary meal or drink containing carbs and protein taken about 30 minutes before bed will do.
- Sleep. Speaking of sleep, there should be enough rest every night because sleep deprivation can hamper muscle growth.
Conclusion
To build muscles for men requires patience and discipline. You need to adhere to good practice such as these tips listed above in order to achieve your goal.
