In this day and age, everyone is looking for a quick and convenient way to do things. Unfortunately there is no secret weapon you can pull out to become super muscly and lean, if there was, i’m pretty sure everyone would be using it to look good. So with that being said, here are a few pointers to get you started to building some good quality muscle and achieving that ideal physique which you want.
Remember there are no short cuts, no magic pills, no wonder supplements!
1. Start weight training to build and maintain muscle.
If you don’t use your muscles you’ll lose them. It’s that simple.
The body is an amazing thing, and it has an incredible ‘survival mode’ in which it will eventually shed what it doesn’t need, to survive. So in order to build muscles you need to continuously train them and challenge them, and go beyond what you’ve done before. You can do this by ensuring each time you train you are progressing by becoming stronger each time; therefore, ensure you are constantly increasing the weights you use.
2. Eat more protein.
Simply put, protein builds muscle. Be sure to have some protein in each of your meals. This will also ensure that you feel fuller for longer and will play a role in keeping your energy levels (more) constant. Your body does not store protein to use at a later stage like it does with carbohydrates for energy, so you need to make sure you constantly ingest some protein at each meal throughout the day in order to constantly supply your body with the amino acids it needs to repair and build your muscles.
3. Eat more calories.
Many times people start out in the gym and train and train AND train! But then they complain that they are training so hard but are not gaining anything. My first response is EAT! You have to eat a lot of the right foods in order to pick up good quality muscle size. I mean that muscle has to be built out of something right?
Now don’t go overboard and eat anything and everything in sight. You need to start somewhere and then build it up slowly over a time period, increasing your calories, for example each week, or as you progress in size.
Remember the bigger you become (or better yet, the more muscle you gain), the more food you will need to maintain that muscle and even more so to support new muscle growth.
So you need to really focus on your diet, and be sure to reassess it on a regular basis.
4. Be Sure to rest enough.
When you weight train, you are basically tearing down your muscles, in order for your body to rebuild them (and rebuild them a tiny bit bigger each time). So you do need to rest enough to allow proper recuperation and recovery of all your muscles. Make sure to at least take one day off from the gym in a week to aid in recovery, and try to do your best to get a good nights sleep each night. I’m not going to state that you need exactly 8 hours of sleep every night, since I’ve seen many people do it on less. Just see what works for you, but don’t skimp on sleep if you can!
5. Be Consistent
When it comes to building a lean and mean physique you have to be consistent with your training, eating, and resting. Now I don’t mean consistency in the sense that you have to do the same thing over and over, not quite. You should be consistent with all three aspects, but always continue to analyze them and keep them changing and progressing as you adapt. What I mean is, you need to take it all seriously and get it done, day in and day out. Not every second day or every second week, or once or twice a month, EVERY DAY! It’s the only way you will see results, as long as you stick with it.
“Rome was not built in a day, but it wasn’t built by sitting on your ass either.”
6. Drink more water.
Drinking water throughout the day has so many benefits for the human body; it should be a staple in your diet and in your lifestyle. It keeps you hydrated, it assists with muscle recovery and nutrient transportation, it keeps your skin hydrated, and the list could go on and on, so drink up!
