Whether you want to compete in body building competitions or are just looking to improve your lanky profile, building muscle mass is about more than just packing on the pounds. It’s about building muscle properly through strength training and through a proper diet. A few simple tips can help you pack on the muscle and look your best.
Increase Caloric Intake
When you’re trying to lose weight, the natural solution is to cut calories. The opposite is true when you’re trying to add mass to your body, according to BodyBuilding.com. When striving for muscle mass gain, you have to eat more calories, from which your body will utilize the energy to build new muscle. Don’t go overboard, though. Diet and fitness expert Dr. Melina Jampolis recommends consuming between 250 and 500 extra calories per day.
Eat the Right Foods
Protein is essential to building and maintaining healthy muscles, according to MedlinePlus, so making sure you add healthy protein to your diet will help you bulk up. Lean meats, such as chicken or fish, are a healthy way to increase your protein intake. You can also try protein shakes and supplements. Don’t forget about the other food groups, though. Balance your protein intake with a mix of complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables to give your body the fuel it needs to turn those calories into pure muscle.
Get Plenty of Rest
The process of building muscle involves tearing muscle tissue and giving it time to grow back bigger and stronger. That’s why rest is essential to gaining muscle mass, according to the Mayo Clinic. Take at least one day off after working out a major muscle group to give your muscles time to recover. Overtraining can cause your testosterone levels to drop, according to BodyBuilding.com, which can lead to a muscle-mass-gaining plateau.
Learn the Correct Technique
It doesn’t do you any good to lift weights if you’re not doing it properly. Learning the proper technique will help you work out your muscles correctly, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you’re unsure how to do a particular exercise, ask a fitness instructor or other professional. If you’re using free weights, train with a partner who can not only help watch your technique, but who can also help spot you to prevent injury or an accident.
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