Gaining muscle impacts your body in several ways. First of all, it can give you more strength to do daily activities like placing groceries into a trunk. Secondly, it can make you feel better about yourself. Lastly, it can increase your resting metabolic rate. If you were to add 3 lbs. of muscle to your body, you would burn an extra 630 to 1,050 calories a week, according to the University of Michigan Health System. A muscle workout plan has distinct features.
Identification
Compound exercises pack on muscle. Unlike isolation exercises, compound exercises involve multiple muscles and joints working at the same time. Not only does this increase total muscle fiber recruitment, but it also causes the body to increase testosterone production, according to the Build Muscle and Gain Weight Fast Guide. Testosterone is a pivotal hormone utilized for muscle growth. Perform exercises like bench presses, shoulder presses, rows, dips, lunges and deadlifts.
Dynamic Stretching
Compound exercises demand multiple movements of the body. It is important to loosen up before your workouts to prevent muscle pulls or other injuries. Perform six to 10 dynamic stretches to achieve this goal. These are performed in motion and they get your body primed for exercising movements. Alternating toe touches, leg swings, arm circles, side bends, lateral lunges and arm crossovers.
Features
Proper form is an important factor when it comes to a muscle workout plan. The key thing is to move through a full range of motion to recruit as much muscle fiber as possible. Take the bench press for example. Lie face-up on the bench while holding the barbell straight above you with your hands in a wide grip and your arms fully extended. Slowly lower the bar down until it lightly touches your chest and push it back up in a steady motion. Never use momentum to move the weights and resist the urge to swing your hips or body to gain leverage.
Size
To gain the maximal amount of size, you need to tax your muscles with a heavy enough weight. If you don't, you might build muscular endurance, but you will not make noticeable changes with your mass. Utilize weights that are so heavy that you can only do eight to 12 reps with good form. Perform three or four sets of each exercise. To continually make progress, aim for a five to 10 percent increase in resistance every week. For example, if you are bench pressing 200 lbs. this week, aim for 210 to 220 lbs. next week.
Time Frame
Working out on a regular basis is important, but you also have to rest. In fact, it is during rest that your muscles recover and build. Take at least one day off in between your workouts. To boost your recoveries even more, make sure to get enough sleep every night. Typically, adults need seven to 9 hours of rest per night, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Prevention/Solution
When you lift heavy weights, keep a spotter on hand for assistance. Have her stand right behind you with whatever exercise you are doing and grasp the weight if you cannot push it all the way up. This will help you reach your rep ranges and also prevent injuries.
Considerations
Gaining muscle should include healthy eating. If you continue to eat junk food and drink high amounts of alcohol and empty-calorie beverages, you will have low energy levels, and subsequently deprive your muscles of needed nutrients. Stick with a balanced diet that includes quality protein, complex carbs and healthy fats to get the best results with your workouts.
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