Effective mass-building plans go beyond just spending time in the gym. Increases in muscle size are a result of a well-designed training program with systematic overload and progression. Nutrition also plays a key role in rebuilding muscle and promoting new tissue growth. Various programs claim to "build muscle fast," and countless supplements promise to promote muscle-mass increases. However, weightlifters need only follow a few rules and monitor their nutrition to optimize muscle growth. Consult your doctor before beginning any new diet or exercise regimen.
Hypertrophy
The increase in muscle size as a result of resistance is referred to as hypertrophy, the National Strength and Conditioning Association explains. Hypertrophy results from an increase in protein synthesis to meet the demands of lifting heavy weights. Protein builds in layers, causing individual muscle fibers to increase in diameter. This increase leads to the growth of a muscle's cross-sectional area.
Effective Exercises
The most effective exercises for building muscle are high-intensity, explosive lifts, according to the Bodybuilding website. Further, multi-joint exercises that load the axial skeleton lead to greater muscle-fiber recruitment and increased muscle growth. Examples include squats, overhead presses, power cleans, jerks and snatches. You can optimize muscle growth by performing sets of six to 12 repetitions, using between 67 and 85 percent of your one-rep maximum for each exercise.
Overload and Progression
Overload and progression are two basic exercise principles you must apply for continual muscle growth, Bodybuilding reports. You achieve overload and progression by increasing the volume and/or the intensity of resistance training. As a general rule, if you can perform two additional repetitions beyond your target for a given exercise, it's time to increase the weight by 5 pounds or more. This is referred to as the "2-for-2" rule, the National Strength and Conditioning Association notes.
Program Design
Beginning weightlifters should aim to complete two to three resistance-training sessions per week, Bodybuilding instructs. Advanced lifters can train for four sessions per week, but anything beyond that is generally not ideal for muscle growth. Strength and conditioning specialist Allen Hedrick writes that hypertrophy is maximized through a periodized training program that gradually increases load. Hedrick recommends performing one total-body exercise each session, then alternating between upper-body and lower-body exercises from one session to the next.
Effects of Nutrition
Nutrition plays a crucial role in promoting optimal gains in muscle size. Your body needs increased protein to repair damaged muscles and promote tissue growth. Weightlifters may need up to twice the protein intake of normal adults. When undergoing a mass-building program, the National Strength and Conditioning Association recommends you consume 1.8 grams of protein for each kilogram of body weight. It also suggests that you increase your carbohydrate intake to restore glycogen in the muscles. Consume a high-protein, high-carbohydrate bar within 30 minutes after a resistance training session.
References
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle (eds.); 2008
- Bodybuilding: How to Maximize Mass Through Weights & Adaptation
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Training for Hypertrophy; Allen Hedrick; June 1995
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