Muscle growth depends on your genetics, the intensity of your training and how many calories you consume. Before you can enjoy maximum benefit from your muscle building efforts, it is important to understand the basic science behind how a muscle grows. Acquiring that basic knowledge allows you to adjust your training to make it more effective, and helps you determine what works and does not work to facilitate muscle growth. Consult with your health care provider before starting a muscle building program.
Considerations
Muscle growth is referred to as hypertrophy, and it comes as a result of stress placed on your muscles over time. Weight training is a targeted means of placing stress on your muscles. Muscles are composed of fibers which are largely made of amino acids. When you stress a muscle by applying resistance to it, you create a slight tear. According to healthguidance.org, your body uses satellite cells around the muscle to repair the tear and cause it to become thicker. This is the body's means of preventing future damage.This is a similar process to the formation of scar tissue. Amino acids, from protein, are required to repair the tear. As your muscles become thicker, they become more resistant to stress. Consequently, you must work harder, and apply more resistance, to continue the thickening process.
Nutrition
According to Anthony Ellis, professional bodybuilder from IronMagazine.com, muscle growth cannot occur without an adequate amount of protein. Protein is necessary for the repair, and should be the focal point of all your meals. According to The National Strength and Conditioning Association, an athlete should consume between 1.5 and 2.0 grams of protein daily, per kilogram of body weight. The type of protein is important for muscle growth, too. You should consume complete proteins, which have all nine essential amino acids. Examples of complete proteins are meat, fish, poultry, egg whites, soy and milk. Complex carbohydrates are important for muscle building, too. Complex carbohydrates provide the sustained form of energy that your muscles need to perform work. Examples of complex carbohydrates are whole grains, fruit, starchy vegetables, pasta, beans and dairy products. You should consume six small meals a day, states Ellis, because your body can only assimilate so much protein at a time. While water is not technically a nutritional source, it is important to drink ample water when you are building muscle. A dehydrated muscle takes longer to repair than a muscle that is properly hydrated, states Ellis.
Rest
The growth and repair that takes place within a damaged muscle is called anabolism. Much of the anabolic process takes place during sleep. Consequently, it is important to get enough sleep. The Mayo Clinic website recommends that adults get between seven and eight hours of sleep each night. It is also important to give each muscle group 24 to 48 hours to recover between workouts.
Types
Two types of muscle building exercises facilitate muscle growth. One type of exercise is called an isolation exercise. An isolation exercise targets only the prime mover muscle. The prime mover muscle is the muscle is most responsible for moving the resistance. Isolation exercises allow you focus on developing specific muscles, and are effective at shaping the physique. Examples of isolation exercises are dumbbell curls, leg curls, leg extensions, calf raises and tricep pressdowns. The second type of exercise is called a compound exercise. Compound exercises involve more than one muscle group in moving the resistance. Because the muscle groups work together in moving the weight, they develop uniformly. Consequently, compound exercises are effective at building overall size. According to Bodybuilding.com, compound exercises are more efficient than isolation exercises, because they develop more muscles at one time. Examples of compound exercises are squats, upright rows, behind the neck press and dead lifts.
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