Bodybuilding & Weight Lifting Muscle Growth

Bodybuilders train differently from other athletes. Rather than lifting weights to improve performance, a bodybuilder's training is focused entirely on muscular hypertrophy (increasing muscle size). Muscles only grow bigger if they have been worked to failure (the point where they cannot lift the weight again). A bodybuilder undergoes very intense workouts, but to build muscle he must pay just as much attention to his recovery and nutrition.

Muscle Growth

A muscle's strength depends on how big it is (its cross-sectional area). Weightlifting damages muscle fibers so that they will rebuild stronger and bigger than before. The more muscle fibers are used and the more they are broken down during a workout, the stronger they must rebuild themselves to keep up with the demands of training. Thus, bodybuilders may work a muscle group with several exercises to target and stimulate growth in as many fibers as possible.

Strength vs. Hypertrophy

Bodybuilders include a variety of repetition ("rep") ranges in their training. How many reps of an exercise a bodybuilder does before his muscles fail depends on the weight he lifts. To build strength, muscles should reach failure after three to five reps. However, doing between six and twelve reps with lighter weights builds the greatest amount of muscle. A bodybuilder builds bigger muscles by doing some low-rep sets to increase maximum strength, thus increasing the weight he can lift in his mid-range hypertrophic sets.

Frequency

Recovery rate should determine the frequency of workouts. A bodybuilder will break down muscle tissue faster than he builds it if he doesn't leave enough time between workouts, thus sabotaging results. Also, a muscle that is still recovering cannot lift as much weight as a fresh muscle, limiting potential gains. If workouts are intense enough, it may take over a week to fully recover from each session. To break through a plateau, increase the intensity of your workouts and decrease frequency.

Recovery

How well you recover determines the effectiveness of your workouts. Recovery includes two major components: rest and nutrition. Rest gives your body time to clear damaged muscle tissue and build mass, and optimal nutrition gives it the materials to do so. Your body releases growth hormone and testosterone (hormones responsible for building muscle) while you sleep, so getting enough shut-eye is paramount. The food you eat should include enough protein to build new muscle tissue, carbohydrates to fuel your muscles, healthy fats, and water to deliver the nutrients needed.

Supplements

Illegal steroid use is common among professional bodybuilders, but there are several legal supplements that bodybuilders use to stimulate muscle growth. The most common bodybuilding supplements are protein powders. Whey protein isolate is quickly assimilated in the body, so it is a good post-workout protein source. Casein protein releases its amino acids more slowly, making it the best protein source before bedtime. Many bodybuilders supplement creatine, an energy source produced by the body and stored in the muscles. Always research the effectiveness and side effects of a supplement before taking it.