Stop thinking about how to gain muscle with the best 8 tips in less time and write down these 8 tips explained one by one and in detail by a professional bodybuilder. No one better than him to talk to you about hypertrophy.
You can pound your squats and Scott biceps bench until you burst your muscles, but that won’t make them bigger or faster. To gain muscle efficiently you have to use common sense and, for example, follow the advice of a professional bodybuilder. Building muscle is a complex ‘science’ and depends on many factors such as nutrition or rest, in addition to training.
In fact, for Jim White, a former bodybuilder, and nutritionist, “diet is the cornerstone of building lean muscle.” “If the protein isn’t there, your muscles won’t grow. If the carbs aren’t there, you’ll feel weak. And if the fat isn’t there, your health will suffer,” he defends. His case: from being a skinny guy to gaining muscle after starting to eat six times a day, taking in up to 3,500 calories a day, and experimenting with macronutrient percentages until he finds his sweet spot. So, his energy skyrocketed, and he gained over the years 30 kilos of lean muscle and a lot more strength.
So, take good note of these 8 tips, especially related to nutrition:
1- Eat more protein
Muscle grows after training with food and rest. After stressing the muscle, make sure you get enough protein: its amino acids go straight to the muscle, rebuilding it, and protein synthesis repair it and makes it grow. In addition, they help produce hormones such as insulin and growth hormone.
Although the recommended daily amount of protein is 0.8 grams per kilo of body weight, double it. That’s the maximum amount your body can store, according to a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology. A 160-pound man, for example, should consume about 160 grams of protein, the equivalent of 225 grams of chicken breast, a cup of cottage cheese, a beef roast sandwich, two eggs, a glass of milk, and 50 grams of peanut butter
2- Consume more calories to gain muscle
If you train with weights, don’t eat like a person who doesn’t; your goal is to lose weight. In other words, gaining muscle forces you to consume around 2,800 calories a day, so you’re going to have to eat a lot… In White’s case, it reached 3,000 and he divided them into several servings a day. (How to calculate the ideal weight of a man).
3- Eat every 3 hours approximately
By spreading all those calories over six meals every 3 hours or so, you’ll avoid feeling heavy and full after a big meal. In addition, you will ensure that your body has carbohydrates and proteins constantly and that intense exercise does not tire you excessively. Take about 30 grams of protein at each meal.
4- Find the right combination of macros
Protein is essential, but carbohydrates and good fats are too. A correct combination will help you gain weight and muscle, but not fat. A recommended ratio would be 50 percent carbohydrates, 25 percent protein, and 25 percent fat.
5- Stay hydrated
Poor hydration will make you more fatigued during training and decrease your performance. A study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that poorly hydrated bodybuilders produced more cortisol, the stress hormone, and reduced testosterone release.
6- Choose a good whey protein
Right after training, your whey protein shake is basic, at around 25 grams.
It digests quickly and opts for one that has leucine, which helps with protein synthesis. (The 50 foods with more protein to include in your diet).
7- Take a banana before training
Or Greek yogurt or a low-sugar isotonic drink. Rich in electrolytes, these foods will help your muscles contract and prevent cramping during exercise.
8- Measure your meals
Be disciplined with your meals as much or more than with training. Respect the meal times, eat as soon as you get up, and stop eating three hours before going to bed to facilitate a good sleep. Eating just before bed can affect you and the muscle does not grow properly during the night.
More tips that can help you gain muscle with your workouts
In addition to taking care of your diet, when training in the gym it is essential to bet on strength exercises such as squats, bench presses, es or deadlifts, and vary your routines from time to time to surprise the muscle. How? Do not limit yourself to Weider routines, try a CrossFit session, do supersets, drop sets, or descending series, work in circuits, try HIIT workouts and, above all, respect the technique in each of the repetitions.
Example of bodybuilder training to gain muscle
Perform each pair of exercises as a superset with 60-90 seconds of rest between each round, working up to four supersets total.
1A) Bench press x 10
Back well supported on the bench and we raise and lower the bar as slowly as we can with our hands a little more than the width of our shoulders. The correct technique to bench press in your chest training.
1B) Narrow pull-ups x 10
If you need some help, use a resistance band to get yourself to the top, then work 5 super slow negative reps, before another 5 full reps with band work.
2A) DB Press grip closed x 10
With a tighter grip to also give work to the triceps, we control the eccentric phase to the maximum to seek the greatest muscle tension.
2B) Side Pull Down x 10
Try not to pull the elastic band and make the movement as fluid as possible in each series repetition.
3A) Shoulder press with dumbbells x 10
Stop before the lockout on the shoulder press so you can maintain tension throughout all reps. Resting at the top is fooling yourself about profits. Do not arch your back at any point during the exercise.
3B) Rowing overhead x 10
Perform each move consecutively with 60-90 seconds of rest between sets.
4A) Barbell Biceps Curl x 12
4B) Press-Down with rope and triangle x 12
4C) Dumbbell Lateral Raises x 12
Since it is about gaining more muscle and burning fat, the secret is to do the repetitions as slowly as possible, looking for constant muscular tension. Respecting the technique in each repetition is essential. For dumbbell work, try to make the path uniform with each hand.
And if you already want to mark your abs, in addition to these exercises for the core and abdominals, do light cardio on an empty stomach every day, about 45 minutes at a good pace, and prioritize foods rich in protein in your diet.