10 Effective Tips to Gain Muscle Mass

Our body is our home, and we need to lead a healthy lifestyle to maintain it in the best condition. The modern lifestyle depletes our health in more ways than we know. Thus, taking care of our bodies has become much more important than ever. The first step to health & well-being is to fulfill our regular workout and nutritional requirements.
Some people indulge in a morning jog, while others take a group fitness class or gym. No matter what person you are, building a better physique and body requires building muscle mass.
There are many benefits of building muscle mass and many ways to do so. In this article, we are going to provide you with some valuable tips to gain muscle mass effectively.

Health Benefits of Building Muscle Mass

Increased muscle mass plays a crucial role in developing a proper physique, and it has a lot of health benefits too.

• It enhances your level of functional fitness by decreasing the chances of undue fatigue and risk of injury.
• Your lean muscle mass determines your resting metabolic rate, which affects the calories you burn. The more muscle mass, the easier it is to maintain your desired weight.
• Proper strength training can help decrease the risk of bone loss and lower your risk of sustaining muscle & skeletal injuries.
• Strength training and increased muscle mass help in performing daily activities and tasks in a better way. This slows down the so-called aging process and helps to embrace independent living.
• It reduces the occurrence of lower back pains by strengthening your abdominal and lower back muscles. Muscle mass also improves sports performance and enhances the ability to perform a specific task for an extended period.
• Last but not least, muscle mass improves psychological well-being and has positive effects on leveling down anxiety and depression, and increasing self-esteem.

Useful Tips to Gain Muscle Mass

More Protein and More Calories
Your body constantly uses protein for many different tasks, thus, leaving less protein for bodybuilding. Therefore, you need to consume 1 gram of protein for every pound of your body weight to fulfill the protein requirement. You also need more calories depending on your weight, metabolic rate, strength & aerobic training regime.

Multi-Joint Movements
If you want to gain muscle mass, you need to challenge your body by working through multiple joints and muscles at once. Using multiple muscle groups allows you to lift more weight, which is a key stimulator for growth. Moves like squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, and bench presses are crucial multi-joint exercises for building muscle mass.

Pre-Workout Drink
A 2001 research shows that having a pre-workout drink increases protein synthesis and leads to a greater uptake of amino acids in the muscles. It is recommended to drink about 10 to 20 grams of protein or one scoop of whey protein powder before 30-60 minutes of your workout for the best results.

Heavy Training
Heavy training challenges the muscle eccentrically, and you should use more weight to build more strength. Leadoff every workout with an exercise that lets you train low-rep, letting you make pre-strength early and then pile up later. For multi-joint exercises, don’t be afraid to do more reps with less count per rep.

Recovery Space
Although heavy training is essential for muscle growth, going too hard with your workouts might not be ideal. Your body needs time to recover from the heavy workout. It is advised to maintain a balance by limiting hard workouts to up to three times a week. Constantly training to the point of exhaustion can do more harm than good for your body.

Post-Workout Carbs
You need to feed your body carbohydrates to rebuild muscles faster. Post-workout meals with carbs increase your insulin levels and decrease the rate of protein breakdown. You can have any carb-based meal, like a banana or a peanut-butter sandwich, to meet your post-workout carb requirements.

Adequate Hours of Sleep
Adults need about 7 hours of sleep a night, but you may need more shut-eye hours if your body’s busy making mega muscles. Sleep is vital for athletic performance and proper recovery. A crucial muscle-building hormone is released during sleep that gives your muscles a chance to relax.

Hydration is a Must
Goes without saying, but water is your best friend! You need to stay hydrated before and after your workouts, as dehydration can slow down protein production. Try to drink around 16-20 fluid ounces four hours before your workout for proper hydration.

Keep Evolving
One of the primary reasons people can’t enhance their muscle mass is the same level of workout. Your workout should evolve with time; if you keep lifting the same amount, it won’t trigger the repair process required for building muscle mass.

Account for your Body’s Response
Lastly, it is very important to listen to your body and make your plan accordingly. Over-exertion and strain can lead to injury during your muscle-building journey.

Conclusion

Follow these tips with regular workouts for women and men and healthy meals to meet your body targets authentically. Remember, exercise & diet play equal roles in building a better body and overall well-being.