Muscle Mass

Increasing lean muscle mass is simply a case of stimulating the body to synthesize more muscle tissue, and creating the right environment for this growth process to be able to take place. This means consuming the right foods, in the right quantities, at the right times, and getting plenty of rest.

Muscle tissue is comprised mainly of protein and water. In order to stimulate muscle growth, you have to persuade the body that your existing muscle isn not big or strong enough to do what you need it to do. This means slightly damaging the muscle fibres, creating what is known as microtrauma, which stimulates a transformation response that sets in motion all the processes that lead to increased muscle mass. The simplest and most common way to cause this microtrauma is through strength training, basically weightlifting, though other kinds of training such as resistance or elastic training can produce similar results.

When you lift and lower a weight correctly, your muscles contract. When you list a weight that is heavy enough to make you doubt whether you can do one more rep, that is when you are on the threshold of creating the tears in the muscle fibre needed to stimulate muscle growth. An ideal bodybuilding workout is one in which you warm up your muscles, and then push them intensively over a short period of time, breaking through the limit of what you thought you could do before warming down and moving on to the next muscle group. Beginners often think that they have to spend hours in the gym in order to see results fast.

The truth is that this approach is counterproductive, since once you have initiated a transformation response by tearing the muscle fibre, any further damage will do more harm than good. Training longer won’t produce better results. Training harder in concentrated bursts will. That is why a big chunk of body building is mental. You have to believe that you can push yourself further every day, and then do it, and have confidence that your body will benefit.

Many bodybuilders find that it helps to keep a record of their workouts. This is beneficial from a psychological standpoint, because it allows you to chart your progress and see the benefits you are getting right there in black and white. It also allows you to plan your next workout, so you keep pushing yourself harder and further each time, which in the end is the only way to keep those transformation responses happening. Once you stop reaching higher and further each workout, you will find your gains grinding to a halt. Progression is the key, and a lot of that is mental.

If you have tried to build muscle in the past, and been unsuccessful, perhaps it was your technique that let you down. Perhaps you were not pushing yourself hard enough. Perhaps you lifted unchallenging weights for so many reps you got bored, and then the lack of progress was disheartening. Bodybuilding is like playing golf in a way. Any idiot can toss a golf club around, but unless you take the time to work on your swing, you will no get anywhere fast. You will just end up stuck in the rough again and again. This is what weight training without proper technique is like.

Or perhaps you weren’t eating the right foods. Body builders need to consume substantially more calories than regular people. Do not be tempted to skimp on the carbohydrates because you are afraid you will get fat, your body needs that energy. It needs that energy to power you through your intensive workout, allowing you to push your muscles to the limit and stimulate that transformation reaction. It needs that energy to repair your muscles afterwards, synthesizing new protein, making the muscle cells bigger and stronger. You need that energy to stay alert, and focussed.

Carbohydrates are crucial. The trick is to pick the right ones. Complex carbohydrates like potato, pasta and brown rice, that release their energy throughout the day and support metabolic growth and muscle synthesis, rather than quick-release carbs like chocolate and refined sugars, which release their energy in a burst and are therefore liable to wind up being stored as fat.

Likewise, you want to eat quality protein. Your body needs protein to create new muscle tissue. If you don ot supply that protein, even if you train hard, you will not gain muscle because your body has nothing to build it out of. Lean meat, fish and cottage cheese are great sources of protein, as is Whey protein, often found in weight gain supplements and meal replacement shakes and bars, which is fast-absorbed and rich in essential amino acids used in muscle synthesis.

And if you are serious about building lean muscle mass, and building it fast, supplements such as Creatine, glycogen and various amino acids can help replace naturally depleted stores in the body, letting you train harder, for longer, and shortening your recovery time. Supplements are a great way to make the most of your workouts, and maximize your muscle gain.

Muscle Mass