Make sure you get plenty of carbohydrates before and after your workouts. Eat up more of the proper calories, protein, carbohydrates and essential fats. And no, that box of donuts isn't the type of calories you need to be eating.
You have to eat more if you want to pack on muscle. Don't worry, you are gonna need it. Going with a heavier weight routine, your body is gonna need more energy, and in order for the muscles to grow they will need it too. It is possible that you will double you calorie intake to build muscle.
Weight training needs to be heavy. Light workouts aint gonna do it. Going to the gym with a routine of light weights isn't gonna bulk you up. You are gonna have to work with heavy weights consistently to bulk up, almost to fatigue. For the muscles to grow, they have to be worked hard. Also make sure that you get plenty of rest. Rest is vital to putting on muscle.
That is when the muscle is actually building, when at rest. After expending all that energy, your muscle will need to recuperate and build muscle tissue, to help with the extra energy that is being expended.
You wanna make sure that you are not stressed out. The key here is the word: GRADUALLY. This is the most misunderstood and abused aspect of weight lifting for muscle gain. Most people understand progressive resistance, but GRADUAL weight load somehow gets lost. I believe this is because guys always look for shortcuts.
But here is the thing. If you start adding weight too quickly, you will likely cause one of three things: injure yourself, get discouraged with your inability to lift such a heavy weight, quit prematurely.
If you, however stay on the same weight for too long, without increasing your weight, you will not build your muscle.
You can see, how important it is to get progressive resistance right. That's why I believe that bodybuilding, just like any other human endeavor, is for smart people only.
2. Compound Lifts
This is of most importance, guys. You need to understand, that there are two types of lifts you can do at a gym. Compound lifts and isolation lifts.
Compound lifts, like squat, dead lift, bench press and row build muscle. Isolation lifts, like biceps curls, wrist curls, crunches, hamstring curls DO NOT BUILD MUSCLE. OK, they do build muscle, but it is insignificant. DO NOT BOTHER with isolation exercises, until you gain some real muscle by doing compound lifts.
3. Calorie intake manipulation
The amount of calories you consume is as important as the type of food you eat. Eat too many calories, and you will gain muscle as well as fat and you will end up looking big but unfit.
Eat not enough calories, and you will remain skinny for life.
Note: In general, you don't need supplements to gain muscle. If you want to take supplements, the only supplement I recommend is whey protein.
4. Powerful mindset
OK. This is absolutely and unequivocally crucial. You have to develop a powerful mindset. If you don't posses a powerful inner game, a small setback, critic, failure or injury will chew you and spit you out like a rotten potato.
You have to eat more if you want to pack on muscle. Don't worry, you are gonna need it. Going with a heavier weight routine, your body is gonna need more energy, and in order for the muscles to grow they will need it too. It is possible that you will double you calorie intake to build muscle.
Weight training needs to be heavy. Light workouts aint gonna do it. Going to the gym with a routine of light weights isn't gonna bulk you up. You are gonna have to work with heavy weights consistently to bulk up, almost to fatigue. For the muscles to grow, they have to be worked hard. Also make sure that you get plenty of rest. Rest is vital to putting on muscle.
That is when the muscle is actually building, when at rest. After expending all that energy, your muscle will need to recuperate and build muscle tissue, to help with the extra energy that is being expended.
You wanna make sure that you are not stressed out. The key here is the word: GRADUALLY. This is the most misunderstood and abused aspect of weight lifting for muscle gain. Most people understand progressive resistance, but GRADUAL weight load somehow gets lost. I believe this is because guys always look for shortcuts.
But here is the thing. If you start adding weight too quickly, you will likely cause one of three things: injure yourself, get discouraged with your inability to lift such a heavy weight, quit prematurely.
If you, however stay on the same weight for too long, without increasing your weight, you will not build your muscle.
You can see, how important it is to get progressive resistance right. That's why I believe that bodybuilding, just like any other human endeavor, is for smart people only.
2. Compound Lifts
This is of most importance, guys. You need to understand, that there are two types of lifts you can do at a gym. Compound lifts and isolation lifts.
Compound lifts, like squat, dead lift, bench press and row build muscle. Isolation lifts, like biceps curls, wrist curls, crunches, hamstring curls DO NOT BUILD MUSCLE. OK, they do build muscle, but it is insignificant. DO NOT BOTHER with isolation exercises, until you gain some real muscle by doing compound lifts.
3. Calorie intake manipulation
The amount of calories you consume is as important as the type of food you eat. Eat too many calories, and you will gain muscle as well as fat and you will end up looking big but unfit.
Eat not enough calories, and you will remain skinny for life.
Note: In general, you don't need supplements to gain muscle. If you want to take supplements, the only supplement I recommend is whey protein.
4. Powerful mindset
OK. This is absolutely and unequivocally crucial. You have to develop a powerful mindset. If you don't posses a powerful inner game, a small setback, critic, failure or injury will chew you and spit you out like a rotten potato.
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