Fitness

How to Grow Muscles: 7 Proven Ways to Build Muscle

By Nicolas Rivera

April 11, 2020

The muscles within a body are extremely important structures. They help us maintaining a correct body posture and give us the power to unroll daily activities. To function right and stay in shape, muscles require constant exercising and training.

As you can tell, an adequate workout routine is necessary if you want to grow muscles in an effective manner. There is no secret recipe or miraculous remedy that will make muscles grow, except proper exercising and a correct diet that will provide the right kind of nutrients.

Whether you’re looking to get in shape, maintain healthy muscles, or gain muscle mass, you will need to incorporate regular workout sessions in your weekly routine.

Also, do not forget about your diet, as developing muscles need fuel to grow. Eating the right kind of foods will boost your body’s energy and will help you enjoy better performances during training sessions. To come to your aid in your muscle-building mission, here is a guide with 7 proven ways that will help you build muscles fast and effective.

The diet you adopt can make or break your goal of enjoying bigger muscles. Your muscles need fuel to repair and renew themselves after each workout. So, you will need to eat balanced meals if you want to enjoy a good dose of energy during workouts and proper muscle growth after. Ideally, a meal should be composed out of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats in the right proportions. Also, the quality of the food you eat counts as well. For example, grilled chicken with vegetables and a slice or two of whole-grain bread is a much better option than a hamburger.

In other words, if you want a bigger muscle mass, you should invest effort in changing your diet as well. Go for quality foods and stay away from junk foods and foods containing sugar. It is also recommended to have a regular meal plan. This means that you should have your meals, and snacks in between, at regular hours. Many opt for meal prepping, to make sure they eat healthy meals at all times, according to the meal plan they made.

You may already know that proteins are extremely important when looking to gain more muscle mass. However, proteins are not everything and they shouldn’t be your sole strategy. Your menu should contain a wide variety of nutrients, like vitamins and minerals as well. So, if you eat only meat you won’t get the muscles you want. A balanced diet that provides all the nutrients you need, including proteins in adequate amounts, is just as important as your workout routine.

How many proteins are enough? The number of proteins recommended in your case can be calculated based on your body weight. Multiply the number of kilograms your body has with 0.8. You will obtain a value indicating how many proteins you should eat per day.

If you deposit a considerable amount of physical effort throughout the week, consider multiplying your body weight with 1.2. Athletes and those who train hard will need a higher amount of proteins. Also, getting aid from high-quality muscle building supplements is a good way of making sure you’re having enough proteins into your diet. Livin3 names protein as the top muscle builder.

Muscles cannot grow if they are not working out. Diet alone will not help you enjoy a bigger muscle mass. You will need to train and do a good amount of physical effort if you want to see muscles developing well.

When muscles break, as a result of physical effort, muscle tissue is programmed to grow back bigger and stronger, more capable of withstanding the workout session you’re putting it through. Thus, besides diet, a proper workout routine is a must.

How to work out right? Strength training is the best thing to do if you want bigger muscles. However, it is recommended to be guided by a coach or trainer for this type of exercising, to avoid muscle straining or physical injuries. Not to mention that exercises that are not performed correctly will not provide the desired results. Also, seriously consider working out all the muscle groups of your body, through adequate exercises. This will help you obtain a balanced muscular development throughout the entire body.

While proteins help with growing muscles, carbohydrates play a role just as important as proteins. In order for your muscles to perform well during workouts, they need to access glycogen reserves stored by your body. To get this glycogen, you need to eat high-quality carbohydrates. So, make sure to include whole cereals, potatoes, starchy foods, and veggies, in your diet. Eat them in adequate quantities and they will bring only benefits for your goal and workout routine.

There’s a general belief that fats are bad, especially if one wishes to develop lean muscles. Well, it’s worth knowing that this is a false belief. Your body needs healthy fats to function right and even to grow bigger muscles. Healthy fats bring an incredible contribution to your body’s energy reserve, which is indispensable during workouts. Besides this, healthy fats allow your body to better metabolize some vitamins, which is another great advantage. Of course, you should pay attention to the fats you choose to consume. You will need to go for the kind that doesn’t inflict negative impacts on your heart. So, go for olive oil, almonds, walnuts, avocado, and fish, like salmon.

Drinking plenty of water, before and after workouts is essential for staying healthy and avoiding muscle cramps at the same time. If you experience dizziness and cramps due to dehydration, you won’t be able to perform well during workouts. So, make sure you drink sufficient water throughout the day. However, avoid drinking water 20 minutes before a workout, to keep the unpleasant feeling of water coming up your throat from happening.

Rest is essential when training and looking to build muscles. Working out every day of the week won’t make your muscles grow faster. On the contrary, you will experience fatigue and exhaustion. This is why you will need to give your muscles the chance to rest and repair their tissues. And sleeping well at night is the best way to do it.

Avoid staying up until late and do your best to sleep 7 to 8 hours per night. Also, have a day of rest in between training sessions, as this will further more help your body repair itself faster.