How to increase muscle mass: Natural ways and workouts
If you want to increase muscle mass, then first of all you have to make some changes in your daily routine. This means that you have to eat right and do the right workouts. Just going to the gym will not work, good diet and enough sleep are equally important. It takes time to increase muscle mass, but if you work hard in the right way, then gradually you will feel the difference. The most important thing is that it is important to be patient on this path, because all this happens gradually.
Muscle Building Overview
Lifting weights is not enough to build muscle mass; proper workout technique, diet, and recovery are just as important. Building muscle mass the right way not only increases your strength, but also improves your fitness and speeds up your metabolism.
The Science of Muscle Growth
Muscle Hypertrophy
When you strength train, the size of the muscles increases, which is called muscle hypertrophy. This happens when small damages occur to the muscles during exercise, and then the body repairs those muscles and makes them stronger and bigger.
Types of Hypertrophy
There are two types of hypertrophy:
Myofibrillar hypertrophy: In this, muscle fibers grow, which increases strength.
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy: In this, the sarcoplasm of the muscle cell increases, which makes the muscles bigger, but there is no significant change in strength.
Principles of Muscle Building
Progressive Overload
To build muscle, you need to gradually increase the difficulty of your exercises. This means that you can gradually put more stress on the muscles by increasing the weight, number of workouts, or intensity.
Proper Diet
If you want to build muscle, it is very important to pay attention to your diet. The right amount of protein, carbs, and healthy fats gives the muscles the nutrition they need to grow and recover.
Rest and Recovery
Muscles do not grow when you exercise, but when you rest. Therefore, it is important that you give your muscles time to recover properly and get enough rest so that the muscles can be stronger again the next time you work out.
Basic Workouts to Increase Muscle Mass
Compound exercises
Compound exercises are very effective because they work multiple muscles at once, which leads to faster and more muscle growth.
- Squats
Squats are an exercise that is very helpful in strengthening your lower body.
Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and lower back
How to do: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place the barbell on your shoulders, then slowly lower your body by bending your knees. When your thighs are parallel, lift up again.
- Deadlifts
Deadlifts are a great workout for building strength, and they also build muscle.
Muscles Worked: Forearms, glutes, lower back, and hamstrings
How to Do: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold the barbell with both hands, then lift the barbell up while keeping your back and legs straight. Always keep your back straight, and slowly lower it and lift it up again.
- Bench Press
The bench press is an important exercise for strengthening the upper body.
Muscles Worked: Triceps, Shoulders, and Chest
How to Do It: Lie on a bench with your feet on the floor. Bring the barbell to your chest and then press it up. Do this until your arms are fully stretched.
Isolation Excercise
Isolation exercises focus on a single muscle to shape it better.
- Bicep Curls:
Muscles working: Biceps
How to Do: Hold dumbbells in both hands and keep your arms straight. Then, curl the dumbbells upwards in the direction of the shoulders without moving the elbows.
- Tricep Extensions
Muscles working: Triceps
How to Do: Hold a dumbbell in both hands and lift it above your head. Now bring the dumbbell behind your head by bending the elbows, then press it back up.
- Leg Curls
Muscles working: Hamstrings
How to Do: Lie on your stomach on the leg curl machine and place your ankles under the pads. Now curl your legs upwards by bending your knees, then slowly bring them down.
How to Set Up Your Exercise Program
Regularity
To get the best results, work out each muscle group twice a week. A simple division might look like this:
- Upper/Lower Split: Train upper body muscles (chest, shoulders, back) one day and lower body muscles (legs, glutes) the next day.
- Push/Pull/Legs Split: Do push exercises (chest, shoulders, triceps) one day, pull exercises (back, biceps) the next day, and legs and hamstrings the third day.
Volume
Volume means how much work you do in a session. Set it up like this:
- Do 3-5 sets of most exercises with 8-12 repetitions per set.
- To maximize muscle growth, rest 60-90 seconds between sets.
The right diet to build muscle
Protein
Protein is essential for building and repairing muscles. Try to eat 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per kg of your body weight each day. Healthy sources like lean meats, yogurt, eggs, and beans are good sources.
Carbohydrates
You need energy to work out, and carbohydrates are crucial. Eat a diet rich in light carbs like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Fats
Good fats are good for the body, especially for hormone production. To add these to your diet, you can eat things like olive oil, almonds, seeds, and avocados.
Water
Staying hydrated is essential for physical activity and recovery. Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially before, during, and after workouts.
Avoid Common Mistakes
Overtraining
Too much exercise and too little recovery time can lead to overtraining, which can stunt muscle growth and increase the risk of injury.
Wrong Form
Doing exercises incorrectly not only makes your workouts ineffective, but can also lead to injury. Pay attention to your form before adding weight.
Irregular diet
Lack of gradual overload
If you don't gradually increase the intensity of your workouts, you may stagnate. Keep challenging your muscles so they can grow.
Monitoring Growth Progress
Measurements
Take regular measurements of body fat percentage, muscle mass and strength gains to monitor your progress.
Exercise Records
Keep a journal to track the weights, sets and reps used in workouts. This will help you plan and make changes to your workout.
Summary
Gaining muscle mass takes dedication, knowledge and consistent effort. By following the basic workouts and techniques described in this guide, you can build great muscles. Always remember to balance your training, rest and diet, and always keep moving towards improvement. If you put in the hard work and the right approach, you can gain the muscle mass you want.
