Building a muscular body is not always about practice. Sure, you won’t get anywhere without stepping into a gym, no matter what those commercials are telling you, and training is the basis for putting on those muscles. However, there is more to it than just simple lifting weights. To be truly effective you need to follow a certain plan.
In this article we offer you with a set of seven guidelines that will help you in building your muscular body. Of course, these are not universal truths that apply to all people equally, and may need to be adjusted to your genetic traits and metabolism, but will provide you with the general idea of what you need to do.
MAKE COMPOUND MOVEMENTS THE FOCUS OF YOUR TRAINING
Although machines and cables can be of great help in building your dream physique, nothing can compare with free weight compound exercises. Machines and cables can be very helpful for providing the finishing touch of your muscles, but if you want to build a solid basis of huge muscles, free-weights should be the focus of your protocol.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR FORM
Try to use the correct form and posture when you are doing your exercises. Only then will you be sure that you are hitting the muscles you want to stimulate. When you are not doing the exercises with the correct for, you’re just wasting your energy without achieving the wanted growth.
NEVER OVERTRAIN
Our bodies need time to recover after training so that they can replenish the energy levels for maiking new gains. Because of that, you should always avoid overtraining and provide them with time for rest. For that end you should stick to training 3-4 days a week, and never train two days in a row. Always allow yourself a full day of rest between two gym sessions. Also, try limiting your workouts to 75 to 90 minutes.
CHOOSE YOUR PROTEIN WISELY
This is one of the key factors in building your muscles. After all, protein is the building material of your muscles. It also plays an important role in repairing the muscle tissue. If you don’t consume sufficient amounts of protein, your muscles won’t grow although you are training hard. If you want to make sure that you are not lacking the building material for your muscles, make sure that your daily intake of protein is at least 1 to 1.5 gram for every pound of body weight.
EXPLOIT THE POST WORKOUT ANABOLIC WINDOW
The 60 minutes period that follows the workout is also known as an anabolic window. It provides you with an opportunity to achieve maximum hypertrophy. When you finish with your training session your body is so depleted that all your muscles crave for protein and carbs, while your metabolism is working overtime making it possible to send large amounts of nutrients directly into your muscles. Providing them with what you need will make them grow fast and strong. Our advice is to consume a shake with 30 to 60 grams of fast acting protein and 60-120 of carbs.
SUPPLEMENTS CAN BE YOUR FRIEND
Although using supplements is not always necessary for building your muscle mass, they can be a great help in your efforts. You don’t need to shy away from them, just use them wisely. The market is full of quality products, and creatine, beta-alanine, BCAA’s, glutamine, agmatine, caffeine have already proven effects in bodybuilding.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SUFFICIENT SLEEP
Proper sleep is one of the key factors in proper muscle growth. In fact, it’s while we sleep that our muscles grow. All the training in the gym is just a way to stimulate their growth. However, with all the intensive work you put your muscles through, providing them with a proper time to rest is absolutely necessary. Allow yourself a solid 8 hours night sleep and your muscles will thank you, rewarding you with improved growth.