Let's be honest; men look forward to training and exercise programs for muscle gain and to get toned up, not just for being healthy. But that's the most challenging part. While training and controlling diet to get in shape, all men desire to get that toned-up and muscular body.
But instead, they end up getting just skinny or just losing weight. There's also the struggle of skinny guys who are tired of the complements that they can't put on weight. Skinny guys also have the dream of having a bulky and manly figure. Despite trying so hard, why is muscle gain difficult? Because of incorrect guidelines, of course! So here are some truths about muscle gain that you are missing out:
Just Eating Enough Is Not Enough
In the journey of muscle gain, everyone might be suggested to eat more. But the important part is what to eat and when to eat. Stuffing down mega calories will only make you fat. Proteins are building blocks of muscles. So a protein-based diet plan is a must for a muscle gaining journey.
Muscles will grow when there are enough proteins stored in the body. But our body is using up stored proteins every second for internal body functions like creating hormones or blood cells. So, to counteract this, new proteins have to be built and stored faster than the breaking of old proteins by the body. A study by the Journal of Applied Physiology says, our body uses 1gram of protein per body weight. If a person is 150 pounds, his body should intake 150grams of protein every day.
So eating more protein is the key. Carbs that are energy-sustaining like, corns, lentils, beans are also crucial as the source of energy. Because, if the body doesn't find carbs to produce energy, it'll start breaking down proteins instead.
Workout, But Not So Hard
Muscle gain requires workouts that challenge the body. While exercising slowly, you are tearing your body, which enables the muscles to grow. Workouts should be consistent, but not to the point that makes you exhausted. Also, heavy exercises are not suitable every time and for everyone. Especially, muscle gain workout for skinny guys is not just heavy weightlifting. Intense workout sessions might be detrimental for skinny guys. They have to gain muscle all over the body, not just on abs or biceps.
Age and health conditions should also be considered when working out. Because if someone has health issues like heart diseases, asthma, or arthritis, unmonitored heavy workouts would be dangerous for them.
Resting Is Equally Important Like Workouts
Maybe you've heard enough about how working out is essential and what types of workouts are crucial for muscle gain. But resting is as important as working out. Because muscles are built when they are resting, not when they are tearing, of course, this 'Rest' means resting after working out. So giving the muscles adequate rest time between the workouts will give them time to heal and grow. Intense workout sessions should only be two or three times a week.
Eating Frequently
When you are on a mission of muscle gain, the standard three times of meal isn't enough. Muscle gaining requires more calories and more protein synthesis. As mentioned before, our body breaks down proteins for many internal body functions. So protein intakes should be more frequent. According to Harvard Medical School, consuming proteins around 20grams every three hours will be beneficial in the muscle gain journey.
Taking great calorie food only three times a day would slow down the metabolic rate and hinder muscle growth. Spreading the calorie intake throughout the day would help a ton.
The Gym Isn't Necessary
Yes, you've heard right. Nobody needs the gym to gain muscle and to have that toned up attractive body. All those fancy machines aren't the absolute necessary ingredient to gain muscle. Although going to the gym and having a professional training session would be helpful, but it's not vital.
It is true, especially at the start of the muscle gain journey. In this stage, muscle gain is important all over the body. So workout sessions should comprise compound exercises like different types of squats and reps. It's crucial to get all four types of exercise: Strength, Endurance, Balance, and Flexibility.
And when it's time to gain muscle on your upper body parts, increasing the weightlifting and abs workout with balancing other exercises will be sufficient.
Mixing It Up
Changing the exercise once in a while is very important. Volume, intensity and frequency, are the three variables that need to change sometimes and be balanced. If the volume and intensity of a workout are increased, then the frequency of it will eventually decrease. Because heavy and intense workouts can not be done on a regular basis. But less intense workouts can be done more frequently. So, there should be a balance between heavy and light exercises.
Consider Supplementation
Gaining muscles not only makes you look and feel good, but it also helps you perform your daily activities well. As discussed above, to improve chances of muscle gain, you have to eat more calories than your body can burn, take more protein than your body can break down, and choose an exercise program that challenges your muscles.
Although you can do all these without taking dietary supplements, there are some supplements to help you achieve your goals. Here are some of them:
Creatine: Your body naturally produces creatine, which helps provide energy for your muscles and other tissues. Taking creatine HCL may help increase your muscle’s creatine content, thus improving muscle gain.
Beta-alanine: This supplement is an amino acid that helps improve exercise performance and reduce fatigue. It also helps improve muscle mass if you’re consistently following an exercise routine.
Weight gainers: This supplement is commonly used by people who struggle to gain muscle despite lifting weights and consuming large amounts of calories. This kind of supplement contains very high calories and is only advisable for people who find it difficult to obtain enough calories from food.
Protein supplements: There are some people who struggle to get their needed protein from food. This is where protein supplements come in. Getting extra protein from supplements may also improve muscle gain.
Final Thoughts
In the end, there's a limit. The ability of muscle gain varies from person to person. Proper diet, necessary exercise, adequate rest can help a person to reach his limit of genetic potential. So, one shouldn't judge his muscle gain by comparing others. There are many myths and wrong advice that will misguide even the strong-willed. Also, it isn't necessary that every common and popular tip and tricks will work on everyone. So, when applying a technique or advice in a muscle gain plan, it's best to be sure if it's fool-proof.
