Building muscle mass up is likely the #1 goal most gym goers would name as their reason for going to the gym in the first place. And yet, it takes some years to achieve their desired results, while others don’t achieve them at all – even when they consume a lot of protein, cut all junk food, and spend hours training.
So what’s the big secret? How do you increase your muscle growth, if eating protein and doubling down in the gym isn’t enough?
The big secret is that it takes a combination of factors and disregarding any of them can stall your progress. Growing muscle isn’t easy, but it can be simple.
Here are 5 of our tried and tested tips:
1. Feed Your Muscles
Protein can be very filling and thus increasing protein intake can be a boon on those who diet. If you’re talking muscle growth, however, you need to be in a calorie surplus, not a deficit.
To optimize muscle growth you need approximately 1g of protein per 450g of your body mass per day. Preferably in whole foods – red meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. Most people like to take a protein powder to reach their daily protein intake goals faster.
But this protein intake should be accompanied by a generous side of complex carbs and healthy fats.
And yes, carbs can be the devil, but the trick is knowing when to eat which carbs. Low-sugar fruits and vegetables can (and should) be eaten with all meals to avoid vitamin deficiency, increase satiety, and improve digestion.
2. Increase Time Under Tension
Leaving your muscles “under tension” is a way of maximizing the effects of your strength exercise. It’s pretty simple – say, when you’re just holding weights, you feel no tension in your muscles, when you’re curling them upwards, there’s tension. The idea is to maximize this tension by lifting at a specific tempo, to leave muscles under tension to spark muscle growth.
Note: you need an experienced trainer’s advice for this since not all exercises can be tweaked to increase time under tension.
3. Choose the Right Supplements
Yes, you can grow muscles without supplementation. But choosing the right supplements for muscle growth can accelerate your progress. Creatine, for example, is known to provide energy and strength to muscles, while Beta-alanine can reduce fatigue and improve exercise performance. And, of course, adding a protein shake to your diet is a simple and quick way to ensure you’re consuming an adequate amount.
Choose the supplements according to which area you feel you need to optimize.
4. Don’t Skip Out on Carbs (But Know When to Take Them)
We already mentioned that skipping out on carbs can stall your progress rather than improve it.
The trick is knowing when exactly to consume which carbs.
Fruits and vegetables with a low glycemic index and comparatively low carb content are alright with every meal. In fact, chances are, you’re not consuming enough throughout the day.
But other carbs – like grains, potatoes, pasta, and bread – are supposed to be consumed only after your workout. This serves two purposes: first, it’ll stop you from overconsuming carbs at the expense of protein and fats, and second, it’ll optimize your muscle building. Carb-heavy meals increase insulin levels and slow protein breakdown along the way, letting your muscles utilize it more efficiently.
5. Let Your Muscles Rest
All the exercising is good – but your muscles need time to recover efficiently, to rip full benefits. And the best way of doing it is getting a good night’s sleep. Sleep is when your body secretes muscle-growing hormones, cementing your progress.
You already know you should ideally be getting 8 hours of sleep every night, but if it’s not possible – aim for 6, and try to optimize your sleep quality. Get in a regime, go to bad the same time every night, and try to do so in a quiet, dark room so that the chances of something interrupting your sleep during the night are low.