Victor Forge
Building muscle is more than just putting in time at the gym. Along with strength training, diet and lifestyle choices play important roles. To build muscle, you need to challenge your muscles with progressively greater resistance exercises, but you need to be smart about how you go about it. If you increase the weight too quickly, you risk injury, but if you do it too slowly, you may not see results. Eating a surplus of calories and consuming more protein are also key to muscle growth, but be sure to consult a professional before making any major changes to your diet or exercise regimen.
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What You'll Learn
Consume 300-500 calories above your baseline needs
Consuming 300-500 calories above your baseline needs is a good way to build muscle. This is known as a calorie surplus, and it means that you are eating more than you burn every day. This extra energy is used by your body to build and store muscle mass through muscle protein synthesis (MPS).
The exact number of calories you need to consume to build muscle depends on your level of training, starting body composition, genetics, and overall diet. For example, a 200-pound adult would need 200-300 grams of protein per day on a bulking diet. You can estimate your protein needs based on your percent lean mass—you need about 1 gram of protein for every pound of lean mass.
It's important to note that simply consuming more calories will not necessarily lead to healthy gains. Gaining muscle is a slow process that takes months and years, and it's important to be patient and consistent with your diet and training regimen. It's also a good idea to consult with your doctor to make sure that your tactics are healthy and appropriate for you.
In addition to consuming more calories, it's important to focus on getting enough protein and eating nutritious foods. Lean proteins, nutrient-dense plants, and healthy fats are all important for muscle growth. It's also a good idea to eat a snack rich in carbohydrates and protein before and after your workouts to fuel your body and promote muscle growth.
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Eat 1.4-2 grams of protein per kg of body weight
Eating a diet rich in protein is key to building muscle. Research suggests that those training to gain muscle should eat 1.4–2 grams of protein per kg of body weight per day. This is because amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are essential to building muscle tissue.
It's important to note that eating vast amounts of protein won't make your muscles grow faster and can put unnecessary pressure on your body, especially your kidneys. A healthy snack containing protein may include yoghurt, a muffin, rice pudding, or a milkshake. Aim for 20 grams of protein per meal, as this is the optimal amount generally accepted for muscle growth. Research has shown that the body doesn't use much more than 20 grams for muscle building at any one sitting.
To build muscle, you need to challenge your muscles, but you need to be careful not to increase the amount of weight you're lifting too quickly, as this can increase your risk of injury. It's also important to get enough rest; muscles grow between workouts, not during them, so make recovery a priority. Aim to take at least one to two days off per week to allow your muscles to fully recover.
To build muscle, you also need to be in a caloric surplus. Your body uses this extra energy to rebuild and grow muscle after your workouts. Figure out your daily caloric needs and put at least 500 calories on top of that.
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Do resistance training
Resistance training is a key piece of your muscle-building journey. It is based on the principle that muscles in the body will work to overcome a resistance force when required to do so. When you do resistance training repeatedly and consistently, your muscles become stronger and increase in size.
Resistance training can be done in a variety of ways, with many tools, such as free weights, weight machines, resistance bands, suspension equipment, and your own body weight. Free weights include classic strength training tools like dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells. Weight machines are devices with adjustable seats and handles attached to weights or hydraulics. Resistance bands are giant rubber bands that provide resistance when stretched and can be adapted to most workouts. Suspension equipment uses gravity and the user's body weight to complete various exercises. Finally, your own body weight can be used for squats, push-ups, and chin-ups.
When starting resistance training, it is recommended to start with light-to-medium weights to learn each movement and start to learn how to contract your muscles correctly. It is also important to rest each muscle group for at least 48 hours to maximize gains in strength and size and allow for muscle recovery.
In addition to resistance training, it is important to ensure you are consuming enough calories and protein to support muscle growth.
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Get 7-10 hours of sleep
Gaining muscle mass is not just about lifting weights and eating protein-rich foods. Getting a good night's sleep is also crucial to building muscle. During sleep, your body enters its most physically restorative state. Your brain slows down, your breath becomes slower and deeper, and your blood pressure drops. This increased supply of oxygen-rich blood rejuvenates your muscles and tissues, providing the necessary nutrients for repair and growth.
Sleep is also when your body replenishes glycogen, the fuel source for your muscles. When you work out, your glycogen levels deplete, so it is important to get sufficient rest to recover and refuel your muscles. If you are working out regularly but not prioritising your sleep, you may be working harder, not smarter. Research suggests that not getting enough sleep can undo your hard work in the gym. A 2011 study found that participants who slept for 5.5 hours per night had 60% less muscle mass after three days, while those who slept for 8.5 hours had 40% more.
The recommended amount of sleep for adults is 7-9 hours per night. However, everyone is different, and some people may need more or less sleep depending on their individual needs. To ensure you are getting the optimal amount of sleep, pay attention to your body and how you feel. If you are feeling tired during the day, try going to bed earlier or taking a nap. Additionally, you can use sleep tracking apps or devices to monitor your sleep quantity and quality. These tools can provide insights into how long you slept, how long you spent in each sleep stage, and whether you are getting enough restorative sleep.
While getting enough sleep is essential, the quality of your sleep also matters. Make sure you are practising good sleep hygiene by creating a comfortable and relaxing sleep environment, limiting screen time before bed, and establishing a consistent sleep schedule. By prioritising both the quantity and quality of your sleep, you will be giving your body the best chance to recover and build muscle.
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Add reps, sets, weight, or shorten rest periods
To build muscle, you need to understand reps, sets, weight, and rest periods. A repetition, or rep, is one complete movement, and multiple reps make up a set. For example, one bicep curl is one rep, and five bicep curls are five reps. Two sets of five reps of push-ups mean five consecutive push-ups, a rest, and then another five consecutive push-ups.
The number of reps, sets, and weight lifted depends on your goals. If you are training for muscular endurance, you will be performing a lot of repetitions with lighter loads and minimal rest between sets. The National Strength and Conditioning Association recommends executing more than 12 reps and resting for 30 seconds or less between sets for muscular endurance. If you are training for strength, you will be lifting heavier weights with fewer reps and longer rest periods. The typical rest period for increasing strength is between 2 and 5 minutes.
If you are training for muscle growth or hypertrophy, you will be using lighter weights, more repetitions, and shorter rest periods. The classic advice for maximizing muscle growth is to perform 8 to 12 reps with 1-minute rest periods between sets. However, recent research suggests that 3 minutes of rest between sets may be more effective in producing greater gains in strength and hypertrophy.
It is important to note that the ideal rest period depends on your goals and individual factors such as age, fiber type, and genetics. You can experiment to find the rest period that works best for you. Additionally, make sure to rest properly during your workouts by not performing unrelated stretches or movements.
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Frequently asked questions
To add muscle, you need to consume more calories than you burn in a day. This is because your body uses the extra energy to rebuild and grow muscle after your workouts. You should also incorporate strength training into your workouts, targeting the type II muscle fibres with heavy weights or explosive exercises like sprinting.
You should eat 300-500 calories per day above your baseline needs. You can calculate your baseline needs using an online calculator that takes into account factors such as your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level.
It's important to work out consistently, but also to allow your muscles to recover. Take at least one to two days off per week and maximise the effectiveness of your downtime by doing light cross-training, or activities like foam rolling and yoga.
Protein is the top priority when it comes to nutrients for building muscle. Eat a variety of protein sources, and aim for 1.4–2 grams of protein per kg of body weight per day.
