Athena Vale
Building muscle takes consistent training over a long period of time, but it's possible for most people. To build muscle, you need to do muscle-strengthening exercises that work all the major muscle groups, such as your legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms. You should aim to do two or more sessions of muscle-strengthening exercises a week, and adjust the specific exercises, sets and repetitions to ensure consistent, long-term gains in both muscle size and strength. It's also important to eat a balanced diet with sufficient protein, fat and carbohydrates to build muscle.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscle-strengthening activities | Workouts should involve using your body weight or working against a resistance |
| Muscle-strengthening activities | Should be done 2 or more days a week |
| Muscle-strengthening activities | Should work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) |
| Muscle-strengthening activities | Should work muscles to the point where a short rest is needed before continuing |
| Muscle-building goals | Lift hard, eat right, and stay consistent |
| Muscle-building goals | Should involve sufficient protein, fat, and carbohydrate calorie intake |
| Muscle-building goals | Calorie intake should exceed daily energy expenditure |
| Muscle-building goals | Calorie intake should not be so high as to cause excess fat gain |
| Muscle-building goals | Large increases in muscle mass take months to years of consistent training |
| Muscle-building goals | Should involve compound and isolation movements with weights |
| Muscle-building goals | Should involve adjusting the specific exercises, sets, and repetitions |
| Muscle-building goals | Should involve adjusting the number and weight accordingly so that after each set you feel like you couldn’t do one more |
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What You'll Learn
Muscle-strengthening exercises
To adjust your muscles, you need to focus on muscle-strengthening exercises. This involves using your body weight or working against resistance. For example, you could lift weights, but you need to put the weight down after a number of lifts before continuing. It's recommended that you do two or more sessions of muscle-strengthening exercises a week. These exercises should work all the major muscle groups, including legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms.
To build muscle, you should also focus on your nutrition. This involves sufficient protein, fat and carbohydrate calorie intake. You need to consume more calories than you burn each day, but not so many that you gain excess fat. A registered dietitian can advise you on what to eat, but generally, you should eat a variety of protein sources. Good sources of protein include meat, fish, eggs and dairy. For carbs and fats, it's more varied. Dietary fat is needed to ensure optimal hormone functioning, and research suggests consuming 0.22–0.68 grams of fat per pound of body weight per day. If you prefer fattier foods, start on the higher end of that range and adjust from there. The rest of your daily calories should come from various carb sources.
It's important to note that building muscle takes time and consistency. You need to lift hard, eat right and stay consistent over months or even years to see large increases in muscle mass. However, it is possible for most individuals to reach their muscle-building goals with the right approach.
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Compound and isolation movements with weights
To adjust your muscles, you need to focus on building muscle strength and size. This can be achieved through muscle-strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms). It is recommended to do 2 or more sessions of muscle-strengthening exercises a week. Examples of muscle-strengthening activities include exercises that improve leg strength, balance and coordination, such as squats, deadlifts, and bench presses.
Compound exercises are the foundation of a training plan as they help build strength, mobility, and stability across a wide range of real-life movements. Isolation movements provide the finishing touches, allowing you to get more out of each session. Many people believe that compound exercises are better for hypertrophy as they involve more muscle groups and allow you to lift heavier weights. However, isolation exercises are easier to learn and can help you focus on one target muscle group at a time.
To get the most out of your workouts, it is recommended to combine both compound and isolation exercises. This will keep your training diverse, fun, and effective. When starting a new workout program, it is important to adjust the specific exercises, sets, and repetitions to ensure consistent, long-term gains in both muscle size and strength. For example, start with six reps and add reps until you get to 12. Once that set becomes less challenging, add weight and drop the number of reps back down to 6.
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Adjusting repetitions and weight
It is important to adjust the specific exercises, sets, and repetitions to ensure consistent, long-term gains in both muscle size and strength. Muscle-strengthening activities can help maintain the ability to perform everyday tasks and slow down the rate of bone and muscle loss associated with ageing. Such exercises can also help reduce your chances of falling and improve your posture, flexibility, and reduce aches and pains.
To build muscle, it is recommended that you do muscle-strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on two or more days a week. A typical training session could take less than 20 minutes.
It is also important to ensure proper nutrition when building muscle. This involves sufficient protein, fat, and carbohydrate calorie intake that exceeds daily energy expenditure enough to build muscle but not so drastically as to cause excess fat gain. Eating a variety of protein sources is probably your best bet. Good sources of protein to eat for muscle gain include lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
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Nutrition and diet
Protein is vital for muscle repair and growth. It provides the amino acids necessary for repairing and building muscle tissues. Carbohydrates provide the energy needed for high-intensity workouts. The International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests eating a balanced meal with 20-30g of protein and 40-50g of carbohydrates 2-3 hours before exercise to improve workout performance and reduce muscle breakdown. You can also have a lighter snack 15-30 minutes before a workout that mostly consists of a fast-acting carbohydrate.
It's also important to monitor your body fat and muscle mass to ensure you're not gaining too much fat. Tracking your body composition changes is crucial in the muscle gain journey. By monitoring your body fat and muscle mass, you can make adjustments to your nutrition and workout plans to optimise your progress.
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Muscle-strengthening activities for the major muscle groups
To adjust your muscles, you need to focus on muscle-strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups, including legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms. The NHS recommends doing muscle-strengthening exercises two or more days a week, with each session lasting around 20 minutes.
Muscle-strengthening activities can include exercises that use your body weight or work against resistance, such as lifting weights. It's important to adjust the specific exercises, sets, and repetitions to ensure consistent, long-term gains in muscle size and strength. For example, you can start with six reps and add reps until you reach 12. Once that set becomes easier, you can increase the weight and decrease the number of reps back to six.
Proper nutrition is also crucial for muscle adjustment. This involves sufficient protein, fat, and carbohydrate calorie intake. A registered dietitian can advise you on specific food choices, but in general, eating a variety of protein sources is recommended. Good sources of protein for muscle gain include lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, and nuts.
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Frequently asked questions
You can adjust your muscles by doing muscle-strengthening exercises. These exercises should work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) and can be done with weights or using your body weight.
It's recommended to do muscle-strengthening exercises on two or more days a week. Each training session could take less than 20 minutes.
To adjust your muscles, it's important to eat a variety of protein sources. You should also eat enough carbohydrates and fat to ensure optimal hormone functioning.
Start with six reps and add reps until you get to 12. Once that set becomes less challenging, add weight and drop the number of reps back down to six.
