Logan Steele
Increasing muscle mass has a range of benefits, from improving your everyday functionality to making you feel more confident. Building muscle takes more than just going to the gym, however. To increase muscle growth rate, you need to push your muscles hard through resistance training, weight training, and strength training. This should be coupled with a well-designed diet that includes a relatively high protein intake.
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What You'll Learn
Resistance training
The key to building muscle is to increase the protein deposition rate while minimizing the muscle protein breakdown rate. This process is known as muscle hypertrophy. Resistance training drives the body's hormonal response toward building muscle, but it requires sufficient protein and energy availability to ensure the process results in muscle gains. Training for hypertrophy means looking to increase the physical size of your muscles.
To build muscle, you need to push your muscles hard, often by lifting heavy loads for reps, stimulating the release of muscle-growing hormones. Muscles grow stronger only if you keep adding resistance. You should do weight training at least twice a week. Ideally, you should use enough weight so that the last few reps are a challenge. If you can lift the weight at least eight times, increase the weight.
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Weight training
When starting out, it is important to understand the basics of weight training and the proper form and technique. Working with a licensed trainer can be beneficial as they can design a personalised programme and ensure you are performing each exercise correctly. Training with free weights, such as dumbbells, kettlebells and barbells, is often better for muscle building than machines. However, machines can be ideal for those with balancing issues or other limitations that make it safer to sit during weight training.
To build muscle, it is recommended to perform exercises requiring larger muscle groups first, such as squats, bench presses, deadlifts, lat pulldowns and overhead presses. This enables you to expend greater energy on these movements, while still being able to perform well on exercises involving smaller muscle groups later in your workout. Choose six to eight exercises to perform on any given day, and perform three to six sets of six to 12 reps of each exercise. You can split them up into circuits or do them separately, utilising rest periods between sets.
The number of repetitions you can perform at a given weight will determine the benefit you will see. Weights you can lift for 1-5 repetitions tend to build more strength, 8-12 repetitions tend to build more muscle, and weights you can lift more than 15 times tend to increase muscular endurance. To build muscle, it is important to continuously add resistance and increase the weight you are lifting, but never do so too quickly. Instead, aim for a gradual increase, challenging your muscles but maintaining good form throughout the set. As soon as your form starts to fail, reduce the weight or take a rest.
In addition to weight training, diet is a crucial component of the muscle-building equation. To support muscle growth, you need to provide your body with appropriate amounts of calories and nutrients, particularly protein. Bulking periods refer to training phases during which you eat more calories than you burn, while cutting refers to restricting calories to reduce body fat while maintaining muscle mass. Gaining lean body weight is a slow process, and it is important to be consistent and patient with your weight training and dietary regimen.
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Diet and supplements
Firstly, it is important to understand the role of protein. Protein is made up of amino acids, which are essential for muscle growth and repair. A diet rich in protein is therefore crucial, and it is recommended to eat 300-500 surplus calories to ensure the body has enough nutrients to build muscle effectively. This is known as the 'bulking phase', and it is important to ensure you are not eating so many calories that you put on more fat than muscle.
Secondly, certain hormones help the muscles to grow. Testosterone, human growth hormone, and insulin growth factor all play a role in muscle growth and repair. Testosterone levels naturally decline with age, making it harder for men to build and maintain muscle as they get older.
In addition to diet, certain supplements can help increase muscle mass and strength. These should be used alongside a focused diet and exercise program. For example, weight training for 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times a week is an effective way to build muscle. It is important to gradually increase weights and not lift too much too soon, as this can lead to injury.
Finally, rest is an important factor in muscle growth. It is recommended to have at least 48 hours between weight-training sessions to allow for muscle recovery. Getting enough sleep is also important, as sleep debt can decrease protein synthesis and contribute to the loss of muscle mass.
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Hormones and genetics
The interplay of hormones and genetics influences an individual's muscle growth and repair. Certain hormones, including testosterone, human growth hormone (HGH), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), play a pivotal role in muscle development. Testosterone, a predominantly male hormone produced by the testicles and adrenal glands, is responsible for male physical characteristics, muscle mass, and strength. It is considered a linchpin in the realm of bodybuilding.
Human growth hormone, produced by the pituitary gland, governs our height, bone length, and muscle growth. While HGH levels typically decrease with age, they can be optimized through lifestyle modifications. Reducing excess body fat, particularly around the abdomen, has been linked to higher HGH levels. Fasting, for instance, has been shown to significantly increase HGH levels in the body.
Genetics also exert a significant influence on muscle growth. An individual's genetic makeup, in conjunction with hormone levels, muscle fiber composition, and eating habits, determines their propensity for muscle development. Different body types exhibit varying capacities for muscle building. For instance, individuals with an endomorphic body type tend to effectively build muscle through strength training, while those with an ectomorphic body type may find it more challenging to increase muscle mass but can enhance their strength through resistance training.
It is worth noting that while genetics and hormones provide a foundation for muscle growth, external factors such as exercise, diet, and rest also play pivotal roles in maximizing muscle gains. Strength training, for example, has been shown to induce hormonal elevations, particularly in testosterone, HGH, and IGF-1, which contribute to muscle hypertrophy. Additionally, consuming a balanced diet with adequate protein intake is crucial for muscle growth and repair.
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Cardio and rest
Cardio is an important part of any workout routine, and when combined with strength training, it can help boost muscle growth. Cardio exercises increase your heart rate and use oxygen as a fuel source. This increase in blood flow means more nutrients are delivered to your muscles, helping them repair and grow.
However, it's important to be mindful of the type, intensity, duration, and frequency of cardio exercises, as well as the timing in relation to your strength training. For example, HIIT workouts, long-distance runs, and other intensive forms of cardio can cause soreness and increase the risk of injury, which may hinder your ability to perform strength training effectively the next day. Therefore, it's recommended to experiment with different types of cardio to find what works best for you. You can try adding short bouts of cardio after your strength training or dedicating a separate day for longer, low-intensity cardio sessions.
When incorporating cardio into your routine, it's crucial to prioritize rest and recovery. Allow for adequate rest between sets and workouts to give your body time to rebuild and increase muscle mass. For example, when performing kettlebell jumps, follow a set of 10-second jumps with 50 seconds of rest. Aim for 8 to 10 sets total. Similarly, when doing sled training, push a heavy sled for 20-40 meters or 10-20 seconds, then rest for 1-2 minutes before repeating for a total of 5 sets.
Additionally, nutrition plays a vital role in muscle growth and recovery. Ensure you're consuming a sufficient number of calories and the right nutrients to support both your cardio and strength training. Protein is especially important, as it fuels muscle growth and aids in recovery. Aim for around 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight each day.
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Frequently asked questions
The best way to increase muscle growth rate is to increase the protein deposition rate while minimising the muscle protein breakdown rate. This process is known as muscle hypertrophy. This can be achieved through a combination of mechanical tension, metabolic stress, and muscle damage.
Muscle hypertrophy is the increase in growth of muscle cells. It is often kickstarted by resistance training, which stimulates the release of muscle-growing hormones and other metabolites. The body repairs damaged fibres by fusing them, which increases the mass and size of the muscles.
The best type of exercise to build muscle is strength training. Weight training is particularly effective, especially with free weights like dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells. Training should focus on all major muscles, with particular attention to the leg muscles for older men.
It is recommended to do weight training at least twice a week, with at least 48 hours between sessions for muscle recovery. Training for 20 to 30 minutes, 2 to 3 times a week is enough to see results.
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