Dominic Stone
Building muscle mass can be a transformative journey, improving not just your physical strength but also your mental and metabolic health. To build muscle, you need to understand the interplay between diet and exercise. In the weight room, you need to focus on the number of reps, sets, and weight to increase muscle volume growth or hypertrophy. In the kitchen, you need to focus on consuming an appropriate amount of calories and nutrients, particularly protein, to support muscle growth.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Diet | Sufficient protein and calorie intake |
| 0.25 to 0.30 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per meal | |
| 300–500 surplus calories per day | |
| Training | Strength training |
| Resistance training | |
| High-intensity interval training (HIIT) | |
| Progressive overload | |
| Deadlifts | |
| Squats | |
| 3-6 sets of 10-20 reps | |
| Slow down the eccentric phase | |
| Rest periods of 30-90 seconds |
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What You'll Learn
- Diet: eat more calories than you burn, with sufficient protein and nutrients
- Weight training: perform 8-12 repetitions to build muscle
- Strength training: improve muscular endurance and bone health
- Resistance training: improve insulin sensitivity and reduce diabetes risk
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT): boost mental wellbeing and self-esteem
Diet: eat more calories than you burn, with sufficient protein and nutrients
Eating a caloric surplus is essential to building muscle, but it's important to ensure that these extra calories come from nutritious foods that provide sufficient protein and other essential nutrients.
Protein is critical for muscle building and repair. Aim for 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Lean meats, such as poultry, and seafood like tilapia and shrimp, are excellent sources of protein with minimal fat. Dairy products like cottage cheese are also good options, offering varying fat content to suit different caloric needs. For plant-based protein sources, consider beans, with kidney beans providing around 15 grams of protein per cooked cup.
In addition to protein, carbohydrates are important for muscle building. They provide the energy needed for exercise and help replace muscle glucose stores, known as glycogen, which plays a role in muscle repair and growth. Consuming carbohydrates with protein before and after workouts can enhance muscle protein synthesis and aid in muscle recovery. Good sources of carbohydrates include bananas, dates, oatmeal, whole-grain cereal, crackers, and fruit smoothies.
Other important nutrients for muscle health include omega-3 fats, vitamin D, magnesium, and creatine. Vitamin D, found in fatty fish and fortified dairy, regulates calcium levels to support proper muscle contraction during workouts and improves strength and performance. Iron, which can be obtained from red meat, poultry, and beans, is also crucial for muscle building as it helps store and transport oxygen in the blood and muscles.
While it's important to eat more calories than you burn, the specific amount of calories needed to build muscle will depend on individual factors such as your level of training, body composition, genetics, and overall diet. Generally, it takes 2,500 to 2,800 additional calories to build one pound of muscle. However, this doesn't necessarily mean increasing your intake by this amount will result in healthy gains. A more strategic approach, such as increasing your daily calories by 5 to 10%, may be more effective and promote lean muscle growth. For example, if your daily calorie needs are 2,500, consuming an extra 250 calories per day may be sufficient.
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Weight training: perform 8-12 repetitions to build muscle
To build muscle, it is essential to understand the concept of muscle hypertrophy, which is the increase in growth of muscle cells. This can be achieved through resistance or weight training, where you push your muscles beyond their comfort zone.
When it comes to weight training, the number of repetitions (reps) and sets you perform plays a crucial role in muscle growth. The general recommendation for muscle growth is to aim for 8-12 reps per set, with a total of 3-5 sets. This range is known as the hypertrophy zone, where you can effectively increase muscle size and strength. Aiming for this rep range will help you fatigue your muscles sufficiently to stimulate growth.
It's important to note that the weight you lift should be challenging but manageable for the targeted rep range. Start with a weight that allows you to reach failure (inability to do another rep) within the desired rep range. As you progress and your muscles get stronger, gradually increase the weight to continue challenging your muscles.
Additionally, proper form and recovery are crucial. Maintain good form throughout your exercises to maximize the benefits and minimize the risk of injury. Allow for rest and recovery between workouts to give your muscles time to rebuild and grow stronger. Consistency in your training routine and tracking your progress over time are also key factors in building muscle effectively.
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Strength training: improve muscular endurance and bone health
Strength training is an effective way to improve muscular endurance and bone health. It helps build and maintain muscle mass and strength, and as a result, leads to stronger bones.
There are various types of strength training exercises, including the use of free weights, weight machines, and resistance bands. Free weights and weight machines are common methods, but resistance bands are also a great option for adding tension to exercises. Additionally, bodyweight exercises like push-ups are an effective form of strength training.
To increase muscular endurance, it is recommended to use weights that can be lifted for higher repetitions, typically in the range of 8 to 20 repetitions. This stimulates muscle growth and improves endurance. The specific number of repetitions may vary depending on individual responses, with some benefiting more from lower repetitions using heavy weights.
For bone health, strength training plays a crucial role in slowing bone loss and promoting bone growth. Bones become more susceptible to fractures as they lose mass with age, a condition known as osteoporosis. Strength training, particularly weight-bearing exercises, puts stress on the bones, activating bone-forming cells and resulting in stronger and denser bones. This type of training specifically targets the bones in the hips, spine, and wrists, which are the most vulnerable to fractures.
Incorporating strength training into your fitness routine can be highly beneficial for improving muscular endurance and bone health. It is recommended to exercise each major muscle group at least twice a week, allowing for a full day of rest between strength training sessions.
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Resistance training: improve insulin sensitivity and reduce diabetes risk
Resistance training is an effective way to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. This form of exercise helps to manage and prevent the disease by increasing skeletal muscle mass and promoting various qualitative adaptations. For instance, resistance training enhances glucose transport into the cells, reducing insulin resistance. This is particularly beneficial for those with type 2 diabetes, as it helps to lower blood sugar levels.
Several studies have demonstrated the positive impact of resistance training on insulin sensitivity. One such study, involving 40 teenage boys, found that resistance training, combined with aerobic training, led to significant increases in insulin sensitivity and reductions in abdominal fat. Similarly, a 12-week resistance training program for overweight males resulted in an average increase in lean body mass, further highlighting the benefits of resistance training for improving body composition and insulin sensitivity.
The mechanism behind the improved insulin sensitivity lies in the mitochondrial adaptations triggered by resistance training. These adaptations enhance the mitochondrial oxidative capacity, which is often altered in individuals with type 2 diabetes. By improving glycemic control and cholesterol metabolism, resistance training can help combat the disease and reduce the risk of associated cardiovascular disease risk factors.
To incorporate resistance training into your routine, you don't necessarily need a gym membership or expensive equipment. Simple bodyweight exercises, such as squats or chair-assisted movements, can be done at home. Additionally, resistance bands of varying resistance levels can be used to increase the intensity of your workouts gradually. Combining resistance training with cardio exercises, such as walking or cycling, is ideal for improving insulin sensitivity and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
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High-intensity interval training (HIIT): boost mental wellbeing and self-esteem
To put on muscle, you need to focus on two key areas: diet and exercise.
Firstly, let's discuss diet. To support muscle growth, you need to consume an appropriate number of calories and the right types of nutrients, especially protein. This involves a "bulking period", where you eat more calories than you burn to promote muscle growth, and a “cutting period”, where you restrict calories to reduce body fat while maintaining muscle mass. Generally, aim for a surplus of 300-500 calories per day to minimize gains in body fat while supporting muscle growth. Ensure you're getting sufficient protein by multiplying your daily protein goal in grams by 4 and subtracting that number from your calculated daily energy needs.
Now, let's discuss exercise. To build muscle, incorporate weight training into your fitness routine. Research suggests that lifting weights for 8-12 repetitions tends to build the most muscle, while lower weights with higher repetitions can increase muscular endurance. You can also try High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), which involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by low-intensity recovery periods. HIIT workouts are highly effective at improving cardiovascular health and metabolic stress while being time-efficient. A typical HIIT workout will be 10-30 minutes long, and you can include exercises such as sprinting, biking, jumping rope, or bodyweight exercises.
While HIIT is a great tool for improving physical health, it also has significant benefits for mental wellbeing and self-esteem. Research shows that a single session of HIIT can boost mood and wellbeing, and longer-term HIIT programs lead to improvements in happiness, life satisfaction, and psychological wellbeing. HIIT has also been shown to positively impact self-confidence, self-esteem, and feelings of self-worth, which can enhance overall happiness. These mental health benefits are seen irrespective of changes in body weight, indicating that HIIT has a positive influence on the brain and hormonal systems.
In summary, to put on muscle, focus on consuming a surplus of calories and sufficient protein during bulking periods, and incorporate weight training and HIIT exercises into your fitness routine. HIIT, in particular, offers an efficient way to improve both your physical and mental health, boosting self-esteem and overall wellbeing.
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Frequently asked questions
To put on muscle, you need to eat more calories than you burn each day. This is called a "bulking period". It's important to get enough protein, as this supports the creation of new muscle proteins. Research from the University of Stirling suggests that weight lifters should eat 0.25 to 0.30 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per meal.
Strength training, resistance training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are all effective ways to build muscle. Deadlifts, for example, are a compound exercise that works the muscles of the posterior chain. You can also try slowing down the eccentric phase of each exercise you perform, or integrating eccentric-only variations into your routine.
Research suggests that weights you can lift 8-12 times will build the most muscle. However, different individuals may respond better to lower or higher repetition ranges. To build muscle volume (hypertrophy), you may need to go lower in weight than you would expect. Ava Fitzgerald, a sports performance coach, recommends 3-6 sets of 10-20 reps.
Building muscle mass can help boost your metabolism, improve your mental wellbeing, enhance bone health, and increase muscle endurance.
