Any person, who has even remotely been interested in bodybuilding, has definitely wondered how some of these men can get so huge. Although large majorities of the pro's we watch on our televisions are using performance enhancing drugs, there still are some basic principles that if followed, will result in tremendous muscle mass gains. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not claiming that you will be able to jump up on stage and compete with the pros but you will need to follow these guidelines if you intend on making any substantial gains. The first and most important rule to follow is to consume lots of healthy food. The fact of the matter is the more food you eat or the more calories you consume the more mass you gain. The quality of food you consume will dictate the type of mass you gain. If you eat McDonalds and other fast foods you will gain mass which will be predominately fat but if your diet consists of fruits, vegetables, lean meats and fibrous carbohydrates your diet will primarily act as muscle building fuel. Your meals should be split into 6 meals and these meals should be spaced 2-3 hours apart. This allows your body to optimally metabolize your food which prevents against fat storage. As for calories you should eat enough that you gain 1-2 lbs of muscle per week. Keeping a close note of your body fat percentage will allow you to know if the mass your gaining is muscle mass or fat mass. The second factor which is nearly as important as your diet is the intensity of your workouts. This doesn't entail lifting heavier weights then you can properly handle with strict form, this means that you keep your intensity level up through the workout while lifting the weight with strict and proper form. Body awareness is probably the single most important factor in being able to intensely train your muscles. If you're aware of and can isolate the exact muscles you are using in each lift you will benefit greatly from each workout. One of the most overused and an abused aspect's of weight training is supplementation. Do you need to keep up with the latest and greatest products? Probably not! But you do need to invest in a protein supplement to aid with your dietary requirements. They're called supplements for a reason. They are not intended to replace proper nutrition they are only there to supplement a proper diet. If you feel you're eating enough and training intensely but still aren't meeting your 1-2 pound weight increase per week you should definitely up the amount of protein and calories you're digesting through a good meal replacement supplement. Many trainees forget how important it is to rest and that the amount of sleep you get per night and the quality of that sleep will have a direct effect on muscle gains. So make sure you are getting at least 8 hours of continuous sleep each night. You truly do grow in your sleep. Like I stated before, these guidelines aren't going to make you an overnight pro body builder but if followed you will need to constantly invest in a new wardrobe because your closet won't be able to keep up with your mass gains. |
