༺•☾Welcome to the wikipedia of muscle building☽•༻
The Basics
Increase
your caloric intake. For example, if you are
currently consuming 2,000 calories a day, boost that to about 2,500 calories or
even more. But make sure that you're eating clean, and are not eating too much.
Get
enough protein to support muscle growth. Aim
for at least 1-2g of protein for every pound of body weight. For example, if
you weigh 180lb, take in at least 180-360g — or about 6-12 ounces — of protein
every day.
Drink
enough water. The body needs a sufficient
amount of water to build muscle at an optimal rate. Here's a great little
formula to help make sure you are getting enough: Body weight in pounds X 0.6 =
water intake in ounces
Eat
regularly. Rather than having two or three
large meals during the day — something we've grown up with — change your eating
habits so that you are eating five or six smaller meals during the day.
To help keep your protein intake high, one
or two of those meals can be a protein shake. Here's one example, though a
quick Internet search will uncover hundreds of delicious protein shakes:
8 oz skimmed milk
1 banana
1 tbsp peanut butter
2 scoops of protein powder
Eat fat. That's right — not only does it
make food taste good, fat is good for you, as long as you are eating the right
kinds and amounts of fat! Saturated fats — the fat you'll find in a stick of
butter, a bag of chips, or bacon — should be limited to about 20g or less.
That's the bad news. The good news is that unsaturated fats are actually
beneficial, even necessary. Fat is necessary for the proper distribution of
vitamins A, D, E, and K, helps promote better eyesight, and healthy skin.
Depending on your total caloric intake, 50-70g of monounsaturated or
polyunsaturated fat is beneficial for your training, and your overall general
health.
Monounsaturated fats can be found in olive,
canola, and sesame oils; avocado; and nuts such as almonds, cashews, peanuts,
and pistachios.
Polyunsaturated fats are found in corn,
cottonseed, and safflower oils; sunflower seeds and oils; flaxseed and flaxseed
oil; soybeans and soybean oil.
Omega-3 fats, an overall winner of a fat
that is very beneficial to heart and blood health, eyesight, and for children,
brain development. You'll find this fat in many omega-3-enriched foods. Another
great source is fatty cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, trout, and
sardines.
A good way to determine how much fat in
grams you should be taking in is to multiply your calorie intake by .001 for
maximum trans-fats; by .008 for maximum saturated fats; and by .03 for the
"good fats". For example, for a 2,500-calorie diet, you would limit
trans-fats to 3 grams or less, saturated fats to 20g or less, and up to 75g of
mono and polyunsaturated fats.
Take
your vitamins. In addition to a well-balanced
diet, include a multivitamin supplement to your dietary regimen. It will ensure
that your body is getting the full amount of vitamins and minerals it needs to
stay healthy. There are many options, depending on your age, your sex, and your
particular health and diet needs. Find the one that's right for you, and make
it part of your daily routine.
Limit
your cardio training. While doing cardio is
great for fat burning, it can limit muscle growth by burning up glycogen and
amino acids. If you must keep cardio as part of your fitness plan, try sprint
intervals: one minute at an all-out sprint, followed by two minutes of light
jogging. Do this for no more than a half an hour, three times a week. If you
play sports, eat even more food to make up for lost calories.
Get
your rest. Your body needs time to recover, and
to repair (build) your muscles, and to do that you will need at least 7 or 8
hours of sleep a night. Avoid caffeine and alcohol for deeper sleep.
In addition to the proper amount of sleep,
do not overdo your training regimen. While you might be tempted to think that
"more is better," in fact the opposite is true. You can reach a point
known as "over-training", in which you'll lose the ability to
"pump", (engorge the muscles with oxygen-rich blood), and can even
lead to muscle wasting — exactly the opposite of what you are trying to
achieve. Here are some symptoms to be aware of if you think you may be falling
into the over-training zone:
Chronic fatigue
Strength loss
Loss of appetite
Insomnia
Depression
Lowered sex drive
Chronic soreness
Prone to injury
To avoid over-training, set up a schedule
that works for you and your goals. Here is an example for a split routine that
gives you plenty of time on to break down your muscles, and plenty of time off
to let them recover, even larger than before:
Day 1: Chest and biceps, followed by 30
minutes of high-intensity cardio.
Day 2: Legs, triceps, and abs, followed by
30 minutes of high-intensity cardio.
Day 3: Shoulders and back, followed by 30
minutes of high-intensity cardio.
Day 4: Chest, biceps, and abs.
Day 5 - Day 7, rest.
