Put On More Mass With These Muscle Building Tips!

By Waldo Lusane


The individuals that you see on fitness magazines usually look incredible, but is it possible to attain their level of fitness? Your body probably isn't perfect, but that doesn't mean you can't build up some muscle and look amazing too. The advice in this article can help you in your quest to attain the perfect body.


Stay aware of your dietary consumption when you are looking to boost your muscle mass. Although being hydrated is normally important, it is even more important when building muscle, as muscles are made up of 70% water. Do not consume too much alcohol, because it breaks down your muscles when you drink it in large amounts.

How you perform your exercises is far more important than how much weight you use, how quickly you perform them or how often you complete your routine. Each particular exercise in a routine should be carefully practiced and thoroughly mastered. Ideally, you should begin with lighter weights. This makes it easier to achieve better results over time.

Resist the urge to quickly power through sets! To get the best results, perform each movement slowly and methodically. A good goal is to try to achieve five or ten seconds for every half of the movement; meaning that each rep should last at least twenty seconds.

Make sure that you are using your brain when performing squats. Drop the bar onto your back close to the middle of the traps. This places more demand upon your glutes, hamstrings, and hips, which can help you squat more weight than you originally could.

When trying to increase muscle mass, snack on protein-rich foods prior to working out, and again after you finish. Try taking in 15 grams within a half hour preceding training and 15 grams following the workout. This is equivalent to about one or two glasses of milk.

It can be beneficial to drink a protein shake a half hour prior to lifting. This will give your muscles fuel without making you feel full, and it can increase the effectiveness of your workout. A shake made from a protein powder and either low fat yogurt or milk will work wonders.

Always stretch prior to working out. Your muscles should be warmed up prior to exercise, in order to avoid injury. Stretching after exercise can help, too, by relaxing your muscles while the start to recover from the workout. Massages will help in relaxation and post-workout recovery.

When building muscle, ensure that you're keeping track of the amount of body fat you have. Scale weight can be deceptive, since you might be getting rid of fat while putting on muscle. Sometimes you start to feel sad about your weight, but it could be the difference in your muscle weight.



Eating protein rich foods both before and after exercising has got to be one of the most important things as you're trying to build up your muscle mass. Try to consume 15 grams of protein 30 minutes prior to exercising, and 15 grams afterwards. You could do this by drinking one or two servings of milk.

Try out an exercise called "the farmer's walk". Use heavy dumbbells, held at your sides, and walk until you have reached your limit. Make sure your abs are tense and make your strides long. When you feel like you can't go on, take a break for about 90 seconds and then continue. Do this a few times per day.

Muscle building isn't just about getting ripped. Many routines will tone your muscles without bulking up. If you wish to gain serious muscle mass, you may need to use protein or other supplements in addition to your workouts.

In each workout, train the opposing muscles. For example, work out your chest and back together, and your hamstrings and quads together. This practice alternates the stress placed on the two groups, so that one rests while the other one works. This allows you to engage in shorter, more intense workouts without risking injury.

When training, high reps and a good number of sets will show the best results. Do at least fifteen lifts while taking a break of less than a minute in between. When you do this your lactic acids keep flowing and help stimulate muscle growth. By consistently focusing your routine this way, you maximize the effects of your muscle building.

Make sure that your caloric intake, overall, is as high as it needs to be. There are online calculators available for determining how many calories you need to eat in order to gain a given amount of muscle in a certain time frame. Ensure you're getting your calories through lean meats and carbohydrates, and don't forget produce to get you the vitamins and minerals you also require.

Know where your limit is, and push yourself to it. When completing a set of exercises, keep pushing yourself until you cannot complete another push-up or lift the bar one more time. This may require shortening your sets as your workout continues.

Keep every one of your workouts to less than 60 minutes, maximum. If your body is engaged for more than sixty minutes, then it will start to release cortisol. Cortisol decreases your testosterone levels, which just wastes your efforts towards increasing your muscle mass. For the best results, only spend 60 minutes or less working out.

Educating yourself properly is essential to any undertaking, and boosting your muscle mass is a lot more simple to do if you are properly informed. Apply one of these tips to your routine every day and stay optimistic about their positive end results.



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