Everybody especially youth nowadays craves for the macho image gaining that muscular physique in no time. And a few of them leave no stone unturned to achieve so. They truly believe that more muscles represent more strength. But it takes a lot to gain muscles including your diet, dedication and determination are literally required. So, here we are to guide you through a few effectively useful tips to gain the muscle mass. With the rising health and fitness awareness, day-by-day people have started giving their every possible bit to look good and stay fit at the same time. So, this is where these tips come at your disposal.
Building more muscles is often related to lifting weights but it is also related to a well-balanced diet along with the proportionate amount of proteins and carbs supplements. Moreover, hormonal level in the body plays a significant role in gaining muscles, therefore it is highly advisable that in order to gain weight, one should take proper care of all these factors.
Muscle growth is majorly dependent upon the nutritional intake, type of exercises, level of hormones in the body. Further, a person can have supplements during the advance muscle building phase. Some of the hormones that modulate the growth of muscles are listed here:
- Growth hormone
- Parathyroid hormone
- IGF-1 (Insulin Growth Factor)
- Cortisol
- Testosterone and
- Beta-endorphin
There are three basic things that people should implement in muscle building: Food, exercise and supplements.
Foods to Gain Muscle Mass:
What you eat, pays a lot. Your eating habits and the food intake play an important role and in fact, are the foundation in muscle building. Protein is the major ingredient in building muscles and that we can get through our diet as protein contains amino acids that build body tissues. The right amount of food is a key to a good muscle building process. What to eat, what not to eat, when to eat and how much to eat, all these are the factors that are taken care of, before starting muscle building process. Apart from protein, there are a lot more our body requires in order to gain muscles.
- Eggs: Eggs are a popular source of protein and good cholesterol, and yes, the fat as well is required to support in muscle growth which is present in the egg yolk along with the cholesterol content.
- Beef (From Grass-fed Cattle): Beef is a very rich source of protein, Vitamin B complex, zinc, iron and cholesterol. Beef from grass-fed cattle contains a high amount of CLA, that is Conjugated Linoleic Acid, which helps in building lean muscles and reducing body fat.
- Brown rice: Termed as slow digesting whole grains, which provide you energy throughout the day.
- Cantaloupe: A melon that is fast-digesting carb as it considerably has low fructose content. Especially, your morning should be started with this fruit and you can take it after workout as well.
- Beets: Beetroot, a good source betaine, also called trimethylglycine, has been clinically researched to help in increasing muscle power and strength.
- Orange: Take oranges, especially before workout as it is a good fruit to help in muscle gain, endurance and strength.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids are unsaturated fats, found in olive oil, nuts and fish. These fatty acids improve heart health, but some researchers indicate that, these kind of fats are also beneficial in muscle gain.
- Cottage Cheese: Cottage cheese is a rich source of casein, that is a slow-digesting protein, so cottage cheese should be eaten before going to bed so that it can prevent catabolism process (destructive metabolism), when you are fasting during sleep.
- Milk (Organic): Milk has both, casein and whey and is also rich in glutamine, an amino acid. Also, use organic milk as it has 70% higher amount of omega-3 fatty acids than the conventional one.
- Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt contains more protein than the conventional one (20 grams per cup), fewer carbs and it is a rich source of protein as well.
- Ezekiel 4:9 Bread: Made from organically sprouted whole grains, Ezekiel bread has legumes and grains. This bread is a whole protein pack in itself. It has all the 9 amino acids (required for lean muscles) that are required by our body as these amino acids cannot be synthesized in the body.
- Apples: Apples contain polyphenols that help in boosting muscle strength and also, preventing tired muscles so that one can work out a little longer. Also, some researchers say that polyphenols can help in burning fat, so a good choice to make before workout.
Exercises for Muscle Growth:
Exercise is another basic thing in muscle building as muscles develop with using them effectively in training. But the person needs to make sure what type of exercise and how to do exercise according to his/her body requirement and other health factors. Here are some of them:
- Running or walking: you just need a pair of running shoes and then start walking or running. All the athletes do this and they do not need any kind of gym machines or heavy weight lifts.
- Push-ups: It works on your shoulders, chest, core and triceps that is a whole workout process.
- Squats: It works on the lower body muscles.
- Crunches: It works on the core muscle to build the core strength and works especially in mid-section.
- Walking lunges: A very good exercise to work on the thigh muscles.
- Triceps dips: It works on the back of the arm that is always left while exercising.
Supplements which boost the muscle growth:
- Creatine: A molecule that is produced in the body and provides energy for your muscle and tissues. Creatine can help in gaining muscle mass, so is the very good supplement to build muscles.
- Protein supplements: there are various protein supplements available in the market and some of them are whey, soy and casein protein.
- Weight gainers: Weight gainers (a mixture of protein and high calories) are for those who try harder to gain muscles instead of eating protein at large.
- Beta-alanine: These are the amino acids that help in increasing the work out capacity and preventing workout fatigue.
- Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs): It consists of 3 essential amino acids: valine, leucine and isoleucine and it aids in muscle gain and reduces muscle loss.
- Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB): It is produced in the body but can be taken as a supplement when beginning the workout plan as it helps in breaking down of muscle protein.
Other supplements:
- Testosterone Booster: Testosterone-boosting supplements are D-aspartic acid, DHEA, Tribulus terrestris, ashwagandha and fenugreek. Especially for those people who are low on their testosterone levels.
- Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA): A group of omega-6 fatty acids that helps in muscle gain.
- Glutamine and carnitine: Especially beneficial in increasing muscle mass in elderly people.