When it comes to putting on muscle, it might be intimidating to try to figure out where to begin. There are a lot of different things that need to be taken into consideration, such as how much food you should consume in a day and the timetable of your workouts, all the way down to what kind of protein shake you should drink after your last round of exercises. Are you unsure about which dietary supplements would be best for you to purchase? Have a look at these suggestions for accelerating muscle growth right away.
The idea that you can develop muscle “quickly” naturally can be misleading to individuals who think they can create 10 pounds of muscle in one month. There are many things you can do to enhance muscle growth while bulking, the idea that you can grow muscle “rapidly” naturally can be misleading.
The unfortunate reality is that the rate at which you can gain fat is significantly faster than the rate at which you can gain muscle. This is why you have to make sure to control both your diet and your training on a weekly basis if you want to maximise muscle development while minimising fat gain while you are bulking.
There is a limit to how quickly muscle can grow, and maintaining an appropriate mass requires both time and consistency. Nevertheless, there are several things you can do to make the most of your muscle-building efforts during bulking, such as consuming more calories than what you burn, increasing your protein and carbohydrate consumption, training with a greater volume, and keeping track of how quickly you gain weight. To do this, you first need to figure out your maintenance calories – which is how much energy you need to consume to maintain your weight. Eating more than this is called a “bulk”, and will result in you gaining weight.
A Skinny Guy’s Guide to Bulking Up
Nobody would ever confuse the desire to put on muscle with the desire to gain weight. In point of fact, though, the routes taken to either destination are not that dissimilar. If it is not done correctly, trying to gain muscle can leave a man looking flabby with no evidence of any further muscle gain at all.
You need to have a plan in place if you want to put on weight, both in terms of muscle and overall mass. According to Jim White, a registered dietitian and exercise physiologist at the American College of Sports Medicine, “It needs to be put together just like any profitable business plan.” Here’s your guide.
Turn to the Professionals
There are a lot of people who successfully gain muscle on their own, but if you want to improve your odds of doing so, you need to talk to some experts at some point along the journey. White advises, “What I’d recommend is to not get into any crazy bulking diets that aren’t matched to you.” “What I’d suggest is not to jump into any crazy bulking diets.”
“Because, here’s the deal, specifically for getting big: if you consume a lot, you can build muscle, but you can gain more fat than muscle.” “Because, here’s the deal, especially for getting huge,” White recommends that you seek the assistance of a dietitian and a fitness instructor in order to make the sorts of gains that you are looking for. You might also try to find a person who is capable of performing both roles, which would certainly result in cost savings for you.
Get a Partner
Your circle of friends is yet another valuable asset that should be utilized. If you know somebody who has succeeded in achieving their own goals of gaining muscle mass, that person may be able to provide you with helpful information that won’t set you back as much as consulting a professional would. Aside from the first-hand experience they may provide, having a friend who you can check with can help keep you focused and responsible in your actions.
Eat More, But Eat Well
According to White, the diet is responsible for eighty per cent of the success in achieving this fitness goal. No matter how frequently or effectively you hit the gym, the food you put in your body will be the deciding factor in whether or not you achieve your fitness goals.
According to White, “You can’t add muscle weight if you aren’t consuming enough calories and proteins.” The term “macronutrients” is currently all the rage, and the three that you should place the most emphasis on are lean to moderately lean proteins for the building of your muscles, complex carbs for your energy needs, and necessary fats for the support of your body’s metabolic processes.
Consuming high-calorie, nutritious foods such as almond butter, avocados, nuts, oils, red meats (such as steak), and complex carbohydrates can help you achieve the desired amount of weight gain (think oatmeal and sweet potatoes). You should also try to consume at least two servings of fruit per day, if not more. Vegetables are not only necessary but can also make one feel full.
Start Your Bulk from a Lean State
In an ideal scenario, you would begin your bulk from a lean state. This would entail having a body fat percentage of about 10% or lower for guys, and less than 16% for females.
These fat mass percentages are not written in stone; nonetheless, the conclusion from this is that the thinner you are when you begin a bulk, the your body will desire to utilise the net kcals that you consume (and increase glucose stores in muscle bellies).
If you begin from a less lean state, you face the danger of trying to introduce more calories to a body and metabolic activity that already is keen on excess body fat stores, which could imply shortening the total time it takes for you to gain bulk. If you start from a lean state, you run the risk of establishing more kcals to a body and metabolic activity that already is keen on the increasing body.
You know you’ve reached the end of bulk when your belly fat percentage has reached an unhealthy level since, at that time, you’ve gained an excessive quantity of fat in comparison to muscle.
Progressively Eat More Calories
You need to take in more kcal than you burn during a bulking phase in order to increase the amount of muscle and mass you have (your resting metabolic rate, the number of calories burned due to your lifestyle choices, and the number of calories burned due to your physical activity).
It’s a simple math equation that’s been demonstrated in a number of different ways. In order to acquire weight, you need to consume more calories than your body uses up. You need to have a deficit of calories if you want to see weight loss results.
One technique to accomplish this is to consume whatever foods you choose; however, this can change the composition of the weight that you are acquiring (and how fast you are gaining weight).
As was mentioned earlier, you want to make absolutely sure that you are consuming at a rate that permits the greatest amount of muscle growth while preventing the accumulation of an excessive amount of body fat during the bulking phase.
Getting an excessive amount of body fat will not help you build more muscle, and in fact, it may actually cause your body more likely to favor fat gain over muscle gain as your bulk continues. Although you will gain some body fat, gaining an excessive amount will not assist you in obtaining more muscle.
The key to success here is to gradually consume more calories, as opposed to simply consuming whatever comes into view right out of the gate. This gives you the ability to ensure that you are monitoring the rate at which you are gaining weight and optimizing the ratio of muscle growth to fat increase that you are experiencing.
Add About 500 Calories a Day
In order to put on more muscle, some people really do need to increase the number of calories they consume twofold. People that have trouble putting on weight typically have relatively fast metabolisms and are youthful. The majority of guys, especially younger ones, should start their trip to bulking up more slowly.
According to White, in order to gain approximately one pound each week due to nutrition, you need to consume approximately 500 additional calories each day. “I’m not a big believer in rapidly gaining or losing weight,” I said. Any gain that is significantly faster than that is most often due to an increase in fat rather than muscle. If you carefully increase the number of calories you consume, you should be able to determine the ideal number of calories to consume in order to achieve a balance between bulking up and becoming obese.
How to Use Protein Powders
Protein powders and other weight gainers can be excellent tools for individuals who want to gain weight, especially those who have a difficult time doing so. Even if you don’t have much of an appetite, drinking protein shakes that contain between 500 and 750 calories each is an easy and handy approach to boosting your calorie consumption.
White advocates adding foods such as oats, bananas, or peanut butter to your shakes in order to increase their already high level of healthfulness. Be warned that there is the possibility of going far beyond what is required here. According to White, “I would limit it to 2 drinks a day because otherwise, it begins going into a liquid diet, and whole food is best.”
Prioritize More Carbs to Fuel Hard Training
Both the brain and the muscle tissue in your body prefer to burn carbohydrates as their primary source of fuel. Even though the muscles, brain, and the rest of the body can get the energy they need from fats and protein, carbs are the preferred source of energy for high-intensity weight training because they allow for more glycogen storage (the manner in which you should be exercising if you want to get the greatest possible gains in muscle mass).
I would suggest that you begin by consuming 2-3 grams of carbohydrates for every pound of body weight. If you decide to raise your overall calorie intake, you will need to increase this macronutrient as well (therefore, if you want to put on more weight when you eat more food, you should prioritize sources of carbohydrates such as rice, bread, pasta, grains, potatoes, and so on).
Train More Frequently
An excellent method to increase training volume without overdoing it in a single session is to train a muscle more regularly. This is one of the most effective ways to achieve this goal (it might result in excessive pain, work sets with a low stimulation level, and even harm.).
If you want big legs, for instance, you might need to complete 16–20 total sets of exercises targeting your quadriceps each week, in addition to performing another 16–20 total sets each week targeting your hamstrings.
If you trained your legs only once a week, you would be required to train 35–40 total sets in a single session. This is not only excessive, but it also frequently results in doing a ton of repetitions that are low stimulation, low load, and simply produce a lot of stress and fatigue to the body. If you only trained your legs once per week, you would have to train 35–40 total sets in a single session.
If you train more regularly, you will be able to accomplish the total work sets throughout the course of 2-3 leg-focused training sessions. During each of these sessions, you will be able to execute 5-6 total sets of quadriceps exercises as well as 5-6 total sets of hamstrings exercises.
You can possibly move more load, with more control, and concentrate on the muscle stretch and contraction if you train for fewer total sets per session (as opposed to doing it all in one session). This will also reduce the severity of muscle soreness and the risk of injury compared to training muscles once per week.
Gain Slowly
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a healthy rate of weight gain is between one and 2 lbs per week; therefore, putting on significant muscle will take some time. White claims that after roughly three months, you should start to perceive a change in your appearance. It could feel like a long wait, but it’s ideal to take your time and put on weight in a way that’s healthy.
Get More Sleep
Because of all the strenuous exercise you’ve been doing, you really should get more sleep. Being well-rested can also help you get the most out of your exercises every day, whereas working out when you’re exhausted might have a detrimental impact on your technique and make you more prone to injury. If you have to choose between an extra 30 minutes of sleep and an extra 30 minutes of exercise, White recommends going with the extra 30 minutes of sleep.
Back Off the Cardio
Because it uses up a lot of kcal and can make it more difficult to grow muscle, cardio is something that guys who want to bulk up need to be very mindful of when they are planning their workouts. You don’t want to fully eliminate cardio because it plays such an important role in maintaining a healthy heart. Instead, go for cardio activities that require a slower speed, such as walking up an incline or utilizing an elliptical machine. It’s possible that you’ll need to consume extra calories in order to compensate for the increased intensity of your aerobic workouts.
Get Beyond the Bench Press
Remember to incorporate your entire body if you want to look nice while building muscle at the same time. According to White, “bench presses are some of the most overused workouts I see,” and he’s right: “of course, for guys.” Remember to focus on your lower body even if you won’t be doing as much jogging or cycling as you normally would since you need to make sure your upper body gets the attention it deserves.
Train More Volume
The key to success during the bulking phase of a training cycle is to train more regularly and in bigger volumes (total sets). When you are well-fed and in a condition of caloric surplus, you frequently have the ability to exercise at larger volumes (total weekly sets) without negatively impacting your ability to recover.
It is essential that you have a good understanding of the ranges of training volume that are beneficial for you. You will be able to accomplish this by exercising within the range of 12-20 weekly average sets and carefully evaluating your recovery, level of discomfort, and development in the weight room.
When beginning a new program, it is best practice to begin at the lower end of the range, and then gradually increase the overall volume throughout the course of the month. There is a ceiling on the amount of work that can be accomplished in a given period of time, so it is important to monitor your development and ensure that you are getting adequate rest. In addition, your primary focus should be on completing productive work sets rather than simply racking up the
If you use an app like Fitbod, it will be easier for you to keep track of the exact amount of exercise you need to be performing. Fitbod will keep a record of all of the workouts that you report, and as you make progress, it will automatically adjust the number of your workout prescriptions.
Train a Variety of Rep Ranges
According to research, you can build muscle with most rep ranges. Rep ranges, on the other hand, are the most effective way to strike a healthy balance between the volume of training, the difficulty of the training, and the demands placed on recuperation. This is especially true if your goal is to train frequently and in large amounts.
The majority of weightlifters can achieve their desired level of muscular growth by performing training motions in the range of 8 to 15 repetitions.
It is advisable to train in the range of 5-10 repetitions while dealing with complex exercises like squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. [Case in point:] Experimenting with these ranges (from 5 to 10, from 10 to 20, and from 20 to 30) will allow you to determine which one works best to trigger muscular weariness, which is distinct from general tiredness or fatigue in the body.
Train Closer or To Complete Muscle Failure
When exercising for increased muscle size, it is essential to work out with sufficient intensity to bring the muscles to the point of being nearly incapable of further contraction.
I recommend pushing each set to the point of near failure, which means leaving 1-2 flawless reps (not reps in which your form degrades but you can still “finish” them) in the tank at the conclusion of each set.
When you work out to the point where your muscles are almost at their breaking point, you are in a different location than when you train until they are completely broken. Be sure to give each set your all, but never let your attention wander from proper form for one second.
Track Your Weight Gain
It is essential to monitor the rate at which you are gaining weight when bulking. This will allow you to ensure that you are eating properly at a rate that permits the greatest amount of muscle growth while preventing an excessive amount of fat gain.
Aim to acquire between half a pound and one pound per week for the majority of lifters, as increasing weight any faster than that may result in gaining more fat than is essential during bilk.
It’s possible that larger people can get away with losing only one to two pounds per week. It is essential to keep in mind (as was covered earlier) that the body can only produce muscle at a certain rate, and that gaining weight at a rate that is higher than that may indicate that the weight you are acquiring is excessive body fat.
Best fruits for bodybuilding you must include in your daily diet
1. Kiwi
Did you know that the kiwi bird is a direct descendant of the dinosaur known as the Tyrannosaurus Rex? It’s completely absurd, but before we get sidetracked, let’s talk about the fruit for a moment. It is well known that fruit is one of the excellent natural sources available for reducing fat in the body.
The vitamin C content of kiwis is higher than that of any other fruit. Vitamin C is the most powerful antioxidant, and it aids in the breakdown and removal of fat from the body. The correct oxidation of fatty acids is dependent on the vitamin, and its presence is necessary for this process. As a result, fatty acids become simpler to burn off. The time has come to get rid of that flab and look fabulous!
2. Banana
Bananas, which have a high concentration of carbohydrates, stop the breakdown of muscular tissue and help replenish glycogen stores in muscles. Not sufficient? In addition to this, they are an excellent supply of potassium, which is an electrolyte that is required for the effective contraction of muscles. We recommend having a banana smoothie for breakfast or before exercise in order to get the day off to a good start. Yep, it’s time to go nuts!
3. Watermelon
This sweet and juicy fruit is renowned for its ability to generate nitric oxide (NO). NO is a supplement that is quite popular among bodybuilders since it increases blood flow to muscles, which in turn enables a larger distribution of healing nutrients and anabolic ingredients. Additionally, watermelons are a fruit that can effectively hydrate the body. What exactly are you looking forward to? It’s time to start acting like a million bucks, melon bucks.
4. Blueberries
Blueberries are one of the most potent superfruits and are excellent for promoting muscular building. They have a high antioxidant content, which is beneficial to the process of developing muscle mass. Why are antioxidants so crucial to our health?
They defend us from so-called “free radical” attacks, to which we become more susceptible after doing weights. Recovery is the most important aspect of gaining muscle and strength. The more quickly we are able to recover, the more quickly we can grow muscle. Consequently, if you want to start popping, you should go for our Choose Life package which is loaded with blueberries.
5. Avoca-Do Hit The Gym
Avocados are the most effective fruit for growing muscle because they are rich in potassium and contain a high concentration of other vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Even better, they are highly high in dietary fibre, which is proven to assist in reducing fat and is found in abundance in these foods. If you eat one avocado every day, you won’t gain any weight, it’s guaranteed! With the help of a Fiber Cleanse, you can get a good start on cleaning up your digestive tract. We can almost guarantee that you’re going to fall in love with it!
Eat 3 Whole Eggs After Your Workout
The food that you consume after lifting weights can be just as vital to your progress as the actual work that you do in the gym. However, the post-workout drink you consume on a regular basis might not be doing your muscles any benefits. According to new research that was just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, consuming protein as part of a meal that also contains other nutrients and is derived from whole foods may be more efficient at stimulating muscle growth than eating protein on its own.
For the purpose of the study, the researchers had ten young men who were otherwise healthy and who routinely lifted weights take part in 2 independent experiments. Within the first five minutes following a leg workout, they consumed three whole eggs, which had a combined total of 18 grams (g) of protein and 17 g of fat. On the other hand, they took the same quantity of protein, but this time it came from egg whites, which resulted in them having zero grams of fat.
The researchers then obtained biopsies of the men’s muscles 2 and 5 hours later to determine the myofibrillar protein synthesis response, which refers to the rate at which the men’s protein fibres rebuilt themselves in response to the small tears that were generated by their workout.
They came to the conclusion that eating the egg as a whole led to a considerably greater level of protein fibre recovery and repair than eating just the egg whites. Nicholas A. Burd, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the author of the study, explains that this process is essential to the development of larger and more powerful muscles. This is an important finding because it demonstrates how important this process is.
According to Burd, scientists have been unable to determine exactly what it was about the whole egg that caused a larger response in the body’s ability to create muscle. However, it could have something to do with the concept of “food synergy,” which refers to the idea that the individual components of food work together to produce a stronger reaction from the body’s protein synthesis system than ingesting protein on its own.
Could there be some potential in the whole egg? The egg yolk is packed with nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as minerals like phosphorus and iron. Fats, such as the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, can also be found in the yolk. (Even though the egg whites had the same amount of protein as the full egg, they were missing the other components).
Final Thoughts
A fantastic approach to boost long-term muscle development and strength gain is to build muscle during a bulking phase. This will help you gain muscle more quickly.
If you want to put on muscle quickly, one thing you need to do is figure out how much weight your body can put on in a given amount of time. This is because adding too much weight too quickly might lead to an increase in body fat percentage.
Make the most of your upcoming muscle-building period by putting the advice from up above to good use, and discover how to gain mass as quickly as humanly feasible.