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8 mass building tips
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1 Manipulate Caloric Intake
You want to grow? You want to add more muscle to your frame? Then you've got to increase your caloric intake, pure and simple. To add quality muscle weight, you need to be in a state of caloric excess. Looking to shed some bodyfat? The opposite is true: reduce calories or increase energy expenditure (cardio). Unless you have the genetics of Dorian Yates or rely heavily on "science," it's virtually impossible to make solid muscle gains while burning fat. Eat and bulk up. Then, shed the fat by cutting down.
2 Increase Protein Consumption
The benefits of protein are numerous for the bodybuilder: increased protein synthesis, positive nitrogen balance, muscle recovery and anti-catabolism. Remember, protein provides the building blocks of muscle. Get enough to grow enough. Learn from the pros: take protein with every meal you eat. Aim for at least 1-1.5g of protein for every pound of bodyweight when training at a high level.
3 Take In Plenty Of Fat
We don't necessarily mean from burgers and fries. There are plenty of good fat sources including olive oil, flaxseed oil, and borage oil. These
contain "essential" fats, those your body can't manufacture on its own. Remember this: overly restricting fat intake will negatively impact growth. Why? Fat intake can affect testosterone levels. In studies, individuals consuming 20% fat were found to have significantly lower testosterone levels than those taking in 40% fat. Furthermore, research has shown that there is a positive correlation between fat and resting testosterone concentrations in men who weight train.
4 Ease Up On The Cardio
Cardio may let you consume more and stay hard, but it can also get in the way of growth if overused. If you're trying to gain weight, ease up.
5 Get Plenty Of Rest
Probably one of the most underutilized of all the bodybuilding tools. Rest is when the muscles you've torn down from training are allowed to rebuild and come back bigger than ever. Too much training and not enough rest, and you'll enter the dreaded "overtraining" zone where testosterone levels drop and muscle wasting becomes a serious possibility. The easiest way to avoid overtraining is to get plenty of sleep at night and train right.
6 Pack On The Poundage
Obviously, one of the best ways to get massive is to progressively move heavier weight. This isn't an invitation to put on as many plates as you can only to perform the exercise with improper form. Use as much weight as you can while allowing you to follow strict form. With respect to reps, when it comes to building power and strength, you can aim low: 6-8 per set ought to do it.
7 Stick To Basic Movements
Basic movements train your body's largest muscles such as your back, quads, and pecs. The bigger these get, the bigger you look. Plus, basic movements not only train the target body part, but also supporting muscles. The bench press works your pecs and your triceps and your delts to a certain degree. Be sure to include the bench press, shoulder press, squat, deadlift, and rows to your program.
8 Take A Good Multivitamin
Hey, 100% of Olympic strength athletes and 90% of the elite, competitive bodybuilders who take a multivitamin can't be wrong. Do the right thing and take your Animal Pak every day. Two paks a day for pro-caliber bodybuilders during the pre-contest preparation.
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1 Manipulate Caloric Intake
You want to grow? You want to add more muscle to your frame? Then you've got to increase your caloric intake, pure and simple. To add quality muscle weight, you need to be in a state of caloric excess. Looking to shed some bodyfat? The opposite is true: reduce calories or increase energy expenditure (cardio). Unless you have the genetics of Dorian Yates or rely heavily on "science," it's virtually impossible to make solid muscle gains while burning fat. Eat and bulk up. Then, shed the fat by cutting down.
2 Increase Protein Consumption
The benefits of protein are numerous for the bodybuilder: increased protein synthesis, positive nitrogen balance, muscle recovery and anti-catabolism. Remember, protein provides the building blocks of muscle. Get enough to grow enough. Learn from the pros: take protein with every meal you eat. Aim for at least 1-1.5g of protein for every pound of bodyweight when training at a high level.
3 Take In Plenty Of Fat
We don't necessarily mean from burgers and fries. There are plenty of good fat sources including olive oil, flaxseed oil, and borage oil. These
contain "essential" fats, those your body can't manufacture on its own. Remember this: overly restricting fat intake will negatively impact growth. Why? Fat intake can affect testosterone levels. In studies, individuals consuming 20% fat were found to have significantly lower testosterone levels than those taking in 40% fat. Furthermore, research has shown that there is a positive correlation between fat and resting testosterone concentrations in men who weight train.
4 Ease Up On The Cardio
Cardio may let you consume more and stay hard, but it can also get in the way of growth if overused. If you're trying to gain weight, ease up.
5 Get Plenty Of Rest
Probably one of the most underutilized of all the bodybuilding tools. Rest is when the muscles you've torn down from training are allowed to rebuild and come back bigger than ever. Too much training and not enough rest, and you'll enter the dreaded "overtraining" zone where testosterone levels drop and muscle wasting becomes a serious possibility. The easiest way to avoid overtraining is to get plenty of sleep at night and train right.
6 Pack On The Poundage
Obviously, one of the best ways to get massive is to progressively move heavier weight. This isn't an invitation to put on as many plates as you can only to perform the exercise with improper form. Use as much weight as you can while allowing you to follow strict form. With respect to reps, when it comes to building power and strength, you can aim low: 6-8 per set ought to do it.
7 Stick To Basic Movements
Basic movements train your body's largest muscles such as your back, quads, and pecs. The bigger these get, the bigger you look. Plus, basic movements not only train the target body part, but also supporting muscles. The bench press works your pecs and your triceps and your delts to a certain degree. Be sure to include the bench press, shoulder press, squat, deadlift, and rows to your program.
8 Take A Good Multivitamin
Hey, 100% of Olympic strength athletes and 90% of the elite, competitive bodybuilders who take a multivitamin can't be wrong. Do the right thing and take your Animal Pak every day. Two paks a day for pro-caliber bodybuilders during the pre-contest preparation.
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