Gaining more muscle mass is a common goal for most individuals. Similar to any goal, if a plan is properly developed and followed, then bulking up can become a reality. The parts within the strategy need to focus upon proper nutrition, exercise and rest. If the implementation of the plan stays the course, then noticeable differences with physique could happen within the first month or earlier.
Here are the four keys to bulking up:
Fuel Intake
Calories are required to gain weight. The more calories consumed from healthy foods, the better. One known rule of thumb is to avoid packaged foods entirely. Try to consume fresh items and prepare multiple meals a day. Manage the available meals and focus upon quality protein, good carbohydrates and healthy fats.
Become knowledgeable of the negatives with saturated fats, sugars and sodium. Knowledge is power: if you know what nutrients to look for, you’ll have an easier time planning out your diet.
Anaerobic Exercise
Traditional thought suggests lifting heavier weights with fewer repetitions allows for muscles to grow big. Conversely, if the preference is a more chiseled or defined look, then lift lighter weights with more repetitions.
Another current concept is to change your workouts every month to surprise or shock your system with hopes to avoid any plateaus. Whatever the preference may be, lift weights and exercise with them consistently. You may also want to consider workout supplements such as creatine and whey, both of which have been shown to improve performance and results.
Aerobic Exercise
A workout is not complete without a focus upon exercising the heart. Walking, running and swimming are just a few examples of ways to increase your heart rate. The key to blending an aerobic routine within your weight gaining program is to cap the time around 30 minutes per day.
Contrastingly, the time is not appropriate to start training for a long distance race such as a marathon. The body simply redirects too many calories by keeping the legs and arms moving for such a long period of a time. Always remember calories are precious and need to be reserved for the goal of gaining weight.
Rest
Equally important is getting proper rest. Environmental stress hammers the body continuously and the muscles and brain need to recharge from the daily encounters with work and family. Quite candidly, the body needs to have a chance to recover from the daily grind.
A restful mind allows for a better performance within all aspects of life. Plus, workout performance becomes much more satisfactory when the only fatigue feeling is from the muscles recovering.
