For over a decade now, I have been a drug-free competitive bodybuilder, and I can tell you first hand what it takes to develp an athletic, muscular body. In this article I want to tell ya, the top five tips to do just that.
Tip #1 Stick with basic exercises!
Do exercises that place a higher demand on your body and involve more muscle groups then just one. Examples include squat, presses, dips, chins, rows, and deadlifts. If you don't know how to do them properly hire a personal trainer. If you have pain an injure yourself seek the advice of an orthopedic, chiropractor, or physical threrpist. These exercises will give you more "bang for your buck".
Tip #2 Vary your repetitions and weight loads!
The human body posseses different types of muscle fibers and in order to recruit these different types, you need to work with the higher reps and lower reps. Rest intervals between sets, tempo within set, and how hard you work will greatly affect your outcome.
What I mean by that is if you want just strength, generally workout with loads between 3-5 reps and about 3-4 minutes of rest between sets. If it's more strength and size train with loads between 8-12 and rest about 90 seconds between sets, and pay strict attention to tempo and how fast you move the weight (a bit slower here). And lastl if it's endurance, seek extremely high reps 30, 50, or more. This may be good for boxers and swimmers seeking endurance.
Tip #3 Increase your carbs to at least 2x's your bodyweight
If you weigh 200 lbs now, aim for at least 400grams of carbs per day. That may sound like a lot and you may not be able to do it right away, but trust me this is one of the keys to increasing your lean muscle mass. I'm not talking about carbs from ice cream, and pizza but "clean carbs", from oat, sweet potatoes, brown rice, and whole-wheat pasta. By doing this, you store a lot of sugar in your muscles, known as glycogen and that gives you killer workouts. Also it gives your body a constant flow of the hormone insulin which is critical in obtaining more muscle.
Tip #4 Eat about one to one and a half grams of quality protein per lb. of bodyweight
Eating this amount will ensure you're gettin in enough. Remember, you're not a sedentary person and your body demands more of this macro nutrient in your diet to help keep the building process going. I find a lot of individuals are under when it comes to protein. You can get some through quality foods like lean steak (file, flank, London broil), chicken breast, turkey breast, and fish. You can also supplement with a high quality whey or casein protein (ideal before bedtime). Keep in mind protein has a high thermic effec as well, and it requires a good amount of calories just to break it down.
Tip #5 Get enough Sleep
I understand this may be a hard one, but it is critical for you if you want to get more muscular. You see your body releases its' repair hormones at a higher level at night,usually between 10p.m. and 2a.m. It's the peak time when your body is regenerating and in repairing mode. I suggest 7-8 hours a night. If you can't get that in, try taking a 30 minute nap at sometime during the day before you sleep to allow the body to recover form the days' stress and workout.
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