5 Tips For Building Muscle

“As soon as a milestone is passed, its significance fades, and the focus is shifted to some other marker further down the road. No matter what you do or how satisfying it is in that beautiful moment in time, immediately you want more. You have to, if you want to find out how good you can be.” - Glenn Pendlay 

Whether the ultimate goal is to build big biceps, lift heavy weights, or reduce your waistline, building muscle is the answer.

It is obviously necessary when the goal is to get bigger but most people don’t realize how much quicker and lasting it will make weight loss and fat burning.

As you lift weights your body is burning calories and for a short period after the body is still burning calories as it slowly gets back to resting.

Once you’ve fully returned to a restful state and eaten a meal the body will still be burning more calories than usual in its attempt to repair the damaged tissues.

If weight loss is the primary goal then you want to burn as many calories as possible while controlling how many calories are being consumed.

The process of building and maintaining muscle is not an easy task, it takes months upon years of consistent and intense training to reap the benefits and maximize gains.

I will often hear individuals say they don’t want to work out because they don’t want to look big and bulky. As if it were that simple.

If this is a concern it’s understandable but don’t let it deter you from training hard because it will serve a vital role in weight loss.

As your experience in the gym increases and you begin seeing results it’s easy to pull back your training or turn it up for your desired look.

Adding muscle is the way we can shape and form ourselves into the exact figure we envision for ourselves.

Use these 5 concepts to maximize your results and reach your goals more quickly.

1. Progressive Overload

There’s a story dating back to Ancient Greece about Milo of Croton who was a champion wrestler whose success was attributed to his unmatched strength.

It has been said that he attained this strength by lifting a calf and carrying it up a hill every day. As the days went on the calf got bigger and he got stronger until one day he was carrying the grown cow up a hill.

The validity of the story is irrelevant, however, it’s valuable because it explains the idea of progressive overload perfectly.

To continue progressing in strength or muscle mass we must consistently do more than we were a month prior.

Once we fall into a routine of performing the same number of exercises for the same number of reps it becomes easy and the body is no longer being stimulated to a point of required growth.

A plateau is reached when the body has adapted to a given routine or regime and no further stimulus has been applied.

If performing a given weight for a specific number of reps was once difficult and has become easy over weeks to months of training, then there will be no further gains in strength or muscle mass if the weight or reps do not increase in correlation to the reduction in perceived difficulty.

To put it simply we need to always feel challenged.

In theory, it sounds simple but in reality it’s not so easy, we can’t just add weight or reps every week and expect to continue improving.

If that were the case anyone who lifted weights consistently for years would be lifting thousands of pounds in one rep.

Instead, having variations in training that are always moving towards more weight or more reps over the long term will continually push the body to adapt by growing bigger, stronger muscles.

Pre-planned systematic changes in training that alternate between higher reps and lower reps will not only provide a novel stimulus for progression, it will also reduce the risk of injuries which will cause the biggest plateaus and even regression.

In short, gradually increase the resistance or weight you lift over time, think in terms of months not days or weeks. Progressive overload is crucial for muscle growth, as it challenges your muscles to adapt and become stronger.

2. High Protein

You can’t expect to grow bigger muscles if you’re not giving your body the necessary building blocks, just as you can’t build a house without lumbar and concrete.

Putting the effort in at the gym is only the start of the process. Everything else you do for the remaining twenty-three hours of the day is what will ultimately decide how much progress you’ll make.

Exercise stresses the body while rest, sleep, and a wholesome diet replenishes and recovers from that stress. To optimize recovery a goal of .5 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight is the recommended intake.

If it’s easier for you to think about it in terms of total calories, 20-35% of your daily intake should be protein. More advanced and intense exercise will warrant being on the upper end of this range.

Not meeting these goals will slow down your results and could increase your risk for overuse injuries like tendonitis and other inflammatory conditions.

Good sources of protein include lean meats such as turkey, bison, beef, venison, and chicken. Adding in eggs and other dairy products like cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and milk will complement the diet well.

Including plant-based proteins are also good alternatives in the form of tofu, beans, and nuts. Having some variety is good for an overall balanced diet and may provide the psychological benefit necessary for adherence long term.

It’s not a matter of how well you’ve eaten today or even this week, it’s more about remaining consistent for months to years.

Everyone has unique dietary needs and should be individualized, some people cannot process certain foods and may experience negative symptoms from their consumption.

I’m not advising the consumption of any of these foods only highlighting their nutritional content. Make the best decisions for yourself.

3. Increase Calories

Anytime an individual begins an exercise routine they will need to increase the amount of calories to support optimal recovery. In this context, it’s for the purpose of building more muscle but this will also contribute to better recovery and improve longevity.

If someone wants to lose weight we all know how important the diet is, but if the goal is to gain weight the diet is just as important.

This means that knowing your daily calorie needs for maintenance, weight loss, or weight gain is priority number one.

Since the goal is to gain muscle we are expecting to increase lean body mass and add weight to our physique.

As an example, if the average intake for most individuals is 2000 calories per day then the goal should be to consume over that number every day.

It takes more energy to create more mass in the body, when people overconsume and under exercise they increase their body mass in the form of fat.

Since weight lifting is the center of this goal when more calories are consumed with an increase in protein all the extra energy will be directed to repairing and rebuilding the damaged muscle fibers to become bigger and stronger.

Each time this cycle is repeated a little more strength is gained and a little more size achieved.

Protein will account for a sizable portion of this increase in calories but your muscles and recovery will also benefit from additional carbohydrates.

Not only does a protein and carbohydrate balanced meal post-workout improve the rate of recovery it will also increase protein synthesis.

The majority of carbohydrates in the body are stored in our muscles so they can be used more readily during physical activity.

Since they are depleted rapidly during a weight lifting session they are more easily absorbed post workout shuttling protein in with them.

As a generalization consuming 300-500 calories per day over your maintenance level is a good start. Make sure these extra calories are coming primarily from protein and carbohydrate sources.

Forty extra grams of each will contribute 320 extra calories to the overall budget for the day.

Keep this increase for two weeks and track body weight and visual appearance, if you like the rate of growth continue for two more weeks and reassess.

Increase to 500 calories if the rate is too slow to your liking and follow the same procedure.

Body fat accumulates much more quickly than muscle, keep this in mind when increasing calories. To maintain a lean appearance shoot for a slower gain and use the mirror and scale to regulate the daily calorie target.

4. Recovery

This may be a contradiction to what most people think when it comes to becoming fit but you do not grow muscles in the gym.

It is necessary to start the process but that is where we are being broken down, the kitchen and the bedroom are where we are being built.

Too much stress will impair the body’s ability to fully recover and heal. This means over exercising and under consuming the proper nutrients will likely detract from the goals even though it may seem like the right thing to do.

Deep REM sleep is going to be the most restorative and will provide the greatest recovery. Making sure you’re going to bed relatively early and sleeping throughout the night will ensure you get the benefits of all the anabolic hormones like testosterone and growth hormone.

These two factors play vital roles in the rebuilding process and are elevated during the early morning hours. Proper nutrition also plays a key component in these hormones as well.

Structuring your training so that there are periods of intense workouts with periods of lighter workouts will be important to manage stress.

There should be a balance so that the body is exposed to enough tension to force growth but not so much that it begins to accumulate rapidly week by week.

It’s normal to feel soreness for a day or two after a hard workout but when it feels like every day there’s a slight decrease in performance then it may be time to back off for a week.

The best way to manage the stresses of resistance training is to have pre-planned progressions and regressions over the span of 4-6 weeks.

All while keeping track of daily calorie intakes and hours of sleep per night. Using an Apple Watch or Fitbit are great tools to use for tracking purposes to have objective data about the state of your body day by day.

5. Hydration and Nutrient Timing

In the absence of any particular diet, such as a ketogenic diet, it is important to have a mixture of carbohydrates and protein both pre and post-workout.

This will ensure there is readily available energy to help power the intense training to come and replenish what was used after.

A ketogenic diet allows for no more than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. For individuals following this nutritional strategy, it would be optimal to save most of this allowance following the workout.

People have long talked about how important it is to consume protein and carbohydrates immediately following exercise to maximize their gains through this “anabolic window” immediately after training.

If multiple meals have been consumed prior to training you’re likely not missing out on any extra benefits if you can’t have a meal within an hour after the gym. For fasted individuals it’s much more important to get calories in as quickly as you can to begin the rebuilding process.

The most important factor is the total amount of calories consumed at the end of the day, and how many of those calories are coming from protein.

However, this also changes with intermittent fasting approaches and the goals of the individual.

To maximize muscle gain eating more often throughout the day will be the best practice, this will ensure more calories are being consumed throughout the day with protein synthesis being kickstarted more frequently.

Since all these reactions take place in a water-based solution, none of this will be as effective if the body is dehydrated.

Everything from hormones, energy metabolism, and muscle function is affected by the amount of water present.

Exercise tolerance and capacity are reduced when dehydrated due to a decrease in blood pressure, which results in less nutrients reaching the cells.

Since the body still needs sweat to maintain body temperature intracellular water will be directed out of the cell to be used elsewhere.

This impairs muscle function by altering the contractibility of muscle fibers leading to muscle spasms and a decrease in overall strength.

In addition, when a cell shrinks due to a lack of fluid volume inside more muscle damage can occur along with a decrease in protein synthesis.

On the other hand, a cell that’s hydrated will result in cellular swelling that elicits different growth signaling pathways.

Mayo Clinic recommends 15.5 cups (124oz) a day for men and 11.5 cups (92oz) for women.

• Summary of main points

  1. Whether the goal is to lose weight and lean up or to build a muscular physique, have an understanding about building muscle is the best way to reach those goals.
  2. The story of Milo; carry a calf up a hill everyday and eventually you will be strong enough to carry a cow. That is progressive overload and the key to continued progress.
  3. To support the increase in muscle mass you must provide your body with an increase in energy and building supplies.
  4. Increase carbohydrates, protein, and water for optimal recovery and performance.
  5. Sleep and proper nutrition are what builds muscle, not the workout.

• Call to action

Adopt these 5 tips into your daily routine to maximize your results in the gym.

The best thing you can begin doing today that will massively increase your performance and recovery will be to get an additional 30-60 minutes of sleep per night.

Next would be to dial in a nutritional plan that you can stick to on a daily basis that provides enough protein and water for your body.

Lastly, spend a little more time thinking about your workouts to keep things progressing.

Resources:

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Bonilla DA, Pérez-Idárraga A, Odriozola-Martínez A, Kreider RB. The 4R’s Framework of Nutritional Strategies for Post-Exercise Recovery: A Review with Emphasis on New Generation of Carbohydrates. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 25;18(1):103. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18010103. PMID: 33375691; PMCID: PMC7796021.

Cleary MA, Sitler MR, Kendrick ZV. Dehydration and symptoms of delayed-onset muscle soreness in normothermic men. J Athl Train. 2006 Jan-Mar;41(1):36-45. PMID: 16619093; PMCID: PMC1421497.

Peterson MD, Pistilli E, Haff GG, Hoffman EP, Gordon PM. Progression of volume load and muscular adaptation during resistance exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2011 Jun;111(6):1063-71. doi: 10.1007/s00421-010-1735-9. Epub 2010 Nov 27. PMID: 21113614; PMCID: PMC4215195.Carb

Plotkin D, Coleman M, Van Every D, Maldonado J, Oberlin D, Israetel M, Feather J, Alto A, Vigotsky AD, Schoenfeld BJ. Progressive overload without progressing load? The effects of load or repetition progression on muscular adaptations. PeerJ. 2022 Sep 30;10:e14142. doi: 10.7717/peerj.14142. PMID: 36199287; PMCID: PMC9528903.

Waldegger S, Busch GL, Kaba NK, Zempel G, Ling H, Heidland A, Häussinger D, Lang F. Effect of cellular hydration on protein metabolism. Miner Electrolyte Metab. 1997;23(3-6):201-5. PMID: 9387117.

https://www.gssiweb.org/sports-science-exchange/article/dehydration-and-exercise-induced-muscle-damage-implications-for-recovery.