Nothing makes a powerful impression like serious muscular bulk. Building bulging muscle is never easy. It takes time, effort and smart planning. If you’ve been frustrated with the results you’ve been getting in the gym, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate what you’ve been doing. Just a few simple tips could be the difference between head-turning muscle and wasted time and energy.
Split Your Workouts
Training different body parts on different days will allow you to train each muscle group harder and give each body part more rest. Training splits work best when you group muscles that have complementary functions together. For example, you could train pressing muscles on Monday, squatting muscles on Wednesday and pulling muscles on Friday. This would make Monday a day to train your chest, shoulders and triceps. Wednesday would be reserved for legs, and Friday would be dedicated to your back and biceps.
Eat Lots, and Eat Often
Building muscular bulk without lots of high-quality calories is like trying to build a building without concrete. Your body needs lots of nutrition to grow. When you’re trying to gain muscle, you should eat at least five times per day. Eat lots of healthy, whole foods, such as lean meats, complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fats. Eat immediately after training to give your muscles the nutrition they need for recovery.
Sleep Like a Log
Muscles grow while you rest. If you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t get the full benefits of your training and diet. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults get seven to nine hours of sleep per night. If you have trouble getting enough sleep, it might help to limit to amount of time spent in front of the computer or television before bed. These devices can trick your body into thinking it still is light outside, and that will interfere with healthy, natural sleep.
Drink Water All Day
The Food and Nutrition Board recommends that men drink about 125 ounces of water per day. Women should drink about 91 ounces per day. These numbers should be even higher for someone involved in strenuous exercise. Water makes up about 75 percent of your muscles’ weight. When you become dehydrated, muscles cannot grow or perform to their fullest. Stay hydrated all day, and especially during your workouts.
About this Author
Based in the Greater New York area, David Kirschen is a 15-year veteran of the fitness industry. He is co-author of “The Business and Practice of Personal Training” and has lectured to countless fitness professionals. Kirschen holds a degree in physical education from SUNY Cortland.
