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Muscle, muscle and more muscle is every bodybuilder's ultimate
goal. What most of you don't realize, however, is that many
of the techniques you're using today aren't designed to increase
mass and size, and yes...there are a few very specific things
that you should be doing that you probably aren't. In fact,
a couple of things you've probably been told to avoid are
necessary ingredients when building mass and size. Although
muscle definition and overall body symmetry is important,
let's face it, when it comes down to the nitty gritty, it's
really all about who's got the biggest muscles. While bodybuilding
is not yet an exact science and your body may not react exactly
the way someone else's does, we've compiled a few tips for
building mass and size that should help if you're struggling.
To really build mass and size there are basically
three things that you need to focus on.
They are:
• The type of training you're doing
• Your diet
• The supplements you're using
Training tips for building mass and size
First and foremost, stop overtraining and take a few days
off and do it now! Make tomorrow the day you're actually going
to give your body the opportunity to recover from the torturous
workouts you've been subjecting it too. Overtraining is one
of the quickest ways to sabotage any attempt to build mass
and size. Your body needs time to allow hormones such as testosterone
and cortisol to return to optimal levels, to restore glycogen
and increase anabolism. Taking a couple of days off won't
set your program behind but will, in fact, speed it up. Once
you get back to the gym and your body has had a chance to
regroup, you're going to have to make a few changes in your
training program.
Eliminate any and all aerobic exercise. (Some of you are probably
very glad to hear this one!) Aerobic exercise burns up essential
glycogen and branched chain amino acids. The loss of these
elements are going to interfere with both strength gain and
recovery. Eliminating aerobic exercise will help sustain these
important nutrients.
If you're not currently using negative training in your workout,
it's time to do some research and figure out how to add it
in. Many of the professional and very successful bodybuilder's
already know that the most important aspect of any lift is
actually the eccentric or negative rather than the concentric
or positive. In a concentric movement, the muscle shortens
while in an eccentric movement it's actually being lengthened.
Using negative training techniques will make an amazing difference
in your ability to build mass and size. For more information
on negative training, see _____________________.
Allow at least one week to experience the benefits of power
lifting. While your current training program probably involves
anywhere from 6-12 repetitions per set, take a week and drop
your reps while increasing the weight substantially. Make
it a point to do this on a regular basis. Not only will you
increase strength but when you go back to your normal training
routine, you'll be even stronger than you were before.
Dieting tips for building mass and size.
The key to achieving mass and size rests basically on your
ability to jump start anabolism and create a positive nitrogen
balance. For the anabolic process to work, you need extra
calories. One of the reasons your current training program
requires 4-6 meals a day is to increase the infiltration of
nutrients and provide a steady supply of carbs, proteins and
fat. Add a protein drink in the middle of the night and you'll
actually be giving your body a little extra ammunition that
will encourage additional muscle growth and size.
To build mass and size, you absolutely have to be taking in
more nitrogen than you're losing. If you're currently on a
low calorie diet, you need to toss it right out the window
for at least three days. A bodybuilder simply cannot achieve
a positive nitrogen balance if you're not giving your body
the calories it needs. The only things that are going to build
new muscle and aid in the healing process are carbohydrates,
fats and proteins. Increase your calories by at least 50%
for a total of three consecutive days. By improving the muscle's
susceptibility to insulin and providing more carbohydrates
for glycogen retention, you'll compel muscle growth exponentially.
Things to add to your diet:
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids are essential (Fish! Fish!
Fish!) - Eat salmon or swordfish three times per
week . You can also supplement with 5-7 grams of fish oil taken on a daily basis.
• Sugar and Salt - Yep, that's what
we said. Sugar and Salt! While most of you have probably been
told to remove the salt from your diet because it causes water
retention, the truth of the matter is that sodium is actually
an essential ingredient in building mass and size. It will
enhance the storage of carbs and the absorption of amino acids as well as improve the muscle's responsiveness to insulin.
Simple sugars have also been off-limits to most bodybuilders.
Adding simple sugars to your postworkout meal, however, will
control the production of cortisol and encourage the release
of insulin. Keep it to about 80-130g of carbs immediately
after your workout but include things like fruit juice, white
flour bread or fat free ice cream. In this case, the good
far outweighs the bad.
• Protein - while you're probably currently
consuming about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight,
if you really want to build mass and size, you need to increase
that amount to 1 ½-2 grams per pound of bodyweight.
This will also enhance anabolism.
Supplements necessary for building mass and size.
If you're serious about building mass and size and you've
made the recommended changes to your diet and your training
program, the final step is to get on a good supplementation
program. There are basically three supplements that are essential
to building mass and size.
They are:
• Glutamine
• Creatine
• Branched Chain Amino Acids
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