For most people who begin strength training, noticeable muscle growth happens within eight weeks. Generally, the muscle you build is more noticeable in body parts that carry less fat, especially your arms. That’s because body fat blocks muscle from view.
If you’ve been looking to put on more muscle but don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a comprehensive guide on how to become stronger and build muscles within no time.
Let’s start by looking at some of the reasons it pays to build muscles.
Why Should You Bother About Building Muscle?
The top reason people go to the gym is to build muscle and become physically stronger. But is it worth all the trouble? Here are some reasons it is.
Muscle Enhances Your Metabolic Rate
Unlike fat cells that store energy, muscles use it. Your body’s energy requirements begin to rise the moment you begin strength training. As your metabolic rate increases, you start burning fat more, which may be the perfect solution for the excess fat you may have been trying to lose.
More Muscle Means a Better Body Shape
A leaner, more muscular body is physically more appealing than too much body fat. The fact is many people who set their hearts on getting huge muscles are doing so to look better. The obvious benefit of achieving the body shape of your dreams is that your confidence levels dramatically increase, and your clothes start to fit much better.
Your Disease Risks Plummet
Building muscle can significantly enhance your overall health and fitness. You achieve better blood chemistry and cardiovascular function. Ultimately, your disease incidences decrease compared to if you led a sedentary lifestyle.
Everyday Chores Become Easier
With more muscle comes more strength. That’s a huge benefit when it comes to doing daily chores. From opening a jar of pickles to moving furniture around the house, it’s all easier to do when you’re muscular.
12 Muscle Building Tips on how to become stronger
Now that you see why it pays to build muscle, it’s time to see how you can accomplish that faster. Here are our top 12 tips on how to get huge muscles.
1. Lift More
The surest way to see a significant increase in muscle mass is to cause your muscle fiber to tear. That means subjecting your muscles to regular external forces.
For people who don’t regularly engage in manual labor, joining a gym is a good way to lift weights. You can also consider investing in dumbbells, barbells, and weight lifting machines if you’d like to notice significant muscle growth.
2. Opt for Multi-Joint Training
Single-joint exercises such as tricep extensions and bicep curls do little to build your muscles quickly, especially if you’re just starting strength training. What you need to do is go for multi-joint exercises. Squats, bench pressing, deadlifts, and cleans are great options.
Multi-joint exercises help work more muscles within less time. These exercises also allow you to lift heavier weights.
3. Use Heavy Weights
One of the mistakes many people who’re looking to build muscle quickly do is not using weights that are heavy enough. What you should be doing is lifting weight that causes muscle failure by the time you’re through a set.
You may want to exercise with a partner so that you have someone to help you when the weight gets too heavy for you to lift. Where you can’t get a workout partner, stop lifting the moment you feel too tired to keep lifting with good form. Take a few seconds to rest before resuming until you’ve completed the set.
4. Steer Clear of Cardio
As we pointed out earlier, you need calories for your body to build muscle. Too much cardio exercise such as bicycling or running means you’re burning a lot of calories. These calories could otherwise be used for muscle building.
That said, you can still use cardio, but only for a short time before strength training. A two- or so minute warm-up is more than enough before you start weight training.
5. Eat More Proteins
Protein is helpful when it comes to building and maintaining muscle tissue. One to two hours before and after training, try to have a protein-packed meal or snack.
Generally, you should go for foods that are high in protein but contain low bad fats. Some of the best choices include lentils, tofu, poached salmon, grilled chicken, low-fat cottage cheese, and low-fat Greek yogurt.
6. Eat Carbs Too
Carbs help you to build muscle. Experts recommend eating a carb-rich meal once you’ve finished your workout, as doing so helps restore your glycogen levels.
So which carbs should you opt for? Complex carbs are preferred to simple carbs. Rather than a slice of white bread, choose such strong options as brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, and whole grains.
7. Know Which Supplements To Use
Expert bodybuilders know that the right supplements are a powerful part of their training regimen. The best supplements for building muscle quickly include a high-quality protein powder and a creatine supplement. You can also consider other options, such as beta-alanine and nitric oxide.
8. Have Enough Rest
While a muscle group needs to be completely fatigued to grow, you need to allow it enough time to rest. If you keep working the muscle group too hard and for too many days in a row, the muscle fibers may become too damaged to repair and grow properly.
So, what constitutes enough rest? The recommended time is at least 72 hours after an intense muscle-building and weight training session. You could also wait until there’s no soreness in a muscle group before you work it again.
You can still work out every day, but alternate the muscle groups you work with. For instance, you can do a chest and shoulders workout on Mondays and Thursdays. Tuesdays and Fridays can be for leg workouts, while Wednesdays and Saturdays are set aside for arms, abs, and back workouts.
9. Help Your Body Recover
There are many things you can do when resting to help your body recover properly and your muscles grow optimally. Cold showers, ice baths, massage therapy, and compression clothing are some excellent options. You can also try gentle yoga, breathing exercises, and foam rolling.
10. Take Time To De-Stress
There’s no shortage of things today that can trigger stress. Unfortunately, high-stress levels can quickly sabotage your efforts to build muscle, among other effects.
Stress drains testosterone, which is an anabolic responsible for building muscle. Cortisol levels also increase when you’re stressed. Cortisol is a catabolic and damages muscle.
Once you notice that you’re constantly feeling moody, have a high rate, and have a high body temperature, chances are you’re stressed. The great news is that there are ways to teach yourself to relax. You can practice deep breathing, listen to soothing music, plan out your days early, and so on.
11. Stay Hydrated
Working up a sweat during your workout can dehydrate you. Dehydration slows down protein production, slowing down the muscle-building process. On some occasions, dehydration may increase protein breakdown, increasing your risk of injury.
Try to stay hydrated before, during, and after your workouts. So, how much water should you be drinking?
While there’s no set limit, you should drink at least 16 to 20 ounces of fluid 4 hours before you work out.
12. Use a Fitness App
Thanks to technology, there are numerous fitness apps designed to help people keep track of their exercise routines and diet. The best fitness apps also offer valuable insights on how one can enhance their results.
If possible, download an app that can connect you to one-to-one training sessions. These apps are especially helpful for people who’re still new to fitness.
Now You Know How to Become Stronger
If you’ve been wondering how to become stronger, we hope this guide has proven helpful. Ultimately, there isn’t a magic formula that can guarantee instant results. You’ll need to set realistic goals and make sure you stick to them.
Remember to exercise correctly and consistently and to rest as required. Stick to the right diet, and stay hydrated. Doing these things can help you get the results you desire within no time.
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