12 STEPS to Building LEAN MUSCLE
Whether you are a guy looking at putting on size or a woman looking to get toned you need to create the right environment for building lean muscle. You can lose all the weight you like but if you do not put on lean muscle you end up being skinny-fat. Not necessarily the best look, especially if you want to see things like cellulite decrease or disappear. I’ve put together this step by step guide to get you on the right track to building a lean muscular body.
Step 1. Train hard!! Really HARD! That’s right – you have to put in superior effort to get superior results. Every workout you do should leave you feeling like you gave it your all.
Step 2. You need to train regularly. You need to be engaging in challenging workouts 3-4X per week to see superior results. When training to put on lean muscle mass there are many different approaches that. One approach is to split your routine into body part specific days (for example Chest/Back on Monday, Shoulders/Arms on Wednesday and Legs/Abs on Friday). Or you can do full-body training days performing between 1-2 exercises for each body part. This works especially well for those new to exercise or those who have not worked out for a long time. Workouts should not last longer than 60 minutes in duration. A more advanced style workout like 8 x 8s is a superior way for developing lean muscle mass. I will cover this in a later article
Step 3. Muscle repair and building takes place when the body is at rest. So be sure to get your 7-8 hours of shut eye.
Step 4. Supplements such as Glutamine, Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs), Creatine, Beta-alanine, Zinc and Glycine are just a few that can work wonders for putting on lean muscle mass. Supplements make an incredible difference in lean mass gains for those who are training hard.
Step 5. Increase your calorie intake by 5-10% above your maintenance level (the amount of calories you are able to consume without losing or gaining weight). A simple formula for calculating your daily calories is to take your body weight and multiply it by 18-20 calories. Calories should still come from clean eating. Keep in mind if you are overweight this formula will lead to too many calories being consumed. Those who are overweight should focus on reducing body fat before focusing on building lean muscle mass.
Step 6. Post workout shakes are a must and as a general guide should contain 1 gram of carbs/per lbs of body weight and .25 grams of protein/per lbs of body weight. Make sure to have your shake within ½ hour of your workout. I also recommend consuming BCAAs during your workout. In addition for improved performance on days when feeling 5 grams of glutamine just prior to your workout can work wonders for improved energy.
Step 7. Portion your ratio of carbohydrates/proteins/fats as follows: 40% carbs, 40-50% protein, 10-15% fats. This will vary slightly from individual to individual.
Step 8. Try to eat 6-7 meals per day. Squeezing in the extra meal will go a long way in building lean muscle mass.
Step 9. Make sure you are having protein with every meal throughout the day. Saving up your protein consumption for a big meal at the end of the day is pointless since our bodies can only synthesis a certain amount of protein at one time.
Step 10. To put on mass eating just before bed is a great way to gain weight. Just look at Sumo wrestlers. They tend to go most of the day without much food intake and then consume a massive amount of calories before bed. For those of you looking to lose weight you may want to drop the Sumo way of eating.
Step 11. Track your progress. Things that are measured improve. Make sure that there is progress with every workout. Progress can be in the form of achieving an extra rep or two or increasing the weight from your previous workout.
Step 12 . Water, water, water! Yes – water intake is absolutely crucial to your success. If you are dehydrated during your workouts performance will suffer and you will be short changing your results.
And as a final note if you are someone who has a really hard time putting on weight and you tend to take stimulants you need to get off them. This includes things like nicotine and caffeine. Your metabolism is already super-charged so throwing gasoline on the fire so to speak will work against you.
If you are interested in purchasing a custom exercise program that will provide you the structure and guidance to get the most out of your workout at home or at the gym contact me at 905-231-2234 or email me at info@optimumbodies.com. Optimum Bodies Fitness and Personal Training is the leading provider for personal training in Ajax and Pickering. If you are looking for a personal trainer in Ajax or Pickering we are conveniently located and the only professional personal training studio in Pickering Village. Give us a try today.
In Good Health,
James
Optimum Bodies Personal Training & Wellness Studio
619 Kingston Road West, Ajax ON
905-231-2234
www.optimumbodies.ca