Are you looking to get into shape this year? Don’t put off building your strong body any longer!
With a strong body, you’ll become more mobile, more confident, and even a greater sense of optimism.
The key to getting into shape is muscle building. Whether you want to improve your physique or just your wellbeing, muscle building has to be your priority.
So how do you get started? What are the right exercise routines, nutrition, and other habits to follow?
This guide will help you get started on the muscle-building process.
Let’s start with… sleeping!
Make Sure You Rest
Before you start lifting weights or making protein smoothies, you want to make sure you get adequate rest. Sleeping helps you boost your testosterone, which is necessary for muscle growth.
It also helps with building energy for future exercise sessions. Building muscle has to be a consistent process. This can only happen if you get adequate rest.
Start by planning your rest routine before your workout routine and diet. Decide what time you’ll wake up each morning.
Make sure you also decide when to sleep and take breaks. You must be disciplined about your resting times.
Workout Routine
The next step is to focus on creating your workout routine. You want to make sure to focus on building muscle throughout your body. Many men put an emphasis on their upper body, while women focus on their lower body.
However, you will have serious problems in the long run if one part of your body is strong and the other is weak.
Start by working out at least four times per week. Dedicate two days per week on the upper body and another two on the lower body. Then you want to break it down by body parts.
For example, on Monday you might want to focus on your arms. Then on Wednesday, you can focus on your back and shoulders. On Tuesdays you can focus on legs and Thursdays you can focus on glutes.
Muscle Building Workouts
Now that you’ve prepared your schedule, you want to figure out the right exercises for muscle building.
There are no set exercises that will work for everyone. Make sure you experiment with different types of workouts to see which works best for you.
Your first step should be to warm-up. Whether you workout at home or at a gym, set aside 5-10 minutes before lifting weights.
This warm-up should involve you stretching your arms and legs. You can also run, jump, or even dance to build up your adrenaline.
Next, you can start your workout routine. To work on your muscle hypertrophy, you have to work on your progressive overload. Start by lifting weights that are challenging without overdoing it.
For example, if 20 lbs are too easy, then graduate to 25 or 30 lbs. Stick to this weight before working up to 40 lbs.
Upper Body Workout Routines
For your arms, you can start with biceps curls. These are when you “curl” the dumbbells or barbell from your navel to your upper chest. For your shoulders, you can do presses.
These involve pushing dumbbells/barbell above your head. For your back, you can do rows in which you pull a barbell from your hips up to your chest, while you’re bent over.
These are the basic workout routines that you should start with. When you feel you have reached your plateau, start experimenting with other upper body exercises.
Lower Body Workout Routines
For working out your lower body, there are plenty of machines at the gym to help you.
You can focus on upward leg curl machines to build muscle in your thighs and shins. Backward leg curl machines help define your hamstrings. There are squat machines and leg presses to help build your glute muscles as well.
If you don’t have access to equipment, you can depend on weights. For glutes, you can hold dumbbells in your hands and squat.
Another option is to hold a barbell on your shoulders and then squatting. For this latter exercise, it’s best to have someone “spot” you by making sure you don’t fall or mess up your form.
You can workout your front legs with lunges and bunny hops. For hamstrings, you can lie face-down on a mat and raise your legs back as far as you can.
As with upper body exercises, you have to gradually increase your sets and reps. Make sure you start experimenting with different types of workouts for the long run.
Nutrition
It’s always best to seek professional counsel from a nutritionist. Your body will have different needs, and they will tailor a diet based on your situation.
As a general rule, however, you want to consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. This is the basic tenet of a muscle-building diet.
You also want to eat a caloric surplus. You have to make sure you set the desired weight, so you don’t overdo it.
Sometimes a 2500 calorie per day diet works best. For aspiring bodybuilders, 4000+ calories per day are the ideal option!
Of course, you want to cut down on junk foods as much as possible. Avoid unhealthy sugars, excess carbs, and sodas, and alcohol. You should also completely eradicate drugs and tobacco from your diet.
You might also want to consider taking supplements. For example, you can click here to learn about a Nootropic powder. This is a powder that gets used to promote muscle growth.
You can also consider supplements to fill gaps in your diet. If you don’t have a big appetite, consider drinking one protein shake per day.
If you need extra energy before working out, consider a pre-workout supplement.
Build Your Muscles Today
Now that you know the right steps for muscle building, you can get started on your fitness journey!
Make sure to first plan your workout schedule. In this schedule, be sure to include rest times and mealtimes.
Take your time to research nutrition and the best diet for your needs. Once you’ve planned your routine, you can start building your muscles!
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