How to Build Muscles
Building muscle involves more than spending hours upon hours in the gym. Proper nutrition and letting your body rest are also key to gaining muscle. Training should be done consistently and in moderation, over an extended period of time. There is no such thing as a quick fix when it comes to being fit.
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Instructions
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Follow a Proper Diet to Build Muscle
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Avoid foods that are high in saturated and trans fat. Refined foods, such as the snacks you find in vending machines, are often high in saturated fat. Peanut oil and butter are also high-fat culprits.
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Eat good fats found in olive oil, some nuts and most fish. Omega-3 fatty acids are the most well-known polyunsaturated fats and are found in fish and flaxseed.
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Monitor you carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates encourage your body to burn off fat and build muscles. Stick to good carbohydrates for energy, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes.
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Consume protein to help build and repair your muscles. Proteins can be found in meat, eggs, milk and legumes. Also, smaller portions of protein will fill you up as much as a large plate of carbohydrates.
Train and Exercise to Build Muscle
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Stretch your muscles before every training session to prepare your body for exercise. Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds.
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Warm up by jogging, doing jumping jacks or jumping rope. 5 to 10 minutes is plenty of time for a warm-up. A warm-up is meant to increase your heart rate, warm and loosen your muscles and help prevent pulled muscles and cramps.
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Train with weights and resistance to fatigue your muscles and build strength. Perform a set or 2 of 5 to 15 repetitions, depending on the weight or resistance. Your goal should be to completely fatigue your muscles until it becomes difficult to complete your repetitions.
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Avoid training multiple times a day. One full workout a day should be sufficient. Use the rest of the day to let your body rest and regenerate, as muscles need time to repair and build mass.
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Change your workout routine at least once a month. Changing exercises activates different muscles groups in your body. For example, squats target the back, quadriceps, glutes and hamstrings.
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Tips & Warnings
When you eat too many carbohydrates, the excess is stored and converted to fat. When you eat too little your body finds other energy sources--namely fat and protein. Though burning fat is appealing, losing protein could lead to fatigue and muscle loss.
