How to Build Lean Muscle With a Workout
Lean muscle consumes many calories during rest, according to the Mayo Clinic. Building lean muscle requires a combination of exercising techniques and resting. You have to exercise almost every day and rest certain muscle groups every other day. Lean muscle building might also require training other than lifting weights, such as cardio exercise. The right combination, tailored to your personal needs, can help build lean muscle efficiently.
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Instructions
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Plan to work out all your muscle groups, whether you do them all in the same day or alternate days. Targeting only specific groups like the legs will increase their muscle mass; however, the rest of your muscle groups may suffer and instead become fat storage areas.
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Insert cardiovascular exercises into your workout routines. Cardiovascular workouts help build the endurance needed to do resistance training for muscle building. Consider doing at least 20 minutes of cardio prior to lifting weights; this can burn off carbohydrates and warm up your muscles for better lifting.
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Use heavy weight resistance with few repetitions. Low weight with many repetitions only aids in cardiovascular health. Heavy weights, however, encourage the tear of small muscle fibers. When your body repairs them, they become bigger, stronger muscle fibers.
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Rest for a day between large muscle group workouts. Resting allows for your muscles to repair and become bigger by consuming glucose, which can come from fat. By not resting your muscles, you can deny the repair cycle or even cause injury.
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Tips & Warnings
Change your resistance training periodically to keep your muscles guessing. If they develop muscle memory for certain workouts, they will not be challenged and your workout results can plateau.
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