How to Build Massive Muscle
Strength training is a healthy component of any fitness regimen. Gaining large muscle mass requires more dedication and training than the average fitness plan. Some people hope to build massive muscle in order to compete in bodybuilding competitions while others just appreciate the aesthetic. Bodybuilders, whether professional or not, are in the gym at least five days a week and must eat meals that compliment the large muscle goal. Through extensive strength training, cardiovascular exercise and following a strict diet, massive muscle can be achieved.
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Instructions
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Change how you eat. Roger Lockridge of BodyBuilding.com recommends eating "big, but clean." Building muscle requires eating a large amount of clean calories. Beneficial foods for body builders include egg whites, vegetables, tuna, chicken, turkey, whey protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats like flax seed or fish oil.
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Learn the proper form of compound lifts. Compound lifts include squats, bench presses, dead lifts, seated dips, pull ups, rows and more. Free weight exercises are more difficult than machine exercises but lead to better results across more muscles. However, performing compound lifts with improper form is counterproductive and dangerous.
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Drink water. Muscle is made up of almost 70% water. The larger your muscles get, the more water they need. Bodybuilding.com recommends drinking about a gallon a day.
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Increase the intensity of your work out. When reps become too easy it's time to increase the weight. Low intensity weight lifting will not build massive muscle; although it is just as detrimental to overexert yourself. Challenge yourself during workouts, but know your limits.
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Rest. Muscles need approximately 48-72 hours to repair themselves following a high intensity training session. Bodybuilders should rest one to two days a week and never work out the same muscle group two days in a row.
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Tips & Warnings
Frequently change your routine. The human body is adaptive and to see maximum results you should continually switch up exercises, repetitions, rest periods and how you divide up muscle groups per week.
Don't quit. Quitting for extended periods of times and starting again inhibits any visible progress. Building massive muscle is based on long-term dedication.
Take supplements in addition to a healthy routine and diet. BodyBuilding.com recommends a multivitamin, whey protein, creatine and glutamine.
Look to professional bodybuilders for inspiration but do not follow their routines. Routines should be geared toward your specific body and goals.
References
- Photo Credit body-builder's body image by NiDerLander from Fotolia.com
