Everyone always says that there’s no secret to losing weight, toning your body and building muscle, but surely there’s something more to it than just exercising and eating healthy! It’s true that any kind of results in size gain is going to be from a lot of hard work more than anything else, but there are things that you can do to help build muscle and keep it. Check out these six tips and start incorporating some of them into your regime for better results.
1. Eat Enough Food
You can’t build muscle from nothing! You need the right food to fuel your body and gain mass. Recommendations can be quite varied in terms of how much you need to consume - it really depends on your current body type. A daily intake of around 40 calories per kilogram of body weight is usually considered a pretty good measure to go by.
2. Increase Your Protein Consumption
The right kind of calories is going to do a whole lot more for you than just eating any greasy or fatty foods. Protein is crucial to burning fat and building muscle at the same time - something that is very difficult to do when you aren’t eating well. Foods like steak and chicken are protein-rich and you can give yourself a boost with a protein supplement.
3. Eat With Regularity
You want to be eating more and more regularly to build muscle faster. Providing your body with the energy it needs consistently will keep it in a muscle-building state. Eating a small, energy-packed meal every two to three hours while you’re gaining can lead to incredibly positive results.
4. Work Out Every Other Day
Your body doesn’t build muscle while you’re working out, but rather while your body is resting. Protein synthesis is increased after working out for up to 48 hours. Maximise your growth by letting your body rest the day after an intense weight session.
5. Stay Hydrated
We’re 70% water. Every pound of muscle in your body can hold up to three pounds of water, so when we dehydrate they tend to suffer tremendously. Without enough water you aren’t going to be achieving the best results, so make sure you keep a bottle on you at all times.
6. Load Up Before Working Out
Give your body the fuel it needs by eating a slow-burning meal before you start your session. Clean Carbs like Oats are perfect foods, and, combined with a whey protein shake and a muscle-building supplement like creatine will give you the power your body needs and the nutrients to build muscle fast.
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