When it comes to bodybuilding, patience isn’t an option for many. Especially for those who train hard to grow muscle as fast as possible.
Of course, things take time. But if you’re not seeing any apparent changes even after a couple of months of training, maybe it’s time to step up the game. Even when you’re already seeing some progress, it won’t hurt to see some more.
With the endless information available on the Internet today, Vivotion believe it can be difficult to choose which would really work best for you. By trying different information, you might end up wasting your time instead of gaining the actual results.
That said, it’s essential that you find methods that are tested and proven by muscle builders. These top tips will help you rev up your training and earn your dream physique in no time.
- Don’t underestimate warm-up exercises
As you get better with training and you’re able to lift heavier weights, the more pressure you tend to put all over your body. To avoid any chance of injury during your workout, make sure to focus on increasing your warm-up time. Once you advance to the intermediate level, see to it that you do more warm-up exercise than you did when you were a beginner. Doing a few more light and medium sets after 5-10 minutes on the bike or treadmill can further prepare your muscles for the hardcore training ahead.
- Eat more on your rest days – and don’t fear carbs
Not because you’re taking a day off from training means you should also cut down your food intake. In fact, it’s the time when your muscles are recovering from all the hard work, so it makes sense to stock up on a lot of nutrients through eating more food.
Also, you shouldn’t even be scared of taking in some carbs, as it can also aid in muscle growth. Low-carb diets are for people who are trying to lose weight. But since your goal is to gain muscle, don’t worry about obtaining a little fat. However, you’ll need to decrease consumption during rest days from training because it won’t be burned without any exercise. Instead, keep an eye on your protein intake as this will help you gain lean muscles.
- Drink that shake while you’re training
One of the effective ways that aspiring bodybuilders tend to overlook is drinking a protein shake during meals. Although pre- and post-workout meals and drinks are equally important, you should also see to it that you’re sneaking in some calories while sweating it out at the gym.
Drinking your protein shake is a quick meal that will perk up your energy and inspire you to train harder. To avoid upsetting your stomach, make sure to drink only an adequate amount in between sets.
- Keep track of what you eat
Aside from keeping track of the changes in your body, it’s also important to monitor everything that you eat – and that means EVERYTHING. All your hard work will be put to waste if you’re either eating insufficiently or overeating. Make sure to strictly write down everything that you eat and drink throughout the day, and also include the time. This will let you know which aspects you need to improve if you’re not seeing the results you’re going for. If you’re not gaining enough weight as you expected, try taking up some more calories than usual until you notice some progress.
- Sleep Isn’t For the Weak
Aside from nutrition, muscle recovery also requires you to take a good sleep at night. You need to rest for roughly eight hours at night for your muscles to adequately prepare for another day of hard work. Aside from that, the body also releases human growth hormones while we’re asleep. That means sleeping helps you grow muscle even when you’re not moving at all.
- Pump It Up With Your Favourite Tunes
Don’t make your hardcore training more difficult than it already is. Try listening to your favourite workout playlist while lifting as it will inspire you more as compared to when you’re hearing music that you don’t enjoy or nothing at all. Besides, using your headphones will also let anyone know you don’t want to be disturbed, so you can kill all those conversations and focus on your workout.
- NEVER Skip Leg Day
Even though you want to focus mostly on having a broad chest and big arms, you should never neglect training your legs as well. First and foremost, your overall physique would look bad if you fail to increase the size of your legs just as your upper body, and second, you’d have trouble lifting on some exercises. You need to balance your lower body strength with your upper so that you can successfully execute workouts. Deadlift, for example, is an exercise that uses mostly your legs but has a significant impact on building muscles all over the body. The reason behind this is that deadlifts strengthen all the muscles, and also promote the release of muscle growth hormones.
- Weigh-in weekly
People who are trying to lose weight are typically those who would frequently check on their weight. However, stepping on the scale at least once a week is also a great way to monitor your progress in muscle building. It‘s best to weigh yourself in the morning after using the bathroom, on the same day and time every week to see accurate results. If the scale doesn’t move up the next week, then you’re not gaining any muscle yet, it’s that simple. Aim to increase around half-pound per week with a minimal fat gain, and make sure to look at yourself in the mirror to check whether you’re really gaining lean muscle.
Now that you’re equipped with all these strategies, it’s time to build, build, and build! Don’t stop until people ask you what your secrets are to gaining your physique. But until no one bothers to ask, keep on working on it!
Author Bio: Isabel Speckman is a North Carolina-based freelance writer and work-from-home mother of three. In her 10 years as a professional writer, she’s worked in proposal management, grant writing, and content creation. Her writing skills may be confirmed independently on vivotion.com.
Personally, she’s passionate about teaching her family how to stay safe, secure and action-ready in the event of a disaster or emergency.