How to grow muscle mass?

1. How to increase muscle mass

Our muscle tissue is always in a state of decomposition and repair so that we can remove damaged proteins and replace them with new proteins. This balance between the processes of muscle synthesis and muscle breakdown will determine whether muscle mass is accumulated, lost or simply maintained.

As such, the goal of anyone who wants to increase muscle mass should be to maintain a positive state of muscle synthesis (muscle synthesis is greater than breakdown). The two main ways to do this are through weight training and protein intake.

2. Strength training

Strength training or weight training is a great way to increase muscle mass. Starts the synthesis of new muscle proteins. In fact, it seems that lifting weights keeps muscle synthesis up for at least 24 hours and ultimately lays the groundwork for new muscles to be created.

3. Protein

When we consume protein (either through our food or through a supplement) we provide the body with the building blocks necessary for muscle protein synthesis. Specifically, it is the nine essential amino acids that are responsible for this effect.

As such, the protein you eat should contain a mixture of all nine essential amino acids that can be found in a variety of animal and dairy products, but also in plant-based foods such as soy, quinoa or buckwheat. .

When choosing a supplement, research shows that whey protein is the top choice for maximizing the response given the rate of rapid digestion, although soy protein or casein are also effective and should not be overlooked.

When it comes to protein, is it common to get a shake around your neck after a workout, but do you get enough during your day? To maximize your muscle growth, your daily protein intake should be at least 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight - which means around 120g for a 75kg person.

Not only that, but getting rid of the protein you eat during the day seems to be beneficial for maximizing your muscle growth, so aim for a serving at each of your meals and snacks.

4. Creatine

Have you ever struggled with the last repetitions of the exercise? When lifting weights, one of the energy systems you use relies on creatine to help replenish energy reserves quickly. This is where creatine comes in.

If you are able to increase your creatine deposits in your muscles then you can end those last repetitions because your system is able to fill the energy needed to do that. Knowing this, it is not surprising that regular creatine supplementation leads to increases in both muscle mass and strength and energy.

Although creatine can be taken from many products of animal origin - the most notable being red meat - supplementation can further increase our creatine stores and is particularly useful for vegetarians and vegans.

If you want to see the benefits quickly, an initial loading phase of 4 x 5g doses per day (for 5-7 days) can be completed followed by daily maintenance doses of 3-5g per day. Alternatively, doses lower than 3-5g per day can be used although this will take about 3 weeks longer than the loading strategy.

5. How to lose fat

So you have covered all your needs for muscle growth. Now let's focus on getting rid of that unwanted body fat. To lose fat, we need to make sure that our body is in a negative state of energy balance. In short, this means that we need to consume less energy than our bodies need on a daily basis.

The key to achieving this is to start with a lower negative balance, because too much reduction will only leave you without energy in the gym and would be counterproductive for your goals of increasing muscle mass.

A good starting point is to target somewhere around 10% off your daily requirements.

Although there are several different ways to do this (intermittent fasting or caloric restriction) they all come to the same principle - reducing daily caloric intake below daily requirement.

6. How to increase muscle mass and lose fat

It's time to dump her and move on.

Although changes in your fitness are possible, it should be noted that this process will depend on a number of factors such as your workout experience and current body fat level, where beginners with higher amounts of body fat will reach their targets much more easily.