Bulking up and building strong muscles isn’t child’s play, and results don’t show up overnight. Still, if your flex builds only a little bump after weeks of working hard at the gym, it’s easy to be frustrated or even demotivated.
When you work out, you might notice a “muscle pump”, medically termed transient hypertrophy, which signals your progress during a workout. Afterward, however, you might notice that the muscle seems smaller than it was at the gym. This phenomenon occurs because to supply them with workout-powering fuel, blood that rushes to your muscles. As the muscle pump loses mass, you might find yourself getting discouraged.
With that in mind, we’re outlining a couple of measures you can take to build muscle with long-lasting results.
Ready? Here we go.
1.Consume Protein Equivalent to Your Ideal Body Weight
Certified strength and conditioning specialist and registered dietitian Albert Matheny comments that muscle builders should consume protein equivalent to their ideal body weight per day. Additionally, that protein intake should be spread out evenly throughout the day. This suggestion is backed by a 2018 study published in the Journal of the International Society in Sports Nutrition, which outlined that individuals not dieting should portion their protein in such a manner to build muscle mass and strength.
2.Train Each Muscle Group Twice a Week
Every major muscle group should be exercised twice a week to maximize muscle growth. According to Sports Medicine 2016, you can spur more muscle growth by dividing your leg, back, or chest workout into two days, even if you don’t exercise a particular muscle longer or harder. Try splitting your weekly workout routine based on different muscle groups so you don’t have to work for one muscle group consecutively for two days.
3.Do 6-12 Reps with 60 Seconds of Rest
Associate professor of exercise physiology at the University of North Carolina’s department of exercise and sport science outlines that performing over three exercises per muscle group increases its size gains and training volume. Research also proves that doing 6-12 reps with a 60-second rest interval between them works soundly.
Bottom Line
Always remember that building muscle mass and strength is a process, not an event. The process begins once you expose your muscles to an unfamiliar and demanding action, such as sprinting on a treadmill, performing a pushup, or picking up a dumbbell.
