There's strength training...and then there's bulking up. If you want muscle mass to show off, you need to beef up your bodybuilding and weight lifting regimen. Sculpting muscles that stand out takes hard work- and it also takes careful planning, mindful eating, and smart strategy.
Here's how to take your muscles to the next level:
Basics of Bodybuilding and Weight Lifting for Muscle Mass
The science behind building muscle mass goes like this:
- Your muscle fibers break down when you challenge your muscles
- When your muscle fibers break down, your body rebuilds them thicker and stronger
- If your body rebuilds muscle at a faster rate than your muscles break down, you gain mass
For your body to break down muscles, you need to exercise. Bodybuilding and weight lifting are great methods. These kinds of exercise meet the criteria for breaking muscle down:
- Muscle Tension
- Muscle Damage
- Metabolic Stress
Once the muscle is broken down, your body needs to have protein available and the time necessary to make repairs.
Workout Strategies for Bulking Up
With the science of building muscle in mind, you can choose exercises and workout strategies that meet the criteria for breaking down your muscle fibers. Use these top tips:
- If you've been lifting for a while, focus on your biggest muscle groups
- Add weight before reps- when you can perform reps without feeling the burn, add more weight
- Do typical bodyweight moves, like squats, to keep muscles active when you're not lifting
- Lift every other day so your muscles have 48 hours to rebuild
- Split your workouts to focus on upper body muscles and lower body muscles specifically
- Don't increase weight levels during each set, stick to the same weights for each exercise
- Use barbells and free weights because they work more of your muscles
- Make quick changes to keep your muscles guessing
Eating to Build Muscle
Half the battle for bulking is giving your body what it needs to build muscle mass: rest and fuel. Rest is straightforward: don't lift using the same muscles within 48 hours, get plenty of sleep, and spend time stretching in between workouts.
As for fuel, use these nutrition strategies to give your body what it needs to rebuild:
- Your body uses protein for more than muscle-building, so eat 0.7–1.0 gram per pound of bodyweight
- Try protein supplements and lean protein to pack more of the nutrients you need into your diet without all the added calories and fat
- Focus on eating protein throughout the day, not all at once, because if you are working out multiple times a week, your body is rebuilding muscle most of the time
- Eat right before and after your workout to be sure your body has protein on hand
One of the best strategies for beefing up your routine is to have a strategy! You need a protocol for your diet and a solid plan for your workouts. Get started with our FREE 3 Month Muscle Mass Guide.
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