Muscle Building

For many thin guys around the world
gaining weight without using illegal steroids has been a challenge. For thousands of lean young men
the dream is to gain weight
but no matter how much they eat they remain thin. Some people are naturally thin; that means their genetic makeup is in such a way that the body burns more calories than others. The very basic method of weight gain is to eat more calories than your body burns off. By providing the body with more calories
this balance can be altered and body mass can be increased. Weight training is of great importance in this context
which enables the body to absorb more nutrients from the food by increasing the level of certain hormones and increasing the muscle mass.

There are many incorrect beliefs and theories bout building muscle. The type of food to be eaten is an important factor which decides the type of weight gained
whether it is muscle mass or mere accumulation of fat. Some types of calories are not equal to others for gaining muscle; because most processed junk food contains empty
totally nutritionless calories. These foods promote accelerated fat storage
and do not provide the body with the correct nutrients essential for gaining muscle. High quality protein
which the body breaks down into amino acids
should be the centerpiece of all your meals. Intense exercise increases demand for amino acids
which support muscle repair and growth.

Another factor is the selection of the right type of weight training. Resistance exercises will help with muscle growth. Whereas aerobic exercises can result in the reduction of weight. For maximum muscle gain
the focus of your workouts should consist of free weight exercises
rather than machines or bodyweight exercises. To get a very effective workout
you must stimulate as many muscle fibers as possible
and machines do not do this. The main reason for this is a lack of stabilizer and synergist muscle development. Stabilizer and synergist muscles are supporting muscles that assist the main muscle in performing a complex lift.

The results of weight training can vary from person to person
and will usually depend on your consistency and commitment to your program. You should have the patience and motivation for building a powerful body with a consistent diet and exercise schedule.

Exercise Guidelines for building muscle:

Weight training involves the use of equipment that enables variable resistance. This resistance can come in the form of free weights like barbells and dumbbells
machines that use cables or pulleys to help you lift the weight
and bodyweight exercises like pull-ups or dips. The more stabilizers and synergists you work
the more muscle fibers stimulated. The exercises that work the large muscle groups are called compound (or multi-joint) movements that involve the simultaneous stimulation of many muscle groups. These compound exercises should be the foundation of any weight training program because they stimulate the most amount of muscle in the least amount of time. Multi-jointed free weight exercises like the bench press require many stabilizer and synergistic muscle assistance to complete the lift.

Free weight exercises like the dumbbell press or squat put a very large amount of stress on supporting muscle groups. You will get fatigued faster and not be able to lift as much weight as you did on the machine. But you will gain more muscle
become stronger very quickly and have a true gauge of your strength.

If you use machines in your program
they should be used to work isolated areas and only after all multi-jointed exercises have been completed. Beginners should begin with a limited combination of machine exercises
bodyweight exercises and multi-jointed free weight exercises. Before increasing the weight levels
they should work on becoming familiar with the proper form and execution of each.

The following are some proven basic exercises to encourage muscle and strength gain unlike any other exercises.

Bench Presses - works the chest
shoulders
triceps

Overhead Presses - shoulders
triceps

Pull-ups/Barbell Rows - back
bicep

Squats - legs
lower back

Dead lifts - legs
back
shoulders

Bar Dips -shoulders
chest
arms

To build mass
you must weight train with heavy weights. To consider a weight heavy
you should only be able to do a maximum of 4-8 reps before your muscles temporarily fail. A weight is considered 'light' if you can do more than 15 reps before muscle fatigue sets in. Heavy weights stimulate more muscle fibers than lighter weights which result in more muscle growth. Heavy weight training puts a huge strain on your body
so adequate rest and recuperation after your workouts is essential.

Eating guidelines for building muscle:

A high protein diet is an inevitable part of any weight training programme
importantly
protein derived from animal sources. Proteins you need to be concerned with are those found in whey
casein (cottage cheese)
eggs
beef
poultry
and fish. Soy protein
tofu and bean curd are some alternatives. Eating the right amount of foods consistently will force your body to grow beyond what you may think possible. The diet also should contain an adequate amount of carbohydrates (potatoes
sweet potatoes
yams
oatmeal
cream of wheat
cream of rice
rice
beans
bread
pasta
all cereals) and fat. Green leafy vegetables and fruits also should be included.

When you train with weights
you should eat a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. You also must have protein at every meal. To enable your body to actually assimilate and use the all the calories you will ingest
you have to reduce your meal size and increase your meal frequency. Splitting your calories into smaller
more frequent portions will enable food absorption and utilization of nutrients.

During the past 20 years there have been great developments in the scientific understanding of the role of nutrition in health and physical performance. Studies shown that adequate dietary carbohydrate should be ingested (55-60% of total energy intake) so that training intensity can be maintained. Excess dietary saturated fat can exacerbate coronary artery disease; however
low-fat diets result in a reduction in circulating testosterone. So the balance between protein
carbohydrate and fat should be maintained.

So the focus on weight gain programmes must be on two components
lifting heavy weights
which will stimulate the largest amount of muscle fibers. Your body responds to this stimulus by increasing your muscle mass and secondly eat more calories than your body is used to. When you overload your system with plenty of protein and fats
your body has no other choice but to gain weight.

A Mass Gaining program is incomplete without the timely measurements to monitor your progress. Without it
you won't know how exactly your body is responding to your diet and training routine. Just looking in the mirror and guessing is not acceptable. If you want to start getting great results
you must develop the habit of accurately tracking your progress. This also provides the motivation to continue with the weight gain schedule and for the further progression. So even though you have a very thin body type
and haven’t been able to gain weight no matter what you try
you will definitely succeed with a well planned weight gain programme.