Ok…so you want to add some muscle to your body, but you’re not quite sure what it actually takes to achieve this. Most people think that by lifting weights alone they will build muscle and start to pack on the mass. This couldn’t be further from the truth and I’ll explain why in this post.
Step #1 – Nutrition For Building Muscle
Your nutrition is going to be 80% of your results and what helps you get the gains you’re after. Even if you workout super hard in the gym, but you don’t fuel your body before and after your routines…you will have a hard time building muscle.
The first thing you need to do is figure out what your calorie maintenance is for your body. This is also known as you BMR and it’s what your body burns daily to breathe. Then you need to factor in your daily activity. Here’s a simple way to figure this out.
Take your weight and multiply it by 10 and then use the numbers below to figure out your daily activity. Then multiply your weight by that number and that’s your calorie maintenance for the day. Keep in mind, everyone is different and you will need to learn your body over time by experimenting with your calorie intake.
Male 180 lbs x 1.375 (light exercise) = 2,475 Calories
Activity Multiplier – Find one that pertains to you below and times that by you BMR. That’s your daily calorie maintenance for your body.
- Secretary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)
- Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)
- Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)
- Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)
- Extra. Active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.
Ok…now that you have your calorie maintenance you need to have a surplus of calories in order to gain muscle. If you don’t go into a surplus, you body won’t have any calories left over to build muscle. This is probably the most important part of building muscle and without it…your results will suffer.
Step #2 = Workout Routine Schedule
Now that your nutrition is all set, you need to train hard in the gym to break your muscles down. The way your body builds muscle is by repairing the damaged tissues and muscle fibers. Our bodies are very smart and it will prepare for the next round of training or strain if faces. It will create muscle in the repairing phase and make you stronger…but also BIGGER!
The Workout Routine
You should create a workout routine to hit every muscle group once per week. This will allow them to recover in time for your next round. Here’s a sample workout that you could start with.
- Day 1: Chest and Triceps
- Day 2: Rest and Recover
- Day 3: Back and Biceps
- Day 4: Rest and Recover
- Day 5: Shoulders/Legs
- Day 6: Light Cardio
- Day 7: Rest and Recover
You will want to repeat this style of workout for at least 3 weeks. I’ll explain what to do in week 4 a little later.