Have you ever thought about
what a muscle needs to grow big and strong? Do you go to the gym and
just throw weight around hoping that your muscles will get bigger?
I’m going to share with you exactly what you need to know for a muscle to grow. I follow these strategies myself each and every day. They have become my lifestyle.
Before we dive too far in, I encourage you to change your mindset and view muscle growth as a long-term endeavor. Building muscle does not happen overnight. There is no quick way to do it. It takes time, dedication, and hard work.
But take it from me that is IS worth it! I love looking and feeling great everyday. In my opinion, there’s no better way to live your life!
Overload the muscles by lifting weights
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.”
I’m not sure who said this quote but I love it. You can apply it to almost anything in life. With regards to muscle growth, it means that if you continue doing what you’re doing now at the gym, don’t expect to see different results. In otherwords, make a change if you want to see different results. I know it’s scary, but change isn’t always a bad thing!
A muscle needs to be worked, stimulated, overloaded in order to grow. You need to force your muscles to adapt to new weight.
Think about it, if you’re always lifting the same weight, why should your muscle grow? It’s doing perfectly fine the way it is lifting that amount of weight. However, when we increase the weight, our muscles think wow, I’m not used to this kind of weight, I better grow and get stronger in case I’m subjected to this amount of weight again.
It’s really a simple concept: overload the muscles to stimulate new muscle growth.
Establish good nutrition habits
Sorry if I burst your bubble, but going to the gym and overloading your muscles is only one part of the equation. You also need proper nutrition. Eating enough of the right foods and not so much of the bad foods will take your muscle growth to a new level.
Anything needs nutrients to grow. Muscles are no exception.
If your nutrition is not in check, chances are you will see some muscle growth but it will be extremely limited. You’ll get nowhere near your full potential.
Proper nutrition is an entire article in itself, but I’ll give you a quick spiel. Basically, the closer the food is to nature, the better. For example, vegetables are great because they come straight from the ground. Nature did not intend for us to eat food that is littered with chemicals and preservatives. Processed food contains less nutrients than whole food. Less nutrients = less muscle growth.
Rest
You thought we were done, didn’t you!? Don’t worry, rest is the last piece of the puzzle!
Contrary to popular belief, your muscles do not actually grow while you are lifting weights at the gym. It may feel like it since your muscles get “pumped” and appear bigger and stronger.
But the truth is completely opposite. This pump is only temporary. When we overload our muscles with weight, we’re actually creating tiny micro-tears in our muscles. We’re breaking the muscle down.
Yes, you’re destroying your muscles at the gym. But that’s okay! That’s what you want to do! This is where rest comes into the equation.
Rest is extremely important because it is when your body repairs these tiny micro-tears with bigger, stronger muscles. Shoot for 7-9 hours of sleep a night on a consistent schedule. In other words, go to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday, including weekends. I know this can be difficult (trust me) but it is the ideal situation.
Rest doesn’t just include sleeping, it also includes time away from the gym. If you’re constantly at the gym, you’re not giving your body enough time to repair your muscles.
Rest is just as important as training and good nutrition.
I’m going to share with you exactly what you need to know for a muscle to grow. I follow these strategies myself each and every day. They have become my lifestyle.
Before we dive too far in, I encourage you to change your mindset and view muscle growth as a long-term endeavor. Building muscle does not happen overnight. There is no quick way to do it. It takes time, dedication, and hard work.
But take it from me that is IS worth it! I love looking and feeling great everyday. In my opinion, there’s no better way to live your life!
Overload the muscles by lifting weights
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.”
I’m not sure who said this quote but I love it. You can apply it to almost anything in life. With regards to muscle growth, it means that if you continue doing what you’re doing now at the gym, don’t expect to see different results. In otherwords, make a change if you want to see different results. I know it’s scary, but change isn’t always a bad thing!
A muscle needs to be worked, stimulated, overloaded in order to grow. You need to force your muscles to adapt to new weight.
Think about it, if you’re always lifting the same weight, why should your muscle grow? It’s doing perfectly fine the way it is lifting that amount of weight. However, when we increase the weight, our muscles think wow, I’m not used to this kind of weight, I better grow and get stronger in case I’m subjected to this amount of weight again.
It’s really a simple concept: overload the muscles to stimulate new muscle growth.
Establish good nutrition habits
Sorry if I burst your bubble, but going to the gym and overloading your muscles is only one part of the equation. You also need proper nutrition. Eating enough of the right foods and not so much of the bad foods will take your muscle growth to a new level.
Anything needs nutrients to grow. Muscles are no exception.
If your nutrition is not in check, chances are you will see some muscle growth but it will be extremely limited. You’ll get nowhere near your full potential.
Proper nutrition is an entire article in itself, but I’ll give you a quick spiel. Basically, the closer the food is to nature, the better. For example, vegetables are great because they come straight from the ground. Nature did not intend for us to eat food that is littered with chemicals and preservatives. Processed food contains less nutrients than whole food. Less nutrients = less muscle growth.
Rest
You thought we were done, didn’t you!? Don’t worry, rest is the last piece of the puzzle!
Contrary to popular belief, your muscles do not actually grow while you are lifting weights at the gym. It may feel like it since your muscles get “pumped” and appear bigger and stronger.
But the truth is completely opposite. This pump is only temporary. When we overload our muscles with weight, we’re actually creating tiny micro-tears in our muscles. We’re breaking the muscle down.
Yes, you’re destroying your muscles at the gym. But that’s okay! That’s what you want to do! This is where rest comes into the equation.
Rest is extremely important because it is when your body repairs these tiny micro-tears with bigger, stronger muscles. Shoot for 7-9 hours of sleep a night on a consistent schedule. In other words, go to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday, including weekends. I know this can be difficult (trust me) but it is the ideal situation.
Rest doesn’t just include sleeping, it also includes time away from the gym. If you’re constantly at the gym, you’re not giving your body enough time to repair your muscles.
Rest is just as important as training and good nutrition.
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