| 
<<Previous Page Next Page>>
Free Content
|
10 Quick Tips to Build Mass
Muscle mass is the straw that stirs the drink in the sport of bodybuilding. Talk all you want
about symmetry, shape and definition, but in the final analysis, muscle mass is the defining
element of a physique. The mass building equation has three components: a correct diet
strategy, hardcore training and high tech supplementation. It;s not rocket science, but
there are tricks to it, nonetheless. To save you time and trouble, I've complied 10 tips to
jump start anabolism and create a positive nitrogen balance - to pack on muscle mass, you
need to take in more nitrogen via protein and training than you excrete through the natural
metabolic process.
1. Emphasize the Negative Muscle growth is the logical byproduct of
muscle contraction. Much emphasis is placed on the concentric phase of a lift where the
muscle shortens as it contracts. But the stretching of the muscle during the eccentric, or
negative, phase where the muscle lengthens while maintaining tension can directly cause
muscle hypertrophy, too. Emphasizing the negative is an easy technique to overload
muscles and promote radical gains in mass.
2. Eat Fish Fish containing higher amounts of fat - salmon, for instance - provide us
with the ever popular omega-3 fatty acids. Why is this important? The omega-3s make the
muscle more sensitive to insulin; hence, they fuel glycogen storage and amino acid entry
into muscles while also preserving glutamine stores.
3. Increase Sodium Intake I'm not kidding. Sodium is an essential mineral
that is an absolute must for muscle growth. Sodium has a bad rap because it can cause
water retention - anathema to contest ready bodybuilders. On the plus side, sodium
enhances carbohydrate storage and amino acid absorption while also improving the muscle's
responsiveness to insulin.
4. Stop All Aerobics Aerobic exercise has a
detrimental effect on mass building. Aerobics interfere with strength gains and recovery
while burning up valuable glycogen and branched chain amino acids (BCAA). Adding mass is
the best way to upgrade your resting metabolic rate (RMR); is the RMR is elevated, more
calories are burned and it is easier to stay lean.
5. Lift Explosively The amount of force a muscle generates is proportional to the amount of muscle growth you'll be able to
create. Force is defined as mass (the weight you use) multiplied by acceleration (the speed
at which you push a weight against resistance). To generate more force, then,
progressively increase your poundages while lifting explosively - in this context, you
actually increase speed during the second half of the rep.
6. Dramatically increase your calories for three days You will never achieve a
positive nitrogen balance with a low calorie diet. It takes raw materials - carbs, protein and
fats - to build new muscle mass and support recovery. Increasing your calories by 50%
(from 3,0000 to 4,500 per day, for instance) for three days can spur growth while adding
little if any bodyfat. The key is to limit the increased calories to a designated three day
period; you'll be able to stimulate growth by improving muscle sensitivity to insulin and by
providing more carbs for glycogen storage. If you are in a overtrained state - and if you're
not gaining any new muscle mass, this is probably the case - the additional calories will
promote anabolism before fat storage is able to kick in. That's why you want to limit the
50% increase to a three day period. After that time, return to your typical intake of daily
calories; you'll have stimulated new growth without adding unwanted fat.
7. Rest Many bodybuilders are unable to pack on mass because they are always training and,
therefore, always recovering from those grueling workouts. Taking a couple of days off can
restore glycogen, increase anabolism and allow hormonal indexes such as testosterone and
cortisol to return to optimal levels.
8. Eat in the Middle of the Night Anabolism depends on an excess of calories. As you are well aware, bodybuilders eat four
to six times per day to increase the absorption of nutrients and to provide a steady influx
of carbs, protein and fat. Expanding on the four to six meals per day plan is to include a
protein drink in the middle of the night that can encourage additional growth. Glutamine
EFX, providing 30 grams of protein and carbs along with the 'big three' (see tip #10), is a
good option for this late at night infusion of nutrients.
9. Increase Strength Through Powerlifting Your muscles respond to training in three ways. When
you train with high reps (more than 15), there is an increase in endurance with no
substantive improvement in size or strength. The six to twelve rep range - the range that
all big bodybuilders rely on - promotes an increase in both size and strength. Powerlifters
generally stay with low reps, two to four per set, which supplements strength with slight
variances in size. However, if you set aside one week of training to pile on the weights with
low reps the subsequent improvement in strength will make you stronger when you return
to the six to twelve rep routine. Here's the formula: More strength equals more tension on
the muscle equals more growth.
10. Supplement with the Big Three: Glutamine, Creatine and BCAA Glutamine is known as the
immunity amino. If you are overly stressed from dieting or training, the immune system kicks
in, releasing glutamine into the bloodstream. Having low levels of glutamine will inhibit
muscle growth - that's why supplementing with glutamine is important. Creatine is
associate with added power and the ability to produce more adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
- the chemical fuel source for training and growth. Supplementing with creatine allows
bodybuilders to raise creatine levels in the muscle - therefore enhancing strength and ATP
- without the unwanted fat that you'd be saddled with by getting all your creatine
exclusively from food. Branched chain amino acids act as a handy fuel source when
glycogen stores are low. Adding BCAA to your nutritional program will increase your nitrogen
balance while preventing the dreaded catabolic state that derives from overtraining or
overdieting.
Remember: This information is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. Before starting an exercise program, consult a physician..
free web content
Index:
0-9
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
V
W
W
Y
|
|
