While some complain of not being able to lose weight, others despair for the return in muscle mass of the hours spent in the gym. And effectively, gaining muscle mass naturally is not easy, let alone a quick process. There are indeed innate, genetic constraints that we have to deal with, but in the vast majority of cases, failure is explained by some common mistakes that practitioners tend to make.
Start by changing your habits: sleep quality and hydration are essential
Sleep is a critical point and often poorly treated by those who train to gain muscle mass. A bad night's sleep is enough for cortisol levels to rise at the end of the next day , increasing our exposure to a catabolic hormone. Testosterone levels tend to go down, myostatin to go up as a result, and growth hormone to go down. Muscle sensitivity to insulin is also significantly reduced.
Several scientific studies refer to the importance of leptin in weight control . Manufactured during sleep, leptin is a protein hormone that acts in the brain , inhibiting appetite and stimulating energy expenditure. Well, if you don't get enough sleep at night, it will affect the production of leptin and it is very likely that, the next day, you will have more difficulty controlling your appetite.
All the work the body does during the night , like cell turnover and hormone rebalancing, is affected when you don't get enough sleep . For all reasons, it is important to get enough sleep, however, everyone has their own rhythm and not everyone needs the same number of hours for their body to function at full capacity.
It's important to know your pace and understand how many hours you need to sleep so you don't wake up tired and anxious. A hormonal environment is generated that is totally unfavorable to hypertrophy, which will only occur if conditions are created for it. From a physiological point of view, it makes no sense for a muscle to grow, increasing the need for resource allocation if the environment is unfavorable.
Building muscle mass requires water, lots of water!
Both to gain muscle mass and to reduce body fat, we need to be well hydrated. Drink between 100 and 200 ml of water per hour of your day , increasing this amount to around 500 to 1000 ml of water/hour during training.
Given the first step, what care should I take with food?
A supplement serves , by definition, moreover, to supplement and not as the basis of a diet . Meals should be your priority, supplements help fill in nutrient holes that your normal diet can't cover.
Deficit in nutrients can inhibit recovery and normal bodily functions, which can have detrimental effects on well-being and, most importantly, overall mass building. Smart supplementation is the key . Here is a list of supplements that can be used to optimize your muscle mass gain:
Protein
Offers amino acids for the body to build muscle tissue. In addition to building muscle protein, it burns fat. Diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates helps you lose body fat without losing lean mass. Protein supplementation increases the body's cellular and hormonal functions and opens the door to muscle growth .
- When to use: Immediately after training and as soon as you wake up.
- Dose: 30g.
Conclusion on how to gain muscle mass
If you put these rules in place, you'll get closer to getting the muscles you want. However, it's important that you don't strain your muscles too much at first .
Anyone who has never done a hypertrophy workout before should start slowly and progressively. Learning how to gain muscle mass is easier for those who have done this type of training before. Those who have little experience and are starting from scratch must have a lot of patience and willpower. Results may take time, but they will come.