Building muscle mass can be a very easy task if you know how to do it correctly. Most people go about gaining muscle mass in the wrong way. Here are some tips that can increase the chances of accomplishing your goals and putting on some good clean weight.
A few things that are very important are nutrition, workout regimen, sleep, and supplementation to name a few. Nutrition is the cornerstone of any great workout plan. Whether you are bulking or trying to get ripped, your diet will determine your success. If you are on a bulking phase, you want to do this as clean as possible. This means that you will avoid as many processed foods and carbs as you can. You want to stick with complex carbs like yams and oats. Your protein intake will need to be pretty high as well. You should aim for anywhere between 1.5 - 3 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. Fats are important as well. You should aim to eat healthy fats like those found in avocados and peanut butter. You should aim to achieve a 40-40-20 ratio of protein, carbs, and fats. I would encourage you to experiment with these ratios since all of the different foods you will eat have different health benefits. You need to pay attention to your body's response to different foods in order to determine effectiveness.
Workout plans that focus on gaining muscle mass are important. You will need to lift heavy weights. The rep ranges will be low, typically in the 6-10 range. I would recommend searching for a workout program that focuses on movements that incorporate more body parts. Some movements are flat bench press, incline bench press, barbell curls, etc. You can get into more isolation movements and some more advanced techniques like rest/pauses, drop sets, etc. once you've mastered the basics. Isolation movements typically target one or very few muscle groups at one time. Concentration curls are an example. The rest pause technique is usually employed at the end of a workout where the last few sets are done with fewer reps than the first few sets. For example, if you were doing 5 sets of bench presses, here's what the rep ranges will be:
Set 1 - 3 10 Reps
Set 4 (Part 1) 8 Reps
Rest for 10-15 seconds
Set 4 (Part 2) 2 Reps
This is usually employed to force the muscle to fail after it has already failed once. I do recommend having a spot while trying this. I've had times where I attempted this with no spot and almost dropped the weight on my last set. Drop sets are like rest pauses except the weight is lowered on the last set or couple of sets. There is usually no rest other than to change the weight.
Supplementation is important. After you've been working out for a while and taxing your body, you will need some supplements to replenish the lost nutrients in your body. A good multivitamin is important because it will fill any gap in nutrition. Some nutrients you may not get enough of through your diet. Whey protein will help build muscle faster and is good to have right after your workout since it gets into the bloodstream to replace protein lost through working out. Getting proper rest is essential. I'm not suggesting the typical 8 hours that everyone arbitrarily tosses around like it's the right number, but getting good sleep is important. You'll be able to tell the difference in your workouts when you get enough sleep.
Gaining muscle mass is a bit of an art and a science. There are many things that you can do to help the process along. Good nutrition, proper workout plans, supplementation and proper rest all play a very important role in helping you achieve those rock hard muscles.
Joseph Weber is a fitness fanatic. Visit the website to Gain Muscle Mass Fast [http://www.transformationbodybuilding.com].
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