Are you a dedicated gym rat? Have you been going to the gym for a while to bulk up, but unfortunately are not seeing the results you’d like? Gaining muscle mass and achieving your weight and muscle goals without gaining fat at the same time can be a challenge. The thought may have crossed your mind to give up when you see that all of your hard work isn’t quite paying off or you’ve started to gain fat weight as opposed to muscle weight. With that in mind, here are few ways that you may be able to reach your bulking goals and become the muscled warrior you’ve always dreamed of.
A Little Friendly Competition
A great way to get serious and really focus on your muscles while getting in the best shape of your life is to compete with others with like-minded goals. It could be a co-worker or existing gym buddy that wants to step up their game and build up some body mass. If you really want to be adventurous and you’re serious about your muscle gains, you might enter into a strong man contest or a bodybuilding contest. This will allow you to set some strict goals so that you can meet them before you have to go on stage and compete against the best of the best. Most people associate working out with losing weight, but sometimes muscle can get lost along the way, especially if you do a lot of aerobics and restrict calories at the same time. Turning the tables and building muscle rather than losing it can help you appear more defined and give you a chiseled physique. You’ll definitely want to show off your muscles as you walk across the stage, collect your trophy and crystal awards and take home the championship!
Packing in the Protein
Aside from hitting the gym hard with weights and introducing strength training exercises into your daily routine, you also need to eat right. Your goal should be to introduce an extra 500 to 1,000 calories a day to your already existing caloric intake or as a rule of thumb, around 10 percent more calories than you used to. This depends on how much existing fat you already have as well as your height and weight. For an exact measurement to help with bulking goals, calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure. Keep in mind that your calories should not be with foods that are sugar-laden but those that are packed with natural proteins, such as:
- Eggs
- Peanut butter
- Dairy
- Lean protein meats
Don’t forget to add healthy carbs and fats that come from unprocessed foods. If you decide to use a protein supplement, bar or shake, watch the labels. Avoid artificial sweeteners and powders that are loaded with hidden sugars. While they may taste great and be an easy fix, they can cause you to gain weight or in some cases, stall your muscle gain.
Gaining Muscle Mass the Old Fashioned Way
There are many professional bodybuilders and those just striving to be bigger that turn to performance enhancement drugs in order to gain fast and large muscle gains. This is generally illegal and definitely will disqualify you if you’re entering a bodybuilding or athletic competition. Never accept any type of pills or supplements that are unmarked or are not approved by the FDA. These could be a type of supplement that could alter or enhance any type of testing you may need for a competition. This, in turn, could easily disqualify you from a professional competition and ban you from the sport of bodybuilding permanently. You want people to look at you respectively when you are in the gym and when you walk across the stage after winning a competition and award. So the best way to gain muscle mass is to train hard for it. Get the most out of your gym membership by hitting the weights on a daily basis while focusing on your upper body, abs, and legs. Switch up your routines to avoid overworked muscles and muscle burn out. Have a workout buddy that will motivate you and help you track your progress.
Gaining muscle mass can easily be achieved by putting in the work when it comes to eating right and exercising properly. Bulking up takes work, time and perseverance. With the right tools, you can easily achieve your goals and beat your competitors with ease.
Brought to you by our friend, Amanda.
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