Little Science Behind Muscle Building

Now that I have told how you can eat/drink more calories so that you can bulk up, it's time to crank up a little bit & start hitting the gym or in other words, start lifting weights. We have all seen bodybuilders/athletes/models/actors lifting weights to gain their strength & muscle mass and get THAT look. 

But first of all, it's important to understand how muscles are built. This is because, if you don't understand it properly, you will end up either under-training or over-training and that will drastically limit your gains. I have myself been a victim of a lack of knowledge that kept me from reaching where I should have been. Otherwise, I would have definitely made much more gains in muscle mass & strength. That being said, let's discuss it.

There are around 650 muscles in the human body. They are formed of small protein filaments, so you need enough protein for muscle mass. There is no surprise here. So, how do muscles grow by lifting weights? When you lift weight or when you work out, it causes micro-tears in the muscle fibers. This is what causes soreness in muscles. Your body reacts by starting to repair these micro-tears. In this repair process, more tissues are formed & muscles get stronger and bigger. And that's how muscle mass increases. Think of it as a muscle plaster added to the injured muscle fibers that keep on adding size & strength. 

So, the harder you train, the more tears you induce & the more gains you make. Sounds simple, no? It isn't really. Our body adjusts to any changes very quickly and there comes a stage when your usual lifts don't cause any micro-tears. This is known as plateau. Once the plateau is hit, you will notice that you aren't making any gains if you don't change your workout regimen and increase the intensity (i.e. do more reps/sets or increase weight). 

Then, another thing to add to this knowledge is that you need enough protein to ensure your tears are repaired quickly & efficiently. How much protein is needed per day is determined by many factors like your lean body weight, your workout intensity & type of exercise performed, etc. 

And the last thing is taking adequate rest & sleep. If you think muscles grow when you are working out, then you are wrong. Muscles only grow when they are resting. When you are asleep, your body releases growth hormones such as testosterone which promote muscle growth. That's why overtraining doesn't make you stronger and it doesn't add any muscle mass.

Picture Courtesy - http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/1/12981/32_2007/muscle.jpg

With this information in your mind, I hope you now know how exactly you must plan your diet & regimen for maximum muscle gains. I am here to provide you with all the information you may need. A proper weight-lifting regimen, diet & adequate rest/sleep are all needed for you to add muscle mass to your frame. You can't skip any of these.

And OH!, did I mention water? You need to drink lots & lots of water because your body is 60% water. Try to drink as much as you can, without overdoing it.


Disclaimer : - I am not a medical expert. Please check with your doctor/physician before you decide to lift weights & eat more than you are used to. Make sure you have got yourself tested. Please do consult a doctor or physician. All the content on my blog is my personal experience & efforts. It may or may not suit you. I am here to put you in the right direction only.