Tips for Building Muscle

I'm a firm believer in keeping things simple. In these complex times it can be difficult to sift through all of the B.S. being thrown at us at any given time. When starting on your fitness journey, it can be daunting with all of the information we have access to. Here are 5 simple tips to help you get started on your way, and more importantly succeed!

Tip 1: Sticking with the compound movements such as Squats, Deadlifts, Rows, Presses and Lunges will yield the best results.

What are compound movements? Any exercise that is working multiple muscle groups at a time. For example, squats work the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Deadlifts hit the hamstrings, glutes and upper back. Rows target the back, biceps and rear delts. Presses work your shoulders, pecs and triceps. You get the idea? Choosing these exercises over isolation movements will give you more value, and help to build a great base for strength and muscular growth. Just with these four movements alone you are working the whole body!

Tip 2: Challenge yourself with heavier weight (yes… you too ladies)

To build muscle you need to build strength, by constantly challenging yourself we keep the intensity consistent which helps to prevent plateauing. One of the top fitness myths is that women should stay away from heavy weights to prevent from becoming too bulky. This is just not true. You are not going to become the Hulk overnight by lifting heavy weights. In fact using the proper weight load is going to yield the results you're looking for, including a slew of benefits such as: improved bone density, enhanced metabolism, injury prevention, hormone regulation, and anti-aging benefits.

Tip 3: Eat a proper well balanced diet consisting of whole natural foods

You can't outwork a bad diet. Giving your body the nutrients it craves is crucial for building muscle and losing weight. Foods that are rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats should make up the bulk of your diet. While this can be an entire post in itself, sticking to the basic food pyramid that you learned in school is a good starting point. While there are many diet fads that are constantly being pushed on us through social media, and so called nutritionists, speaking with a registered dietician can help steer you in the right direction.

Tip 4: Be consistent

This is probably one of the most important tenants of muscle building, overall consistency. Regular exercise, even in small amounts leads to long term results compared to sporadic intense workouts. This becomes the building blocks to forming habits, that lead to noticeable improvements in strength, weight loss, and overall fitness. Ways to stay consitent include setting realistic short-term and long-term goals. Creating a schedule to help you stick to your workouts. This can be either working with a trainer or finding a workout buddy to help keep you accountable. Choose activities you find enjoyable to make it easier to stick to your routine.

Tip 5: Get adequate rest 6-8 hours of sleep per night

Sleep is probably just as important as a proper diet. At rest is when our body repairs itself and where muscle growth occurs. Depriving yourself of sleep can be detrimental in so many ways to your health. Lack of sleep affects energy levels, increases stress, leads to weight gain and impairs congnitive functions. Sleep is crucial for brain performance, improving mood, boosting the immune system, heart health, and physical repair/recovery.

Wrapping It Up

So, to sum it all up, these five tips are a solid starting point to help you zero in on what really matters for building muscle. If you put these strategies into action, you'll be able to amp up your workouts, boost your nutrition, and just get a better grip on your fitness journey overall. You've got this!

-Coach Marc

Got any fitness related questions? I'd love to hear them: info@schererfitness.com