How to gain muscle mass at home for a man or girl - proper nutrition and training. The fastest way to increase muscle mass

As experience shows, it is not always important where to train - in a fancy gym or at home, in a modest odnushka. Much more important is how to train, since building biceps & Co, like any other process, requires a serious, and even better, scientific approach, careful development, a well-thought-out system. Our portal will talk about the research of scientists in this area and tell you how to achieve muscle growth at home as efficiently, quickly and without harm to health. Read the material also about the opinion of scientists about muscle growth.

Why and how muscle growth occurs

First you need to clearly define what you want: to increase strength or muscle size? Since these are different goals, the training needed to achieve them is different. So, the popular pumps with weights give the muscles a load, which causes physiological processes that contribute to their increase. Moreover, paradoxical as it sounds, the processes of increase (due to the thickness of muscle fibers and the amount of fluid in muscle cells) are triggered during rest from exercise.

Another nuance is important: even with the same amount of training, different people can experience different growth in muscle mass. This may depend on the following factors:

• age;
• genetic inclinations;
• sleep (lack of sleep harms everything);
• food, the amount of clean water consumed;
• healthy lifestyle;
• stress.

Even if you train with the best instructor on the latest simulators, you will not become a Schwarzenegger if you ignore proper nutrition, good healthy sleep.

What scientists say about muscle growth

As a result of physical exercises, specific stress arises in the body: mechanical and metabolic. The result of both types of stress is the growth of muscle fibers. But they grow actively only if the body in physical effort has reached the threshold of “I can’t” - in professional vocabulary this is called “muscle failure”. The human body is very intelligent, so it can store and use energy as efficiently as possible. In the case of “pulling iron”, this ability of the body looks like this: if the load is not increased, keeping it at a constant level, this will result in limiting the magnitude of mechanical and metabolic stress and the pumping result will, to put it mildly, be far from expected. That is, you will increase muscle strength, but you will not achieve the necessary increase in muscle mass. Hence the conclusion: if you want to have biceps-triceps of impressive volumes, train until, roughly speaking, you fall off your feet.

Scientists were able to prove that it is possible to effectively build muscle mass only by hard training until muscle failure, that is, until a person realizes that he is unable to do a single set more.

In the language of scientists, there are 3 types of training (they were announced in 2006 by scientists Kremer and Zatsiorsky):

• maximum effort method;
• method of dynamic efforts;
• method of repeated efforts;

The first method (training with significant weights) is good for developing muscle strength. The second (classes with the fastest possible weight movement) will be appreciated by fans of "high-speed" sports. But the third - the method of repeated efforts - is needed for those who want to achieve maximum muscle growth. Pundits are unshakable in this matter: if you want to have a relief body, train to muscle failure, because with insufficient load, the conditions necessary for muscle growth will not be created in the body.

Sleep and Recovery Are Essential Conditions for Muscle Growth

As already mentioned, the physiological processes leading to muscle growth occur mainly during rest. Therefore, it is impossible to overestimate the role of sleep in this matter. Those very metabolic and mechanical stresses that give impetus to muscle growth will not be in vain only when the body releases the hormones and substances necessary for the growth of biceps & Co. They are released just during sleep, to be extremely precise - in the phase of REM sleep. Lack of sleep, sleep in adverse conditions, training to exhaustion will nullify. Moreover, increased levels of cortisone and adrenaline due to lack of sleep will reduce the body's ability to build muscle mass.

Scientists have calculated that the body needs from 48 to 72 hours to recover, which is necessary for muscle growth. That is how much time should pass between training individual muscle groups.

The recovery period after training is the time when glycogen stores are replenished in the muscles, the processes of reconstruction and the construction of new muscle tissues are activated. Scientists have calculated that the body needs from 48 to 72 hours to recover, which is necessary for muscle growth. That is how much time should pass between training individual muscle groups. Therefore, it is logical to give the main load to each muscle group, for example, once a week.

Science Based Training Program for Effective Muscle Growth

Scientists have calculated everything from beginner training to iron weight and rest time, which are needed for the most effective training to build muscle mass at home:

• preparation: to avoid muscle damage, beginners should start with a dynamic warm-up, loading the core muscles (stabilizer muscles, abs ...);

• the weight must be selected so that 8-12 repetitions can be done until muscle failure;
• number of approaches: 3-4;
• rest between sets: from 30 seconds to 2 minutes;
• speed of movement: 1-2 seconds - movement (for example, raising the bar), 2-6 seconds - the eccentric phase of the exercise (lowering the bar). Scientists insist on a longer second part of the movement, since it is this that is extremely important for muscle growth;
• weights: free weights or exercise machines. Free weight training involves a large number of muscles, which contributes to an increase in muscle mass density. Exercise machines give a large load on individual muscles;
• order of exercises: beginning - complex movements with free weight (for example, squats with a barbell) to engage different muscle groups. Then - training of individual muscles (for example, on simulators);
• the final exercise in each workout should be done with reduced weight, but be sure (!!!) until muscle failure;

And one more important nuance: remember about the optimal load on the body. Both underload and overload have a negative effect on muscle growth. Therefore, it is important to choose the golden mean.

Research-Based Muscle Growth Workout Program at Home

Based on research on the effectiveness of muscle growth, scientists have created a program designed for repeated four-day cycles. It looks like this:

• 1 day - lower body training (RM - repeated maximum);
• Day 2 - upper body training, traction;
• Day 3 - upper body workout, bench presses;
• Day 4 - rest or calm cardio exercises.

If all the exercises are performed correctly, and each movement is carefully, at the right speed, then the effect of home workouts will be no worse, and perhaps even better than working in the gym with a professional instructor.

The statement that a man should be big and strong should not cause any doubts, since it has been tested by nature itself. However, now there are many who want to make money by speculating on this topic, who offer sports nutrition to athletes under the guise of a miracle pill or invite everyone to fitness centers, a subscription to which costs incredible money.

In this article, we will tell you what you can gain muscle mass at home, eating exclusively healthy food and not devastating the family budget. The rules of training are considered, we will present a set of exercises and recommendations on nutrition.

Conditions for successful weight gain

Exists 3 key factors , observance of which predetermines a successful result in bodybuilding. To these "three whales" relate:

• workout;
• nutrition;
• recovery.

The share of training in the final picture is not as significant as people far from bodybuilding might think. Even if in exercises with iron you give all your best at 150%, but at the same time you do not provide yourself with sufficient nutrition in terms of calories and normal rest, all the efforts made will simply go down the drain.

This is explained by the usual physiological rules, according to which the body can only increase its weight if it receives excess energy - when the amount of nutrients getting into it is higher than the number of calories burned per day.

Training only stimulates muscle growth- during weight training, you load muscle fibers, as a result of which they receive many microtraumas. And since the human body is able to adapt to any conditions of life, it heals damage and starts the process of increasing the volume and strength of muscle fibers, so that when exposed to similar loads in the future, the muscles can cope with them without micro-damages.

This implies one of the most important rules for gaining mass - in the process of training, you must constantly raise the training load (increase the weight of the shells, the number of repetitions or intensity), since the body adapts to the same load and no muscle growth occurs when it is repeated.

What and how much to eat?

For successful muscle building daily caloric content of your diet should be 500-700 kcal more than the number of calories your body burns in a day. The energy consumption of the body directly depends on the level of physical activity of a person, so there are no general recommendations here.

A specific number of calories can be found by multiplying your weight by 35 and multiplying the resulting number by 1.2 for moderate activity or 1.4 for serious activity. Eg:

• 70*35 = 2450 kcal- daily energy consumption of the body of a man weighing 70 kg, engaged in sedentary work;
• 2450*1.2 = 2940 kcal- the daily calorie intake necessary for weight gain.

The nutritional value of any food consists of 3 components - proteins, fats and carbohydrates, the amount of which also needs to be dosed. When gaining mass, it is recommended to adhere to the following BJU:

• squirrels - 35%,
• fats - 25%,
• carbohydrates - 40%.

Protein is a key micronutrient for building muscle. , which can be called a building material for muscle fibers. Carbohydrates also provide the body with energy, their absence affects the increase in fatigue and less performance in training. Fats are needed to ensure the correct flow of biological processes and metabolism.

1. When recruiting, you need to eat foods containing complex carbohydrates - porridge(buckwheat, rice, pearl barley), potatoes, black bread. If you get too carried away with starchy and sweet (fast carbohydrates), instead of muscle mass, you can only gain fat.
2. Main sources of protein must be meat, fish, eggs and cottage cheese . The best option is chicken breast, which contains a minimum amount of fat and is not expensive.
3. Basically you need to take vegetable fats - nuts, linseed oil , since they contain more nutrients and are better absorbed, among animal fats, only fish oil is useful.

Since the calorie content of your diet, and hence the volume of food consumed, will increase, eating everything as before - for 3 meals a day, will become problematic. We recommend sticking to 4-5 meals a day, and be sure to eat a lot of carbohydrates within an hour and a half after training, and eat 200 grams of cottage cheese before going to bed.

How to train?

The question of the training program rests on the factor that you have the required equipment. If you want to get the most out of home training, then you will need to take care of the availability power frame and bars with pancakes with a total weight of up to 150 kg. For the first year of classes, this number of pancakes will be more than enough.

The power frame can be bought in specialized stores, there is also a good option to save money by ordering it from a familiar welder (there are many drawings of such structures on the Internet). Olympic vulture you need to buy, you can take it for 3-4 thousand.

Regarding training. In the first half of the year, it makes sense to train according to the system "fullbody", working through all muscle groups in one workout. Here is an example of such a program:

• Power rack squats: 4x8.
• Bench press in a power rack: 4x8.
• Pull-ups on the horizontal bar: 5x6.
• Lifting the bar for biceps: 3x8
• Bench press standing: 3x8.
• Pulling the bar to the chin: 3x8.

The most difficult exercises - squat, bench press and pull-ups are at the beginning, since they are best performed when not tired. At first, do not try to work with large weights - this is fraught with injuries, first you need to sharpen your exercise technique, and only then increase the weight on the bar.

But what if it is not possible to use a power frame and a barbell in a house or apartment? In this case, you will at least need a horizontal bar, bars and a pair of stacked dumbbells weighing from 5 to 25 kg. The program is the following:

• Pull-ups on the horizontal bar: 5x6.
• Incline dumbbell row: 3x8.
• Lifting dumbbells for biceps: 3x8.
• Push-ups on the uneven bars: 5x8.
• Dumbbell press up: 3x8.
• Dumbbell layout standing: 3x8.

Exercises on the horizontal bar and parallel bars , after they begin to be given to you relatively easily, you must perform with additional weight, observing the principle of increasing loads. You can use an ordinary backpack by putting a bag of sand in it, if finances allow - buy a weightlifting belt and hang a pancake from a barbell or a weight with a chain.

Is it necessary to use sports nutrition when exercising at home?

The answer to this question will be unequivocal - no, not necessarily. All novice athletes need to understand that sports nutrition (protein, gainers, etc.) is not a magic pill that can significantly speed up the achievement of the goal, but only ordinary proteins and carbohydrates chemically synthesized into powder form. Thus, everything that a sports nutrition can give you, you can consume by eating a regular portion of natural food.

“But professional bodybuilders use it!”- you say.

Indeed, protein and gainer are constant companions of experienced bodybuilders, but there is a rational explanation for this. People with a long experience of training and weighing 100 kg or more, in order to maintain the existing mass and further progression, must consume a huge amount of calories, up to 4-5 thousand, which is an extremely tedious process to obtain from natural food.

Thus, the jocks get the standard 3 thousand kcal with regular meals, and the missing calories and trace elements are finished off with a gainer and protein shakes. As a result, taking sports nutrition is only a matter of convenience, and not a panacea.

This article is for those who want to increase the volume and improve the shape of the muscles. Surely, you have thought about why some guys have such powerful and voluminous muscles, as if they were pumped up by a pump, while in us, ordinary mortals, they seem flat and not so voluminous.

You may not be able to keep up with those who have a genetic predisposition to develop muscles, famous stars such as 4-time Arnold Classic winner Flex Wheeler, Mr. Olympia, however, you can significantly increase the volume of your muscles using the suggested here tricks.

The duration of the load refers to the amount of time for which the muscles are in a tense state during the execution of the approach.

Whether the effort is isometric, eccentric, or concentric, the contraction of the muscle results in its tension. But for muscle growth, it is not the time of tension that matters. We are interested in the effect of prolonged tension caused by clamping of blood vessels.

The blood vessels during muscle contraction are compressed until they are completely clogged, thereby limiting blood flow to this muscle. This effect of tension is obtained if you step on a garden hose.

The longer the muscles are under load, the longer the blood flow to it is limited. But the heart still pumps blood, and due to squeezing of the vessels around the working muscle, blood accumulates in the tissues. After the set is completed, the muscle relaxes and blood flows into the muscle.

The longer the vessels are clamped, the greater the volume of blood rushes into the muscle. To feel this process, you can try to do push-ups for 5 seconds and pay attention to how the muscles are poured. Then you should rest for about two minutes, and then do push-ups for 30 seconds, and again feel how the blood rushes to the muscles.

This process is called hyperemic supercompensation and is known to bodybuilders as "pumping" ("pump"). The rapid influx of a large flow of blood in the muscles increases the pressure.

In the movie Pumping Iron, Arnold noted that a good rush of blood to the muscles is just an incredible feeling. But more important to you should be that the influx of blood puts pressure on the dense, tough sheath of the muscle - the fascia.

The fascia is very difficult to stretch, but over time, and it begins to give in to the pressure that comes from within and stretch, allowing the muscle that it surrounds to actually and visually increase in volume.

And although this information is scientific, we are interested in the results, not science. In the experience of most bodybuilding coaches, the increased duration of the load on the muscles increases their volume. Although, of course, this does not happen in a short time.

According to the experience of Western trainers, a higher speed of movement in repetitions and the use of more weight allows you to involve more muscle fibers in the work.

That is why, instead of using less weight and intentionally slowing down movements, it is better to move, even concentric, quickly, but choose a weight with which you can do sets of 45 seconds.

With a set duration of less than 30 seconds, this will not generate enough blood flow to create good intramuscular pressure. On the other hand, to complete a set lasting more than 60 seconds, you need very little weight, which is also not good. Therefore, the optimal time is considered to be 45 seconds.

No. 2. Doing more work

Your body has an incredible ability to adapt. It does its best to adapt to any load and become more prepared for certain tasks. This also applies to high volume training.

Training volume refers to the total number of repetitions and sets. This is the total amount of work that muscles perform during exercise. More energy is needed to do more work. Energy for muscle contraction is provided by muscle glycogen, a store of carbohydrates stored in muscle tissue.

Let's assume that you want to use the above principle of stretching the fascia. You do chest exercises for sets of twelve reps. The chest muscles will use significantly more glycogen to perform ten sets of twelve reps than two sets of twelve reps. It should be remembered that only the glycogen of working muscles is consumed.

With a sufficient increase in training volume, thus, depletion of glycogen stores in the muscles occurs, an interesting phenomenon occurs. The body begins to strive to replenish glycogen stores in order to successfully cope with such loads next time.

The process of a short-term increase in muscle glycogen content is called glycogen supercompensation. At the same time, the muscles are temporarily able to store a larger amount of glycogen than usual, say, instead of 100%, it stores 120%.

With regular repetition of the stimulus, i.e. with the systematic depletion of glycogen stores, the body gradually acquires the ability to accumulate an increasing amount of this substance. And this means that this pattern can also be used in the long term.

And, despite the fact that we are not so concerned about the amount of glycogen in the muscle, but its volume, containing more glycogen, the muscle looks more voluminous and rounded.

You won't be able to see changes after 1-2 high volume workouts, but results will become noticeable over time. After 8 weeks of high volume training, you may find that your muscles are getting bulkier. But there are exceptions to this rule. With a relatively high volume of your training, you will not even notice major changes, because your body is adapted to such loads. The same applies to the duration of muscle loads.

The second reason for the weak effect of this technique may not be in the load, but in the diet. If you don't eat enough carbs, especially after exercise, when your body's ability to store glycogen increases, your body won't have the material to store muscle glycogen.

Remember that glycogen is just a store of carbohydrates, not fats or proteins. Just like filling up a gas tank with gasoline, you need to fuel your body with enough carbs to replenish your glycogen stores.

It should be noted that with the constant accumulation of more glycogen in the muscles, this also puts pressure on the fascia surrounding them, and gradually stretch it.

It must be remembered that the intensity and volume of work must be inversely proportional to each other, this is required for the complete restoration of not only the muscles, but also the nervous system. That's why you shouldn't be tempted to push every set of a high-volume program to failure.

No. 3. Optimizing the length of breaks between sets

Like the first strategy, optimizing the rest time between sets can increase blood flow as well as increase pressure in the muscle.

Let's pretend you're doing a killer approach. Muscles swell as if the skin will soon burst. Then you want to rest for three minutes, giving the body time to replenish the creatine phosphate stores in tired muscles, remove lactic acid and hydrogen ions. In the next approach, to achieve good performance, this is very useful.

But to maintain high intramuscular pressure, 3 minutes of rest is a lot, since a significant part of the blood that creates this pressure drains from the muscle during this time.

We should not forget that the fascia consists of a strong, rigid tissue. In the report on a small pressure in a short period of time, it does not stretch. In order for it to stretch, it is necessary that the muscle exert more prolonged pressure on it.

That is why, in order for the fascia to stretch as much as possible and increase the volume of the muscle, you need the muscle to remain filled with blood for as long as possible.

This technique has its advantages and disadvantages. If you start the next approach too early, you will not be able to perform it at full strength. As previously mentioned, it takes a certain amount of time for the products of its work to be removed from the muscles and for the restoration of the supply of creatine phosphate. This is required to complete a decent number of reps in a set.

On the other hand, a very long rest can relieve the pressure that is placed on the fascia.

In this case, you need to carefully listen to your body. You should pay attention to how swollen from the influx of blood and dense the muscles became after the set, and try to catch the moment when this effect disappears. So, you can rest exactly as much time as necessary for optimal stretching of the fascia.

It is imperative to note in the training diary the number of repetitions performed in the approaches. If you completed fifteen repetitions in the first approach, and only six in the next, then this means that you did not rest enough.

By observing the sensations in the muscles and comparing the number of repetitions in further approaches, you can choose the optimal length of rest between sets.

But if you do not want to sometimes bother your own brain by focusing on sensations, then you should rest for 45 seconds. 30-60 seconds is the optimal time to recover between sets. With less difficult exercises, such as barbell curls, 30 seconds will be enough to recover. When performing more tiring exercises, such as squats, it is better to rest for 60 seconds between sets. Naturally, if you have enough strength to do squats with a minute of rest between sets.

No. 4. Stretching a muscle while it is filled with blood

Doing stretching exercises is very useful, and at any time. Stretching is one of the most underestimated techniques to help increase muscle performance, improve muscle appearance, and prevent injury.

Stretching can loosen the contraction of the muscles by the fascia or keep the muscles in a stretched state for as long as possible, this will also help stretch the fascia.

To increase the tensile pressure on the muscle membrane, you need to stretch when the muscles are still filled with blood. In other words, it is necessary to do muscle stretching exercises no more than thirty seconds after the end of a long approach. And it is necessary to keep the muscles in a state of stretching longer than usual. You can stretch for sixty seconds, or longer.

But, since due to static stretching exercises, a decrease in muscle performance in further approaches is possible, then you need to stretch after the last approach of the exercise for a certain muscle group.

Stretching the muscles is another, no less significant effect. By holding the position of a fairly strong stretch for a long time, this allows the stimulation of the growth of new sarcomeres and muscle lengthening.

If you can lengthen the muscle by growing sarcomeres, it will become visually voluminous, especially in a tense state.

This method, like any technique associated with stretching the fascia, needs time and consistency in use. It should be written in the training diary that it is necessary to stretch after training, otherwise you can forget about it. And you should tune in to the fact that you will begin to notice changes after a maximum of three months. With enough patience following this strategy for six months, you will definitely see results.

No. 5. Isolation of lagging muscles

This strategy helps to increase the volume of muscles not by stretching their shell, but by focusing loads on the target muscle group.

The whole point of training is to expose the muscles to unusual loads for them, and then allow them to adapt. To develop weak muscles, you need to make sure that these muscles do the main work. This is the only way to force these muscles to adapt and develop.

For example, if for some reason the main work is done by triceps when doing a bench press to develop the pectoral muscles, then it is they who will become stronger and larger.

In such cases, there are several methods to make sure that not the triceps, but the pectoral muscles do the main work and take the stimulus to growth. One technique is to pre-fatigue the chest muscles with isolation exercises before performing the bench press.

For example, you can do breeding with dumbbells lying down, and then move on to doing a bench press. You may not like the fact that during the bench press you will need to work with a light weight. But you can be sure that the tired pectoral muscles will do most of the work. And it is they who will have to adapt to the loads with the help of hypertrophy.

In addition to pre-fatigue, doing isolation exercises is very useful for increasing lagging muscles.

It is preferable for general development to do such as deadlifts, squats and the aforementioned bench press. However, when it comes to developing individual muscles, then isolation exercises such as straight-arm rows, machine leg extensions, and dumbbell flyes are often more effective.

For general strength development, isolation exercises are not very good, but they allow you to work out lagging muscle groups, due to the fact that in such exercises all the load goes to the target muscle. If we compare, for example, leg extension with squats or raising arms with a bench press.

If you, performing a basic exercise, feel bad about the work of individual muscles, then you can first try to do isolating exercises for the same muscles, and then move on to the basic one. Thanks to this sequence, it is possible to preliminarily tire the muscles, as well as activate the nerve fibers in it.

For example, if you can’t feel the work of the muscles of the upper back (the middle part of the rhomboids and trapezius muscles) while performing a row with a barbell to the belt in an incline, then you can first try lifting your arms with dumbbells through the sides in an incline, and then move on to traction. You may find that you will feel better working the upper back muscles in the pull to the belt.

And finally

We hope that these recommendations will be useful to you. Just do not forget that the improvement of the physique, especially the development of lagging muscles, takes time. Therefore, be patient and enjoy the training!

Muscle building is a very complex physiological and biomechanical process, which can be confusing even for the most experienced athlete. Here are 5 simple steps on how to build muscle at home that can achieve great results for you. Gaining body weight quickly without harm to your health at home is possible only by following a diet, training and recovery. It will be more difficult for a thin person (aka ectomorph), while a mesomorph will be able to get rapid muscle growth without even adhering to a strict regimen. Follow this guide step by step and you will be able to increase muscle mass even at home.

We'll cover everything from food, diet and exercise to help you figure out which sports nutrition can help lean people who can't get enough calories from regular foods to make progress.

What is the process of building muscle?

Before we discuss in detail how to build muscle, let's first briefly touch on the basics of physiology. To pump up safely and properly at home or in the gym, it is preferable to use only natural means and methods so that the result remains unchanged for many years without rollback. But you need to understand the biochemical processes of protein synthesis that occur in the body. In other words, you need to understand why muscles grow and how it happens in order to speed up these processes.

Lifting weights leads to micro-tears in muscle tissue, after which a whole cascade of biochemical reactions occurs, it is commonly called supercompensation, which in turn lead to the activity of certain cells in the body. These cells, as it were, are attached to muscle fibers to help them repair damaged areas and stimulate the synthesis of new ones.

When the cross-sectional area of ​​the fibers increases, you experience what is commonly known as muscle hypertrophy.

You must remember that the purpose of training is to stimulate protein synthesis. However, the key to building muscle lies in its recovery, not damage.

On the one hand, you can’t bring the body to a state of overtraining, because this can not only slow down growth, but also lead to loss of results and poor health. On the other hand, to stimulate muscle growth, it is necessary to force the body to do what it does not want, which leads to pain. If during training you feel light, then most likely you are becoming lazier, and training is not taking place at the proper level of intensity.

How important is body type?

When it comes to training and nutrition, most guys need to determine their body type from three: ectomorph, mesomorph, or endomorph. It is most difficult for ectomorphs to gain a few extra pounds: their training and nutrition should line up in a special way.

Before we examine each somatotype in detail, let's first consider the origin and significance of this classification of the human figure.

Somatotypes were originally developed by Rhode Island psychologist William Herbert Sheldon to characterize the psychological state of a person based on anthropometry.

Eventually, the bodybuilding and fitness community adopted this somatotype classification system to define the physical characteristics of athletes.

However, the original model designed by Sheldon was exclusively for men. But what about in the case of women? The scientist did not answer this question.

From this we can conclude that the system of somatotypes is very limited in its design, scope and significance. And techniques for building muscle should be selected for a person, his capabilities and results. A training program for gaining mass at home will differ from a set of exercises for training in the gym. But this will be more about the limitations that the equipment of the home gym imposes. If you have barbells, dumbbells, a bench and a power rack, then you can have a full workout without visiting the gym. However, here is what typical characteristics look like under the Sheldon model:

ECTOMORPH

Typical skinny guy:

• small joints;
• Narrow shoulders;
• Long bones;
• High growth and longevity.

In the bodybuilding world, they are called hardgainers.

MESOMORPH

Pretty athletic build.

• Large bones;
• Higher levels of white muscle columns;
• Somewhat angular figure;
• Naturally strong, despite the lack of proper sports training.

ENDOMORPH

Small stature and stocky build:

• Large parts of the body
• Slightly elevated body fat
• Long limbs provide benefits for lower body strength training

Below you will see that I have not included any specific strength training and nutrition recommendations for each body type, as is done in most of the articles you can find on the Internet. In my opinion, such materials present a rather myopic approach, since the physique of many people does not fully fit the template somatotypes.

For example, to quickly build muscle for an ectomorph if he feels terrible on a high-carb diet, but is able to train 5 days a week?

Should he keep banging his head against the wall while consuming tons of carbs, avoiding cardio and only exercising 3 times a week just because the "experts" on the internet recommend it?

No, of course not. For example, I was only able to gain 17 kg of muscle by properly balanced eating and training hard, without resorting to consuming a huge amount of carbohydrates.

Somatotype classification was never developed as a means of assessing the potential for muscle growth or an individual's genetic response to exercise.

Likewise, you are not destined to gain fat easily because you have an endomorphic body type and love carbohydrates. This is just a starting point, no more and no less.

Although the methods that provide muscle growth for a full and thin person have fundamental differences from each other. But don't limit yourself psychologically by believing that your body type can prevent you from gaining mass. All people have mixed types, and it is very difficult to find a pronounced representative. All people have the potential to gain muscle mass, regardless of gender and body type, whether you train in the gym or at home. Your desire and desire to improve the quality of your body play a big role.

Somatotypes are useful as the most general way to classify beginner athletes. It is unnecessary to use them to explain the reasons for the limitations of one's own potential.

Step #1: Calculate your calorie needs

To understand exactly how you need to eat in order to quickly build muscle, you need to understand how many calories you need to consume. The first step is to determine your basal metabolic rate. In fact, this is an estimate of the minimum amount of energy required to maintain the basic functions of the body (heartbeat, respiration, etc.) at rest.

Formulas for calculating basal metabolism

1. Formula based on weight, height and age of a person

• Men: 66 + (13.7 X body weight) + (5 X height in cm) - (6.8 X age in years) = basal metabolic rate or BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)
• Women: 655 + (9.6 X body weight) + (1.8 X height in cm) - (4.7 X age in years)

2. Formula based on pure muscle mass without fat

That is, if your weight is 60 kg and 27% fat, then fat is 16.2 kg (60 is multiplied by 0.27 and the resulting figure is subtracted from 60), therefore, dry muscles are 60-16.2 = 43, 8 kg.

The formula is the same in this case for men and women:

370 + (21.6 X Lean Muscle) = BMR

Use a special online calculator or formulas for calculations.

daily calorie intake for women

This formula for calculating calories appeared several years ago, but is considered most accurate.

The daily calorie intake for women is determined by the formula:
10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (years) - 161

Now the result must be multiplied by the coefficient of physical activity:

• 1.2 - minimal or no physical activity
• 1.375 - fitness classes 3 times a week
• 1.4625 - fitness classes 5 times a week
• 1.550 - intense physical activity 5 times a week
• 1.6375 - fitness classes every day
• 1.725 - every day intensively or twice a day

Daily calorie intake for men

The daily calorie intake for men is calculated by the formula:

10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (years) + 5

As in the calculation for women, we multiply the result by the coefficient of physical activity:

• 1.2 - minimum or no
• 1.375 - 3 p. in Week
• 1.4625 - 5 p. in Week
• 1.550 - intensively 5 p. in Week
• 1.6375 - every day
• 1.725 - every day intensively or 2 r. in a day
• 1.9 - daily + physical work

Standard power supply "to ground" , generally recommended for healthy people with an average body weight. Use the following formula to determine your daily calorie needs:

SSRE + 250 calories.

SSRE + 500 calories.

Keep in mind that these calculations are based on algorithms that work for most people, but not everyone. They are compiled without taking into account many variables, such as genotype, hormones, lifestyle factors, hobbies, features of thermogenesis and the functioning of the nervous system.

So some of you may need to add more calories to gain weight, while others may need less. Start eating according to the above formulas for a month, observe the results, and then adjust the diet.

If you've been training for a year or two, you should be gaining about 220 grams per week. Beginners should gain a little more - 340-450 grams per week - to maximize their potential for muscle growth.

Step #2: Plan Your Meals

For example, let's say you are a young person who is 20 years old and you are a student, then you can simply substitute your data. You are new to strength training and want to build muscle. Your height is 182 cm, weight is 70 kg. You work as a waiter or sales assistant and plan to work out 3-4 times a week because you have a lean physique (average ectomorph).

We will use these parameters as a practical example to determine your calorie and macronutrient needs. In step #1, you learned how to calculate your base calorie intake, so now we'll take a look at how to distribute it across macronutrients and how to plan your meals in general, how much proteins, fats and carbohydrates you need to consume for a quality set of muscles.

SSRE≈ 2750 calories

• Calorie rate for enhanced muscle growth: 2750 + 500 = 3250 calories.

Protein:

• Start with 2.15 grams per 1 kg of body weight;
• 1 gram of protein contains 4 calories;
• 70 kg (weight) * 8.6 = 600 kcal.

• Start with 1 gram per 1 kg of weight;
• 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories;
• 70 * 9 = 630 calories.

Carbohydrates:

• Take the remaining calories with carbohydrates;
• 1 gram of carbohydrates contains 4 calories;
• 3250 - 1230 (600+630) = 2020 calories divided by 4 = 505 calories.

Water

It is necessary to consume a sufficiently large amount of water per day, approximately 2-2.5 liters. The fact is that we are used to drinking water when we want it. But in fact, when the body tells us that it wants water, it begins dehydration processes. That is, it is already late and you should have drunk a glass of water earlier. When the body is dehydrated, water leaves the cells and thereby triggers catabolism (the mechanism of destruction of muscle tissue).

Water is an integral part of all cells of tissues and organs of our body and all processes occurring in it. It is important for many functions of our body, your body, like muscles, is 70% water and no growth without it is simply impossible. Modern recommendations are 2 tablespoons 30 ml per 1 kg of weight, for example, with a weight of 70 kg, you need to drink 2 1 liters of water per day. The larger the person, the higher his metabolic load, the more water he needs.

Pay special attention to the process of hydration, there should always be a sufficient amount of fluid in the body.

So, you need to consume approximately 150 g of protein, 70 g of fat and 505 g of carbohydrates per day.

I know this may seem like a gigantic amount, but for some guys (and girls), that's exactly what it takes to build muscle.

If you can't consume carbs in that amount, or you don't tolerate them well (as I said above), then you can easily replace them with fats, since they are also high in calories, but have a smaller volume.

I should point out that all of the above recommendations are for young, healthy and active people. Some macronutrients need to be adjusted to suit your body parameters, metabolic rate, and protein synthesis, especially for older athletes or those whose bodies do not respond well to this nutritional strategy.

Nutrition program

Now let's look at the diet, or rather an example of a menu, so that everyone can gain 17 kg of muscle mass at home.

Breakfast

Dinner

Nutrition after training (after 1-2 hours)

Dinner

You do not have to strictly follow the menu given, since these products do not have any special effect. This is just an example to show you how you can determine the amount of macronutrients your body needs and then make a list of foods and meals based on them.

Daily need: 3230 calories - 490g carbs/70g fat/160g protein

Goal to consume daily: 3250 calories - 505g carbs/70g fat/150g protein

These figures do not match, but the differences do not play a big role.

Attempts to increase body weight and their success are determined by consistency and consistency, not by the ability to consume a precisely set amount of macronutrients.

• Palm = 1 serving of protein (140-170 g);
• Thumb length = 1 serving of fat;
• Handful = 1 serving of carbohydrates;
• Fist = 1 serving of vegetables.

I should also note that most people will need to regularly recalculate macronutrients (every 4-6 weeks) and add calories if body weight does not increase. Your body is trying to maintain homeostasis despite the fact that you are trying to load it with training, so you will have to stimulate the adaptation process by increasing the amount of calories you consume.

Muscle Foods

Calories serve as a kind of building block for muscles, but you must be aware of each individual macronutrient, as well as have an idea of ​​​​how much you are consuming.

When it comes to training and nutrition for mass gain, every effort must be made to make the process simple and nutritionally beneficial.

First of all, focus on whole foods, that is, those that contain one ingredient (with a minimum of additives). Here are some tips that will help you quickly build muscle at home:

Proteins:

• Chicken;
• Lean beef;
• Whey Protein;
• Fish (lean and fatty);
• Eggs.

Carbohydrates:

• Buckwheat;
• Quinoa;
• Oatmeal;
• Potato;
• Fruits;
• Vegetables.

Fats:

• Olive oil;
• Nuts and seeds;
• Linseed oil;
• Coconut oil;
• Avocado.

Keep in mind that as you increase your calorie intake, it may become more difficult for you to eat enough of the whole foods you need to reach your goals. If this becomes a real problem, look to liquid calorie sources like smoothies or coconut/whole milk (depending on individual tolerance).

Once you reach your macro and micronutrient goals, you can include processed foods in your diet to increase your calorie content.

Hard training will make it easier to consume those excess calories from processed sources by increasing performance, however, they should account for 10-15% of total calories. Remember - everything is good in moderation.

Essential sports nutrition supplements

This chapter focuses on sports supplements that you need to take in addition to a healthy diet and exercise. In order for muscles to grow quickly, you need to look for ways to accelerate protein synthesis and increase the speed of recovery after training. And sports nutrition will help us with this.

Remember that nutrition and training are the key to muscle development and physical growth, and with the help of sports nutrition alone you will not achieve your goals. These are just food supplements.

1. Creatine. This is a cheap and effective way to increase strength, muscle hypertrophy and anaerobic capacity (which has been proven in a huge amount of research).

1. Fish fat. Provides the right balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which play an important role in long-term cardiovascular health and triglyceride regulation.

1. Vitamin D. Actually, vitamin D is not a vitamin. It is a fat-soluble nutrient similar to vitamins A, E, and K, but differs from them in that it acts as a steroid precursor in terms of hormonal function. Research has shown that optimal levels of vitamin D can improve heart health, cognition, and bone density.

1. Whey Protein. If you're having a hard time increasing your protein intake or meal frequency to get the calories you need, then whey protein is one of the cheapest, tastiest, and most convenient ways to hit your goals.

Optional Additives

1. Probiotics / Digestive Enzymes. If you consume 4,000 calories daily, then the gastrointestinal tract is doing double duty. In this case, you will need to improve the condition of its bacterial flora in order to stimulate the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids, optimize nutrient absorption and immune system response to antigens.

1. BCAA. According to many experts, the need to take BCAAs depends on each specific case. If you have been fasting or training hard for a long time, then you may need this supplement, although the average athlete does not need it.

1. ZMA. Sleep plays an important role in muscle growth and improved recovery between workouts. However, many athletes are deficient in zinc and magnesium, as these elements are depleted during intense exercise. In this regard, hormonal changes can occur that affect the results of training.

Protein:

• Consume protein before and after your workout.
• Eat protein with every meal or snack.
• The time between meals should be 3-4 hours. This will bring the concentration of amino acids back to baseline.
• Before training, consume protein or at least take BCAAs to stimulate the anabolic effect.

Carbohydrates:

• Eat carbohydrates before and after your workout.
• Consider personal preferences and reactions of the body (for example, eat during the day at certain intervals, in the evening, at night, more in the morning, etc.)
• Focus on fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods like rice, potatoes, oatmeal, and more.
• Carbohydrates should not be feared or completely avoided, as they are of great importance in the process of building mass.
• If carbs make you sleepy, choose foods with a lower glycemic index or eat more of them at the end of the day.

Fats:

• Because fats slow down nutrient absorption, try taking them at different times (before, during, or after your workouts) and see how your body reacts.
• Include fats in a variety of meals throughout the day as they lower the glycemic index and improve the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
• Balance your intake of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated fats.
• Avoid artificial fats (that is, those made in factories).
• Ensure adequate intake of omega-3s from a variety of sources.

Step #3: Choose the Right Workout Program

If you don’t exercise, then no amount of diet and macronutrients will lead you to your goals.

If you are an inquisitive person by nature, you could try to create your own training program, although this would require a lot of experimentation, knowledge and time. Depending on your preferences, goals and capabilities, you would most likely end up with one of the following splits:

• Split for all parts of the body - 3 days a week
• Upper/lower body - 4 days a week
• Legs/Press/Drawing – 3 to 5 days per week

We'll go over exercise choices in another section of this guide, but generally people settle for one of these 3 options.

A few words about technology

When you first start strength training, you may want to focus on the weight of the bar rather than the mechanics of the movement. However, don't be fooled - the wrong technique will not lead to anything good in the long run.

Ideally, your workout should start with foam roller exercises for 5 minutes, and then move on to dynamic stretching and exercises that target the shoulders and hips. The warm-up does not have to be long. Over time, you will notice that it has a positive effect on training.

Most Effective Muscle Building Exercises

During training, thin people need to use basic exercises to work out the largest muscles. And even at home, muscles build up with heavy basic exercises, so you need to look for ways to give a load to larger muscle groups. A home mini gym with a barbell, dumbbells or kettlebells can help with this.

To get the maximum effect when gaining mass, of course it is better to visit the gym. There will always be a set of weights for progress in working weights, a partner who will insure and help you not to be lazy, but it is quite possible to achieve success at home.

• Deadlift. Without a doubt, one of the best muscle building exercises that any athlete should include in their workouts. Ideally, deadlifts, like squats, should be performed with a barbell.
• Squats. The deep squat is one of the hardest exercises to master, yet it is essential in any training program. Due to differences in the anatomy of the hip and other joints, not every athlete can squat until the buttocks touch the ankles, but classic and front squats must be performed by everyone without exception.
• Push-ups on the uneven bars. You should definitely learn how to perform exercises with your own weight. If you can't do simple exercises like classic push-ups, dips, or pull-ups, then you need to work on building strength. Dips are a great way to build chest, shoulder, and triceps muscles if you consistently increase the load.
• Pull-ups. Pull-ups are the easiest way to measure an athlete's strength. If you're unable to complete at least 5 reps, then it's time to reprioritize. Pull-ups are a great exercise for building up the lats, biceps, and upper back muscles. They are much better performed instead of pulling the upper block to the chest.
• Bench press. If you walk into the gym on a Monday, you'll likely see the vast majority of men doing bench presses. And there are many good reasons for this. Bench press variations with dumbbells and a barbell on an incline bench are also effective for building triceps, chest and shoulder muscles.
• Overhead press (military press). Overhead press results are an excellent indicator of upper body strength. Most experienced lifters should be able to lift their own body weight on this exercise.
• Pulling exercises. Both dumbbell and barbell rows are incredibly beneficial for developing upper back muscles, which are usually weak in most athletes. Exercises in machines can also be effective, however, for best results, you need to work with free weights.

Training and recovery

It would be a serious mistake on my part not to mention the importance of recovery. After all, rest determines the frequency, duration and intensity of training. Of course, you can use strong anabolic drugs to increase mass, but in this article every advice is only about the correct increase in muscles without harm to health.

You can't push yourself to the limit in a workout every day and expect 100 percent performance from your body. As I said in the first part of this article, the key to growth is muscle repair, not muscle damage.

When you look at bodybuilders or professional strength athletes lifting huge weights, you must remember that there are certain conditions that will allow them to train extremely hard and recover very well.

Their lifestyle is all about fitness - they eat, train, sleep, eat, rest, eat, sleep and do it over and over again. The influence of external stimuli is minimized in order to allow these people to focus all their time and energy on training, improving the physique and working on special skills.

As a regular athlete, you should be focused on the following 3 points:

• Stress
• Rest

Dream

Sleep is, without a doubt, one of the most overlooked performance boosters. There is an entire area of ​​research dedicated only to sleep and its effects on body composition and muscle growth.

Most people need at least 8 hours of sleep a night. Ideally, you should wake up at the same time every morning without an alarm going off. If it doesn't, then you need to improve your sleep hygiene and circadian rhythms.

Stress

Stress can sometimes be helpful. After all, training is also a stress factor, right? But when stress is constantly present in life and weighs on you mentally and physically, you will quickly begin to notice its detrimental effect on health and performance.

Spend 5-10 minutes each day in complete silence, turning off your cell phone, computer, and other distractions. You will be surprised how difficult this can be, but this practice is necessary to get rid of the constant stress that comes from the incessant flow of information.

Also, surround yourself with people with similar goals who are ready to support you in your aspirations. If someone constantly “pulls you down”, it can thereby reduce motivation and kill the desire to train.

Rest

Muscles need time to recover. You can't expect your chest and shoulders to work at 100 percent performance today if you did 8 sets of bench press yesterday.

For most muscle groups, 48 ​​hours is enough to recover, so train every other day to start.

This does not mean that you should never train 2 days in a row, as some programs suggest (Smolov's approaches, Sheiko's, etc.), which, by the way, lead to amazing results. However, 48 hours for recovery is a general recommendation.

Also, the body needs time to adapt to weight lifting, so don't expect to look like Arnold after 6 months of weight lifting.

Pain minimization training is a normal practice. If you are constantly exhausting yourself in the gym and squeezing out the last strength in each approach, then for your own good, slow down.

Step number 4: start training according to the chosen program

Of course, you must understand that nothing will happen until you take action. You won't achieve your goals just by wanting to change your body. Go to the gym and work on yourself. Nobody said it would be easy, but the effort is worth it.

Determine your workout time

Most people train between 9 am and 5 pm. However, if you are a student, then most likely, studying takes up a huge part of your daytime. You will probably have to practice in the morning or evening in order to fit into your lecture and exam schedule. Here are some benefits of exercising in the morning and evening:

Morning:

• Improves mental performance and sets the tone for the rest of the day
• Reduces the risk of excuses from evening workouts
• Motivates to choose healthy foods as you start the day with the right nutrition
• Develops discipline as you have to wake up earlier than usual to work hard and improve yourself
• Leaves more free time in the evening

Evening:

• The results of physical activity at this time of day are usually better
• Less stressful situations as you don't have to rush to work or school, which increases your training time overall. Longer warm-ups and rest periods usually lead to greater results and increase performance.
• Eliminates hectic morning preparations, when you need to clean up, prepare food, put sportswear in a bag, etc.
• A very relaxing psychological atmosphere, when you can turn to someone for advice or just chat with others to relieve stress after a day's work.

Cooking

Nutrition is the foundation of your success. If you neglect it, you will not be able to achieve your goals, whether it is weight gain or fat burning. That is why the preparation of food and the sequence in this process acquires such an important role.

Of course, from time to time on special occasions you will eat in restaurants. However, if you start cooking your own meals, you will find that it is much easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, it doesn't start in your kitchen, the moment you walk into the grocery store.

If you only have healthy foods in your refrigerator, then it will be much easier for you to follow a diet. Cooking won't take long. Try to prepare meals for the entire coming week at once, as this will greatly simplify life and save you from unnecessary rush in the kitchen in the future.

Keep a workout diary

There is nothing more important than tracking progress. You'll never know how far you've come if you can't turn around and look at your successes and failures.

There is no need to fix every little thing, although some find special pleasure in this. Hard numbers allow you to objectively measure progress without relying on a subjective view based on what you see in the mirror.

First of all, watch your diet and exercise. You should be focused on progressive overload as well as the amount of calories consumed.

I've already covered 2 different calorie tracking methods, so whichever one you choose, just make sure you're consistent and always ready to make adjustments if you're not making progress.

Step #5: Stay motivated

Forcing yourself to go to the gym is often very difficult. However, once you start exercising and doing a warm-up, things become much easier, because there is some inertia in the process.

However, some people's motivation wanes every day, and they begin to skip workouts, and also forget about proper nutrition.

In today's world with its abundance of entertainment, it can be difficult to maintain enthusiasm for daily hard work on yourself.

We must remember that psychological factors play a huge role in maintaining internal motivation and determination to remain true to the iron sport, despite the influence of external circumstances.

For example, internal motivation is associated with the very content of the activity, while external motivation is based on coercion to do something by external factors associated with receiving a reward or the threat of punishment.

People with high intrinsic motivation often achieve their goals and remain successful because they are charged with love for the sport, and not the need for approval of their physique from others.

5 Rules for a Successful Athlete

1. Knowledge. When it comes to building the perfect physique, you have to be willing to experiment and learn. No one knows which nutrition system is more effective for you or which split is ideal for your genotype. Also, no one is able to take into account your personal preferences, injury history, body asymmetry, experience level or current work capacity.

1. Preparation. If you have a goal to transform the body, then you have to follow the diet. You have to work hard preparing healthy meals and keeping track of your calorie intake. You should approach training the same way. If you don't pack your gym bag ahead of time, you'll end up wasting time looking for a belt, wrist wraps, and other essentials.

1. Hard work. I'll tell you frankly - there is no way to quickly gain muscle. This process takes time, calorie intake, and progressive overload. There is no getting away from this, if you, of course, want to remain a natural athlete.

1. permanence. Ever wondered why most people don't reach their fitness goals? Consistent work in the gym and in the kitchen takes time and effort that many of them simply don't have. People lack consistency when it comes to improving their physique or breaking through plateaus.

1. Progress. You should always strive for constant progress, both mentally and physically. In the beginning, you may find yourself solely focused on nutrition and training. However, as you progress in bodily development, you must keep a balance between sports and other aspects of life. There is no need to profess the principle of "all or nothing".

"How do I know if I'm making progress?"

As I mentioned above in the nutrition section, the easiest way to objectively measure progress is to simply make sure you're working with a weight that's appropriate for your fitness level. In addition, you can measure the following body parts with a centimeter:

• Forearm
• Biceps
• Shoulders (upper deltoids)
• Chest (draw the tape under your arms at or just above the nipple line)
• Waist (along the navel)
• Pelvis (on the largest part of the buttocks)
• Hips (equal distance from the hip and knee joints)
• Calves (at the widest part)

• Measure muscles in both relaxed and tense states
• Do not stretch the measuring tape - it should just fit the body
• Record all numbers to track progress over time
• Do not exercise before taking a measurement, as exercise causes blood to flow to the muscles, making them appear larger
• Measure both sides of the body to identify imbalances in the body and correct them in time

You can also measure body fat with a caliper to determine if you are improving body composition. However, this device often gives errors if you take measurements yourself, so it is better to seek help from a qualified specialist.

Otherwise, you can rely on the same measuring tape, scale, and mirror to determine your current progress.

Gaining muscle is not difficult if you remember the following tips:

1. Remember - nothing will happen until you start monitoring your nutrition.

1. Focus on progressive overload by increasing weight, reps or sets.

1. Focus on core exercises.

1. Do not abuse the frequency of training (at least at first) - more is not always better.

1. Minimize stress and maximize recovery.

1. Sleep as much as possible.

1. Focus on whole foods, but don't be afraid to include a number of processed foods (10-15% of calories) in your diet if you have a poor appetite and are constantly losing weight.

1. Eat 250-500 calories more than the SSRES

1. Consume protein with each meal at the rate of 2.15 grams per 1 kg of body weight

1. Try to gain 220 grams per week (if you are a beginner) or 340-450 grams (if you are an experienced athlete).

1. Reduce or increase your calorie intake based on weekly body weight changes.

FAQ

• How much do I need to eat?

Answer: start with the above recommendations, but do not be afraid to adjust the caloric content of the diet, both upward and downward. Your metabolism and physiology will adjust to the volume of food in an attempt to maintain homeostasis and regulate weight. Some may have to eat more than others, but the scale readings cannot be deceived. If the arrow doesn't go up, then you probably need to increase your calorie intake.

• How much protein do I need?

Answer: in specialized literature, young people are recommended to consume approximately 1.8-2.2 grams of protein per 1 kg of body weight. Can you consume more? If you have healthy kidneys, then yes. Will there be any additional benefit from this from a physiological point of view? Most likely no. Also, since you have a set number of calories you need, when you eat more protein, you should reduce your carbohydrate and/or fat intake to keep your diet balanced. When protein requirements are met (≈1.8-2.2 grams per 1 kg of body weight), you are likely to see more benefit from increased carbohydrate intake, given their impact on anabolism and anaerobic capacity. However, as I mentioned above, these recommendations will be different for older athletes, given the slowdown in their anabolic responses to amino acid intake.

• What supplements should be taken?

Answer: theoretically, none. It would be more correct to ask: "What supplements are useful?". For an answer to this question, please refer to section 2 of this article.

• What working weight should be used?

Answer: use a weight that is heavy for you, but still allows you to perform the required number of repetitions and maintain the correct form.

• When is it necessary to increase working weight?

Answer: as soon as you can complete the required number of repetitions. If you are prescribed range repetitions, then start at the minimum threshold if the weight seems heavy to you and at the maximum if it seems light. Once you reach the upper limit of the range, increase the weight and continue in the same pattern.

• How to minimize fat gain when eating for mass?

Answer: you must understand that when eating for mass, it is almost impossible (steroids do not count) to build only muscle without gaining fat. However, you can improve body composition by making sure you don't consume too many calories (1000+ calories above your basal metabolic rate). In addition, you should train hard, focusing on progressive overload, so that calories are spent on muscle growth. Also, don't forget about cardio training - HIIT and LISS training play an important role in increasing mitochondrial density, balancing neurotransmitters, improving oxidative potential and brain neuroplasticity.

• Do you need to do cardio?

Answer A: As I said in an answer to a previous question, the ideal is to include some cardio, both high and low intensity, into your training program, as each has its own physiological benefits.

• Do specific macronutrients matter in total calorie intake?

Answer: in short, yes. Once you have your caloric intake in place, your next task is to balance your macronutrients. For example, if you decide to consume only 50 grams of protein, not a drop of fat, and get the rest of the calories from carbohydrates, then this will certainly affect the accumulation of fat in the body.

• Does the timing of meals matter?

Answer A: The most important factor in determining weight gain or loss is calorie intake. However, the frequency of meals, as well as nutrition before and after training, can affect the intensity and duration of the latter, which can potentially improve body composition. Remember that muscle growth is not a pulsating process. Muscles do not grow in rapid bursts and then return to their original level. If there are no amino acids in the bloodstream, then the body draws them from muscle tissue, where they are found in high concentration. The best solution is to eat 3-6 meals spread throughout the day depending on your preferences and personal schedule. Ideally, anabolism should be stimulated through meals every 3-5 hours.

• Is there a so-called post-workout window?

Answer: If your goal is to maximize muscle synthesis, then taking in nutrients within 30-60 minutes of your workout can benefit you. Should it be a protein shake? No, not necessarily. But, ideally, it should be a low-fat food that can improve the absorption of nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract. If you ate foods rich in various macronutrients before training, then keep in mind that after it, the nutrients are most likely still being absorbed. So there is no need to finish the last set of the last exercise in a hurry to drink a protein shake as quickly as possible.

• How often should I exercise?

Answer: depending on the level of training, personal preferences, ability to recover and free time. Most likely, you will find that 3-5 strength training per week is enough. If you are a beginner, you should train 3 times a week and gradually increase the time. Beginners and intermediate athletes can train 4 times a week using an up/down split. More advanced athletes are able to train 5 times a week, depending on the program, the degree of recovery and the nutrition system they use.

• Do I need rest days?

Answer: As I said in the first section of the article, the key to building muscle is to repair it, not damage it. The goal of training is to stimulate protein synthesis, not to completely destroy muscle.

• I never feel hungry, but I need to consume more food. How can i do this?

Answer: Eat more often and drink less liquid during meals (food and water compete for space in the stomach). Also, eat from large bowls, add lemon or lime juice to your water (this will help increase the production of hydrochloric acid, which breaks down food), and consume more "liquid calories" (especially before and after training, if the rest of the time there is no appetite at all).

• Can I exercise when I'm sick?

Answer: follow the symptoms. A mild sore throat or runny nose may require a couple of days of rest, but do not exaggerate the problems by trying to stay longer in bed. At the same time, keep in mind that prolonged intense exercise can lower immune function and make you more susceptible to bacterial and viral diseases, so listen to your body and act accordingly.

• Do I need to do squats and deadlifts?

Answer A: Yes, squats and deadlifts are important for muscle growth.

• Should I only do back squats and classic deadlifts?

Answer: No. But first, you must master the technique of performing classic squats and deadlifts, after which you can move on to more advanced variations of these exercises (front squats, sumo-style deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts).

If you still do not fully understand how to build muscle at home or have questions, be sure to ask them in the comments. We will try to give the most detailed answer to everyone.

Against the background of the general enthusiasm for diets aimed at reducing weight and getting rid of hated kilograms, an article about increasing mass may seem like a mockery. However, there are people for whom the problem of weight gain is very relevant. These are bodybuilders (mountains of muscles!), heavyweight athletes and people of asthenic constitution, eternal slim girls. You need to make a reservation right away that it is quite possible to increase weight with one meal, but this will be weight gain due to fat. Good news for sumo wrestlers, but we are still interested in muscles. You can build muscle mass only in combination with sports, and it doesn’t matter for what purpose you need this mass: for the next Mr. Universe contest or for rounding dry forms. By the way, this advice will be very useful for fighters for harmony, because the process of losing weight is much more fun when active sports exercises are added to the next diet. Add proper, balanced nutrition aimed at increasing muscle mass to active sports training, and the process will go much more fun, and the results will be noticeable not only to you, but also to those around you.

To the question "Due to what muscles grow?" even a person far from sports and medicine will answer: “Due to protein, of course!” And that's right. Muscles are composed of almost 20% protein, which is not so little, given that almost all human soft tissues are almost three-quarters water. That is, it turns out that our muscles are mainly water and protein. Therefore, to build muscle mass, you need to eat more vegetable and animal proteins. Proteins obtained from food are not directly used to build our muscles. All protein entering our body is first broken down into its constituent parts - amino acids. In the intestine, they are absorbed into the blood and are carried throughout all cells of the body, and only then from these amino acids in the cells are proteins characteristic of a given cell assembled. Moreover, the proteins synthesized by the body do not remain in it forever - in the tissues of our body, the reverse breakdown of proteins to amino acids constantly occurs. Some of the amino acids break down into simpler components, but most, along with new amino acids obtained from food or synthesized by the body, are again included in new protein molecules.

Remember that at one time the body fully absorbs only 30-40 g of protein, and the calculation of the total daily allowance is based on 2 g of protein per 1 kg of weight. The main sources of protein for bodybuilders are beef, chicken, fish, legumes, and low-fat dairy products. Just one important note - meat and poultry should be chilled, not frozen. With deep freezing, up to 50% of moisture is lost, vitamins are destroyed, and meat fibers are torn (water expands when it freezes, remember?). Therefore, deep-frozen meat dishes are dry, tough and there is little benefit in them. Meat contains those vitamins and minerals that are most useful for bodybuilders: vitamin B12, zinc, iron, creatine, etc. In addition, these products contain cholesterol, and it is vital for the restoration of muscle cells damaged by excessive loads.

Fish and seafood are rich in vitamin B12 in a bioactive form, which is absorbed much better than the best pharmacy vitamins. In addition, seafood contains tyrosine, which increases the production of the hormone norepinephrine, the action of which is similar to that of adrenaline. And oily sea fish is a source of natural fish oil, and, accordingly, omega-3 fatty acids, which help muscle growth, “burn” excess fat and effectively fight against the destructive effect of cortisol. Pharmaceutical capsules with fish oil are not an option; manufacturers, unfortunately, often dilute fish oil with vegetable oil, which reduces its usefulness to almost zero. Only fish dishes are guaranteed to provide you with real Omega-3 fats. Interestingly, freezing does little harm to seafood, so feel free to buy high-quality "sea cocktails" and add them to rice or potatoes. And try to cook oily fish steamed or in foil, pouring lemon juice, almost without salt - the taste is amazing!

In addition to meat and fish, rich in protein and cholesterol, eggs are a good help in gaining muscle mass. It used to be that the cholesterol found in the yolks was harmful, and therefore athletes often prepared scrambled eggs for themselves from proteins alone. Recent studies have rehabilitated cholesterol, and whole eggs are back in the diet of bodybuilders. Athletes do not need to be afraid of the deposition of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels, because they appear due to the overproduction of cholesterol by our liver, and this, in turn, comes from an excess of fats in the diet. Therefore, the main thing in the diet of any person, and especially an athlete, is to reduce the consumption of animal fats (up to reasonable limits, of course!). Eggs can be drunk raw, in the form of an energy cocktail. To do this, beat a handful of greens, 1-2 bananas and 1-2 eggs in a blender, and only yolks are better. If chicken eggs are in doubt, use quail eggs in a ratio of 1:4.

Low fat dairy products are just the perfect food for a bodybuilder. Low-fat cottage cheese, light kefir and skim milk supply the bodybuilder with such a protein that is necessary for the bodybuilder's body and at the same time do not load with excess fat. But a truly miraculous remedy for building muscle mass has become ordinary whey. In the past, whey was considered only a by-product of cheese production. But later it turned out that the “useless product” can be a great helper in building muscle mass. Whey contains many amino acids that directly stimulate muscle growth. In addition, the serum contains special peptides that have the ability to expand the lumen of blood vessels. Whey improves the transport of anabolic amino acids to the muscles. As a result, the effect of whey on muscle growth is complex. You need to drink whey strictly before training and immediately after it - it is then that the anabolic effect of whey protein is most pronounced.

Protein is, of course, good, but without carbohydrates, you will never be able to build muscle. After all, what are carbohydrates? This is energy in its purest form, which is so necessary for the body for training. If there are not enough carbohydrates, then the body begins to use its own muscle tissue as fuel, which nullifies all attempts to build muscle mass. In addition, the efficiency of muscle growth is increased if proteins and carbohydrates are taken in combination. Carbohydrates are vegetables, fruits and grains. Carbohydrates are "fast" and "slow". “Fast” carbohydrates include sugar and refined flour products: all kinds of sweets, sweet sodas, pastries, pasta, etc. Their peculiarity is that they are quickly absorbed and just as quickly consumed. As a result, the body has to use its own glycogen stores. "Fast" carbohydrates are best consumed immediately after training to mitigate the damaging effects of the hormones cortisol, glucogan and catecholamines, which are released in response to physical stress. Right after workout ovovki can be eaten with raisins, honey or ripe bananas. Just a snack - calculate your portion based on 1.5 g of carbohydrates per 1 kilogram of your weight. Before training or at night, it is better to consume "slow", complex carbohydrates, which are slowly absorbed and gradually feed the blood with glucose. "Slow" carbohydrates are cereals, potatoes, oatmeal, ripe fruits and root vegetables. Instead of polished white rice, it is better to use wild or brown, you need to buy bread with bran or bake it yourself from second-grade flour, adding bran and seaweed, and be sure to include a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet. The latter is especially important, since fresh, unheated Vegetables and fruits contain a huge amount of compounds called phytonutrients. They strengthen the immune system, neutralize pathogens, and also help the digestive system. A diet poor in fresh vegetables and fruits will never allow you to build muscle mass. Don't ignore this advice!

Fats - an indispensable component of the familiar trio of nutrients - are necessary for the secretion of essential hormones, in particular, testosterone. The lack of hormones is fraught with a decrease in sexual desire (however, their excess too). Fats also help more complete absorption of glucose by muscle cells. Therefore, it is impossible to do without fat in the diet. The main thing is that they need to be consumed normally. The norm is about 15% of the total calories consumed daily. At the same time, it is desirable to give preference to vegetable fats, reducing, if possible, the consumption of animal fats (fish oil does not count). Eat unrefined vegetable fats, preferring cold-pressed oils. Only in such oils all useful substances are completely preserved. However, even unrefined vegetable oil cannot be fried. If you are unable to refuse a golden crust, then use ghee for frying. To do this, put high-quality butter in an enamel pan and set to melt over medium heat. After the butter has melted, white flakes will begin to collect on its surface - this is whey. Continue heating until the oil is clear, golden and the flakes can be easily removed with a slotted spoon. Store ghee in the cold, in a glass or earthenware container, with parchment tied around the neck. But still, do not get carried away with fried, let these dishes be rare guests on your table.

Active sports training, which, in theory, should energize you, sometimes gives quite the opposite effect. Lethargy, desire to sleep, bad mood - is this what you expect from visiting the gym! What's the matter? It turns out that there are products that charge us with energy, and vice versa - take it away. For example, coffee, traditionally considered an aphrodisiac, has a curious “side effect” of relaxing the muscles. Caffeine gives a short-term excitement, followed by a long-term relaxation. For some people, coffee even helps…sleep! Therefore, try to give up "coffeemania", and drink mate tea for vigor. It is healthier and much more effective than coffee.

Red meat in large quantities greatly overloads the body and takes away precious energy. Of course, athletes need meat, because it contains bioactive iron, which positively affects the ability of blood to accumulate oxygen. And this, in turn, is very important for muscle growth and overall body tone. But old beef and fatty pork are completely unsuitable for athlete nutrition. Better take fresh veal, young beef or lean poultry. And do not forget about a salad of fresh vegetables - with it, all the beneficial substances found in meat will be absorbed much better.

Beekeeping products - honey and flower pollen - have a huge energy potential. Honey contains a lot of useful substances, in particular, iron, phosphorus and calcium, as well as the type of sugar that our liver best converts into glycogen. Honey can and should be added to drinks, sweets and energy shakes.
Parsley is another product that literally energizes us. Parsley contains a large amount of vitamin B12, and vitamin C is much higher in it than in citrus fruits. Parsley promotes better absorption of nutrients from food and is a powerful antioxidant. Be sure to include greens and parsley root in fresh salads and hot dishes. Chopped parsley in a blender can be added to cocktails, while the herbal taste is practically not felt.

Delicious and fragrant, peaches have numerous healing, cleansing and revitalizing properties. Eat peaches regularly, and your intestines will improve, immunity will increase, and blood composition will improve. And most importantly - peaches contribute to balancing the nervous system. Among other things, our tone is increased by wheat germ, nuts, dried fruits and seaweed. All these products will help you gain muscle mass and get the figure of your dreams.

Eat a varied and healthy diet and stay healthy!

Larisa Shuftaykina