If you want to get in shape, building muscle mass is very important. Lifting weights isn’t just for people that want to look like a bodybuilder, it’s good practice for anybody that wants to stay healthy. When your muscle to fat ratio is higher, your body has a higher base calorie burn rate and it uses more calories when you exercise. That means that it’s easier to lose weight and keep it off if you build a bit of muscle. A lot of people find that they lose quite a lot of weight initially through doing cardio but then they plateau and they can’t seem to make any more progress and that’s often because they aren’t building enough muscle mass. Having larger muscles also helps to keep joints and tendons in good health because the muscle is taking a lot of the strain, rather than putting it all on the joints.
The problem is, building muscle can be very difficult and it takes a long time, that’s why people spend so much time in the gym lifting weights if they want to maintain their current muscle mass. Some people build muscle fairly quickly but others find that they’re not really seeing much progress, even though they’re hitting the gym regularly. There are a lot of different reasons that you might not be building muscle effectively and it’s usually down to something that you’re doing wrong, which means there is a solution. If you aren’t building muscle no matter how hard you try, here’s where you could be going wrong.
Not Eating Enough
If you want to stay in shape, you need to watch what you eat, but people often get the wrong idea when they’re trying to build muscle. If you want to gain weight, even if it’s muscle, you need to be eating more than you’re burning off. A lot of people stick to the same diet that they were on when they were trying to lose weight, but that simply isn’t enough calories so you’re not likely to put any muscle on. The average person burns off between 1600 and 2500 calories a day, but if you workout, you’re going to burn more than that. If you aren’t eating extra calories then you’re not going to be able to build muscle effectively. To start with, it seems like you’re overeating and you’re going to start putting on fat, but as long as you’re lifting weights regularly enough, you’ll only put on muscle.
Not Eating The Right Food
Even if you are consuming enough calories, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to build muscle effectively. You also need to make sure that you’re eating the right foods. When you lift weights, you tear your muscles and break down the cells. When they repair themselves, that’s when you build the muscle and they get larger. But that’s only going to happen if you give your body everything that it needs to build muscle effectively. You probably already know that protein is the most important thing when trying to build muscle. Hence, you should make sure to add plenty of it to your diet. These great muscle building foods will give you the protein you need as well as a lot of other vitamins and minerals that promote healthy muscle repair and growth. You also need to consume carbohydrates to replenish your energy levels and ensure that you’re getting the right amount of calories. As a general rule, you should look for a ratio of 3:1, carbs to protein in the meals that you eat after a workout. Try to eat within half an hour of finishing your workout as well, because it will be more effective.
Lack Of Testosterone
Testosterone levels have a big impact on muscle growth for a number of reasons. It helps to encourage protein synthesis and it also causes your body to release more growth hormones which encourage muscle growth. That means that a low testosterone level can make it difficult to build muscle effectively. Some people won’t have this problem but others just have a naturally low testosterone level. Thus they find it a lot harder to build muscle. There are a few different ways that you can increase your testosterone level. Exercising and lifting weights is one of them. Eating protein and carbs, and getting a good night’s sleep is important as well. You can also get testosterone booster supplements to take as well. If you can find ways to increase your testosterone levels effectively, you may find that you start to build muscle a lot faster than you were before. However, you should always consult your doctor before you start taking any supplements to make sure that it’s safe for you.
Not Lifting Enough
If you’re going to build muscle, you really need to push yourself to the max. It’s all about dedication and if you’re not willing to push your limits, you’re not going to build muscle effectively. If you’re lifting the same weight for a month and you’re not really breaking a sweat. You aren’t going to see results. When you’re lifting, it should be difficult and you should be sweating buckets. That’s a sign that your body is working hard and you’re going to see some good results. If it’s not that hard to lift a weight, you need to lift something heavier.
Lifting Too Much
This might sound like a contradiction, but lifting too much is a problem as well. It is important that you’re pushing yourself, however, using the correct form is vital. If you’re not lifting with proper form, you’re more likely to injure yourself and your exercises won’t be as effective. When people try to lift weights that are simply too heavy, it’s difficult to maintain good form. As a result, they don’t build muscle very effectively. It’s all about finding that middle ground. Pushing yourself but you can still do exercises properly and get the best results.
If you’re struggling to build mass effectively, it’s probably down to one of these things. But it’s also important to remember that building muscle takes time. So you have to be dedicated and patient if you want to see results.
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