How to Build 40 Pounds of Muscle

Gaining muscle is harder than gaining fat. Muscle gain makes the body look shapely and healthy. Fat loss and muscle gain gives rise to an overall improved appearance which makes you look better than you would if you just lost weight. Also it is easier to maintain fat loss by gaining muscles as muscles burn more calories and therefore increase metabolism.

Instructions

• 1

  Start by setting goals for yourself; building muscle requires discipline and commitment to the lifestyle changes that you have to make. The goals should be realistic and achievable. For instance take into consideration your current status in relation to your mission of building 40 pounds of muscle. Are you overweight and need to lose fat or are you underweight and need to gain weight as you build muscle?

• 2

  Set goals to match your body type. There are three types of body types; the ectomorph, which is the lean type of body with fast metabolism, the mesophorph is fairly muscular with moderate metabolism and the endomorph type easily stores fat and has a slow metabolism. Knowing your body type will help you know how much food you need to eat and the training program that you will adhere to so as to build muscle.

• 3

  Start on a weight lifting program. Begin slowly then build up your workout regime. Have three training sessions per week with each session lasting 45 to 75 minutes. Take a break and rest for a day after each workout. Start with one to three sets per exercise with each set having ten repetitions. And take one to three minutes rests between sets for the body to regain energy for another set.

• 4

  Use weights that feel comfortable when starting but fairly hard to lift by the tenth repetition. When you are able to lift the weight more than ten times in a set, it is an indication that you should increases the weight. For maximum effect on your weight training, work only one to two body parts per session with three to four exercises per body part. This will ensure that each body part gets enough exercise in the long run and you are able to build muscle uniformly.

• 5

  Eat a balanced diet that covers all the food groups. Protein is a must as this is the group that builds up muscle. Replace simple carbohydrates which are mainly sugary foods with complex ones for example brown rice, whole meal bread and cereal grains. Good sources of proteins are egg whites, chicken, fish and red meats. Ensure that you take a small meal before a workout and another meal after the workout. Increase your water intake and use body building supplements in the morning and before sleeping at night in order to successfully build up muscle.

• 6

  Engage in relaxing activities and have adequate sleep. This will ensure that you do not get burnt out and fail to reach your goal of building muscle. During sleep the body gets a chance to grow, repair muscles that were torn during training and burn fat tissues. On average eight hours of sleep is adequate for your body to recover from the effects of weight training.