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The Best Way to Gain Muscle Mass

Muscles grow on a microscopic level after they have been damaged from strenuous workouts. There are steps you can take and supplements you can utilize to make this growth happen on a more noticeable level, but be prepared with a fair amount of patience. You will likely start to feel stronger before you look stronger with the muscle mass you gain, but if you keep at it, you will see success.

  1. The Routine

    • Gaining muscle mass takes hard work and dedication. Setting up a routine and sticking to it will definitely help you to achieve your goals. Your diet should include high-protein foods like lean meats and nuts. Also balance with whole grains, whole foods and vegetables, and low-fat and low-sugar choices. Rest is also important, so do your best to fit in 7 to 8 hours of sleep per day. This paired with consistent weight or resistance training will help you to feed the muscles you train and help them to grow.

    Supplements

    • There are lots of supplements out there that make grand claims, and also come with some dangerous side effects. Most of the supplements promising extreme results aren't approved by the FDA and can cause some pretty serious long-term effects. Protein supplements are one of the safest and most effective nutrition additives that will help your muscles grow. Taking 20 to 30 g of protein before and after a workout gives your muscles immediate access to the protein needed to repair and grow after they've been put through a strenuous weight lifting program.

    Work Out Regimen

    • Plan to work out 5 to 6 days a week, and focus on strenuous weight or resistance training. Each day, work one or two muscle groups. For example, on Monday, focus on chest and tricep muscles; Tuesday, biceps and shoulders, and so on. By alternating the muscle groups you target, you will allow a day or two in between for your muscles to repair before working them out again. Each day you work out, set aside anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes for your workouts. This will depend on the other priorities you have in your day, but as long as you use every opportunity you have to work out, you'll start to see and feel results.

      For each exercise, try for four sets of 10 to 12 repetitions with your second to last set being the heaviest weight. You are shooting for sore muscles since that's a sure indicator that you've done some damage--in a good way--to your muscles, and the protein will have an immediate job to do once ingested after your workout.

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