Natural Muscle Growth

With a lot of impressionable people out there, especially kids, it is of utmost importance to take a natural approach to muscle building. Exercising the muscles is definitely important, but exercising common sense is paramount.

Significance

• The world of sports and athletics is very competitive. It is vital to be at the top of your game. Often, this leads to the use of illegal substances to keep up with the competition. Although it takes a lot of work, building muscle and strength naturally is highly enforced by the governing officials of all professional and collegiate leagues.

Function

• The whole idea of natural muscle growth is to gain and build muscles without the use of artificial, synthetic and illegal substances. This can be achieved by following an approach that consists of proper eating, training and recovery.

Features

• Natural muscle growth has specific characteristics. Weight training needs to be done at least three times a week where the muscles are progressively overloaded. Otherwise, they will adapt and there will be no continual growth. The body needs plenty of hydration. Muscle cells thrive on water, and if there isn't a good supply, they will not be able to build. The proper amount of food needs to be eaten. The diet should consist of a good balance of protein, carbohydratess and fat. In order to further capitalize on dieting, pre- and postworkout meals should be incorporated as well. Preworkout meals should be easily digestible and not contain a lot of fat. Yogurt and fruit are good choices. This will keep the body fueled to perform optimally during workouts. Postworkout meals should be eaten immediately after exercise and they should be easily digested. Shakes make good options. Proper recovery is another feature of natural muscle growth. It is actually in the recovery phase that muscle is built. It gets torn during hard workouts, and then heals during rest and recovery. This especially happens during sleep. To get maximum muscle building, it is important to get between 7 to 10 hours of sleep per night.

Identification

• There are actually some foods that help promote muscle growth. Protein is the building block of muscle and amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a perfect choice. It is a grain that is considered a complete protein because it has all the essential amino acids present. Eggs are also another good source of protein. They are also high in amino acids, essential fatty acids, trace minerals and B vitamins. Baby spinach is another powerhouse for natural muscle growth. It is loaded with absorbable iron, protein, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A and folate.

Considerations

• Creatine is a supplement that is designed to volumize muscle cells. In doing so, it gives your muscles the energy to lift more weight, do more reps, and in some cases, lift more weight and do more reps. Supplementing with it has been known to be effective. Just take into consideration the recommended dosage. Although there has been no known long-term side effects of its use, taking too much can cause upset stomach and cramps. Creatine can also be found naturally in the skeletal muscles of animals. Just take into consideration the fat content. Lean choices of fish, beef, chicken, turkey and pork are good sources.

Expert Insight

• Building muscle the natural way comes with it a lot of hard work; however, the great benefits of this hard work makes it all the more meaningful in the end.