Muscle Gain

Quite simply, in order to gain muscle you have to be consuming more calories than you are using up. Often bodybuilders will alternate between periods when they are cutting up' their muscles to periods when they are bulking up

The two ways you can gain muscle is by eating more and performing less aerobic exercises.

Step 1 is to find out your body's calorific maintenance level. Counting calories and weighing yourself for a week should provide you with this figure.

Step 2 is to ensure you consume 300 to 500 calories more than your body's maintenance level each day. Try to eat 6 meals a day spaced out to every 3 hours. Protein shakes are counted as meals.

Step 3 is to concentrate on a workout routine that uses the main muscle groups in your body, such as squats, bench press, barbell rows, pull ups and bar dips. You should only be able to do between 6 and 12 reps on each weight as this will stress your muscles into growing bigger. You should rest between 1 and 3 minutes between sets. In addition, you should limit yourself to around 3 one hour sessions per week; in other words short and intense. Aerobic exercises should be at a minimum as this will allow the maximum amount of calories consumed to be used in the muscle gaining process.

Step 4 is to measure and monitor your results.

Important: In order to ensure you are gaining lean muscle, attention should be paid to your diet. Consuming the correct types of food is important as well as in the right proportions. The right balance is 30-50% protein, 20-50% carbohydrates and 20-40% fat (the majority of which should be essential fatty acids).