When you start seriously lifting weights, building lean muscle should be first and foremost on your agenda. It is one thing to want to get muscular and strong, it is another to get big just for the sake of getting big. Don’t be a slave to the scale when you are trying to get bigger you will be defeating the purpose if you are adding fat. If you are training and not getting the results you hoped for other than getting larger then it’s time to change up your weight lifting program. You must add cardio and proper nutrition to help insure that the weight you are putting on is quality muscle mass and you are losing fat at the same time.
Four things we must understand when you are talking about building lean muscle
Muscle Confusion
Begin using heavy weight and less rest to force your muscles to grow. Decrease your rest period to 30 seconds between sets, which will give you just enough time to recover to start another set. The idea is to keep your muscles guessing by shocking them and confusing them by changing the exercises and the rest period in between sets. By confusing your muscles you don’t give them an opportunity to fully adapt and is also a great way to burn calories which will lead to a more pronounced muscular physique.
Strength Training
There are many reasons why people lift weights; strength, size and a leaner muscular appearance. Strength training and fat burning go hand in hand and should be included in your overall weight lifting program. When weight training to build lean muscle mass you should also workout the larger muscle groups. Working out these large muscle groups will help to build your overall core strength. It is crucial to work out the Legs, Back and Chest muscles by using compound exercises that target a large area and not only an individual muscle group.
Strength training using compound exercises will create an anabolic response and allow you to continue to burn calories and build muscle long after the workout is done. It really is all about building lean muscle and using the best strength training routine to take you to the next level.
Cardio Training
Don’t forget your cardio to help you build lean muscle mass and get a ripped physique. Cardio, although at times seems unnecessary, must be done to help our overall physical condition and give us the energy we need to fuel our workouts. It would be hard to see all that new lean muscle mass if it were hidden behind a layer of fat. Cardio training will help you lose that layer of fat just below the skin and make your muscles pop out. Add the cardio now!
Nutrition And Protein
Proper nutrition is a major part of building lean muscle and it is a good idea to eat only those foods that will help you achieve your goals. Protein is a major source of body building nutrition that must be consumed everyday and in the right amounts because your body can only assimilate a certain amount of protein at any one sitting. The rule of thumb is to take in approximately 1 gram of protein for each pound of lean muscle mass. This is different than one gram of protein for each pound of body weight but if you are a beginner weight lifter than it will be ok to calculate your protein intake based on total weight. As you gain experience and are looking to really refine your protein supplement then you can use the newer more precise method of calculating protein intake.
Keeping these four things in mind, muscle confusion, strength training, cardio and nutrition you will be well on your way to building a lean muscular body.
Begin to build lean muscle today or keep complaining about the way you look. It is up to you how you look and feel.