Muscle Building

Muscle building is basically a function of 3 things: the workout, the nutrition, and rest. If one of these things is missing or done incorrectly, then your muscle gains will suffer...plain and simple.

This article is designed to give you a very quick overview of the muscle building process, without getting into much detail. Then, at the end of the article, we'll point out additional articles  that will help you get the details you need to pack on serious muscle mass!

There's a debate as to which is more important, workout or nutrition. Some says nutrition is 60-70% important and the workout is 30-40% important. The truth of the matter is, they are so inter-linked that its really hard to give a percentage to each. If you don't workout, but eat right, you won't grow an ounce of muscle. And...if you workout perfectly, but don't eat right, then your gains will suffer.

Think of workout, nutrition, and rest as a triangle, and you need all 3 components to complete the triangle.

The 1st component, the workout, is simply applying enough load to the muscles that they have a need to grow. In traditional weight lifting, this is achieved through sets and reps of various exercises. The general rule of thumb to remember is that large muscle groups should be emphasized over smaller muscle groups, and compound exercises are preferable to isolation exercises. A good, balanced training program addresses all the muscle groups and works them in the order of priority.

The 2nd component, the nutrition, is getting enough calories in your diet so that the muscles can repair themselves and grow. Muscle building without the proper calorie intake is just not possible. The general rule of thumb is to consume 500-700 calories than your "maintenance level", the level at which you neither gain nor lose weight. Keep your diet very rich in protein, and balance it with carbohydrate and fat intake. You need to eat a lot to build muscle, and eat often.

The 3rd component, rest, is just as essential as the first two. In order to build muscle, you need to give your body enough rest, so that it can recover, recuperate, and grow. If you keep bombarding it before it heals, then you'll never create the environment for growth. Its important to give a muscle group atleast 48 hours of rest before training it again. In these 48 hours, if you've been eating right, the muscle building process will occur and you'll come back feeling stronger for your next workout.

The above 3 components seem simple, but there's obviously a LOT more to it, from constructing the precise routine to exactly what to eat and how much. Small changes can make a big difference, either positive or negative. To get more details, choose from one of the following links:

Muscle Building Weight Lifting Routines

Build Muscle & Lose Fat - Bodybuilding Tips

Muscle Building Foods |