It's estimated that 60% of young boys and men in the United States mentioned wanting to change their diet to be more muscular. Getting more muscular not only makes you healthier - it can greatly improve your self-confidence.
When most people begin their muscle gain journey, one of the first things they ask is how to bulk up fast. Certain strategies can help you gain muscle weight at a much faster rate.
However, it's important to remember this isn't a shortcut. If you're serious about sustaining your muscle growth, it's going to require a lot of effort and sacrifice.
In this guide, we'll go over some of the best strategies for achieving quick muscle gain. We'll also provide some muscle building tips on how to keep it over time.
Get Enough Protein
Protein is the building block necessary for muscle growth. As such, it makes sense that you're going to want to incorporate it into your diet and nutrition plan.
It's generally recommended you should get around 1.5 grams of protein for each kilogram of body weight. Remember that one kilogram roughly equals 2.2 pounds.
So if you weighed one hundred fifty pounds, then you would want to eat around forty-five grams worth of protein each day.
There are plenty of ways to get protein through the foods you eat. Some good protein-rich foods include:
- Lean meats like chicken breasts
- Chickpeas
- Eggs
- Cottage cheese
- Greek yogurt
- Tofu
- Lentils
- Seitan
You can also get protein in through whey protein which often comes in the form of shakes. Alternatively, you could do it through protein bars. But should you take a protein bar before or after your workout?
The answer is either one! It doesn't matter when you take your protein as long as you're getting your daily requirements in to support rapid muscle mass.
Prioritize Calories
To put on weight (whether that's muscle or fat) you're going to need calories. Specifically, you need to be consuming more calories than you burn up. You burn up calories through one of two ways: active calories or total calories.
Active calories refer to the energy your body uses during physical activity. So if you went for a run any calories you burned would be through active calories. However, you don't need to be active to burn calories.
In addition to your active calories, you're also burning some off through things known as the thermic effect of food (or TEF) as well as the basal metabolic rate (BMR). When combined with your active calories this makes up your total calories.
Daily calorie requirements are different for everyone, so make sure you calculate yours to find out how much you should be consuming.
There are plenty of calculators for this that you can find online. And remember to start your intake slowly. Otherwise, the calories will produce more fat than muscle.
Reduce Your Salt Intake
Sure, no one loves unseasoned food. However, you need to be very conscious of your sodium intake if you want to gain muscle. Recent studies have shown people with a high salt intake have both lower physical and muscular function.
This is because too much salt is correlated with poor grip strength and high frailty levels (two things you don't want if you're trying to gain weight). However, sodium intake is necessary for survival, meaning you'll want to carefully balance your consumption.
Just make sure you're watching the salt content of the things you eat. Chips, processed foods, and bacon are all known for their high salt levels.
Don't Just Rely on Supplements for Nutrition
It can be tempting to rely on supplements and whey protein shakes for sustenance when you're gaining muscle. However, it's important to remember these things aren't meant to replace real foods.
That's why they're called supplements. They're supplemental nutrition designed to fill in some of the blindspots your diet might have.
Many people dread muscle-gaining diets because they're often bland and tasteless (we're looking at you, boiled chicken breast and rice). However, it doesn't need to be. Just check out some of these awesome recipes so you can start bulking.
Do Compound Exercises
If you want to build muscle as quickly as possible you need to get the most out of each workout.
The best way to do this is through compound exercises. Compound exercises refer to exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time. Some popular compound exercises include things like:
- Pull-ups
- Squats
- Presses
- Dead-lifts
- Lunges
- Bench presses
- Dips
You can mix compound exercises with some isolated ones made to target specific muscles. However, they should make up the bulk of each workout so you can hit two or more birds with one stone.
Rest Your Muscles
Many people think in order to grow muscle quickly, you need to spend every waking hour in the gym. However, pushing yourself too hard without a rest can do more harm than good. That's because muscles need time to repair and grow.
If you're incredibly sore and you dive right into another workout, not only will you not see the fast muscle growth you want, but you'll also be physically exhausted. So prioritize recovery time for a day or two during the week.
During your day off you don't need to be inactive. You can try taking a walk or doing some yoga.
These types of gentle exercises stretch your muscles which can help you recover faster. You also want to get a lot of sleep. Shoot for at least eight hours.
Take Supplements
We mentioned you shouldn't rely entirely on supplements during your muscle-building journey. However, this doesn't mean you shouldn't take them at all.
There are plenty of options out there that can aid in building muscle efficiently. One of the more popular ones is creatine, a substance naturally found in your muscles. On its own, it won't help you build muscles. However, it will increase your energy levels, meaning you can increase the strength with which you work.
HMB is another good option. We recommend taking it during recovery since it can help with muscle growth while preventing muscle loss.
Use Free Weights
If you want to gain muscle, you might be tempted to hit the barbell hard. However, make sure you also devote some time to free weights. Free weights, which include things like dumbbells, are great for building muscle quickly.
That's because in addition to targeting whatever muscle your exercise is working, you're also building core strength.
However, if you don't have any experience with free weights make sure you consult with a professional trainer. Otherwise, there's a good chance you could hurt yourself.
Push Yourself
You've likely heard the expression 'no pain, no gain'. This slogan came out of body-building circles and it's relevant if you're trying to bulk up fast. If you do high-intensity workouts you're going to see more muscle growth than if you take things easy.
This is true even if you work out for a shorter period. If you find your reps are getting too easy, add more weight. And don't just do the same comfort exercises every time.
Switch it up each week. This also helps make sure you're targeting all of your different muscle groups.
It's going to hurt for sure, but if you aren't willing to push yourself you're likely not going to see much muscle gain. So challenge yourself every time you hit the gym. That said, make sure to listen to your body and take a break from your training if you feel actual pain during or after your workout.
Don't Be Pressured to Rush Things
If you're trying to get toned a few months or even weeks before swimsuit season, you're likely in a panic to see some progress. However, don't be pressured to rush things.
For one thing, it's likely not sustainable. If you're pushing yourself too hard you'll likely be miserable. This can create an unhealthy relationship with both working out and your diet.
What's more, stressing about how your body looks isn't doing you any favors. Instead, find a consistent routine that works for you. For some, this might mean daily ten-minute workouts at high intensities. For others, it might mean two or three long sessions per week. And if you don't see gains right away, don't beat yourself up over it.
As this article notes, both genetics and hormones play a big role in how much muscle you can put on. So even if you aren't getting the results you want right away, stick with it in a way that works for you.
While it might produce limited muscle gain, it will have a positive impact on your health and outlook.
Appreciate Learning How to Bulk Up Fast? Explore Dietonsale.com
We hope this guide helped you learn how to bulk up fast. Here at Dietonsale.com, we know strength-building exercises are only one-half of the quick muscle gain formula. It's also vital you get enough protein-rich meals, snacks, and drinks into your diet.
That's why we carry a wide variety of protein products from brands you can trust. So if you're ready to start putting on muscle, explore some of the protein shakes we offer today!
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