These three easy ways to build muscle for beginners will help you build an exercise foundation for years to come!
April 2022. This article is independently written by Shelby Golding. All opinions given are hers. Shelby has been certified as a personal trainer and nutritional specialist since 2007. In 2008, she found her passion for writing about these topics and hasn't looked back.
Every exercise requires strong muscles, from running a marathon to hiking a mountain. Muscles give you power, strength, and stability. They support you even when you are sitting still and are an essential part of several body systems, including your organ function, immunity, digestion, and metabolism.
Muscle loss leads to disability, frailty, and instability as you age. In addition, muscle loss leads to increased falls in the elderly and poor balance. Building and maintaining muscle as you age is crucial for maintaining your health.
You may know instinctively that building muscle is essential for your workout success but struggle to know where you should start. Keep reading for three easy ways to build muscle to incorporate into any workout routine.
3 Easy Ways to Build Muscle for Beginners
You build muscle using a combination of diet, exercise, and rest. These three simple additions are the tools you need to increase muscle volume and strengthen muscles fast.
1. Protein, Protein, Protein
The workout world is all about protein. Protein is one of the three essential macronutrients, alongside carbohydrates and fats. While all three have their benefits, protein is what you want to focus on if you are trying to build muscle.
When you exercise, you create tiny tears in the fiber of your muscles. These tears cause you to feel sore when you've done a particularly strenuous workout. Protein helps rebuild those torn muscle fibers, making them stronger than before the workout.
Fitness experts recommend consuming 0.7–1 gram per pound of body weight when exercising regularly. So, a 130-pound person would need about 100 grams of protein a day. However, some studies suggest that you should base your protein consumption around your ideal weight or your lean mass.
You can add protein to your diet by eating plenty of animal products like meat, fish, cheese, yogurt, eggs, and milk. Or, if you prefer your protein vegetarian, you can add protein using nuts, seeds, legumes, and vegetables like spinach.
Many beginners struggle to get enough protein to meet their body's needs. Protein powder is an easy way to add this essential building block to your day without completely overhauling your diet. Popular options include protein powders with bases from whey, casein, pea, and hemp that can be added to any smoothie or green juice.
2. Increase Lifting Volume
Weightlifting is one of the best ways to build muscle for beginners, but it can also be extremely intimidating. In addition, you need to learn about proper form, how to use the gym equipment, and which exercises suit your goals and body best.
Weightlifting uses targeted sets to work specific muscles. Some exercises, like squats, work multiple muscles at once, including your glutes, quads, and core. You do several repetitions (reps) and sets based on your ability and goals.
Once you've mastered the basics, you will want to increase lifting volume steadily. This means adding the number of reps and sets you do. Lifting volume = reps x sets. Say you start off doing three sets of six squats. In addition to steadily increasing the weight, you will want to do more sets and more reps as you get stronger. If you have been lifting for a few months without seeing any changes to your muscles, you probably need to increase both weight and lifting volume.
Your muscles are highly adaptable. Once you start weightlifting, your muscles will adjust to the new weight in two to four weeks. You may even begin noticing changes to the size and shape of your muscles in that same amount of time!
If you are feeling like you want to try weightlifting but don’t know where to start, ask your gym for a personal training session to get you started!
Weightlifting uses targeted sets to work specific muscles. Some exercises, like squats, work multiple muscles at once, including your glutes, quads, and core. You do several repetitions (reps) and sets based on your ability and goals.
Once you've mastered the basics, you will want to increase lifting volume steadily. This means adding the number of reps and sets you do. Lifting volume = reps x sets. Say you start off doing three sets of six squats. In addition to steadily increasing the weight, you will want to do more sets and more reps as you get stronger. If you have been lifting for a few months without seeing any changes to your muscles, you probably need to increase both weight and lifting volume.
Your muscles are highly adaptable. Once you start weightlifting, your muscles will adjust to the new weight in two to four weeks. You may even begin noticing changes to the size and shape of your muscles in that same amount of time!
If you are feeling like you want to try weightlifting but don’t know where to start, ask your gym for a personal training session to get you started!
3. Get Plenty of Sleep
It can be tempting for beginners to jump into building muscle with a six-day-a-week workout routine, but rest and recovery are essential parts of an exercise plan. When you sleep, your body uses that time to rebuild the muscles. Recovery times may vary from person to person. Still, it takes about eight hours of sleep for your body to recover from the previous day's work out.
During sleep, your hormones are hard at work. Both men and women require testosterone to build muscle. This hormone is responsible for muscle mass, strength, and bone density. Studies show that sleep disturbances and duration severely affect the body's testosterone production.
Human growth hormone (HGH) is also released during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep is the deep sleep state that occurs when you are dreaming. On average, adults experience 3 to 6 REM cycles throughout the night for about 90 minutes.
HGH helps muscle growth and reduces the amount of the stress hormone cortisol in the body. When cortisol levels are high, muscle protein synthesis slows down. As a result, your body will find it more difficult to create muscle, and your progress will be slowed. Unfortunately, stress can affect sleep quality. You may need to add in other relaxation practices such as mindfulness or meditation to help you get the rest you need.
If you want to gain muscle fast, you need to put as much time and attention into your sleep schedule as your workout routines. A few ways to improve your sleep are shutting off electronics a couple of hours before bed, going to bed at the same time each night, and avoiding caffeine or alcohol.
During sleep, your hormones are hard at work. Both men and women require testosterone to build muscle. This hormone is responsible for muscle mass, strength, and bone density. Studies show that sleep disturbances and duration severely affect the body's testosterone production.
Human growth hormone (HGH) is also released during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep is the deep sleep state that occurs when you are dreaming. On average, adults experience 3 to 6 REM cycles throughout the night for about 90 minutes.
HGH helps muscle growth and reduces the amount of the stress hormone cortisol in the body. When cortisol levels are high, muscle protein synthesis slows down. As a result, your body will find it more difficult to create muscle, and your progress will be slowed. Unfortunately, stress can affect sleep quality. You may need to add in other relaxation practices such as mindfulness or meditation to help you get the rest you need.
If you want to gain muscle fast, you need to put as much time and attention into your sleep schedule as your workout routines. A few ways to improve your sleep are shutting off electronics a couple of hours before bed, going to bed at the same time each night, and avoiding caffeine or alcohol.
Exercise for Long-Term Benefits
It can be tempting to start and stop exercising based on your current mood, schedule, and energy levels. However, exercising consistently over time is the only way to ensure you get all the muscle-building benefits. On average, it takes about a month for your body to begin losing muscle. Therefore, you need consistent focus on diet, exercise, and rest to guarantee that the muscle you create will stick around!
If you’re often discouraged by pain, don’t forget to apply your Kailo pain patch near problem areas before your workout. A recent clinical study showed that 99% of patients felt pain relief with Kailo within 10 minutes of using the patch.
Disclaimer: Kailo should not be used if you have a pacemaker or if you are pregnant. Always consult your doctor or health care professional before using Kailo.
