Go beyond your limitations

In general, building muscle requires a continuous stimulus to be applied to the muscles over time. For size (hypertrophy), resistance training is vital – repeated bursts of intense stimulation to the muscles lasting from 8 seconds to 60 seconds before small breaks often leads to the greatest gains in muscle size.

Training must also be accompanied with proper rest, sleep and good nutrition. Commonly a calorie surplus is utilised with an increase in protein intake as the body’s own protein synthesis increases due to resistance training.

Our muscle mass plays a crucial role when it comes to fitness. When your body builds muscles, it burns energy and fat all the time.

As your muscle mass increases, the faster your body is able to burn calories/energy. This leads to an increase of your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which helps in losing weight. It can slow the muscle loss that comes with age, build the strength of your muscles and connective tissues, increase bone density, cut your risk of injury, and help ease arthritis pain.

Skeletal muscle is metabolically active. Build it and it will burn more calories throughout the day. Work it hard and it will require more energy during the recovery process. Building and strengthening skeletal muscle fortifies the bones, ligaments, and tendons. This will minimize the risk of injury that can occur in competitive sport, training, getting out of your car, or playing with your kids.

Skeletal muscle gives you shape “tone” and that “fit” look. Build muscle – lose fat – look great, which can lead to more self-confidence. Skeletal muscle can improve your posture. Having the strength to hold good posture can also help with chronic pain due to sciatica and other back ailments. Skeletal muscle makes everyday activities easier. Becoming stronger and building muscle gives you a fighting chance each day when you must lift, bend, and stretch. Also, you’re better able to fight fatigue with more stamina.

People who work out have less incidence of disease than sedentary people. Studies have shown that weight training can reduce your risk of heart disease, by improving cardiovascular function and improving blood chemistry.

Physical change with the right set of exercises, a balanced and healthy diet, mixed in with adequate rest, will get you that dream body you wish for. However, modification and enhancement to your body requires the proper cultivation of mind, commitment and drive. Though you have the right methods on how to build muscle fast, without the appropriate mindset, a physical change will only be a thing in the head.

Combat sarcopenia by strength training. Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of muscle tissue. The harsh reality is we lose muscle mass as we age, up to 50% between the ages of 20 and 90. Additionally, menopausal women between the ages of 40 and 50 will lose 1% of their muscle mass each year, and replace the lost muscle with fat.

There are a variety of ways to build muscle during workouts, linking this to your DNA can reveal different methods to achieve the best hypertrophy gains.

This is linked to nutrition as we fully understand how to fuel prior, during and post training allowing the muscle to grow and recover. You can work out as much as you like but if your nutrition / supplements are not correct you will never grow or achieve your goal of building muscle.

Your DNA profile will design you an appropriate workout based on your goal and genetics to achieve the best hypertrophy of the muscle, which can be adapted and progress.

There are a number of ways to build muscle for females, these include:

Strength training is the first step to take if you want to build muscle. A typical strength training routine includes lifting weights such as, dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, and weight plates.

It helps improve the strength of your muscles. These exercises cause a lot of wear and tear in the muscles. When you rest or sleep, the muscles rebuild themselves – only, this time, they are broader and stronger.

Remember, you must mix your workout to build a lean, toned and strong body.

Also include HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) in your exercise routine. This short duration, high-intensity exercise targets the fast-twitch muscle fibres, which are essential for building muscle (endurance training or long duration exercises like long runs or walks target slow-twitch fibres, which will not help build muscle)

Push yourself to do more. If you keep doing the same exercises with the usual number of sets and reps, you will not progress. The more you practice, the more your muscles will adapt to the weights. Unless you increase the weight or add some level of difficulty, your muscles will remain the same size.

Apart from working out, you must also take care of your diet. Here are the diet strategies that you must follow.

Muscles are made of proteins. Lifting weights and doing HIIT breaks down muscle protein. You need protein to rebuild the muscles. Food sources like fish, chicken breast, soy chunks, beans, nuts, seeds, lentils, eggs, and mushrooms will help build and repair the muscles.

Pre- and post-workout meals will help you kill the workout and recover fast from it, respectively.

Lifting weights requires energy, and by consuming a carb-rich, moderate protein pre-workout meal, you will provide your body with the required energy. Consume a protein-rich post-workout meal so that your muscles recover and rebuild fast.

The healthy fats found in nuts, seeds, ghee, avocado, rice bran oil, and avocado oil are rich in vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps flush the toxins out. These food sources also contain omega-3-fatty acids, which help lower inflammation in the body. These healthy fats also help boost the recovery process when your body is resting.

Include high-fibre carbs, such as fruits, veggies, and whole grains, in your diet. They provide dietary fibre, vitamins, and minerals, which are essential for optimum health. These nutrients will ensure that you do not feel weak or fall sick easily.

Supplements are great for people with highly busy schedules or who are very active. They provide the nutrition that you are missing out on from whole foods. Focus on getting your vitamins and minerals through whole foods. However, taking a supplement is a great option when in a pinch. Pack your favourite low-sugar protein powder and a piece a fruit for a great post-workout snack when on-the-go.

Resting will help your muscles recover and rebuild themselves. If you don’t rest, you will injure yourself and may not get back to the gym for a good three weeks. Rest between the exercises and sets and after going home for at least 20 minutes. Avoid lifting weights every day.

Waking up early will prompt you to go to bed early. That way, you can go to the gym in the morning or evening. You will also have the time to fix a quick breakfast before you head out or consume a protein-rich dinner after you come back from the gym in the evening.

Sleep deprivation is harmful for your health. You will feel tired and fatigued the next morning causing you to eat more and gain weight.

If you want to build muscle, you need to get at least 7 hours of sound sleep. This is because when you sleep, your muscle will rebuild themselves, and your brain will function better and in sync with your muscles when you go to the gym the next day.

Building a toned and strong body requires a certain degree of discipline. Meditation can help you stay focused and maintain a good lifestyle. It is tough in the beginning, but do not give up. Gradually, you will learn to train your brain and control your hunger pangs, lethargy, anxiety, and other emotions that may prevent you from getting the desired results soon.

Positive people help inspire and motivate others. Surrounding yourself with positive people will make it less likely for you to fail in your personal and professional endeavours. Building social support is important so that you stay focused and do exercises correctly.

Sometimes it is best to seek specialist support if you are unsure – looking through the internet has so much conflicting information. This is why Muhdo is a great option as you gain specialist advice personalised to you about your nutrition, training and recovery

Start following the points above, and, for sure, you will be able to reach your goal sooner than you expect. No more waiting! If you want it, just get it done.