How To Build Muscle and Gain Size
As we approach the month of November, the cold weather makes us all feel like enjoying all of the comfort foods that are so readily available during this time. Afterall, seeing all of the Christmas ornaments in stores seems to give all of us that warm fuzzy feeling that we all enjoy during the holiday season. With the cold weather having arrived, this means that showing off beach-ready abs is not a priority for most of us here in Canada. What does this truly mean? TIME TO PACK ON MUSCLE MASS! We are going to outline our tips on how to build muscle and gain size below.
Gaining muscle and/or size requires just as much effort as cutting weight does. Gaining muscle requires all of the following:
- Maintaining a consistent training schedule (3-5x per week)
- Eating a surplus of calories
- Ensuring adequate amount of rest (average of 8 hours of sleep per night)
- Lifting heavier weights than normal (but not enough to risk injury, of course)
- Supplementing with the proper supplements to aid in building muscle
Although there are many differing schools of thought when it comes to the most efficient means of gaining muscle and size, the five tips listed above are the gold standard when it comes to achieving this goal. Proper supplementation, however is absolutely essential when it comes to building muscle and gaining size in the shortest amount of time possible.
Here are some essential supplements to add to your regimen to help you on this endeavor:
Weight Gainer Protein
These are protein powder supplements that contain 500-1500 calories per serving. They are intended to provide the body with plenty of protein (typically 30-70 grams per serving), and serve as a very convenient means of supplementing the diet with the macro nutrients that it needs to maintain a consistent surplus of calories over the course of time. As an added bonus, they are often packed with micronutrients as well so as to aid the body in maintaining optimal nutrition and essentially mimicking a high calorie muscle meal. This is important because it is hard to maintain a constant daily surplus of calories by just eating food considering the fact that force-feeding is very difficult. Weight gainer helps to pack in the maximum number of calories without having to feel full and bloated from overeating all day.
Creatine
Creatine is available in powder and capsule form. There are many different types of creatine, and they each offer some slight differences. Essentially, the purpose of creatine is to allow muscle cells to utilize ATP more readily and therefore allow users to increase strength and muscle endurance. These boosts in strength and endurance allow users to lift heavier weight for longer periods of time, which in-turn work to significantly boost muscle growth. As an added bonus, creatine also volumizes muscle cells so users often report feeling and looking more muscular.
Testosterone Boosters
These products work to increase free testosterone production in the body. Testosterone is the hormone that is responsible for aiding in protein synthesis, strength, power, endurance, and libido. People that supplement with testosterone boosters often report increased strength and are able to pack on muscle and size at a much faster rate versus not supplementing with them.
Carbohydrate Powders
These are pure carbohydrates that can be added to protein shakes, amino acid powders (EAAs and/or BCAAs), and work to provide the body with extra fuel to ensure that muscles are always loaded with glycogen (sugar). The idea is that the body will have more carbohydrates to use for strength training, while also preserving the need for the body to tap into fat as a secondary fuel source.
BCAAs / EAAs
These are amino acids that serve to fuel working muscles. They are absorbed very quickly by the digestive tract, and these aminos are quickly shunted to working muscles. This process allows muscles to quickly utilize these amino acids so that muscular repair occurs as soon as possible. The quicker muscles recover from training, the more beneficial this is to gaining muscle, strength, and size.
Building muscle, strength, and gaining size is a process that involves many variables, but if diet, supplementation, and consistency in training is central to your regimen – your goals will be achieved in record time!
To find the supplements that work best for you, or for more training ideas, visit us in store and have a chat with one of our experts. We can also be reached on Facebook and Instagram. If you try any of the muscle gaining supplements above, be sure to tag us on social media! We are #ReflexNation.
