Having a good physique while enjoying the warmer summer weather is one of the best rewards that any active gym member can experience.
While we may be approaching the cold and rainy season, it is often said that the best summer bodies are built during winter.
Despite this appearing to be true, the process of building muscle goes beyond just going to the gym, lifting heavy weights, and doing several cardio workouts. Many would argue that this process should become one’s lifestyle.
This is because achieving a good appearance often means making sacrifices, such as cutting off food that you are not always happy to let go of. It means being committed even on the days you do not always feel like it.
Personal training hub, Dexter Training Concepts, compares the journey of building muscle to that of being married.
“You will realise that fitness is not a ‘one-night stand’. Think of yourself as being married to fitness: you will have disagreements sometimes, you may go days without speaking after a fight, and you may not always want or need to be around each other all the time – but at the end of the day, you’re committed for life.”
When it comes to building muscle there are a few key things you need to incorporate into your lifestyle (fitness marriage) to see results as explained by the fitness publication Everyone Active.
These include the following:
Exercise
According to Everyone Active, the best way to see results is by doing exercises that target large muscle areas. These include doing workouts such as deadlifts, squats, bench presses, overhead presses as well as pull-ups.
The target areas for many of these exercises include the back, quads, shoulders, and chest as well as the bicep and triceps area.
For better results, the publication recommends doing them in compounded repetitions.
Nutrition
“To maximise muscle growth, you need to pay attention to macronutrients – carbohydrates, proteins, and fats,” explains the above-mentioned source.
In addition to these carbohydrates and protein are considered to be two essential nutrients. This is because carbs provide your body with fuel to perform the workouts while protein on the other hand is the building blocks of muscle and the repairing of muscle tissue after an intense workout.
Furthermore, Everyone Active also adds how important it is to fill your plate with whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats. As an added benefit you may make use of supplements.
Rest
Rest is essential in the muscle-building process, according to the mentioned source, resting allows the body to naturally repair itself. It is also important for maintaining hormonal balance and avoiding burnout.
Also see: Do you have asthma? Here are exercises that are gentle on the lungs
