You don’t have to be a bodybuilder to know that muscle is essential for your body and your overall health. Muscles play an important role in weight management, boosting our metabolism and immune systems, improving bone strength, and preventing injuries. Muscle growth takes time and persistence, but can massively benefit your health and wellbeing. Here are a few simple tips for increasing muscle mass.
1.) Lift Heavy
If you want to build muscle mass and increase strength, you have to lift heavy. Lifting heavy weights tears down muscle so they can rebuild themselves stronger than before. In order to produce muscle growth, you have to continuously apply greater loads of stress by lifting progressively heavier weights. Start slow, and focus on performing lower reps with higher weights to fatigue the muscles.
2.) Make Time For Recovery
Recovery is essential to increasing muscle mass. During the recovery process, muscle fibers heal and become stronger. Take at least 1-2 rest days per week, and make sure to stay hydrated. Stretching, foam rolling, and massage all help to relieve muscle soreness and prevent injury.
3.) Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is often the forgotten piece in the journey to larger muscles. When you’re asleep, your muscles are recovering and muscle-growing hormones are secreted. 8 to 10 hours of sleep is ideal. Try to set a routine of waking up and going to bed at the same everyday to consistently improve sleep quality.
4.) Food Is Fuel
You can’t achieve higher muscle mass without proper nutrition. Consuming enough calories every day gives your body the fuel it needs to recover faster and train better. When it comes to nutrients for building muscle mass, protein is the top priority. Protein provides the body with necessary amino acids needed to repair and rebuild, while also promoting the development of new muscle tissue.
5.) Track Progress With DEXA Scans
DEXA scans are a valuable tool to assess your muscle mass and track your progress over time. DEXA uses an x-ray technique to look at the density of the body and can estimate the amount of lean muscle mass and fat tissue throughout the body. You can use regular DEXA scans to assess how well your training and nutrition plan is working to help you gain muscle mass. Schedule a DEXA scan appointment today.