Greetings friends! In this article I would like to talk about what muscle growth is, how to make muscles grow and give some actionable advice... Many people know what a "plateau" is, but do you know how to deal with it?
If we turn not to bodybuilders, but to scientists who are trying to look deep into the processes occurring in our muscles, then opinions about the reasons for muscle growth differ. When performing physical work, m-RNA (informational ribonucleic acid) accumulates in the muscles - a growth factor that triggers protein synthesis in muscles.
At the same time, the amount of hydrogen ions (a product of the breakdown of lactic acid) increases. This component is required to activate protein synthesis. However, its excess leads to acidification. muscle fibers and the destruction of muscle cells.
So some scientists argue that you need to give the muscles stress while trying to destroy them as little as possible. That is, accumulate a sufficient amount of hydrogen ions, but not an excess one. In this case, there are enough growth factors for the muscles to grow.
Another camp of scientists claims that the more destruction in muscle tissue, all the better. Arguing this by the fact that only when muscle fibers are destroyed during training, the body will start adaptive mechanisms, release the necessary hormones and growth factors that will start the synthesis of new protein structures and compensate muscle tissue with a reserve.
But theory is theory, but what does the practice and experience of bodybuilders say?
Practice muscle growth
Bodybuilding dates back to the early 20th century. Since then, a huge store of knowledge has been accumulated through observations and direct experiments on his body.
It is clear that the athletes themselves and the people who trained them made a huge contribution to the knowledge base. Many training methods have undergone changes or were rejected altogether. As a result, over almost 100 years of evolution, we have obtained the keys to effective muscle growth. Undoubtedly, development will continue and there are still many white holes, but the knowledge that the bodybuilding world already possesses cannot be overestimated.
So, the basis of the basics says that for muscle growth it is necessary to create unusual conditions for the body. In our case, through training. That is, we come to the gym, we begin to load the muscles various exercises, this is stress for the body and it begins to think what to do, how to adapt to this stress. And he finds the solution in growth muscle mass.
But if in subsequent trainings we give him exactly the same load, he will already be ready for this and there will be no growth. You will fall into a plateau. That is why it is necessary to constantly “surprise” your muscles. How do you do it?
By increasing the working weight
At every workout, you are unlikely to be able to increase the weight of the shells, but every 2-3 weeks you need to try to do this. It is necessary to increase the weight by a small amount. For example, if you are doing a bench press, then adding 2-3 kg to the bar will be sufficient.
By increasing the number of repetitions
If you cannot increase the weight of the projectile, then it will come to the rescue. Together with the first method, it can work like this: you have mastered some weight in the bench press, that is, you performed it for 12 repetitions. Now you need to increase the weight by 2-3 kg. You do this, but you can no longer perform 12 repetitions, and master only 8. Accordingly, on next workout there is no talk of any increase in weight, but in order to shock the muscles, you must try to perform.
By increasing the number of exercises or sets
As you grow, your muscles become more adaptable to stress. Therefore, the previous number of approaches in the exercise may no longer be enough to give the necessary stress to your muscles. If you don't want to add an extra set, then add another exercise. Perhaps it will allow you to put an unexpected load on the muscles.
Increase the lead time
This is one way to increase the intensity of your workout. This technique can be realized by increasing the negative and positive phases of movement during the exercise. In other words, do the exercise slowly and try to feel the target muscle contract. Spend at least 2 seconds on negative and positive phases.
Work not only for strength, but also for endurance
Bodybuilders know that muscle volume depends not only on the development of fast muscle fibers (types 2a and 2b), but also on the development of slow muscle fibers (type 1). To develop exactly the fibers of the first type, you need to work in a multi-repetitive mode. The most popular of these modes is pumping.
Its essence is to acidify muscle fibers as much as possible using small weights and a large number of repetitions. That is, to supply them with growth factors.
Use periodization
Training load may not always grow linearly. Sooner or later, the moment comes when your muscles hit the "plateau". To overcome it, by 20 percent. After that, increase the weight by 5% every week and after 4 weeks you will reach your previous working weights. And in a week you will be able to overcome them!
All of the above methods are related exclusively to the training process. They can be used by both men and girls, but with some reservations.
Girls, you must take into account the presence of menstrual cycles, since your performance depends on it. In short, your readiness to move mountains is observed in the postmenstrual and postovulatory phases.
Since there are more slow muscle fibers in the muscles of the weaker sex than in men, then you women need to pay more attention to multi-repetitive training (8-15 repetitions).
Nutrition for growth
Both men and women should take into account that no matter how you "surprise" the muscles, without proper nutrition they won't grow. Indeed, in this case, they will have nowhere to take the building material - protein. And for a high-intensity workout, you need energy - carbohydrates.
Therefore, the result of your workouts directly depends on what you will eat. And we smoothly move on to nutritional advice.
Observe these and growth will not be long in coming.
- The calorie content of your diet should be excessive, but only by 700-900 kcal for men and 200-400 kcal for women. Women need to know that when you have an excess of calories, you store fat faster, so your calorie surplus should not be significant.
- Consume only high-quality and healthy food. For protein, give preference to lean meats, as well as milk and eggs. Try to consume slow carbohydrates (cereals, vegetables, and unsweetened fruits). First-class sources of fat are: red fish, seafood, nuts, avocados, various oils (sunflower, olive, flaxseed)
- As a rule, after 40 years, the production of testosterone (the main male hormone) decreases, and its amount directly affects muscle growth. Therefore, at this age, you need to increase the amount of foods that increase testosterone levels in the diet. It can be low-fat meats, seafood, herbs, vegetables (spicy) and nuts
In addition to such important components as nutrition and training, muscle growth can be promoted. But their choice must be approached with full responsibility. Despite the fact that they do not have serious side effects you need to take them wisely and it is best to consult a doctor before using.
These drugs include:
- Vitamins and vitamin-like substances (vitamin and mineral complexes, B vitamins)
- Anabolizers (glutamic acid, methionine, potassium orotate,)
- Enzymes (festal, carsil)
- Energy drugs (inosine, lipoic acid,)
- Performance enhancing agents (ginseng root, eleutherococcus)
- Drugs affecting the central nervous system (nootropil, aminalon)
- Drugs affecting the properties of blood and blood flow (trental, compliance)
Pay close attention to the following instruction. These drugs must be taken only after consultation with a doctor (preferably a sports doctor) and under his supervision... Also, for beginners, that is, people whose training experience does not exceed 2 years, these funds are not needed!
The most important
In the end, I would like to say that everything must be done wisely. This is the only way you can achieve good results and at the same time without harm to health. I can only give you general recommendations, armed with which you can build your own training process and get the best possible result.
And on this I say goodbye to you. Subscribe to the blog and share information with your friends on social networks. See you soon!
In contact with
I just came back from my training. I'm tired, but I still have the strength to write this article for you. I decided to write it, because many athletes have a vague idea of \u200b\u200bwhy muscles grow and how to influence muscle growth.
Have you ever wondered why people with the same strength characteristics have different muscle volume? Because muscle growth Is not only strength training, but a whole system that we will now talk about.
You've probably heard hundreds of times that muscles grow from large weightsthat you need to eat right, someone recommends taking sports nutrition and much more. I don’t know about you, but this has already set my teeth on edge and I will not repeat myself again. The article will be detailed, so get ready to read it to the end to understand why muscles grow and what affects muscle growth.
Muscle growth provides increased training intensity.
When you are told that muscles grow only when your working weights grow, then know that they are telling you the absolute truth! Without increasing your working weights, your muscle mass will not increase.
But intensity means not how much weight you lift, but how hard you do it. I bet that if you are working with a weight of 50kg for 10 reps, then I will make your arms aching in pain after 1-2 sets, despite the fact that the weight will be only 35 kg. And it will provide a colossal muscle growth! How do you like this?
The thing is that ordinary athletes do repetitions quickly and the whole way from the lowest point of the amplitude to the top takes no more than 2 seconds. You've probably noticed more than once that if you stay at one point longer than usual or do the repetitions more slowly, then the exercise becomes much more difficult. So why is this?
The secret is that by doing the exercise slowly (10 seconds up and 10 seconds down), you significantly increase the intensity of the training, thereby ensuring yourself muscle growth and figure improvement.
You've probably heard about this method, it is called "High Intensity Training (HIT)". I will not dissuade you from the effectiveness of other methods (I personally use others), but let the facts speak for themselves.
The main advantages of HIT:
- Low weight - less risk of injury
- With less weight, the likelihood of cheating (violation of technique) is significantly reduced, which means that you train exactly the muscles you want to train
- If there is no large number of weights, then this the best optionbecause you can train even at home, where not everyone has a 100 kg barbell!
- More muscle fibers are involved in the work, because the muscle is under load for more than 30 seconds. Read more in the article
But we will go further! To provide incredible muscle growth, there is more you can do! HIT is good, but strength training, what to give up? Of course not! I offer you the best option to combine these two approaches. This is what it looks like.
First, you take your normal working weight, with which you can do 5-8 reps to failure without breaking the technique, and then take a lower weight and continue to do the reps. Having reached another failure, lose weight again and finish the muscles to the end. These are called weight-loss sets.
But where is HIT here? Now I will explain: do reps with less weight slowly (10 seconds, for example) and at the end you can even add negatives when you can hardly move. This is exactly what I do.
Negatives it is the use of only the negative phase of the amplitude of motion, i.e. in our case, lowering the bar ().
You need to lower the weight very slowly for 10 seconds. This is one repetition. Do this 3-5 times and you will simply be amazed at how intense your training has become!
Physiology of muscle growth
Why do muscles grow? We have already sorted out how to stimulate muscles to growth, now let's talk about what remains behind the scenes, about what happens inside our body.
The process of muscle hypertrophy (growth) begins with an unusual load, i.e. you're out of your comfort zone. You didn’t run before, but today you ran 5 km at once. Your muscles have received a load higher than usual and you have transmitted a signal to the body to grow, adapt to the load. But if this load is not repeated in the near future, then the rollback process begins and your muscles return to their original state, as if you had not trained.
The body is essentially very lazy and doesn't want to do anything until you force it! He always tries to get rid of what he doesn't use. Suppose you have built up 10 kg of pure muscle mass by training, but if after some time (for example, a year) the body does not receive loads, your muscles will be blown away! The body will eat them! He believes that since you are not using the muscles, you do not need them.
This is called the catabolic process or the breakdown of muscle tissue. This is the reverse of anabolic - muscle growth.
There is an interesting pattern - the body willingly burns muscles, but is in no hurry to increase muscle mass. Therefore, after the first workout, even if your muscles ache, do not expect that these actions are enough for a noticeable muscle growth... To stimulate muscles for growth it is necessary to constantly stimulate them, to give regular constantly increasing loads! Only then will your muscles begin to grow.
If there is no regularity of the load, then, as you already know, the rollback begins, and you return to the starting point. You should not be offended by your body and say that it does not allow you to be big and strong. On the contrary, knowing these mechanisms, you will be able to consciously control your body and muscle growth!
Muscle growth process
As you know, muscle growth is always accompanied by pain. With this, I always calm myself, because my muscles hurt 7 days a week, sometimes some others, but at least one muscle group still hurts.
I often remember the words of my friend: "If they hurt, then they grow up!" And these words always support me. By the way, Pasha, if you are reading this article now, thank you!
Why do muscles hurt?
Let's get closer to the meat. Muscles are made up of fibers that contract - they get thicker and shorter. Under the action of the load, some of the fibers are damaged and cracked. These cracks in the muscles cause pain.
If you kick and bruise, it means that you have a hemorrhage inside the body and soft tissue... Of course, this place hurts you.
It's the same story with muscles, only you don't have to hit them. By the way, you probably noticed that if you hit the muscle properly, then the pain is almost the same as after physical exertion.
The micro cracks should be healed, only then your muscle will fully recover.
Due to the fact that muscles are damaged under heavy loads, they start to hurt! Muscles do not hurt from lactic acid. If someone says this to you, then do not believe it, because this is complete nonsense. Lactic acid is produced by the body during exercise and makes muscles feel tired. It is responsible for muscle fatigue. After all, if you do not feel tired, then you can continue the load and very badly damage your muscles, which will make you incapacitated and vulnerable.
The body protects you. After all, if you have damaged your muscles and cannot move, then someone could eat you. In the wild, the fittest survive. And if you haven't forgotten yet, then we are all from there.
Muscle growth and number of involved fibers
Have you ever noticed that what more muscles, the more they hurt? The thing is that not all muscle fibers are involved during exercise. First of all, the weakest and most enduring fibers work, when they get tired, stronger fibers are connected to them and the main part of the muscle turns on only at the very end.
This phenomenon has its roots in our past. Let me remind you once again that we are just animals and, by design, should be able to survive in nature. And if we once use up all our reserves of energy and strength, then what should we do in case of danger? It is for this reason that weak, but hardy fibers work and only then power ones are included in the work.
As you know, there are two types of muscle fibers in our body: fast and slow (hardy). Just as a calculating coach does not release all of his strong players on the field, our body keeps strong fibers in reserve. What if they are not needed? The body is very economical and if you can get by with less energy, then why pay more?
When a muscle is under continuous stress, then it has to connect stronger and stronger fibers to work, otherwise the weak fibers will not survive. It is for this reason that I recommend doing all exercises slowly so that the muscles are under load for more than 30 seconds. I wrote more about this
How long do muscles hurt?
Let's go back to muscle pain. If you have used all the muscle fibers, then the muscle will hurt completely or almost completely, and the larger the muscle, the larger the "affected" area. Therefore, after a good power load, muscles ache from 3 days to a week in trained athletes. And if you took the barbell for the first time or after a long break, then before and up to 2 weeks!
In addition, not just muscle cracks can occur, but partial disintegration of muscle fibers. In this case, the "affected" muscle can swell and hurt a lot, more than usual. In this case, the muscles hurt for a very long time.
After aerobic exercise, for example, running for a long time, the muscles do not hurt very much, since not all muscle fibers are involved and the pain is rather superficial. Strength training is another matter, especially if it is prolonged and high-intensity, as I described above. In this case, many fibers are involved and the muscles hurt not only on the surface, but also deep inside! With partial breakdown of the fiber, you will notice that the muscle has become soft.
In order not to be unfounded, I will say that I checked these facts on my own skin and I can assure you - it's true! I have been doing jogging and football for several years and for me jogging 10 km every day was a regular activity. Your muscles never hurt as badly after running as they would after doing a 20-rep barbell squat.
What happens during muscle growth.
Muscles respond to stress by growing. When microcracks heal, then each damaged fiber becomes thicker and stronger to cope with this load in the future.
The number of fibers in a muscle can vary. Once in my childhood, after watching one program on TV, I decided that the number of muscle fibers is always the same, only their strength and thickness change. It turns out that when adapting to a new load, new fibers can grow.
Your muscles also get thicker due to the storage of various substances in them. For example, glycogen and creatine phosphate.
The larger the muscle, the more it can store these substances in itself. It is believed that pumping (pumping), during training, allows you to increase the storage space for nutrients, thereby increasing muscle volume.
Hormones and muscle growth
When examining the issue of muscle growth, hormones cannot be ignored. After all, they are the ones that shape our body. In women, muscles practically do not grow even with strength loads, while in men muscle growth normal phenomenon. This is the fault of the hormones. Or rather testosterone.
In men, the level of the hormone testosterone is several times higher than in women. It was research into the production of synthetic testosterone that led to the development of anabolic steroids.
Since we are talking about growth, then growth hormone cannot be ignored. It is these two hormones that allow our muscles to grow. The higher the level of these hormones in your blood, the faster the build-up of meat on your bones.
Hormonal burst
After you have shocked your muscles with a monstrous training, the release of hubbubs into the blood begins. The stronger the load, the more hormones and the faster your muscles grow.
But not all training allows you to get a hormonal explosion. Let's take a look at your workouts through the eyes of the body.
First case. You did a 10-rep exercise and got rejected. There are two more such approaches. Your muscles have received a lot of stress and you are really tired. Time under load 20 seconds.
Second case. You did the same 10 reps, but after giving up, you took less weight and continued until the next failure, and then reduced the weight again and got rejected again. And there are two more such approaches. You end up with 15-20 reps and 40-60 seconds under load.
In which case do you think more fibers are involved? What kind of workout will your muscles hurt more? The second case is correct.
So, the more muscle fibers are involved, the stronger the release of hormones. But by the number of fibers, I mean not only an individual muscle, but the whole organism as a whole. Barbell squats use more muscle than barbell lifts by? Well, of course.
Only heavy multi-joint exercises can achieve a hormonal explosion and, as a result, muscle growth... At least once a week, you must do hard exercise on your feet: deadlift classic or straight legs, squats with a barbell, leg press or their analogues. Without these exercises rapid muscle growth will never.
But in addition to the hormonal explosion, you can simply raise the level of hormones with the intensity of the training. I already mentioned this, see above. The main thing is to get as many fibers as possible to join the work!
Muscle growth totals.
- Muscles grow when they are exposed to force
- The load must be regular and constantly increase
- It is necessary to use the largest number of muscle fibers
- Do one basic multi-joint leg exercise at least once a week to get a hormonal burst
- If the muscles do not stop hurting, give them more time. Never load sore muscles!
Now you know what depends on muscle growthhow to make muscles grow, what exercises to do and the process of muscle growth from the inside.
That the muscles grew well, we must have fun too. So watch this tough college dorm joke.
- the thickness of the transverse muscle fibers;
- fiber type (slow or fast twitch);
- the number of muscle fibers;
- the amount of fluid that is in the muscles;
- the amount of sarcoplasm available;
- the number of blood vessels in the muscles.
- (short limbs and wide body);
- (body parameters are relatively harmonious);
- (thin people with muscle building problems).
- - protects muscles from destruction;
- - increases muscle endurance and promotes their quick recovery after microtraumas;
- - affects the speed of building muscle tissue;
- - an important amino acid for muscle growth and the synthesis of creatine and adrenaline.
Anyone who wants to build muscle is worried about the question of how muscles grow? Why do some look like "bulls", others like "skinny deer", although the lonely is diligently engaged in gym? To influence the process of muscle growth, you need to know the physiology, properly organize training and rest.
A bit of physiology
Muscles are made up of slow twitch and fast twitch fibers. Muscle does not grow when training occurs, but after it. During training, muscles are injured, tense and partially torn. After classes, the recovery process takes place. It is during the recovery process that muscle growth is observed. Healthy cells are replacing destroyed ones, and in increased numbers.
In the process of exercising in the gym, a person trains the muscles of the skeleton, consisting of myofibrils and sarcomeres. Together they form muscle fibers. Man has 650 skeletal muscle... They contract when a command comes from motor neurons. Through nerve impulses, motor neurons "tell" the muscles to contract. The better this connection is established, the more active is the contraction of muscle fibers.
Interesting! Physical strength of a person does not depend on the volume and mass of muscles, but on the body's ability to stimulate motor neurons and better compress muscle fibers.
Operating principle
During active exercise, the number of nerve impulses increases, which cause muscle contraction. Thus, the muscle tissue becomes more solid, although it does not necessarily change in size in the first stages. It takes months of training for cells to grow.
Stimulation and recovery are two inextricably linked mechanisms for muscle growth. In the process of exercising in the gym, there is stimulation. It's muscle contraction and tension. When compressed, a microscopic rupture of muscle fibers necessarily occurs. Strengthening each time the load, these microtraumas become constant companions of classes.
And after the impact on the muscles, rest is necessary. This is restoration. During the period that the cells are restored, new cells grow, and, consequently, the muscles themselves grow.
What is muscle fiber hypertrophy?
As a result of regular physical activity, a gradual increase in muscle mass is observed. This is what they call. An increase in muscle volume requires special conditions and occurs if a person regularly increases the load, crossing the barrier to which the body has already adapted.
there is different types hypertrophy:
Testosterone stimulants help in creating hypertrophy. But they will be useless without special nutrition, training, etc. But there is no harm from these stimulants, unlike anabolic steroids.
Interesting! All muscles in the body, especially the chest and abs, look much more beautiful with sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, which bodybuilders achieve. But athletes from other disciplines sneer at this as "empty muscles" because they lack strength.
For muscles to grow, it is necessary to increase the number of myofibrils in muscle fibers. Muscle growth is impossible without special ones that affect the formation of myofibrils. Amino acids, in turn, are obtained with animal proteins. It is a building material for muscles. This means that the first condition for their growth is a diet rich in proteins. Proteins are what builds muscle.
This does not mean that you need to eat more than usual or increase the number of calories. You need to eat in the same usual amount. The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates should be optimal: 30/10/60.
The rate of muscle growth is largely genetically based. However, you can interfere with nature. The muscle growth potential is influenced by factors such as:
You cannot influence what a person has already been born with.But it is quite capable of correcting the potential inherent in nature. In this case, you need to take into account the type of body structure.
There are such types as:
For each type of figure, individual nutrition and training are selected.
Rest time between workouts and its role
Meat and other protein alone is not enough unless you have a well-organized exercise and relaxation routine. Periods of work and rest are correctly alternated. Exercise is a determining factor in muscle growth and triggering hypertrophy. When the body feels that it lacks the physical capacity to complete the task, it resorts to hypertrophy.
Exercise solves several problems at once - it not only promotes the growth of muscle tissue, but also helps to grow up if a person is not yet 25 years old. For a year, a person can grow up to 5-6 centimeters. And training helps to start the mechanism of formation of amino acids - important components of proteins.
Without going into complicated medical terms, you just need to understand that after training it is extremely important to have a good rest. . And even during the workout itself, you need to take 3-5 minute pauses. The optimal pause between active workouts is a day. Better yet, 48 hours. That is, you need to study in a day or two.
Note! Of course, it is necessary to follow expert advice, but you should not ignore your own feelings: the body itself will tell you when to add rest, and when - classes.
The point is that muscle growth requires the body to overcome physical fatigue. If there is not enough time to recover between workouts, fatigue will build up and muscle growth will stop. The body will spend energy on maintaining vital functions, and not on increasing muscle volume.
Important! Muscle grows when the rate of recovery exceeds the rate of breakdown of muscle protein.
Effect of muscle tension on muscle growth
Muscle tension is one of the factors for muscle growth. Therefore, weight lifting is often used in the classroom. When muscles tense up, chemical processes in the muscle tissue are activated that affect cell growth. In order for the muscles to increase in volume, it is necessary to give the body such a load to which it has not yet had time to get used to.
Interesting! Painful sensations after exercise almost completely disappear after a year of training. The pain dulls over time, the person no longer feels it.
The role of hormones in the process
Are muscles growing due to additional hormone production? Sure. During exercise, testosterone levels rise, and it stimulates the response to growth hormone. This process begins at the moment when a person is unable to raise the projectile or push up. This is called muscle failure. This condition causes a shake-up for the body, and therefore an additional portion of hormones is produced.
Athletes additionally take artificial hormones to speed up their performance. But according to many doctors, it is better not to get carried away with this. In order for growth hormones to enter the muscles, and not be destroyed by the liver, hydrogen ions are needed. Hydrogen ions should be no more and no less than necessary. With a lack or excess, muscle growth will be inhibited. Hormonal balance is maintained the right regime loads and rest.
Role of amino acids
Amino acids are part of protein compounds, and without them muscle growth cannot be achieved. There are 22 types of amino acids in the body. 4 of them are produced by our body itself, and another 8 come to us with food.
You can add to the list of essential amino acids:
Most of the essential amino acids are found in plant and animal products, namely proteins.
Necessary conditions for muscle growth
In order for the body to take on the long-awaited forms, you need to create the following conditions:
- Reiteration basic movements, such as , .
- Meals are recommended to be done and frequent - at least 6 times.
- The diet should consist mainly of proteins. We also need minerals, mineral water.
- Get enough sleep. It is during sleep that the muscles are completely relaxed, and this is important for their growth.
Another important point Is the connection between muscle growth and the central nervous system. To start the process muscle growth, it is necessary to influence the central nervous system with firm convictions, self-hypnosis, a great desire to achieve a goal. And also create stressful conditions for the central nervous system in the form of an additional load during training, an increase in the time for exercise, and a change in the training scheme.
How can you understand that muscles are growing? If all three directions are set correctly - nutrition, training and rest, then muscles will definitely grow. It is best to check monthly with a flexible meter how much muscle tissue has increased.
What do you need to eat to grow muscles?
The main food should be carbohydrates. But these are complex carbohydrates. The menu should contain:
- rice, other cereals, as well as potatoes and pasta;
- fats, but mainly vegetable (found in nuts, in);
- chicken, chicken proteins, cottage cheese, as well as food additives.
Vitamins are required. The most popular among vitamin complexes:
And you also need to observe fractional meals... The more often a person eats (of course, in small portions), the faster the metabolism, the metabolism accelerates, adipose tissue melts, and muscle builds up.
Another important condition is to drink enough water. It is water, not juices and tea. Clean water should be drunk per day at least 1.5-2 liters. But not in one sitting, but divided into 5-6 servings. And drink half an hour before meals and after two hours after meals.
Conclusion
Formation beautiful body due to muscle growth, it is possible with a harmonious combination of a special diet, exercises with an increasing load and good rest . It is not only the speed of muscle growth that is important, but also the health of the athlete. It is better to avoid artificial hormonal drugs, and limit yourself to taking vitamins.
We all know that exercising makes muscles grow. However, from the point of view of anatomy, this is not entirely accurate, since the muscles themselves practically do not grow, but only their volume increases. It is also important that even the best strength exercises are completely useless without sufficient nutrition (both).
Muscle growth is a complex process of changing muscle fibers and surrounding tissues, which requires both regular progress in physical activityand an increased amount of energy consumed from food and time for recovery (including adequate sleep). It is the combination of these factors that makes muscles grow.
Anatomy and physiology of muscle growth
As FitSeven already mentioned above, from a scientific point of view, it is more correct to speak not about muscle growth, but about an increase in their volume (that is, about) - the number of muscle fibers itself practically does not change during life and is set genetically (1). Strength training does make the fibers stronger, but they don't make them grow.
Visual muscle growth and its "pumping" is, first of all, an increase in sarcoplasm (nutrient fluid surrounding muscle fibers), glycogen stores of muscles and proliferation of connective tissues. Essentially, the athlete's body learns to use and energize existing muscle fibers more efficiently.
How Much Does Muscle Grow After Exercise?
Scientific research suggests that muscle growth begins approximately 3-4 hours after strength training (2) and ends after 36-48 hours. That is why it makes no sense to pump the same muscle group more often than once every two or three days, and for beginners, it is 3 workouts per week.
At the same time, immediately after training, the body requires both easily digestible proteins to stop catabolic processes in the muscles, and carbohydrates in an amount of at least 100-150 g (30-40 g immediately after training, the rest - within 2-3 hours). The period when the body prefers to send energy from food to the muscles is called metabolic or.
Carbohydrates are the main food for muscles
On the one hand, heavy strength training using basic exercises trigger various physiological processes in the body, leading to an increase in the strength of muscle fibers. On the other hand, without a sufficient supply of energy in the form, and (in this sequence), there will simply be no muscle growth.
Carbohydrates are necessary for the body to create stores of glycogen (the main source of energy for muscles), fats - for the synthesis of testosterone and other important hormones. Separately, we note that the role of proteins and whey protein muscle growth is often overestimated - in fact, even for athletes.
Pre-workout nutrition at the gym
For muscles to function fully, they need a quick supply of energy. That is why the body needs preliminary reserves of nutrients in the energy stores of the muscles themselves. In fact, before you start strength training, they must have enough carbohydrates in the form of glycogen, which will then be consumed.
In total, the athlete's body stores up to (100-150 g in the liver and 350-400 g in the sarcoplasm of muscle fibers). At the same time, the lack of carbohydrates in the diet does not allow the body to form glycogen reserves for training and significantly limits the processes of recovery and muscle growth. That is why it is difficult to build muscle.
The best exercises for muscle growth
The most effective effect on muscle growth and on glycogen synthesis is the so-called, which consists in performing multi-joint exercises involving several large muscle groups... Exercises should be performed in 5-7 repetitions with a serious working weight - and this requires perfect knowledge of the technique.
Such strength training provokes micro-damage to muscle tissue, the subsequent restoration of which leads to muscle growth. In addition, they have a positive effect on the body's production of a number of hormones necessary for muscle growth - primarily testosterone and growth hormone. These same hormones affect fat burning.
Features of sports metabolism
The main difference between metabolism and the metabolism of an unsportsmanlike person is the ability to use carbohydrates more efficiently and regulate insulin levels in the blood. In simple terms, the body of athletes prefers to process carbohydrates from food into glycogen and send them to muscles, rather than to fat stores.
Regular "muscle pumping" gradually raises metabolism, requiring a significant increase in caloric intake and forcing the athlete to eat more. It is also interesting that modern scientists believe that it does not exist, and everyone can become a mesomorph after several years of appropriate nutrition and training.
***
While muscle growth is not such a difficult physiological process, it can only be achieved with the right combination of factors such as regular strength training, increased calorie intake, and adequate rest. Most beginners only need 3 workouts per week to build muscle - otherwise they are at risk of overtraining.
Scientific sources:
- How do muscles grow? Young sub Kwon, M.S. and Len Kravitz, Ph.D.,
- Muscle Growth Part I: Why, And How, Does A Muscle Grow And Get Stronger? Casey Butt, Ph.D.,
The question of the speed of gaining muscle mass is of interest, without exception, to every beginner. "How fast do muscles grow?" - This is the second most popular question after "How to build muscle mass?" Therefore, it is worth devoting a separate conversation to this burning topic. I note right away that the data that I will cite today is my personal experience, based on both own training, and the speed of progress of my charges. This article is purely practice. There is no theory in it, and scientific research, from the point of view of which we, perhaps, we will talk about muscle growth later, determining the degree of coincidence of practice with theory.
Factors to Consider
Many years of personal experience, as well as the experience of other people, states that the rate of muscle growth is an individual indicator. Therefore, if someone tells you about specific numbers, you can either ask this person again, making sure that he is just trying to simplify the information received, or if he claims that exactly 10 kilograms of dry mass per year is the maximum for absolutely every athlete - feel free to write this "advisor" into idiots. The rate of muscle growth depends on many factors. The main factors in muscle growth are:
1. Compliance or non-compliance with the principle of load progression.
2. Adequate hormonal levels, allowing or not to build muscle mass.
3. Correct or incorrect recovery (nutrition, sleep).
4. Age. Until the age of 25, muscle growth occurs on its own. The body is formed without strength training... But he can be helped in this, as a result of which progress will be even more significant.
5. The correctness of the training program.
6. Correct attitude.
7. Genetics.
These are the factors that are fundamental in the growth of muscle mass. We will talk about them separately in another article. Now we need to understand that compliance or non-compliance with these factors can both accelerate and slow down muscle growth. I would like to note that I simply did not include such factors as “adherence to the technique of performing the exercise” in this list. But not because it is not important, but for the reason that it goes without saying.
First year
I also did not include training experience in this list on purpose. The rate of growth of muscle mass depends on this factor by more than 50%, in connection with which it is worth considering the question "How fast do muscles grow?" precisely through the prism of training experience.
And now, moving on to a more understandable conversation for the masses, let's add Vasya, a 17-year-old 65-kilogram boy, to our conversation. Doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, eats and recovers more or less correctly. Follows the principle of progression of loads, has the right attitude, average genetics and mediocre hormonal levels. If Vasya trains correctly, in the first year of training he can gain about 6-7 kilograms of dry muscles. Now let's add Yura to this conversation - a 17-year-old boy, weighing 65 kilograms. Yura has super-motivation, he stuffs kilograms of rice, cottage cheese and buckwheat into himself, has a normal hormonal background, correctly composed training program... But Yura has one problem: no one told him that he needed to keep a training diary, thanks to which the principle of load progression can be observed. Yura is gaining 15 kilograms per year and calls Vasya a dry man. Nevertheless, Vasya gained 6-7 kilograms of lean muscles, while Yura gained 2 kilograms of muscle and 13 kilograms of the finest shit that will come out of him at the very first drying. And all why? And all because Yura did not follow the principle of load progression. As he pressed his 60 kilograms, he stopped at 70–80 kilograms, which is basically the same in annual terms. The pounds gained are not muscle. Therefore, all the numbers here are very arbitrary.
Now let's add Dima to our conversation. Dima read this article before starting to train in the gym. Dima knows about all of the above factors, knows how to keep his testosterone at a high level, and observes the progression of loads. In general, Dima, who read this article, is great. He comes to the gym and gains 20 kilograms in the first year. 12 of them are muscles. The rest is fat and water, which Dima, who is reading our site, can easily get rid of during the spring-summer period.
Second year
Vasya, impressed by Masha from a neighboring yard, successfully scored on the rocking chair. In the end, he didn't get anything. Yura, having lost most of what he had gained during drying, realized his mistake, started a training diary and began to observe the principle of load progression. Thanks to the well-functioning neuromuscular connection, Yura gained 15 kilograms, 10 of which were muscles. Dima, continuing to progress, gained another 7 kilograms of lean muscles.
Third year
Masha threw Vasya. He decided to go back to the rocking chair and take himself seriously. He began to plow like a galley slave, setting himself up for a positive outcome. He followed all of the above principles and gained about 10 kilograms of lean muscles. Yura, continuing to train correctly, gained another 7 kilograms of muscle. Dima - 5 more.
Fourth year
Vasya gained 6-7 kilograms, Yura - 5, Dima gained 3.
Fifth year
Vasya gained 4 kilograms, Yura - 3, Dima - 2.
Sixth year
All athletes gained 2 kilograms of lean muscle.
Tenth year
All athletes gained one kilogram of dry muscles.
……
Twentieth year of training
Vasya gained 250 grams, Yura - 230. Dima divorced his second wife and decided to devote his life to bodybuilding. As a result, he gained 900 grams of lean muscle in a year.
As you can see from these examples, some of which are based on real events, the rate of muscle growth is a variable indicator, which depends on:
Compliance or non-compliance with the main rules of muscle growth.
- Training experience.
Specific figures
To give you something concrete, I can say that for a young beginner with average genetics, 12 kilograms of clean muscle in the first year of training is the maximum. Again, these observations are based on my personal experience, however, if your progress differs greatly from this figure, you should analyze your lifestyle for the absence of one of the above factors... At the same time, keep in mind that 12 kilograms of lean muscle is most likely, if you "go into mass" - this is about 15-20 kilograms on the scales. If you follow your diet, trying not to gain excess fat, and you succeed - less. Here you need to rely on your own reflection in the mirror. In the second year of training, progress slows down by about 1.5-1.8 times. At the same time, you can find reserves from more correct training in the event that you screwed up in the first year. In this case, progress will not slow down. Further - according to a similar principle.
Ideal growth rate depending on experience
Using this table, the average natural amateur can calculate variances in one of the training factors.
| Progress rate | Ideal indicator | Good indicator | Average rate | Bad indicator |
| First year | 12 (15-20 on the scales) | 8-9 | 5-6 | 1-3 |
| Second year | 7-8 (10-13 on the scales) | 6-7 | 3-4 | 1-2 |
| Third year | 5-6 (9-11 on the scales) | 4,5-5 | 2-3 | 1 |
| Fourth year | 3-5 (7-9 on the scales) | 2-3 | 1-2 | 0,5-1 |
| Fifth year | 2-3 (4-6 on the scales) | 1-2 | 0,5 | 0 |
| Sixth year | 1.5-2 (2.5-3.5 on the scales) | 1 | 0,2-0,5 | 0 |
| Seventh year | 1 (up to 2.5 on scales) | 1 | 0 | - |
| Eighth year | 900 g (up to 2.5 for all) | 0,5-1 | 0 | - |
| Ninth year | 700 g (up to 2 on scales) | 0,5-1 | 0 | - |
I note that, firstly, this is an approximate table, and secondly, the first graph was drawn up on the condition that your training life is ideal, which, in principle, rarely happens due to various circumstances, sometimes beyond our control. These numbers are the upper limit of NATURAL muscle growth. For the average amateur, half of them is already very good.
Amateurs usually progress much more slowly (average). It depends both on the fact that we are simply not robots and are sometimes forced to neglect one of the factors, and on the banal ignorance of these factors or genetics. Therefore, do not be discouraged if your progress is slightly less than these values \u200b\u200b- this is normal.