Men’s Fitness – Gym Tips for Muscle Gain

Are you working hard in the gym, but are not seeing the results? Then it’s time for a change. Working hard is great, your attitude and commitment should be applauded. But just like work, the gym is a results-based business and you want those results. Here we look at gym tips to help you gain that muscle. Time to train smart, as well as hard.

• Eat More – not pizza or crisps but good wholesome foods with an emphasis on protein. Training muscles damages them, as they repair, if fed properly, they grow. If we starve our body then it attacks the easiest source of food available to it i.e. its own muscle mass. Calorie deficient diets reduce muscles and negate any hard work
• Do not neglect carbs, just choose them better. They are the body’s fuel. Cut out refined sugar and instead aim for complex carbs.
• Dumbbells – not you, in the gym. Use them; free weights create strength better than machine weights as the body has to focus on stability as well as movement.
• Back to it – for some reason, people forget to train their back, despite the fact that it has some of the largest muscle groups. Do not fall into the trap of only training your chest and arms, think balance.
• Sleep and Rest – muscles grow after exertion during rest. If you constantly use them then they do not grow. Think of runners; sprinters are big and explosive, whereas distance runners who are always moving are lean and thin – their muscles reflect their training. The day off is as important as the gym itself, so ensure that you are rested. Be mindful of your sleep too.
• Volume – when you are not resting, hit the body parts hard, and think volume for individual muscle groups. Rest periods allow recovery and growth.
• Heavy – big weights, big muscles? For some exercises, going heavy with weights pumps up the body’s testosterone and can promote growth – perhaps not throughout the whole workout though, just for some targeted reps.
• Ease Off – at times the body needs complete rest, other times a lighter session to promote flexibility will help. Just do not take it too easy too often – intensity counts too.
• Change – your body adapts to routine, and you get bored. Whilst not going mad, change it up occasionally.
• Legs – remember those things you walk into the gym on?! Far too many people neglect their legs, meaning an overall irregularity in their body’s muscle mass– wearing shorts becomes a little embarrassing too!
• Bodyweight – static weights are great, but try moving your own weight through push/pull ups etc. Again this creates a core stability if you focus on your form throughout.
• Partners – not to chat to, but to push you that little bit further and provide the safety of a spot/helping hand.
• Relax – stress is a danger to health, and can affect your body and training, so when you are not training, exercise your mind and learn to relax.
• Trainer – ever thought why trainers look good, maybe it’s because they know what they are doing? Consulting the right one may help you too.
• Be intense – the gym is not a social club, least not whilst training, so focus and push.
• Warm up and stretch – nothing ruins muscle growth like an injury. It’s good to maintain a level of physical fitness too.
• Experiment – try something new, it might just work.

Training hard is great, but training hard and smart is better. Take these tips and incorporate them into your workouts and you will be doing just that!