We’ve all been there. We have always been at the gym, and have wished to be “that guy” there who is big and shredded. What you may not know is that with some minor tweaks, and a healthy dose of commitment, you can be that guy or girl too! Here we are going to give you the tools to help you succeed.
Lift those Heavy Weights!
This one may seem like a no-brainer to some, but the reality is that this aspect is oftentimes overlooked. There are some people who expect to get massive while doing 20-pound bicep curls. We do not mean that this isn’t going to work, but there are better options available.
First off, if you want to get big, you need to start lifting big. On a side note, always do your strength training regimens under the supervision of certified, competent personal trainers to diminish the risk of injury.
Now going into the “heavy lifting” side of the equation, you should try to do compound movements (think of squats, bench press, etc.) to target all of the muscles in the body. The benefits are multiple, as you will get much stronger since you are likely to target all of the muscle fibers, will look much better, and you will also gain further physical aptitudes.
Some good recommendations would be to lift above the 65%RM (you can get more info about that here,) and follow a horizontal progression (do all of the sets of a given exercise so as to move onto the next one right after) in order to stimulate hypertrophy. Always start small, and gradually build your way up so as not to hurt your joints. The ideal frequency needs to be established by your personal trainer. A small caveat though: don’t burn yourself out! Enjoy the process.
Eat That Protein!
When it comes down to protein intake, it is generally advised to consume 0.5 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight. That means, that if you are a 165-pound male, you should get approximately 500 calories from proteins (1 gram of protein provides 4 kcal) if you consume around 2000 calories. Also, upping the caloric intake can help with building muscle mass, but be careful with what you consume. This means, try to stay away from high-fat processed foods for as long as you healthily can.
Some high-protein, low-fat foods include the following: poultry, fish, and seafood in general, and some red meat cuts such as tenderloin. There are some vegan-friendly options too, such as tofu, lentils, beans, oats, soy, and quinoa, amongst others.
The idea here is to focus more on quality, rather than quantity if you want to get lean mass. As your training progresses, your energy demands will also increase alongside your daily food intake. Think of “quality over quantity.”
Final Thoughts
You can certainly get big while getting lean too, provided you follow some of the instructions above. Visit VIP Fitness to get assistance from the best personal trainer and health coach in California.