Caloric Needs For Building Muscle
The following guide will provide you with all the tools you need to build muscle as quickly as possible. You will learn how to properly structure your weekly workouts, which exercises are the best choices, how to set up an eating plan so that you maximize your time in the gym, and much more.
If you need help or clarifications, please feel free to post a question or comment at the end of this guide. You may also post questions in the Muscle & Strength forum.
Definitions and Common Terms
The following is a list of common terms found in most muscle building articles and workouts, along with definitions.
Hypertrophy - Hypertrophy is the process of increasing the size of muscle cells through the use of resistance training. There are two different types of muscular hypertrophy: sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar.
Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy - Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy involves and increase in a cell's sarcoplasmic fluid without an accompanying increase in strength.
Myofibrillar Hypertrophy - Myofibrillar hypertrophy involves a cellular increase in the contractile proteins actin and myosin, which is accompanied by strength increases as well as small increases in muscle size. It should be stated that sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar hypertrophy rarely occur independently, meaning one without the other.
Split Workout - A split, or training split, is a workout that targets specific areas of the body rather than working the entire body in one training session. A split workout is usually constructed based on bodyparts, but can also be structured according to movement planes, or in an upper body/lower body type manner. Splits generally range anywhere from a 3 day push, pull, legs split to a 6 day bodypart split.
Fullbody Workout - A fullbody workout is a training approach that targets the entire body in each session. Fullbody training is generally performed 3 times per week with at least one day off in between sessions. Some fullbody workouts are performed only twice per week.
Progression - Progression is the act of making a workout more difficult over time via the addition of additional weight, volume, or through the inclusion of high intensity or advanced training techniques.
Rep - A rep, or repetition, is the act of performing an exercise a single time. Each repetition is comprised of two separate actions: a concentric and eccentric movement. The concentric portion of an exercise involves pulling, pushing or squatting a weight, while the eccentric movement involves lowering or raising the bar back to it's initial point so that another repetition can be performed.
Set - A set is a group or repetitions performed with limited rest in between reps, generally in a near continuous manner.
Body Types and Bone Size Factors
There are three primary bodytypes: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph.
Ectomorph. An ectomorph is a typical skinny guy. Ecto's have a light build with small joints and lean muscle. Usually ectomorph's have long thin limbs with stringy muscles. Shoulders tend to be thin with little width. Typical traits of an ectomorph:
Small €delicate€ frame and bone structure
Classic €hardgainer€
Flat chest
Small shoulders
Thin
Lean muscle mass
Finds it hard to gain weight
Fast metabolism
Mesosmorph. A mesomorph has a large bone structure, large muscles and a naturally athletic physique. Mesomorphs are the best body type for bodybuilding. They find it quite easy to gain and lose weight. They are naturally strong which is the perfect platform for building muscle. Typical traits on a Mesomorph:
Athletic
Hard body with well defined muscles
Rectangular shaped body
Strong
Gains muscle easily
Gains fat more easily than ectomorphs
Endomorph. The endomorph body type is solid and generally soft. Endomorphs gain fat very easily. Endo's are usually of a shorter build with thick arms and legs. Muscles are strong, especially the upper legs. Endomorphs find they are naturally strong in leg exercises like the squat. Typical traits of an Endomorph:
Soft and round body
Gains muscle and fat very easily
Is generally short and €stocky€
Round physique
Finds it hard to lose fat
Slow metabolism
Bodytype Combinations. Bodytypes are not set in stone. Most of us are a combination of bodytypes with ectomorph/mesomorph or mesomorph/endomorph being fairly common.
Are You a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced Lifter?
The muscle building workouts on Muscle & Strength fall into 3 categories: beginner, intermediate and advanced workouts. Use the following guidelines when trying to decide which workouts are best for you.
Beginner. A beginner, or novice, has yet to make a substantial amount of muscle mass gains. They are still trying to figure out proper training and nutrition, or may simply be missing too many gym sessions to make any progress at all.
Intermediate. An intermediate has experienced "beginner gains", and has generally added a minimum of at least 10-15 pounds of muscle. Intermediate lifters know how to eat and train to maximize results in the gym.
Advanced. An advanced lifter has reached the point where yearly muscle gains have substantially diminished. They may require more creative training approaches and/or periodization. An advanced lifter looks muscular and impressive in a t-shirt. People will know upon seeing them that they €work out.€
Workout Diet and Nutrition
If you're not eating properly, you won't build much muscle. Many lifters focus all their attention on planning a workout split and training ferociously in the gym, but have no clue how many calories or grams of protein they are eating per day. This won't cut it.
To build muscle you need to monitor your diet just as much, if not more so, than your training. It is not good enough to €just eat healthy.€ While healthy eating is a good thing, a muscle building eating plan has specific requirements that must be met:
Calories. You must be eating a consistent amount of daily calories. This intake should be substantial enough to allow the body to build muscle. Undereating is one of the major contributors to lack of gains.
Protein. You must be monitoring your protein intake. Increasing your daily protein intake while on a resistance training program helps to increase lean muscle mass. The human body is in a constant state of €protein turnover.€ Muscle tissue is continuously being repaired and replaced. To maximize this repair, you must maintain a protein positive nitrogen balance.
Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates play two key roles in muscle building. The first is energy. Your body needs maximum energy to perform at maximum level. Second, insulin spike post workout. Insulin is the most anabolic hormone in the human body and drives nutrients from the bloodstream into muscle cells. When you finish your workout your muscles are desperately trying to repair and rebuild and are crying out for energy and nutrients. This is the only time when simple carbohydrates will benefit you for muscle building.
Healthy Fats. A low fat diet is not always a healthy diet. The body requires healthy fats for a myriad of reasons. Undereating healthy fats can compromise sleep, lower cardiovascular function, slow recovery and increase the likelihood of overtraining. You must be monitoring your fat intake to some degree so that you are certain it is at a productive level.
How Many Calories do You Need?
To help you determine your daily calorie requirement, you will first need to calculate your BMR, or basal metabolic rate. The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is a excellent tool for working out how many calories your body needs on a daily basis depending on the amount and intensity of the exercise you do. This tool works on a proven formula and is very accurate. The calculator uses two formulas to calculate your body's daily calorie requirements.
Figure out your BMR BMR => BMR Calculator
Tight
If you need help or clarifications, please feel free to post a question or comment at the end of this guide. You may also post questions in the Muscle & Strength forum.
Definitions and Common Terms
The following is a list of common terms found in most muscle building articles and workouts, along with definitions.
Hypertrophy - Hypertrophy is the process of increasing the size of muscle cells through the use of resistance training. There are two different types of muscular hypertrophy: sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar.
Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy - Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy involves and increase in a cell's sarcoplasmic fluid without an accompanying increase in strength.
Myofibrillar Hypertrophy - Myofibrillar hypertrophy involves a cellular increase in the contractile proteins actin and myosin, which is accompanied by strength increases as well as small increases in muscle size. It should be stated that sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar hypertrophy rarely occur independently, meaning one without the other.
Split Workout - A split, or training split, is a workout that targets specific areas of the body rather than working the entire body in one training session. A split workout is usually constructed based on bodyparts, but can also be structured according to movement planes, or in an upper body/lower body type manner. Splits generally range anywhere from a 3 day push, pull, legs split to a 6 day bodypart split.
Fullbody Workout - A fullbody workout is a training approach that targets the entire body in each session. Fullbody training is generally performed 3 times per week with at least one day off in between sessions. Some fullbody workouts are performed only twice per week.
Progression - Progression is the act of making a workout more difficult over time via the addition of additional weight, volume, or through the inclusion of high intensity or advanced training techniques.
Rep - A rep, or repetition, is the act of performing an exercise a single time. Each repetition is comprised of two separate actions: a concentric and eccentric movement. The concentric portion of an exercise involves pulling, pushing or squatting a weight, while the eccentric movement involves lowering or raising the bar back to it's initial point so that another repetition can be performed.
Set - A set is a group or repetitions performed with limited rest in between reps, generally in a near continuous manner.
Body Types and Bone Size Factors
There are three primary bodytypes: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph.
Ectomorph. An ectomorph is a typical skinny guy. Ecto's have a light build with small joints and lean muscle. Usually ectomorph's have long thin limbs with stringy muscles. Shoulders tend to be thin with little width. Typical traits of an ectomorph:
Small €delicate€ frame and bone structure
Classic €hardgainer€
Flat chest
Small shoulders
Thin
Lean muscle mass
Finds it hard to gain weight
Fast metabolism
Mesosmorph. A mesomorph has a large bone structure, large muscles and a naturally athletic physique. Mesomorphs are the best body type for bodybuilding. They find it quite easy to gain and lose weight. They are naturally strong which is the perfect platform for building muscle. Typical traits on a Mesomorph:
Athletic
Hard body with well defined muscles
Rectangular shaped body
Strong
Gains muscle easily
Gains fat more easily than ectomorphs
Endomorph. The endomorph body type is solid and generally soft. Endomorphs gain fat very easily. Endo's are usually of a shorter build with thick arms and legs. Muscles are strong, especially the upper legs. Endomorphs find they are naturally strong in leg exercises like the squat. Typical traits of an Endomorph:
Soft and round body
Gains muscle and fat very easily
Is generally short and €stocky€
Round physique
Finds it hard to lose fat
Slow metabolism
Bodytype Combinations. Bodytypes are not set in stone. Most of us are a combination of bodytypes with ectomorph/mesomorph or mesomorph/endomorph being fairly common.
Are You a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced Lifter?
The muscle building workouts on Muscle & Strength fall into 3 categories: beginner, intermediate and advanced workouts. Use the following guidelines when trying to decide which workouts are best for you.
Beginner. A beginner, or novice, has yet to make a substantial amount of muscle mass gains. They are still trying to figure out proper training and nutrition, or may simply be missing too many gym sessions to make any progress at all.
Intermediate. An intermediate has experienced "beginner gains", and has generally added a minimum of at least 10-15 pounds of muscle. Intermediate lifters know how to eat and train to maximize results in the gym.
Advanced. An advanced lifter has reached the point where yearly muscle gains have substantially diminished. They may require more creative training approaches and/or periodization. An advanced lifter looks muscular and impressive in a t-shirt. People will know upon seeing them that they €work out.€
Workout Diet and Nutrition
If you're not eating properly, you won't build much muscle. Many lifters focus all their attention on planning a workout split and training ferociously in the gym, but have no clue how many calories or grams of protein they are eating per day. This won't cut it.
To build muscle you need to monitor your diet just as much, if not more so, than your training. It is not good enough to €just eat healthy.€ While healthy eating is a good thing, a muscle building eating plan has specific requirements that must be met:
Calories. You must be eating a consistent amount of daily calories. This intake should be substantial enough to allow the body to build muscle. Undereating is one of the major contributors to lack of gains.
Protein. You must be monitoring your protein intake. Increasing your daily protein intake while on a resistance training program helps to increase lean muscle mass. The human body is in a constant state of €protein turnover.€ Muscle tissue is continuously being repaired and replaced. To maximize this repair, you must maintain a protein positive nitrogen balance.
Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates play two key roles in muscle building. The first is energy. Your body needs maximum energy to perform at maximum level. Second, insulin spike post workout. Insulin is the most anabolic hormone in the human body and drives nutrients from the bloodstream into muscle cells. When you finish your workout your muscles are desperately trying to repair and rebuild and are crying out for energy and nutrients. This is the only time when simple carbohydrates will benefit you for muscle building.
Healthy Fats. A low fat diet is not always a healthy diet. The body requires healthy fats for a myriad of reasons. Undereating healthy fats can compromise sleep, lower cardiovascular function, slow recovery and increase the likelihood of overtraining. You must be monitoring your fat intake to some degree so that you are certain it is at a productive level.
How Many Calories do You Need?
To help you determine your daily calorie requirement, you will first need to calculate your BMR, or basal metabolic rate. The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is a excellent tool for working out how many calories your body needs on a daily basis depending on the amount and intensity of the exercise you do. This tool works on a proven formula and is very accurate. The calculator uses two formulas to calculate your body's daily calorie requirements.
Figure out your BMR BMR => BMR Calculator
Tight
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