Having a strong and well-defined physique has always been the desire of many, but knowing how to build muscle and strength can be a little intimidating if you are just starting out. Don’t worry, with a right combination of exercise, nutrition and proper rest, it’s possible to achieve great gains even as a beginner in fitness. Read on to find out how:
Diet Matters
It’s often said that abs are made in the kitchen and while it’s true, one still needs to exercise to develop and maintain muscle mass, the key to building muscle and strength partly lies in the food you eat. To make sure you’re staying in a positive energy balance and able to grow, you need to make sure you’re consuming adequate macronutrients and calories throughout the day. This should include:
- Protein should form the foundation of your diet. Consuming around 0.8-1.2g/lb of bodyweight in proteins is the recommended amount of protein needed to build muscle and strength.
- Carbohydrates are essential for providing your body with the energy it needs during workouts, so you should make sure to consume complex carbohydrates from sources such as starchy vegetables and whole grains.
- Fats should also form an important component of your diet, as it helps to ensure you’re getting the nutrients needed for hormone production and overall health.
Correct Exercise for Building Muscle and Strength
Simply hitting the gym with no clear plan of action and performing random workouts will never yield results. To build muscle and strength efficiently and effectively, you should make sure you’re following a well-structured program that involves both compound and isolation exercises. Your plan should include exercises like squats, deadlifts and rows as well as isolation exercises such as bicep curls and tricep push-downs.
Your training sessions should be intense and challenging while allowing plenty of time for recovery in between. Overtraining is one of the most common mistakes made by beginners, so make sure you’re training enough but not too much.
Get Enough Rest
Although this may sound counterintuitive, rest is just as important as exercising and dieting when it comes to building muscle and strength. During recovery, your muscles are able to repair and grow, so make sure you’re getting enough hours of restful sleep.
You should also make sure to not neglect other recovery activities such as foam rolling, stretching and yoga, as these can help to reduce soreness and make sure you’re ready to go for the next session.
Conclusion
In summary, building muscle and strength requires more than just hitting the gym. Finding the right balance between diet, exercise and recovery is key to making progress and seeing results. By following the right diet plan and training program and making sure to get enough rest, you’ll be on your way to achieving the strong and muscular physique you’ve always wanted.
Good luck!
What exercises are best for building muscle and strength for beginners?
1. Squats
2. Lunges
3. Push-ups
4. Pull-ups
5. Deadlifts
6. Overhead Press
7. Seated Rows
8. Shoulder Press
9. Bench Press
10. Barbell Curls
11. Tricep Push-Downs
12. Ab Crunches
What is the difference between strength training and weight training?
Strength training is an exercise program utilizing progressive resistance exercises to improve and maintain muscle strength, stability, and endurance. Strength training is also known as weight training. Weight training is a type of strength training that involves lifting weights, usually in one specific repetition range, providing the tension and overload necessary for strengthening the muscles. Generally, the goal of traditional weight training is to increase the user’s overall strength and muscle mass.
What are the benefits of strength training vs. weight training?
Strength training and weight training both focus on building muscle and increasing overall strength, but they differ in their approach.
Strength training consists of exercises that use your body weight, such as push-ups, pull-ups, and planks, to develop strength through using the full range of motion of a muscle rather than lifting predetermined amounts of weight.
Weight training, on the other hand, uses external weights like dumbbells, barbells, and weight machines, to focus on developing strength by lifting predetermined amounts of weight for a specific number of repetitions.
Benefits of strength training include increased muscle mass, improved muscle tone, and increased ability to perform daily tasks, as well as improved overall wellbeing and functionality. Strength training also helps to increased bone density, support joint health, and improve posture. Additionally, strength training can help to increase metabolism and can help to reduce body fat.
Benefits of weight training include increased muscle mass, improved strength, and increased ability to lift more weight. Weight training is also great for increasing power output and improving functional strength. Additionally, it can help to improve physical coordination and increase balance.
