Building stronger and healthier muscles takes focus and commitment. Are you making your gym workouts count? Working up a sweat isn’t the only way to get healthier. But building stronger and healthier muscles is a specific science.
When you hit the gym, which equipment do you usually use? You might frequent the treadmill – or switch up with the elliptical. Working out isn’t just about cardio. Building stronger and healthier muscles is equally as important as training your heart and lungs.
Despite what swimsuit ads may promote, muscles are more than just for looks. They also help improve your:
- Strength
- Bone density
- Metabolism
- Balance
- Blood sugar control
- Sleep
- Mental health
And so much more!
The Great Health Benefits of Building Stronger and Healthier Muscles
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When you hear “building muscle,” who do you picture?
The Hulk? The Rock Johnson?
Building muscle tones your appearance and boosts your metabolism – resulting in weight loss even when you aren’t working out.
But muscles aren’t just for appearance – they are your body’s powerhouse. You use muscles when going upstairs, walking long distances, lifting heavy bags, and in pretty much every area of your life.
Stronger muscles also help prevent injuries. The most common type of sports injury is ligament and tendon injuries. Working your muscles helps strengthen your ligaments and tendons, reducing your chance of serious injury.
Because building healthier muscles increases your balance and bone density. You will experience fewer falls and broken bones when you exercise your muscles regularly.
Muscle building goes beyond only muscular benefits – it improves full-body health!
Did you know, if you are 18-64 years old, you need at least 7 hours of sleep – but over one-third of adults don’t get that amount of sleep. A lack of sleep causes a compromised immune system, poor mental health, reduced cognitive ability, and overall tiredness during the day.
Regularly exercising to build stronger and healthier muscles improves your mental health and sleep – giving you a boosted immune system, more energy, and a better mood.
5 Ways to Build Stronger and Healthier Muscles
Time to start working on your muscles so you too can experience their many benefits!
Here are five ways to build stronger and healthier muscles.
1. Maximizing Your Muscle-Building Exercise Routines
Muscle-building exercises are workouts that add tension to your muscles. This repeated tension damages the muscle fibers – called muscle hypertrophy. As your body repairs those fibers, your muscles grow.
Working too heavily too fast causes damage beyond healthy muscle hypertrophy. To avoid this, focus on how long you hold tension rather than how heavy the weights are.
The best workouts are consistent, challenging, and long-term.
To strengthen all your muscles, regularly rotate your exercise routines. Rotating routines will rest your other muscles between workouts – which prevents excessive strain.
Ready to get started?
Set achievable fitness goals – and stick to them to see the maximum return from your exercise routines.
2. Taking Time to Rest Your Body
Maximizing your workouts goes beyond what you do in the gym. It is also about taking care of your body at home through proper rest.
Exercise each muscle group twice a week, but don’t exercise a muscle group more than three times in one week. Also, avoid exercising a muscle group two days in a row.
An ideal schedule would be working out for 5-6 days – then taking one full-body rest day.
You can also improve your workouts through a good night’s sleep. An average adult should get between 7-9 hours of sleep each night. If you wake up feeling tired, you may have a sleep disorder. Tell your doctor if you suspect a sleep disorder.
3. Adding Plenty of Protein to Your Diet
Protein is essential for building healthier muscles – but your body is constantly using protein for other areas. That’s why you need extra protein to build extra muscle.
A general rule to follow is consuming 1 gram of protein per half a kilo of body weight. If you weighed 60 kg, you should consume 120 grams of protein.
Some great sources of protein are:
- Eggs
- Almonds
- Chicken
- Oats
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Broccoli
- Beef
- Tuna
If you’re struggling to eat the right amount of protein, add protein powders to your diet. Visit Steel for a wide selection of supplements that help you get ripped.
4. Eating the Right Foods to Encourage Muscle Growth
Eating for muscle growth is different than eating for weight loss.
When your output is more than your input, you lose weight. However, muscle gain needs more calories.
You already know the importance of protein. The rest of your diet should consist of fats and carbs. Women don’t need more than 70 grams of fat each day and around 400 grams of carbs.
Some examples of delicious but healthy fats are avocados, nuts, and fish. If you’re looking to gain more carbs, skip the cake and bread. Instead, add plenty of quinoa, bananas, and potatoes to your meals.
Carbs are discouraged while dieting but essential for muscle growth – so don’t skip those carbs!
5. Timing Exercise, Food, and Rest for the Best Results
Working out in the morning has the best results. If you work out first thing in the morning, studies show you are less likely to overeat during the day. You will also have a higher metabolism during the day.
Morning workouts also boost your energy throughout the day, increasing the likelihood of further activity. This energy boost is why you shouldn’t exercise in the evening. It is more likely to disrupt your sleep.
Your food intake also matters when working out. If you want energy for working out, eat a good meal 2-3 hours beforehand. Your body has enough time to fully digest your food so it can focus on building healtheir muscles later.
After your workout, eat a meal rich in protein within 30 minutes to help your muscles quickly repair themselves.
Before your workout, make sure you are fully hydrated. Drinking 16-ounces of water 2-hours beforehand is best. Then keep drinking during your workout.
Water is always most effective in keeping you hydrated – so don’t load up on sports drinks.
Start Living Your Healthiest Life Today with Stronger Muscles
Have you been using these five muscle-building tips in your routine?
Here are two ways you can measure your muscle improvement:
- How much weight can you lift in one muscle contraction?
- How long can you hold that weight in one muscle contraction?
Keep track of your progress and watch your body become the healthiest version of itself.
