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5 Tips for Building Muscle as a Man

It’s interesting that despite the access to information and physical resources today, there are still men who struggle in the health and physique departments. I’d argue that technology is ironically the main distractor, but you can work around that. Here are 5 tips for building muscle as a man:

Extend Your Muscle-Building Research Beyond YouTube

YouTube is a curse and a blessing because you can learn so much, yet also be easily misinformed.

For example, YouTube bodybuilders must maintain their size and calorie intake in order to keep their audiences. This means they’ll ingest their macros in whatever form to achieve that goal, whether the foods are processed or not.

The problem is that processed foods are lacking for both your mind and body, so even though the protein intake might be there, the other nutrients largely won’t be. Like water, magnesium and vitamin D, to name a few.

These other nutrients are just as important in building muscle as a man, so the message that some YouTubers are promoting is ultimately a disservice to you.

Do yourself a favor and find scientific studies through Google scholar or books to support any health claim. Using the diet example above, first find information on which nutrients are needed to build muscle (4 are listed already). Then, use the resources mentioned to verify if what you found out is true or not. 

Just to clarify, YouTube is a great tool for a lot of subjects. But it shouldn’t be seen as the point of reference for any topic or claim because it’s a business platform at the end of the day; therefore, the motives of some people can easily be skewed. Or someone just might not know what they’re talking about.

Always Aim to Push Past Limits

A very simple and important concept that is still overlooked by some people.

I sometimes see guys come to the gym and do their reps with little to no effort. That usually means they’re complacent with the weight they’re pushing or pulling and won’t try harder for that reason. Leading to the delusion that minimal effort is still enough effort to see results.

The reality is that, even outside of building muscle as a man, no positive change will be made in any area of life from remaining in your comfort zone. That’s just a fact. So the mindset you should walk into the gym with is: I’m going to challenge myself and do what is uncomfortable.

If that means trying a heavier weight than your last session, do it. If that means trying an exercise you’ve been putting off, do it.

If this thought process compounds your results every day, even at a 1% improvement rate, you will definitely build muscle over the coming months.

Engage in Other Healthy Habits that Elevate Testosterone Levels

Your testosterone levels determine your ability to build muscle.

A study from Science Direct using seven healthy young men and six elderly men concluded that this is indeed the case. Although there was speculation as to whether other hormones played a role in the process as well.

Aside from this particular study, it’s widely established at this point that the higher your T levels are, the more your muscle protein synthesis is stimulated.

Your habits will directly impact this for you. So it would be in your best interest to get these in order.

For example, your dietary patterns are arguably the most important in this regard. Eat foods with high vitamin D and zinc content on a consistent basis, like red meats or chicken, as high dosages are directly linked to testosterone.

For more of an in-depth breakdown on increasing testosterone naturally, check out my previous post here.

Ensure You’re Getting the Right Amount of Protein

As mentioned above, I’m a big believer that you should get your protein intake mostly from whole foods. However, a protein powder or protein bars can be the exception to the rule as you want to ensure you’re getting the right amount per day for building muscle as a man. Go for the higher quality types as they tend to be less processed (like grass fed beef isolate protein powder).

So if you’re not getting enough from foods, these supplements can get you on track.

To determine how much protein you need per day, first find out how much you weigh in kilograms. For best results, you’ll need 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight.

My advice is to get as much of a nutrient dense, protein filled meal as you can. 3 meals a day is fine but not needed if you’re ingesting enough macros.

You can easily pack 40 grams of protein alone in one meal. For example, my typical brunch is a wrap consisting of 4 large eggs (6 grams each, 24 in total); 3 pieces of pork or turkey bacon (5 grams each, 15 in total); onions and tomatoes. I also add in two pieces of whole grain toast with peanut butter (3-5 grams). For me, that’s two thirds of my daily protein intake down.

Be Consistent

It really boils down to consistency at the gym when trying to build muscle. All of the other points mentioned are necessary, but the majority of them don’t matter if you’re not putting the time in.

One of my favourite quotes about discipline is from a YouTuber named Hamza: “Do the hard work, especially when you don’t feel like it.” And that sums it up. Your discipline levels need to be strong in this regard; you know you’re on the right path if you’re tired, had a bad day, or just don’t feel like going, but you go anyways.

You can check out Hamza’s YouTube channel here if you’re not familiar with him.

Make a commitment to go to the gym between 4-5 days a week. And stick to it. Simple as that.

When you’re looking at the progress you’ve made over the coming months, you will have been so glad that you followed through with this. Your body structure will speak for itself. 

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