While genetics dictate the upper limit of muscle fiber size, you can still become more muscular than your current state with hard training and proper nutrition. This is why it is important to seek professional advice, like a qualified personal trainer, exercise physiologist or chiropractor.
Muscle growth is primarily determined by training intensity and the type of nutritional intake, including protein. It also depends on nutrient partitioning, which determines where the nutrients are distributed to the muscles.
Exercises
Muscles that are regularly exercised become stronger and can withstand more tension. Exercise also strengthens bones, which can help prevent fractures. It takes weeks or months of regular strength training to see the results of muscle growth, but consistency is key.
Researchers have found that the optimal stimulus for muscle growth is five to six sets of a challenging hypertrophy exercise with an appropriate amount of rest between sets. Anything more than this disrupts the stimulus-recovery-adaptation (SRA) curve and can reduce muscle growth.
Exercises that build muscle include weight-bearing exercises like squats, deadlifts and bench presses as well as bodyweight exercises such as pushups and pullups. It’s important to choose exercises that work all major muscle groups and to mix up your routine frequently to keep muscles from becoming accustomed to the same movements. Cardiovascular exercises such as running, swimming and in-line skating also increase muscle strength.
Diet
In addition to a good exercise plan, a balanced diet is also critical for muscle growth. Ideally, you should aim for high protein foods, low saturated fat, and adequate carbohydrates. Brightly colored fruits and vegetables are great choices for muscle building as well as supplying antioxidants and fiber.
Protein gets a lot of attention when discussing muscle growth because it is important for building muscles, but you can’t build muscle without adequate carbohydrates and fats. Carbohydrates and fats don’t offer any immediate muscle-building benefits in the hours after a workout; however, they are essential for energy and may help to limit age-related muscle loss.
Avoid inflammatory foods, which can inhibit muscle growth, such as fried foods and foods with the menu descriptors “loaded,” “covered,” or “breaded.” Swap these for lean meat options and whole grains. Also, don’t shy away from healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, and fatty fish, which can add flavor and texture to meals and provide muscle-building benefits.
Sleep
We often harp on about diet and working out being the two major components to muscle growth but one important thing that is usually ignored is sleep. A good nights sleep is absolutely crucial for muscle growth and recovery.
When you are asleep, specifically during the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) or deep sleep phase your body releases growth hormone that begins to repair muscle damage from exercise and other stresses. It’s the muscle repair process that leads to a build up of new proteins and ultimately muscle growth (5).
When you don’t get enough sleep your muscle protein synthesis rate decreases, which also reduces your ability to recover from exercise and leads to a catabolic state where your muscles are breaking down and getting smaller. This is why it’s so important to try and keep a regular schedule with bedtime and wake time. This will help to keep your circadian rhythm in sync, which is what controls all of your body’s processes including how well you fall and stay asleep (7).
Supplements
Supplements can help you get the most out of your exercise routine and muscle growth goals. Some supplements like protein and creatine promote hypertrophy by themselves, while others are meant to aid in focus, endurance, or nitric oxide production, which may also contribute to muscle growth. It’s important to check the ingredients of any supplements you take and consult a doctor before starting a new regimen.
In the end, the tried-and-true approach to packing on muscle remains the same: eat enough calories, hit your target ratio of macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat), strength train regularly, and make sure you’re getting adequate sleep. Then, if you’re still hungry for more gains, the right supplements can help you break through that plateau. Some of these supplements, like branched-chain amino acids and pre-workouts, can provide quick results so you can feel them working as you’re training, while others like protein powders or creatine work over time to increase your muscle mass.Muskeltillväxt