If you are wondering how to build muscle mass, you have come to the right place. Improving your muscularity is the aim to gain muscle mass but decreasing body fat is usually how muscle mass is measured.

What Is Muscle Mass Definition?

Muscle mass is literally the weight of your muscle in pounds or kilograms. To get slightly more technical, it is a measure of metabolic homeostasis, physical strength, and daily living activities. Think of it this way; if you have a higher lean mass means you have higher nutritional reserve and strength whereas lower muscle mass (sarcopenia) is a major contributor to disability and increased mortality.

How Muscle Builds Mass

Muscle builds mass after a workout; your body repairs or replaces the damaged fibers in the muscles through a cellular process. This process fuses muscle fibers together to create myofibrils or new muscle protein strands. These repaired myofibrils increase in thickness and number to grow to build muscle mass.

7 Tips for Building Muscle Mass

  • Get Stronger. Figuring how to grow muscle mass may require consistency, but at the very least it requires strength. Basically, more strength means more muscle.
  • Add Weight. Remember that weight is important, not just repetitions of an exercise. To get bigger muscles, the body needs to pump bigger iron. Start off by adding more weight to the last lift; slowly over time the body gets stronger.
  • Do Compounds. Do exercises that work several muscles at the same time.
  • Use Barbells. Barbells enable the human body to exercise with the most weight; as we said, more weight equals more strength.
  • Increase Frequency. If you think squatting once a week will get you the perfect butt, think again. Consistency and repetition are key, so try upping your squat routine to 3 times a week, then, up it to 5 times a week.
  • Recover. The human body needs work and rest. In order to rebuild the muscles for growth, sleep and rest is required for the process
  • Eat Protein. Protein is essential as a tool for rebuilding muscles. You need 2.2g protein per kilogram of body-weight (1g/lb.) to maximize muscle recovery and build muscle, although at least a gram of protein per kilogram of body-weight is less intense and will put you on the right track.

How Long to Build Muscle Mass?

Obviously building muscle doesn’t happen overnight, but even if you do not think you see results in the mirror, don’t lose motivation. Often when working out, it looks like muscles are getting bigger. When exercising, blood rushes to the muscle to give it fuel and start repair in a process called transient hypertrophy aka muscle pump. Although muscle pump makes muscles look bigger, think of it as more like a preview of what is to come. 

What Causes Muscle Mass Growth?

Whenever you work out, whatever stressor or movement that is unfamiliar to the body will cause microtears in muscle fibers; these microtears will take anywhere from a day to a few days to heal. This is why trainers do not recommend you work out the same muscle groups on back to back days, although to gain muscle mass quicker working out a set of muscles two times a week is recommended.  If you start a workout or movements that are new or unfamiliar, your body will focus less on muscle building and more on the body’s neurological system of how to do the exercise. The neurological system enables the body to learn when and how to fire up those muscles to do certain movements in an order.

How to Develop Muscle Mass?

In the beginning of practicing a strength building workout, the body will mostly be making neuromuscular advances, namely the muscles in the body and the nerves that serve them. Communication between the brain and the body is tantamount to executing the exercises and doing them correctly; the more consistent and longer you strength train, then the muscle gains will start kicking in. Being strict on workout means exponential growth, especially eight weeks after sticking to a consistent strength training routine and a strict diet.

Your maximum muscular body-weight depends mostly on your height and bone structure. A more petite bone structure can only carry so much muscular weight. Diet is also highly important, as your body needs the resources to not only perform exercises but recover afterwards with the right nutrients. To get the most out of gaining muscle mass, try three to six sets of six to twelve repetitions and remember to focus on your whole range of motion.

What is Shredded Academy?

Check out Shredded Academy for fat-loss workouts and nutrition plans at all levels. The free articles on ShreddedAcademy.com also have a ton of information and motivation.

Losing body fat to get shredded may not always be easy, but it’s always worth it. Keep your eyes on the prize!