Muscle Building – Health Guide & Encyclopedia

Muscle building

Muscle building is the general increase in muscle mass through targeted muscle training. To achieve the perfect beach figure or to strengthen the supporting and musculoskeletal system – targeted muscle building makes sense for various reasons.

Good and regular muscle training, combined with the right diet, can help to ensure health , well-being and performance into old age.

Why is muscle building important?

Due to our lifestyle, so-called lack of exercise, such as back pain , poor posture or muscular imbalances are becoming more and more common.

This is due to insufficient muscular protection. Properly performed muscle training can be recommended for the prevention of orthopedic diseases, but also for therapeutic purposes (rehabilitation).

In addition to the protective function of muscle tissue, aesthetics are also playing an increasingly important role for many people. Perfect body proportions, i.e. harmonious and good-looking relationships between the individual muscle groups, can be achieved with proper muscle training and an appropriate diet.

Mass construction

A muscle responds to training with adaptation phenomena in the form of muscle growth. Intensive and regular training initially leads to an increase in strength and later to an increase in the size of the muscle mass. In order to achieve this adaptation effect, an individual stimulation threshold must be exceeded. This training stimulus (e.g. weights) must slowly tire the muscle. Only then does he strive to react to this unusual stimulus.

In order to be able to cope better with the load in the future, the muscle responds with an increase in cross-section (growth in thickness) or with an increase in muscle mass and an increase in strength. The muscle fibers do not multiply, but become thicker. This mechanism is called hypertrophy (enlargement of a muscle cell through growth).

Training principles

In principle, any healthy person can successfully train to build muscle. For beginners in particular, it is important to first complete basic training in order to create a certain basis. With a basic training you lay the basic physical framework ( muscles ) on which you can later build. In order to make the training as healthy and effective as possible, you should follow a few basic training rules.

Training stimulus and training intensity

As already mentioned, the muscle needs a certain training stimulus, to which it then reacts by building muscle. There are different types of muscle training . The last repetitions are particularly effective when the muscle is already tired.

A high training intensity and a relatively low training volume are crucial for muscle building, i.e. the growth in muscle thickness. This means: The load (weight resistance) is between 60 and 80% of the maximum power (intensity).

The number of repetitions (volume) is between 6-12 repetitions. On the one hand, the relatively high weight and, on the other hand, the period of time over which you work with the resistance (weight) are decisive for muscle building.

In order to ensure an optimal stress and regeneration phase, you should train about 3-4 times a week. To build muscle, the duration of the training (including warming up and cool down) should not exceed 60 minutes, as the intensity of the training, which is crucial for muscle mass, then suffers. This means that the actual load time (training with weights) is no longer than 45 minutes per training session.

The break

The breaks between the individual sets should be between 2-3 minutes so that the training stimulus can have an optimal effect on the muscle. Because this is the time the muscle needs after exercise to provide sufficient energy (ATP) again. During the breaks, you should actively relax (not sit!). It is better to do light stretching exercises in the relevant muscle groups and controlled breathing while you are walking up and down, for example.

breathing

Breathing technique plays a crucial role in successful and healthy muscle building training. The biggest mistake in strength training is the so-called forced breathing. The practitioners tend to hold their breath during the exertion. The consequence: a red head and negative effects on the cardiovascular system . Therefore, they take the rule of thumb to heart: breathe out during the exercise!

muscle groups

The main training content includes basic exercises for the large muscle groups. It is best to train the entire body 3 times a week. Basic exercises include: sit-ups, back pulls, back raises, pull-ups, leg presses, squats, calf raises, bench presses, bench pulls, dumbbell curls, dips, deadlifts, and overhead presses.

Warm up and cool down

Basically, before each workout, you should activate your cardiovascular system and your muscles with a general warm-up and light stretching . It is best to start with the exercises that are particularly difficult for you. At the end of the training there should be a cool down. This means that the time for pure muscle training is no longer than 45 minutes.

Pyramidentraining

Pyramid training in the submaximal training range (60-80%) is particularly good for building mass. This form of training is a very effective method of building muscle.

The principle: You start with an increasing and then again with a decreasing training load (weight).

There are basically two types of pyramid training. The example (bench press) with a maximum power of 100kg (pushing the weight up once) should clarify the principle.

Simple pyramid training (bench press with 100kg max. power)

You start the training pyramid with the lightest weight (60kg x12) and work your way up to the highest (80kg x8). You have completed 4 sets. Depending on your personal perception of stress, you can repeat or add more sentences.

8 x 80 kg

10x 70 kg

10x 65 kg

12x 60 kg

Double pyramid training

A second variant is the double pyramid training. First they increase the weight to the highest weight and then gradually reduce it again.

12x 60 kg

10x 70 kg

8 x 80 kg

10x 70 kg

12x 60 kg

Muscle building and training methods

In order to make strength training as effective and healthy as possible, it is important to train appropriately. A beginner training like a professional bodybuilder is just as nonsensical as vice versa. Accordingly, the training methods should be based on personal goals (e.g. muscle definition) and, above all, on the individual performance requirements (state of fitness).

Health

Fitness

Bodybuilding

Example – training plan for muscle building (advanced)

Regeneration and recovery

Muscle grows and regenerates during periods of rest. That’s why it’s important to give your body time to recover after a hard workout.

However, many ambitious athletes make the mistake of training without the necessary regeneration phases. Not only do they damage your body ( overtraining ), but they even inhibit muscle growth.

To avoid overtraining, you should plan your training with variety. Especially after illnesses (e.g. colds) you should not start training again so quickly, as this can lead to serious damage to your health ( inflammation of the heart muscle ).

If there are no illnesses, however, the break from training should not last too long, since extensive breaks can lead to rapid muscle regression. So, train with regularly alternating stress and rest phases over a longer period of time.

Basically, you should note: The heavier and more exhausting the sporting activity, the longer the regeneration and recovery during sport must be. Only then is the muscle able to recover adequately, grow effectively, and prevent physical damage from overtraining.

Nourishment

Almost as important as a good workout is nutrition for building muscle. The body needs energy in the form of nutrients to build muscle tissue. Our body urgently needs proteins (proteins), carbohydrates and fats to ensure vital processes. Our muscle tissue is made up of proteins.

During hard training with the goal of strength and muscle building, the need for proteins increases enormously. The body has a double or triple protein requirement. Therefore, you should primarily supply your body with additional proteins to build muscle. Meat or milk products (e.g. low-fat quark) are one way of getting protein, but you would have to eat a lot of them to meet your protein requirements.

If this diet is too one-sided for you, highly concentrated and high-quality protein supplements (protein shakes) can also be helpful. As a rule, these cholesterol-free products, which are composed of amino acids, correspond to the proteins that make up our body.

Many athletes use so-called free amino acids to build strength and muscle. The advantage of these pre-digested proteins is that they are quickly absorbed into the blood. You can buy amino acids, which are usually offered in tablet or capsule form, from numerous online suppliers or without a prescription in Internet mail-order pharmacies.

More proteins should be consumed, especially on training days and days after physical exertion. The best time to include some of your daily protein intake is right after your workout.

With a balanced diet, in addition to the intake of protein, carbohydrates and fat, also make sure you have an adequate intake of minerals (magnesium), fiber and trace elements. Adequate fluid intake is just as important as proper nutrition. Don’t forget to drink!

It is through the liquid that the essential nutrients reach the corresponding muscle cells in the first place. We recommend a liquid quantity of at least 3.5 l per day (e.g. mineral water, juice spritzer, unsweetened tea)

Dorothy Farrar

Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.

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