It’s been over eight years since I started my fitness journey with the aim to build muscle. I have learnt so many lessons along the way and have consciously reflected on my choices. As every beginner, I have made mistakes that led me down the wrong path or down a path that I did not anticipate. Despite all this and wishing that I made good choices throughout my journey, I wouldn’t be where I was if I hadn’t made those decisions.
Building muscle should not be complicated. There is so much false information out there and I can only imagine how overwhelming it can be for beginners. Regardless of the misinformation, choosing to work out is one of the best investments you can make. If your aim is to build muscle and you have been struggling to do, here are five easy tips to follow to achieve your goals.
Functional Movements Patterns
One of my favourite sayings this season is ‘Any movement is good movement right now’. Mastering the seven functional movement patterns does not only help you perform better in and out of the gym, but also creates a well balanced body. These movements are building blocks to strength training.
They include movements such as the hip hinge (deadlifts, kettlebell swings, glutes bridges). The squat (goblet squats, sumo squats, front squats etc.). The push (bench press, shoulder presses, tricep pushdown). Also, the pull (inverted rows, pull ups, barbell row). The lunge (side lunges, step ups, Bulgarian split squats). These last two movements include the carry (farmer’s walk, jogging, jumping), and lastly rotational (pallof press, Russian twists, side crunches).
These exercises are considered as functional movement patterns as they include movements that the body can perform for daily activities outside of the gym. I only learnt about the importance of these movements through my powerlifting coach when I decided to learn about the science of my training in the gym. It has given me a greater understanding of the my body and how to chisel away at the technique to be better each day.
Compound Movements To Build Muscle
By adding compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, barbell row, and hip thrusts into your training plan is setting you up to build a stronger foundation. These movements work multiple joints and muscles at a time and are considered the bread and butter to your workouts. To build overall muscle and strength, aim to keep working on these exercises and their variations consistently.
I wouldn’t be where I am today, in terms of my physique and strength, if I didn’t include compound movements. I know that with social media you may not see many fitness influencers that do these movements. However, these are the exercises that most of them started out with. Unfortunately, movements like these don’t sell as well as the complicated things you see online. This is where true strength and power is birthed.
Progressive Overload
One of the most asked questions I get is: ‘Why am I not building muscle in the gym?’. You can’t use the same weight, do the same amount of sets and reps continuously for years. You won’t see the results you are looking and remain the same.
Progressive overload is the gradual increase of stress on your body during exercise. You have to continuously challenge your body by working harder than it is used to in order to grow. The best way to track your progress over time is to hop on a programme. The best part is that there are so many free training programmes. Before I signed up with my coach in 2018, I used free programmes from Bodybuilding.com (which are no longer free). The programme that introduced me to strength training was Layne Norton’s P.H.A.T. It’s a programme for intermediates and novices but I used it after a year of lifting. Here is a programme for pure beginners.
Eat Enough Protein To Build Bigger Muscle
When I first started lifting, I thought 50g of protein was enough to fuel my body. I learnt quickly that my body need more than double that amount each day to repair my muscles and grow. Our bodies need protein not only to support our training but also to maintain cell regrowth throughout the body. It’s recommended to eat 1g of protein per 1lbs of bodyweight.
I know that it may seem like you will be eating a lot. The truth is you will be eating all the time especially if you want to build muscle. Luckily, you can combine high protein meat sources with animal sources to achieve your targeted protein goal. There is also protein powders to help you reach your goals. Not all protein are the same. Some are complete while others are incomplete. You can combine them to get all the essential amino acids in your diet.
Mobility Exercises
I didn’t take mobility exercises seriously until five years into my training. I didn’t see the importance in them and thought they were a waste of time. When I injured my wrist and had issues squatting to parallel, I humbled myself and started taking mobility seriously. Mobility exercises strengthen the muscles around our joints, prevents risk of injuries and improve our technique. They also increase of range of motion for all movements. I recommend doing some of these exercises every day for five to ten minutes a day. Trust me, your future self will thank you later.
So there you have it ladies (and gents)! Five things you should focus on to build muscle and reach your desired goals. These are the five approaches that continue to help me today to perform better and have an overall balanced body.
Let me know in the comments which one you prefer the most and which one is the hardest for you. If you enjoy fitness content, then subscribe to the blog so you never miss a post! I create powerlifting and general health and fitness content to help you be the best version of you.
Until next time,
Folakemi
