How to train at home to grow muscles? What is important to know for gaining weight? The fitness trainer answers.
Have you ever encountered a situation where, due to work, you have little time for the gym, and there is no money left for personal training with a trainer? And I really want to look like an ancient Greek god or goddess. Sculpted arms, straight posture, lean torso and beautiful abs.
Let's organize our workouts to get the most out of them in the form of a couple of kilograms of pure muscle, not fat.
Egor Fukalov
fitness trainer
You will need the correct technique, a given schedule of rest and exercise, and proper nutrition.
Three pillars of muscle mass
Nutrition.
Consume the norm of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Create a calorie surplus of 10-15% of your norm. This is how we will not gain excess fat. Body weight will not increase if you eat poorly. Include in your diet: eggs, fish, meat, green vegetables and fruits, sunflower oil, buckwheat, rice, pasta, cottage cheese, nuts, bread, honey. You don’t need to overeat, you won’t gain any more muscle, but you won’t be able to put on your favorite jeans.
For example, the following scheme is suitable for athletes: per 1 kg of weight: protein - 1.5 g, fats - 1 g, carbohydrates - 5 g. If a man weighs 70 kg, then it is necessary that the daily diet be: protein - 105 g, fats – 70 g, carbohydrates – 350 g.
Photo: istockphoto.com
Power training.
Conduct 2-4 classes per week for an hour. This is the basis for muscle development. A training diary will help you have a clear idea of which days to train, which muscles to load, how many exercises to do, approaches and repetitions. This makes it easier to track progress.
Prefer multi-joint exercises such as push-ups, squats, lunges, pull-ups, upside-down push-ups, crunches, etc. Practice technically correctly until you feel fatigue in your muscles. In order to achieve maximum effect, there must be a dynamic from easy to complex. Increase the number of repetitions and use any additional weight. For example, do push-ups with a 5-liter bottle on your back.
Photo: istockphoto.com
Recovery.
During training, we destroy protein tissue so that a new one with a small reserve takes its place. This is how, step by step, your biceps become bigger and stronger.
Muscles do not grow during training, but during rest, so sleep until you get enough sleep and try to get up without an alarm clock. The body needs to restore spent resources.
Let's touch on the fundamental truths, without which high-quality muscle building is impossible:
- It is imperative to warm up before the main workout, which includes heavy weight gain. The athlete must warm up well so that his joints and ligaments have time to warm up, and for this I would recommend that the athlete use a treadmill, running on which at an average pace for ten minutes will prepare the body for subsequent heavy exercises. Then you need stretching, aimed specifically at those areas of the body that are most “problematic” for you, for example, elbows or shoulders - these are the ones that need to be carefully and thoroughly kneaded first.
- Before each main working set, you need to do one or two warm-up sets using light weights, which should be about 40-50 percent of the working weight. Warm-up sets allow the athlete to also get a feel for this exercise.
- You shouldn't work out in the gym for too long - intense work for an hour is enough. And remember a simple truth: the main thing in training is not its duration, but only its intensity.
- The end of the workout should be a short cool-down to stretch the muscles and joints . A good option is swimming in the pool.
- During mass training, you should not be distracted by extraneous matters . The observed pictures of what often happens in the gym are depressing: someone is enthusiastically talking on the phone, someone is playing with a new toy on their iPhone, someone is talking with a neighbor, and the like. That is, people who train do not understand why they came here and waste time in the gym, allotted specifically for training, and then receive, as a natural result of this, the absence of any, even small, progress in bodybuilding. Make it a rule: since you came to the gym to train and your goal is to gain weight, then train without being distracted by extraneous matters or absolutely anything else.
- The key to success is to work in the working approach right up to the very last repetition, completing that too. It is the last one or two repetitions, done after overcoming muscle pain, that become the most effective in the training process and it is thanks to them that muscle mass is effectively built up.
- It is necessary to adhere to good nutrition , on which success in bodybuilding is half dependent. I can subscribe to every word I say and responsibly declare that without high-quality nutrition, weight gain is impossible and you will never be able to build decent muscles. My next article will be devoted to this - it will be convenient for you to follow the news using the newsletters of this blog.
- Sufficient rest before the next workout is also important . Don’t be surprised or scared now - the goal of bodybuilding training is precisely to injure muscle fibers, however, in the safe sense of the word - during heavy loads, the tissue of our muscles receives microtraumas, which the body then strives to heal and due to this, tissue growth occurs. So, for this restoration of muscle fiber, the body needs several days and therefore daily training is absolutely contraindicated for the average bodybuilder.
In this list, I have listed the rules that should be followed during training aimed at gaining mass. Now you can proceed directly to the training program itself.
You will have to work out three times a week: on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday - whatever is convenient for you, and here the main condition is a mandatory break between workouts of at least one day.
As a rule, athletes separate the chest, legs, shoulders, triceps and biceps into separate muscle groups and, accordingly, each of our workouts will focus on pumping a specific muscle group.
The best program for gaining weight
What is important to know before training?
- Choose comfortable clothes and shoes. Uncomfortable clothing restricts movement during exercise, and you will spend more time achieving results.
- Be sure to warm up for 10-15 minutes. Exercising at home is inferior to training in the gym, where there is equipment, so use all stages of the workout more carefully: warm-up, main part, cool-down. This way you will protect yourself from possible injuries and increase the effectiveness of your training.
- Study the technique of performing each movement in detail. Understand what you are downloading.
- Watch your back and knee joints. These areas are some of the weakest and most susceptible to injury.
Psychological factor that prevents you from pumping up
You need to understand that it won't be easy . If you are naturally thin, you are unlikely to be able to gain weight quickly. This is a long and difficult path.
Not only will you not be able to pump up in a month, but the result also have to be constantly maintained . Are you ready for this?
At the initial stage, you will meet people who will make you doubt; these are fanatics of the “thick and thin bone” sect, who firmly believe that the thin will not become powerful, and the fat will not become graceful.
You can also “burn out.” You’ve been working hard on the machines for the second week, but you still have difficulty opening the door to the gym, and this depresses you a little, because you want everything at once .
After some time, your tired brain gives you the idea that maybe it’s not so important to be a jock, because your mother already says that you are the most beautiful , and in general, the main thing is your soul. And all these rocking chairs take a lot of time and effort, proteins are expensive, in short - it’s much easier to go and lie down on the sofa, because we’re all going to die anyway.
Building the body of your dreams is not easy at all, it is hellish work , and many difficulties will arise on your path as a warrior.
Motivational videos will come to the rescue, where huge guys lift unrealistic weights, although they could work in a factory and raise the country. It fills you with fighting spirit with a bang, you immediately want to go into the gym and pump iron, spattering saliva and then everything within a radius of two meters, and with your screams and moans . After all, all this is for the sake of a higher goal.
In order not to give up halfway, you need a goal that will motivate you and force you to improve every day. You need to clearly set the task and get closer to completing it. In short, if you really want it, everything will work out.
Bulgarian lunges
Technique:
- The back is straight with a slight arch in the lower back, inclined towards the floor. Shoulders together, chest forward.
- Left and right legs at a 90° angle at the knees.
- The distance between the knee of the left leg and the floor is 5-10 cm.
- The left leg is used only to maintain balance.
- Take a deep breath and slowly lower yourself down until your right thigh is parallel to the floor.
- Exhale and push yourself upward with a powerful movement.
Perform three sets of 20 reps. Rest between sets is a minute.
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Reasons for weight loss
Before increasing weight, you should find out the reason for thinness.
Most often, the “culprits” for lack of muscle mass are:
- eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, serious mental disorder);
- problems with the thyroid gland. Hyperthyroidism can cause increased metabolism and, as a result, weight loss;
- Celiac disease is the most severe form of gluten intolerance;
- diabetes mellitus – uncontrolled diabetes (mostly type 1) can lead to significant weight loss;
- oncological diseases - malignant tumors often “eat up” a large number of calories;
- infectious diseases - for example, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS.
Push ups
Technique:
- Keep your body straight. The neck, back and hips are located in one line. Feet together.
- Distribute the load over the entire surface of your palms and fingers.
- Elbows slightly pressed to the body.
- Slowly lower yourself to a 90° angle at your elbows.
- Exhale powerfully as you rise to the top point.
- Don't straighten your elbows all the way.
Perform three sets of 10 reps. Rest between sets is a minute. You can take additional weight in the form of a backpack with books.
Photo: istockphoto.com
Squats
Technique:
- Feet shoulder width apart. The feet are slightly turned outward. Direct your gaze forward.
- Move your shoulders back a little, chest forward, and bring your shoulder blades together.
- Keep your body straight while performing the exercise with a slight arch in the lower back.
- Press your heels firmly to the floor.
- Lower yourself slowly to a 90° angle at your knees.
- From the bottom of the squat, push yourself up.
Perform three sets of 20 reps. Rest between sets is a minute. You can take additional weight in the form of a backpack with books or a five-liter bottle of water.
Crunches
Technique:
- Lie on your back. Legs bent at the knees and arms in front of you. There is no need to put them behind your head, as this will put strain on your neck.
- As you exhale, lift your upper body without lifting your lower back, holding the upper position for one second.
- As you inhale, slowly lower yourself down for two seconds.
Perform three sets of 5-10 repetitions. Rest between sets is a minute. You can take additional weight in the form of a bottle of water.
Photo: istockphoto.com
boat
Technique:
- Lie on your stomach. Stretch your arms forward and straighten your legs so that your toes are parallel to the floor.
- Raise your torso and legs up at the same time, holding the top position for one second.
- Don't forget to squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Smoothly lower yourself down as you exhale.
Perform three sets of 15 repetitions. Rest between sets is a minute.
These exercises are more suitable for beginners rather than experienced athletes. It will not be possible to compete in a bodybuilding championship, but it is very possible to create a beautiful and healthy body with a conscientious approach.
5 bodyweight exercises that will replace the gym
How to eat to gain weight
One of the most important nutrients for increasing muscle mass is protein. Research shows that a high protein diet helps build muscle. However, it should be borne in mind that the predominance of meat, fish, and legumes in the diet is a double-edged sword. Because high-protein foods quickly suppress hunger, it can prevent you from getting enough calories.
The diet for weight gain should consist of meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes, nuts, cereals, potatoes, rice, pasta, avocado. To stimulate appetite, dishes should be seasoned with spices and hot sauces.
It is advisable to include a sufficient amount of liquid in the diet menu for gaining muscle mass, as well as fresh fruits and dried fruits.
Specially selected nutrition and work in the gym are the main components of gaining muscle mass. Additionally, you can take special nutritional supplements. Creatine helps increase muscle strength, fish oil provides the necessary balance of omega-3/omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin D stimulates the synthesis of steroid hormones, whey protein helps reduce the frequency of meals, probiotics improve nutrient absorption. But it should be remembered that all nutritional supplements are effective only in combination with training and high-calorie nutrition. Read more about nutritional supplements on our website.
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