Truth About Muscle Growth

Most people think that muscles are made in the gym. Well the truth is they are not. Let me explain, in the gym when we are lifting we are actually tearing muscle down. The muscles do not start to build (repair themselves) until we are at rest. Also they need the right nutrition to start this process.

We have to remember that muscles have a memory, and our body does not like to have the muscles any bigger than they need to be. When I say that muscles have memory I mean that they figure out the strength they need to get us through our day. For example I was a cabinet builder many years ago and I lifted material all day long most of it very heavy. The first few weeks I was doing this job I was sore every night and my arms started getting bigger. After some time had passed I stopped getting bigger, why you ask. The reason why I was not getting bigger is that my muscles figured out that I had all the mass I needed to do my job. Now the reason they do not continue to grow is easy, the body has to use more energy to maintain bigger muscles. Which explains why people tell you to lose fat not lean muscle mass. So in essence the bigger the muscles the more fat we burn in a day. This is also why it is easier in most cases for males to lose weight than females. This is also why it is easier to lose muscle mass, but so hard to gain it.

Let's start with what happens when we go to the gym. Once we start lifting heavy weights the muscle group you are working gets small tears in it which is called micro trauma. What the body does now is it not only repairs the damage that the gym did, but also adds a layer of muscle fiber to try to keep this from happening again. So as the extra layers build up we see the muscles getting bigger. You have to remember that our bodies have a survival mode they adapt and over come to stay alive. This process of adding extra layers of muscle to existing layers of muscle is one of those situations that the survival mode kicks in to prevent injury.

Nutrition is a big part in the repair of the muscles. One reason is if we do not feed the body atrophy will set in. Most of us think of atrophy being caused by not moving for long periods of time. For example being bed ridden, but there is another kind atrophy and that is from malnutrition. In this instance if we starve the body and there is no food or fat for the body to consume, than the body has to consume muscle to survive. An example of this is a person that suffers from anorexia; they have little muscle lift do to lack of food to feed the muscles. The key macro nutrient to feed the muscle here is protein. How protein works is that it is broke down in our system to amino acids which is what the muscles need for repair. The essential amino acids or branch chain amino acids or BCAA's are the ones that we are interested in, there are two other forms of amino acids that have different functions in the body. The BCAA help to build and repair our muscles. So it only makes sense that if we have micro trauma to the muscles, than the more protein we consume the faster and stronger the muscle repairs. As with anything, there are limits to how much protein to take in per meal. There is not an exact number of grams of protein is too much at this time. I usually figure that if you stay between 30 and 40 grams per meal you will be fine.

The second most important part of muscle growth is rest. If you are moving around and using your muscles how can they repair themselves? The other thing to remember here is that when we are at rest (mainly during sleeping periods) this is when our hormone levels are elevated, such as growth hormone. So of course this is when we are going to have the best chance for muscle gain. It is usually when the protein has a chance to do its best work. Also the longer you sleep the faster the repair. So as you have always heard try to get at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night for the best results.

So this is why I say that muscles are not built in the gym. Yes, we need the gym to tear them down to build them back up, but they are made after the gym when we eat and sleep. As always train smarter not harder.

Health, Fitness, Bodybuilding and Nutrition

Owner/Operator of http://www.getmassmuscle.com/
Home of all your supplement and workout needs.
You can also follow us on Facebook and Google+ at Get Mass Muscle

View the original article here

Apr 13, Truth about Muscle Mass Supplements

In this article I explain the truth about muscle mass supplements.. the way I see it. Which ones really work and why I don't use most of them. There seem to be new types of muscle mass supplements being put out on the market every day now. I remember when I started training back in 1999 the only ones we ever heard of were protein powders (100% whey isolate, 100% whey concentrate, weight gainer, meal replacements), creatine, and glutamine.

Today you've got pre-workouts, post-workouts, testosterone boosters, nitro this, nitro that, pump this, and pump that. Honestly speaking, I don't know what half of these are and I don't care to ever learn about them... because I know that they will actually limit my muscular development. You may be asking yourself how something that's supposed to help you build muscle (and may have been scientifically proven to do so) could actually slow down your progression. The answer in my mind is simple. Anything that is 'performance-enhancing', natural or not, affects you negatively by weakening your ability to listen to your body.

If you get results, are you going to attribute your success to the 'product' you took or the hard work and dedication you put into the training. I truly believe that most of the muscle mass supplements that are out there have very little positive effects on a person's body. I've known guys who have been using all kinds of supplements for years and have had little or no results in the gym. Instead of focusing on how the changes they make in their weight training, nutrition, and lifestyle affects their body... they attribute the good 'pump' they got to all the supplements their on. If you want to reach your muscle mass potential you've got to learn to (until you're able to) listen to your body... Period. You'll have a hard time doing this if your mind is clouded with 'the promises' that these muscle mass supplements offer.

If you prefer to use science as the basis for why you 'think' all of the muscle mass supplements will actually work for you, let me just say this... I'll bet that any of the natural bodybuilding supplements you take in will not work as well as the first time you use them. In fact, you've probably already tried many of them and noticed that they were less efficient at increasing 'whatever' with each consecutive cycle. The natural creatine levels that are already inside of us, for example, begin to decrease once you start taking creatine supplements. The body will produce less because you're taking excessively high dosages in from an outside source. Unfortunately for those that use creatine regularly, this means that the body will continue to be less able to build muscle.

Will I ever endorse creatine or other performance-enhancing supplements if a supplement company offers me a financially tempting contract? I'll take the contract but only if I can openly endorse only the nutritional supplements I'm currently okay with using... for example, protein. I'll continue to do my best to stay true to what I know and believe. One thing is for sure, I'll never use steroids (not even the legal ones) or growth hormones.

Why am I okay with protein powders? I don't consider them performance-enhancing. They are what they're said to be... a supplement to your muscle mass diet.

A meal replacement in my mind could never really replace a healthy, protein-packed meal, but it's a great alternative to skipping a meal altogether. Protein concentrate or isolate shakes (water mixed with 100% whey protein concentrate or isolate) are great before bed because they're lean and provide the body with enough protein to sustain your muscles during the night.

Egg whites, on the other hand, are an incredible source of natural, slow-release protein... perfect for sustaining your lean muscle mass throughout the night. Still, in terms of convenience, it's always good to have a large tub of protein hanging around just in case you're all out of egg whites.

In sum, don't waste your money on useless 'performance-enhancing' muscle mass supplements. Save it for buying quality foods like chicken breast, lean ground beef, tuna, horse meat, potatoes, eggs, egg whites, almonds, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, broccoli, spinach, carrots, bananas, oatmeal, brown rice, etc. Invest in a home gym if that's what will help you get huge, but don't get sucked into the whole supplement craze that's going on. Good marketing doesn't mean a product is good. Don't just go with what's popular or what most people are using. Most people can't improve consistently for the life of them. Learn to ask yourself questions. Listen to your body because the answers are there. Reaching your potential takes trial and error, an understanding of what 'works' for you, patience, perseverance, and belief in yourself & your ability to achieve your ultimate fitness-related goal.

Vitamins and supplements can benefit your health but shouldn't give you a headache! A beginners guide to health information.

View the original article here