When a person first begins working out, they tend to gain a lot of strength in a very short amount of time.  This is because during the first few weeks of a new fitness regimen, strength gains come from the recruitment of new muscle fibers.  This makes the muscles more strong and visible.  As time goes on muscle gain becomes much slower.  At that point, you are looking to increase your actual muscle mass.  Muscle mass takes much more time to develop.

There is no shortcut to building muscle mass so your first step is to stick to some form of strength training.  Whatever you choose to do, make sure the exercises you are doing are challenging enough to tire the muscle.  Failing to challenge your muscles can hinder your growth.  Secondly, you should alternate muscle groups.  Weight training creates tiny micro tears in the muscles.  If these tears are not given a chance to repair themselves, serious injury can result.  If you’re feeling sore, rest for a day or two, or work a new muscle group.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eight to ten glasses of water a day.  If you are working to build muscle mass then you should be drinking an additional twelve to sixteen ounces of water before working out.  For every 15 minutes of vigorous exercise you should also drink an additional eight to ten ounces of water.  Diet is also important when working to build muscle mass.  Maintain a balanced diet and avoid carb-heavy diets.  Definitely, don’t take this time to try any new diets.  Muscle building requires a balance in carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins.  The key to muscle building?  Protein.  In fact, muscles are made of protein, so you will need amino acids which are the building blocks of protein.  So make sure you have protein-rich foods in your diet as well.

Make sure you are getting enough sleep.  Lack of sleep can halt your progress.  If you just can’t seem to get things right on your own you can always hire a trainer for a few months.  This is enough time to get comfortable in the gym and learn many various exercises.  There is no miracle product that can help you build your muscle mass.  It will take hard work, and it will take a long time.  Always challenge yourself but don’t overdo it.  Good Luck!

Editor of Health and Beauty, Brandi Giles

Credits: Dr. Spero Karas http://men.webmd.com/features/7-muscle-building-strategies-for-guys

Photo Credits: http://www.mensfitness.com/training/lose-weight/intensity-amplifier-fat-burning-liftsprint-progressive