Fast muscle bulking requires a load of ingenuity mixed with a change in workout habits and diet. Genetic composition plays a role in your body type but even with a slightly resistant genetic makeup, you can explode your muscles in a short period of time. Quick bulking is useful for gaining power and strength but also for changing your physique, particularly if you are a bodybuilder trying to achieve a certain weight class.
Shock the Muscles
Regular exercise is important to overall health but if you are trying to muscle up, you have to shock your body into change. Each time you strength train, slight tears are caused in your muscles. These tears lead to complex cellular processes that ultimately result in muscle gain. Your muscles get use to the same old routine.
If you have hit a plateau in your muscle bulking or simply want to propel your arm pebbles into boulders, you must cause muscle confusion. Muscle confusion from new routines, adding extra weight and lowering reps will cause slightly different muscle tears, which shocks them into growing.
Involve multiple muscle groups in each exercise, also called compound exercises. Compound exercise works a maximum set of muscle fibers in several muscle groups simultaneously and this leads to faster bulking gains. Bench press, squats, lunges, deadlifts, shoulder presses, pull-ups, rows and push-ups are various forms of compound exercises to include in your workouts.
For instance, your entire back, shoulder, arm and chest area are targeted with one set of bench presses and your lower body gets pumped with compound exercises like deadlifts.
Include isolation exercise at the end of your compound routine. Dumbbell curls, leg press or extensions are isolation moves that target one muscle group at a time. Isolation exercises are important to bulking but are more effective when done after compound exercises to bring your muscles to true fatigue.
Lift heavier weight with fewer reps to shock your muscles. In each exercise implement this high load, low rep formula. Take 30 to 60 seconds to rest in between sets to stimulate muscle recovery during your workout. Alternate similar muscle group workouts every other day because working the same group in consecutive days will not allow for bulking to occur.
Muscle recovery is the key to sustained growth. Opt for the upper body every other day and lower body in between. You can add a day or two of light cardio but go easy on this because you do not want to stimulate high-calorie burn, which leads to weight loss.
Eat and Eat Some More
Without adding extra calories to your body, you cannot form bigger, bulkier muscles. Raise your daily calorie intake by 500 more than your normal consumption. Choose clean foods in your diet rather than fatty junk foods. The goal is to gain muscle not excess fat that you have to work harder to get off. Protein is crucial for muscle bulking.
Eat a protein-containing food with every meal and snack. Fish, poultry, beans, nuts, low-fat dairy, egg whites and lean beef are good choices for daily protein. Include healthy carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables and whole grains to keep you energized throughout the day and for your workouts.
The best way to get your extra calories is by portioning smaller meals consumed every two to three hours. You can call it three meals and snacks or mini-meals but either way, allot the right amount of calories so you eat more for bulking.
Post-workout you can include a recovery-type shake that contains carbohydrates and protein. Recovery shakes aid in adding nutrients and calories back to your body and help with muscle recovery. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water throughout the day and during your workouts.