…Building Muscle Is About Being Smart, Not Just Strong…
It is sometimes said that the brain is the most powerful muscle in your body. This isn’t quite accurate, as the brain is not really a muscle. Part of it is, but for the most part it is made of other organic matter. But the saying does have a point. You can take all of your physical stamina and throw it at getting fitter. But if you don’t work smart as well as working hard, then your efforts will be half as effective as they could be.
Credit: Wikipedia
If you really want to get the most from your workout regime, it is not enough simply to spend every spare moment in the gym. Your body gets stronger from exercise and diet. We all know this. But think of your body for one moment as a building. Do bricks, mortar and all the other supplies you have make a house? Does standing six builders next to all of the supplies make a house? No, and without a plan, it will never be a house.
What you need, then, if you want to get stronger is a plan. Enthusiasm and stamina are going to be useful, but you also need to learn how to gain muscle. Without the involvement of your brain, you’re never going to get there.
- Schedule Your Workouts
There is a certain culture that seems to set itself around being in the gym whenever there is a spare moment. Working through the pain is seen as a sign of commitment and toughness. However, this is not working smart and it won’t help you reach your goal. Planning your workouts for when you will get the most out of them will get better results.
- Eat Smart, Build Nutrients
Any muscle-gain regime will depend on getting a lot of calories – there is a certain amount you need just to maintain your current size. To really build muscle you need to get more than that – in some cases a lot more. While this does allow you to eat some fast food, you need to make sure you’re eating the right things. Protein is an absolute essential, so foods like chicken and eggs are key.
- Build To An End Goal
Flying out of the blocks and doing everything at once is not the way to go here. Building muscle depends on doing things in stages. Set yourself goals along the way and work to them, then elevate what you are doing. The steadier the build, the more efficient the results will be.
- Don’t Just Work Through Pain
It’s fair to say there will be some physical discomfort as you go about getting bigger. There’s really no avoiding it, and so you have to work through some pain. But if you are feeling sore for a long time, or a sudden acute pain strikes, don’t work through it. It’s likely you’ve injured yourself, and working the muscle more is only going to aggravate it. Rehab it, eat well, get some rest and only then should you go back into the gym.
We all know the feeling of wanting to prove ourselves. It’s a natural human impulse. But if you prove yourself smart, then it’s going to be a shorter and more rewarding road to proving yourself strong.
