Did you know that 99% of people don’t understand how muscle growth actually works? Here’s a breakdown of the muscle growth principles, four key factors to keep in mind, and one important condition for effective muscle building.
Muscle makes up about one-third to one-half of your body weight, consisting of countless muscle fibers. The principle of muscle growth is simple: muscle growth happens when you stimulate the muscle through exercise. That feeling of muscle "swelling" is actually the muscle filling with blood, causing minor tears in the muscle fibers.
Right after you work out, your muscles are temporarily weaker due to the damage caused during exercise, which is why your muscles feel sore. The damaged muscle cells release inflammatory molecules called cytokines to repair the damage. After repairing, the muscles not only return to their original state but also undergo super-compensation, making them bigger and stronger. This is the core principle of muscle growth.
On the flip side, if you stop training, muscles shrink, which is called muscle atrophy.
To effectively grow muscle, there are four key factors you need to pay attention to:
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Training Intensity: If the intensity of your workout is too low, it won’t stimulate muscle growth enough. You need to push yourself close to failure to promote muscle development.
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Training Frequency: A higher frequency of training leads to faster muscle growth, but it must be balanced with intensity. Gradually increase your frequency to avoid overtraining.
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Nutrition: Calories and protein are the building blocks of muscle tissue. Without enough nutrition, muscle growth will be limited.
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Adequate Sleep: The muscle repair process mostly happens during rest, particularly when we sleep at night.
Lastly, for continuous muscle growth, the key is to consistently break down muscle fibers, fuel your body with proper nutrition, and ensure adequate rest and recovery. Repeating this cycle will ensure that your muscles grow stronger over time.
