If offered a choice between being fat or being skinny, nearly everyone would choose to be a rail versus a balloon. But being skinny can have its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to skinny individuals who want to build muscle. How can they effectively pack on muscle?
The first aspect a thin person needs to address is their diet.Building muscle requires a diet rich in lean protein, good fats, and slow burning carbohydrates.The typical recommended meal breakdown is 35% protein (fish, poultry, lean beef, etc), 30% good fats (mono and polyunsaturated fats including avocado, olive oil, nuts, etc), and 35% good carbohydrates (brown rice, oats, yams, etc).
Protein provides the building blocks for supporting muscle growth.They are rich in amino acids, which are the chains that muscles are formed from.Good fats actually boost testosterone levels.Steady testosterone production is required for the muscle growth process.Carbohydrates provide the energy our bodies need to fuel our workouts.Good carbohydrates are typically foods with low glycemic index levels.This means they burn slowly and provide a steady source of energy, unlike carbs like candy or white bread, which are high on the glycemic index and provide quick energy boosts with a subsequent blood sugar crash.
There is one other key component if the goal is to build muscle. How to structure your workout plan.
An effective muscle building program will utilize a combination of free weights and machines and will be structured to focus on each of the major muscle groups 2-3 times a week.Building quality muscle requires laying a foundation of strength and endurance in the core support muscles of the body.The core muscles of the body include the legs, shoulders, back, and chest.Developing this core strength will better prepare you to work on the smaller, more isolated muscle groups including the biceps, triceps, and calves.
Sticking with a consistent workout schedule is important.You must determine how many days a week you have to dedicate to getting into the gym and structure a schedule around those days.Effective workout plans can be structured around most any schedule that incorporates gym time at least four days a week. Obviously the more days during the week you have available, the more time you have to focus on individual muscle groups.
Structuring your workout plan will require determining the exercises you want to perform, the weights or resistance you will start at for each exercise, and the weight increase goals you will strive for.Muscle growth is a result of shocking the muscles with heavier weights than they are used to supporting.In addition to visible muscle growth over time, the increase in the weights you are lifting from week to week is also a good measure of your progress.
A well designed workout program will take all of this into account and provide exercises and recommended starting weights based on an initial evaluation of your strength and endurance.
Also keep in mind, muscles don’t actually grow while you’re lifting.As long as you’re consistently increasing weight or resistance from workout to workout, you are actually breaking the muscles down when you lift.It is during the rest period between your workout sessions when the muscles are rebuilt stronger and bigger.Therefore, it is important to allow at least a day or so of rest between workouts of the same major muscle group.Sleep also plays a big role.The body’s recovery capabilities are at their strongest when you are sleeping. It is during these hours that workout recovery and muscle repair and growth occurs.
So, you’re skinny and you want to build muscle. How?Just like everyone else.It takes an effective muscle building diet rich in lean protein.And just as an overweight person would incorporate caloric restrictions in their diet, a skinny individual will typically increase portions to add calories.In addition to diet, you must adhere to an effective workout program that is structured to encourage muscle growth through weight training and recovery.A good workout plan will also incorporate variety in your exercise plan to both eliminate boredom and force the muscles to keep adapting to new movements. This ensures the growth of the muscle across all angles.
Whether you’re skinny, fat, or somewhere in between you can build muscle. How?The most effective approach is to find a muscle building program that has been tried, tested, and proven to work.You need to find a come up with a plan that incorporates a comprehensive workout plan with a healthy diet tailored to your weight loss/gain goals.You need to adopt a program that can be customized to your individual goals and schedule. A program that offers photographic evidence of its results. You need the Adam Waters RTP Transformation System
