by Gabriel Kage

Created on: September 20, 2008

It's hard not to stare at the physical specimens who walk around the gym with bodies like Greek gods. You're sitting their in your baggy T-shirt and ten pound dumbbell watching them bench 250 like there's nothing to it. It's only natural to wonder how you can pack on a couple pounds of muscle so that you can stop sweating out of sheer embarrassment. But few people realize that there is a science to building muscle.

First let's talk about the actual exercise. One mistake that people often make is that they get into a routine at the gym. They do the same exercises with the same weight in the same order every time they go to the gym. While that might help you build a little muscle, you're going to hit a plateau. I compare it to reading the same page of a book over and over again. Yes, reading is a good habit and good exercise for your brain, but if you're reading the same page, you're really not doing yourself any good. The same goes for exercise. You can't expect to see improvement if you do the same exercises every time.
The key to varying your workout is to switch up the weights. If you start out benching 135 and do four sets of ten reps, next time try doing four sets of eight reps with 145. Increasing the weight and decreasing reps is a good way to build muscle. Never repeat a workout within a week. If you can go two weeks without repeating a workout, that's even better. Also, you need to lift enough weight to challenge your muscles. If you're going for muscle gain, never use a weight light enough that you can complete 12 to 15 reps. Keep it to ten reps, maximum, and your fatigued muscles will grow to be able to lift the heavier weights.
The other main component to gaining muscle mass is your diet. After people work out, they often don't feel like eating. That is a HUGE mistake. For 45 minutes after you work out, there is a metabolic window in which your metabolism is revved up, and your muscles are hungry. What your body needs right after a work out, believe it or not, are simple carbohydrates. You should aim for a 2 to 1 or 4 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein. Your muscles need that quick fuel in order to repair themselves and to grow. Chocolate milk is a great post-workout drink. It has a good amount of sugar and a little protein to replenish the electrolytes that you lost.
While carbohydrates are great after a workout, we can't discount the value of protein. Protein is a major building block for muscles, and you need a considerable amount in order to see muscle mass increase. The best way to get protein is naturally through foods like meat and beans. However, this is often hard to do, so drinking a protein shake is also a great way to get the crucial protein that your body needs. You have to be careful when you're consuming a lot of protein though. Compounds like creatine and protein powders can be hard on your kidneys in large doses.
Another part of your diet that you must consider is total calorie consumption. In order to build muscle, you need to give your body the fuel that it needs. You actually need to consume more calories than you would normally burn during your daily activities. The extra calories are then available to your muscles for their growth. I'm not saying you should go from 2,000 calories to 5,000. You just need to eat a little more than you normally would. A couple hundred calories will do it.
Building muscle is a tough process. It can be discouraging at first, because you may not see results right away. But if you follow these guidelines, eventually you'll find yourself benching with the body builders instead of in the corner with the scrawny guys where you used to be.

Learn more about this author, Gabriel Kage.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.