Muscle-building can be a fun sport or a practical necessity. The reason really isn’t important, what is important is that you are working to improve your body and reach specific goals that are important to you. Having a solid base of information can help you to achieve those goals. Read the following article and you can find out how.

Bench presses, deadlifts and squats are your best exercises. These are the cornerstone exercises for a body builder. These exercises build strength, while increasing bulk and overall conditioning. Try to work these crucial exercises into your workout routine.

Muscle Mass

When trying to bulk up and build muscle mass, you should increase the total number of calories that you eat. You would want to consume the required food in order to gain an average of one pound per week. Research healthy ways for you to add muscle mass, and if increased caloric intake does not improve your mass, then consider bodybuilding supplements.

Meat products are a good source of protein and help add muscle mass. Eat approximately one gram of meat-protein per body pound. That way, you will be able to stockpile protein, and if you have more protein, you will be better able to develop the type of muscles you desire.

Compound exercises are essential to achieving optimal muscle growth. These kinds of exercises use a lot of varying muscle groups in a single lift. A great example of a compound exercise is bench pressing. This exercise works your triceps, chest and shoulders all at the same time.

Sixty Minutes

Do not exceed 60 minutes, when working out. Your body will begin to produce cortisol, due to the stress it’s enduring, if you push beyond sixty minutes. Cortisol neutralizes testosterone, making it hard for you to build muscle mass. For best results, keep your workouts under sixty minutes so that you don’t produce excessive amounts of cortisol.

Try to make it seem like you’re bigger than you really are. Increase the size of the muscles around your chest and legs. This causes your waist to look smaller and makes you look bigger.

If you are trying to build muscle, make sure to eat enough protein. Protein is essential to building muscle, and not eating enough protein can actually make you lose muscle mass. A good benchmark is to eat a gram of protein daily for each pound of your body weight.

You must be hydrated to build muscle properly. If you’re not staying hydrated, there is a greater risk of injury to your muscles. Further, staying hydrated will help you gain muscle and keep your muscles solid.

Definitely learn your limits, but do not quit doing a particular exercise until your ability to complete a rep is totally exhausted. When completing a set of exercises, keep pushing yourself until you cannot complete another push-up or lift the bar one more time. You can shorten your sets when you start to get tired, but do not stop until you have no energy left to continue.

Half Hour

If you are concentrating on building muscle mass, always eat food rich in protein both before your exercise routine and after. Taking 15 grams of protein a half hour prior to and a half hour after your routine will get the job done. You can also get that amount of protein from a couple tall glasses of milk.

When you are trying to build muscle, make sure to pay close attention to the types of calories you are consuming. Keep in mind that some calories will benefit you more than others, and nutrition is very important if you want to develop a body that is strong and lean. If you eat a poor diet, you will fail to build muscle and will become fat.

Now that you have read about new and helpful information on muscle development and weight lifting, you can apply these tips to your own routine. Remember these tips so you can memorize and implement them immediately.