Educating yourself is the first step towards attaining any goal you have in life. This is true of bodybuilding, as well. Being educated about it is very important in order to get the results you want. The following are some tips and tricks that will increase your muscles; you can even start using them today if you wish.

If you are looking to gain muscle, you will need to eat a lot more. You want to eat as much as it takes to gain about a pound a week. Find healthy ways to get anywhere from 250 to 500 more calories daily. If you don’t see any weight change, consider altering your eating habits.

The protein in meat is crucial to muscle growth. Consume enough meat to amount to one gram of protein per pound of body weight. This will help you store more protein, and the more protein you have, the more your muscles will grow.

The “big three” should form the core of your exercise routine. These are large muscle group exercises like dead lifts, squats and presses. These compound exercises can make you stronger and improve your muscle tone as well as increasing your muscle mass. Use these exercise as the cornerstone of your exercise regimen.

Mix up your muscle building routine. Doing the same exercises each day can get static and dull so switch up your routine to keep it interesting. Make sure that you do different exercises and workout different muscles each time you exercise. By doing this you will remain motivated and help to prevent plateaus in progress too.

Building muscle cannot happen if you’re not getting a good amount of protein. Protein shakes or supplements are a great addition to your diet, but should not be the only source of protein you get. The best times to consume these supplements is right after working out and before bed. If you are trying to shed some pounds as you build your muscles, only consume one shake or supplement each day. In order to bulk up your muscles as well strengthening them, you could consume as many as 3 per day.

60 Minutes

Limit your workouts to no more than 60 minutes. Once passing the 60 minute mark, the body starts making more cortisol, which is the stress hormone. Cortisol blocks testosterone, which can ruin your muscle gaining efforts. Restricting workouts to 60 minutes or less helps you get more out of each workout.

Many people start upping their protein intake right after they start a bodybuilding program. This calorie increase can lead to weight gain if there is not enough exercise. Instead of adding in a large amount of protein all at once, try substituting other foods in your diet for protein, or adding it in small increments. This is the best way to give your body a chance to use the protein that you are consuming in the proper way.

Building muscle doesn’t necessarily mean you have to get ripped. Every routine for bodybuilding is different with varying goals and intended results. Take the time to think carefully about what you really want to accomplish before you begin. If you are aiming for totally maximizing the size of your muscles, you will likely need to add supplements to your exercise and diet plans.

Definitely learn your limits, but do not quit doing a particular exercise until your ability to complete a rep is totally exhausted. For every set, push yourself to the limit and don’t stop until you can’t do more. It may help to reduce your set lengths in the beginning if you get overtired.

Be careful about using heavy weights for moves that don’t favor much weight. You can put yourself in jeopardy of getting a serious injury during split squats, neck work and dips because they involve difficult joint positions. Heavy loads are best saved for larger muscle groups, such as those involved in completing presses, rows, and squats.

Try to be realistic with your muscle-building goals. Results won’t be immediate, you need to meter them out over a significant period of time. Never attempt to bulk up with steroids or stimulants; using these chemicals can cause irreversible damage to your body and your health.

Educating yourself properly is essential to any undertaking, and boosting your muscle mass is a lot more simple to do if you are properly informed. Apply one of these tips to your routine every day and stay optimistic about their positive end results.