Gain Lean Muscle

Before we kick start off, I just want to say, although the advice and tips I'm about to share with you are useful, consider it basic information for beginners. If you seriously want to gain muscle and tone up, you will need some more advance techniques and advice. For this I highly recommend you get a copy of Vince's body building book. It's like my bible for bodybuilding, I bought it when I first started out and have never looked back. In fact I still use it today.

Here is a reliable and honest review of Vince's body building book

With that aside let's continue...

When it comes to the subject of gaining lean muscle mass, many people will overlook a very important component to creating such mass. Namely, they do not eat an adequate supply of protein and this can certainly make muscle growth limited. Why is this? Because protein is the building block of all muscle and when the body is deficient in protein, muscle growth will be limited. That is just the way your body is designed.

Ingesting protein after a workout will aid in the recovery of the muscle. It will stimulate growth and help repair tissue. In short, protein will help you develop the lean, defined look that you desire.

Where can you get your source of protein to gain lean muscle? Most people will eat egg white, poultry, beans, and certain fish as a source of protein. Red meat can be an excellent source but red meat is high in calories and fat. Those looking to cut weight may wish to avoid red meat and look for other sources of protein instead. But, what can people do when they are pressed for time and may not be able to make full meals that are loaded with protein? Thankfully, there are supplements available and they are well worth purchasing as they will aid in the ability to gain lean muscle. Probably the most common would be protein powder. As the name implies, protein powder is used to make shakes. You can use any liquid you want in the shakes and you can add fruits, peanut butter, yogurt, and pretty much anything else you wish to put in a blender. Then, there are those that just like powder and water. Really, you can enjoy whatever may be your particular taste.

There are also ready made protein shakes that come in cans and cartons. Those on the proverbial go can purchase these ready made protein shakes. However, it is important to point out it is much cheaper to purchase the powder mixes and make your own shakes.

Now, whether you purchase powders or ready made shakes, be sure to check out the sugar and fat content! Some of these protein supplements come with A LOT of sugar in order to boost the taste. Beware of these supplements if you want to lose weight because they are high in calories. Those that work out a great deal and perform a lot of cardio work can burn up the extra calories and may not have to worry about the sugar content.

Those looking to completely avoid any extra calories at all could look into purchases protein liquids that are taken in teaspoon form; or, it is possible to purchase capsule form protein supplements to gain lean muscle as well.

On a side note, it is important not to overdo it with protein no matter what the source. The kidneys can generally only handle 40 grams of protein per hour and anything more than that can lead to adverse health issues. So, be sure to be prudent with your protein intake and you will discover your ability to gain lean muscle mass within a short period of time.

If you are serious about gaining lean muscle, having an exercise routine is paramount to your bodybuilding success. As a general rule of thumb never train a muscle group more than twice a week. However, there are a couple of exceptions to the rule, your Abs and wrists. They can be exercised almost daily, in fact if you want maximum results doing it daily will be very beneficial.

You will need to write out an exercise plan that you can follow, and WILL follow, because the only way to gain lean muscle is to be consistent with your efforts, or you're wasting your time. Doing the odd workout here and there simply won't cut it. Here is my personal exercise routine to get you started:

Day 1: Chest & Cardio
Day 2: Biceps & Wrists/Forearms
Day 3: Legs, Abs & Cardio
Day 4: Triceps & Abs & Cardio
Day 5: Shoulders & Back
Day 6: Rest (Very important)
Day 7: Abs & Cardio

You will notice I do cardio quite often, this is because gaining muscle can make you look out of proportion if you have a few inches of fat sitting on top. So make sure you incorporate cardio exercises into your routine. It's simply the best, and admittedly, the fastest way to look more muscular and enhance your physique.

There are 3 fundamental basics to gain lean muscle, they are, exercise, correct nutrition and resting. Exercising can be very addictive, and there's a good chance when you begin working out you'll want to do it everyday. This enthusiasm is great but we need to take a step back and really assess the situation and what your end goals are. This is a no brainer, you want to beef up, but working out too often will do more harm than good.

Understand, it may seem that your muscles are growing while you are pumping iron, but it's an illusion. When you do the exercise your muscles fill with blood to fuel them and as a result they bulge out veins and all. Don't let this fool you, they are not growing in muscle mass, in fact they are getting damaged and are shrinking. The will only grow when you body has a chance to heal them. Having a good nights sleep will do wonders for muscle development as well as taking a day or 2 off each week. This time out will do more for your muscle development than body building every day.

As a side note, if i'm too sore to do a workout I will simply take a day off or do some cardio instead, then resume my routine the next day. Even though my routine covers a 7 day period, sometimes it can extend over 8 or even 9 days to complete. No routine should be concrete, it needs to be flexible so you can take time out when you need to. If your going to take anything from this Lens it's that.