3 Essential Muscle-Building Tips For Beginners
Here are some essential fitness tips for building muscle and growing in your fitness journey.
Are you interested in building muscle? You may have done some research into this topic, which is ironically one of the worst things to do. There are so many resources out there that overcomplicate muscle-building and make it seem like the craziest thing in the world. As a beginner, it’s too easy to become overwhelmed, which puts you off starting this fitness journey.
Today, we’re simplifying everything with three essential muscle-building tips for newbies. This will help you ignore the noise and understand the core concepts of building muscle.
Tip 1: Establish your baseline strength
Before you embark on a strength training journey, you must establish your baseline strength. This is basically what you are capable of lifting. Whenever you try a new exercise, start with the lightest weight possible. Aim for 10-12 reps. If you manage this easily, increase the weight to the next available amount. Aim for the same rep range and keep increasing the weight until the last couple of reps feel challenging.
From here, you should see if you can complete 3 sets of 10-12 reps at this weight range. If you can, you have established a starting point for that exercise. Make a note of the weight, reps, and sets – they’re important for tracking progress. Don’t be afraid to visit gyms like Fitness 19 that have personal trainers who can help you get started on your journey. They’ll take you around the equipment, establishing your baseline strength for all major strength-building exercises.
Tip 2: Focus on progressive overload
This is the bread and butter of muscle-building. Progressive overload refers to gradually increasing the stress put on your muscles, so they’re encouraged to grow bigger and stronger. It’s why you establish a baseline, so you can progress from there.
As a general rule, if you’re able to complete all sets of an exercise and easily nail 10-12 reps, you should increase the weight next time. Now, you may only be able to get 10 reps, 9 reps, and 7 reps on your three sets. That’s perfectly fine; stick with this weight until you’re nailing 10, 10, and 10. When that comes around, up the weight again.
You’re progressively overloading your muscles so they’re learning to deal with heavier weights and get bigger and stronger. Many people struggle to build muscle because they lift the same weight over and over again for weeks/months, never making any progress.
Tip 3: Give your body time to rest
Did you know that your muscle fibers break down and tear when you lift weights? It’s why you feel sore for a few days after, but the idea is that they break down and grow even stronger. This is only possible if you allow your body to rest. Give it time to heal – and encourage the healing process to build more muscle.
Generally, when you are just starting out, you should train each major muscle group once per week. This gives you a week’s rest between training each muscle, so it has more than enough time to recover. Also, make sure you get enough protein in your diet as it’s the cornerstone of building muscle and speeding up recovery.
To recap: establish your baseline strength, work on progressively overloading your muscles, and be sure you get enough rest. Focus on these three points when you’re starting out and they will help you go a long way.
