Some people seek to increase their muscle mass so that their body looks more toned and with greater volume, but to achieve this you have to be persistent.
Muscle strengthening can help build strong bones, control weight, improve quality of life, contribute to better balance and reduce the risk of falls, treat chronic conditions, sharpen intellectual abilities, among others, according to the Mayo Clinic , non-profit entity dedicated to clinical practice, education and research.
“Muscle mass is made up of the total set of tissue commonly called muscle. Skeletal muscle is an organ whose fundamental function is to facilitate movement, joint stability and structural protection of our skeleton. This has the ability to expand or bulge, a fact that will depend on the force that we apply to the muscle. The more force, the greater the muscle mass of the subject to be able to resist”, explained physical educator Daniel Molina, director of the Muscular Analytical Center, in Madrid to the Spanish magazine ¡Hola!
For this reason, to increase muscle mass there are some exercises such as push-ups, biceps curls with weights, triceps extensions with body weight, lunges, squats, Bulgarian squat, leg extensions with body weight, glute kick, plank, abdominals, hip thrust.
Likewise, the ideal thing to increase muscle mass is do strength exercise at least 3 times a week and rest the muscle for at least 24 hours. In other words, if you did leg and glute training on Monday, it is recommended that you rest on Tuesday and work that muscle group once more on Wednesday.
Nevertheless, people wonder what is the best time to exercise and, for this reason, the experts assure that it is a matter of preference, taste and schedules. The important thing is to meet the daily goals.
Along the same lines, exercise must be accompanied by a good diet and the Spanish newspaper As in his sport and life section, he revealed what are the foods that will help build muscle.
- Lean meats: as they contain 10% fat and are high in protein.
- Fish and shellfish: for being an excellent source of protein and containing good fatty acids such as omega-3.
- Low-fat dairy: because they are a good source of calcium.
- Whole grains: since they contain more fiber and help generate fullness and satisfaction.
- Eggs: because most of the nutrients the body needs are in them.
- Vegetables: because they are rich in fiber, low in fat and have a variety of vitamins.
- Vegetables: since they contribute to the regulation of intestinal transit.
- Fruits and vegetables: because they provide the body with vitamins and minerals.
However, it is recommended that fats be avoided, that sugars and alcoholic beverages be reduced.
Now, it is important to consult an expert to guide the process because, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the exact composition of a varied, balanced and healthy diet will be determined by the characteristics of each person (age, sex, life habits and degree of physical activity), the cultural context, the food available in the place and eating habits.
Similarly, experts recommend drinking at least two liters of water, sleep 8 hours and not skip any daily meals.
Finally, during the process, people may feel anxiety, anger, sadness or frustration and these feelings might slow down the process of increasing muscle mass, since they increase the desire to eat. Therefore, it is important to look for different alternatives such as drinking water, eating some dried fruit or drinking coffee instead of overeating, since these emotions only lead to bad habits.
