A newbie’s guide – 6 tips to building muscle

Trying to build muscle can be intimidating, but it’s not as hard as you think. The best tips are discussed below. 

Have Breakfast

Don’t skip breakfast. Breakfast would give you the energy to handle the day. Lifting weights takes a lot of energy - you’ll want to be as fueled up as possible. 

Be mindful of what you eat. In the morning, healthier, energy-packed foods would be great. Why not try some omelets and smoothies? They’re easy to digest, which is a bonus. 

Eat Green

Foods that need to be in your diet are fruit and vegetables. They’re full of vitamins, fiber, and minerals which help with digestion. An added benefit is that fruits and vegetables don’t have calories. When eating fruits, you must be extra careful and watch how much sugar is in them, though. 

Eat More

You need to consume a lot of calories if you want to build muscle. Find out how many calories you need in a day. To gain a pound of muscle in a week, a pretty general rule is to increase your daily calorie intake by 500 cals. However, there are so many factors that affect this. 

Cells need protein to grow. Fuel muscle cells by packing your diet with protein. Also, protein powders are available for an extra boost. 

Get Your Rest

Are you a fan of working out until your feet are weak? Don’t work out to exhaustion all the time. Your body won’t grow. A good rule is to limit workouts to 12-16 sets. 

Speaking of rest, you need adequate sleep. At least 7-8 hours a night is required. 

Improve Grip 

The heavier weights you work with, the more muscle you’ll be able to build. For a newbie, lifting heavy weights can be hard as they don’t have the best grip. Get hold of hand exercise equipment. 

The equipment is pretty easy to find, thankfully. You can find them in most sports equipment stores.

Have Meals Before Bed

Try and consume a combination of proteins and carbs before going to bed. Eat them at least 30 minutes before you sleep. By loading yourself with calories before bed, your body won’t break down as much protein. A small bowl of fruits along with cottage cheese and milk would work perfectly. 

Drink Water

As your muscles need to recover, you should drink a lot of water. When working out, you would be losing a lot of it through sweat. What’s more, being dehydrated can make you eat more. You might be fooled into thinking you’re hungry. 

It’s natural for a newbie to think that it’s hard to build muscle. However, it’s not as hard as you’d think. It’s all about dedication and keeping a couple of things in mind. The most important tips would be to eat a lot of protein. You need to go at least 500 calories above your daily calorie intake too. If you are struggling gripping heavy weights, try grip exercises.