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WEIGHT GAINERS
QI’ m 25 years old and weigh 59kg. I’ ve been training for more than a year now but have failed to gain weight or develop abs. I’ d like some advice on what supplements I must buy in other to gain weight. Elliot Mbongeni
ABuilding muscle while simultaneously losing sufficient body fat for your abs to show through is no easy task. However, with diligence, hard work and perseverance you can certainly achieve your goal of gaining muscle mass and sporting that desirable six pack. Below are some key diet, supplementation and training tips that I’ m sure will help you in your quest:
1. EAT SUFFICIENT PROTEIN For those serious about adding muscle mass a good rule of thumb is to aim for at least 2,5-3g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. For an 80kg person this would equate to around 200-240g per day. This will support the muscle-building and repair process in response to your weight training.
2. STAY WELL HYDRATED Water makes up more than two thirds of your body tissue. A well-hydrated body is significantly more efficient at building muscle and also enables you to deliver peak performance in the gym. I suggest a minimum of 3-4 litres of water per day.
3. USE WHEY PROTEIN A whey protein shake with breakfast is a great way to start your day. As it is fast-digesting, it acts to rapidly stop the muscle breakdown catabolism that occurs in the last few hours of sleep due to a lack of circulating amino acids. Try getting in 30-40g of whey immediately on waking each morning. Whey protein is also an ideal component in pre- and post-workout shakes, again due to its fast action. This helps get amino acids to your body quickly so it can halt-protein breakdown during the workout and immediately stimulate protein synthesis( muscle growth) after training.
4. SUPPLEMENT WITH CREATINE Creatine is one of the nutritional supplements that has stood the test of time and emerged as the undisputed heavyweight champion when it comes to packing on muscle.
Some first-time users report as much as a 5kg gain in bodyweight in as little as two to three weeks. Take 3-5g with both your pre- and postworkout shakes and on non-training days take one 5g serving with breakfast. Use in cycles of 8-10 weeks‘ on’ and four weeks‘ off’.
5. FOCUS ON POST-WORKOUT NUTRITION The post-workout meal( along with breakfast) is the most important one in your muscle-building nutritional plan. The first hour following an intense workout is considered to be a‘ window of opportunity’. During this period the heightened insulin sensitivity of your muscle tissue coupled with a favourable hormonal environment is such that nutrients consumed during this period are rapidly absorbed and utilised by the body. Ensure you consume an easily digestible meal as soon as possible after completing your workout. This meal should be composed of 50-100g of carbohydrates, 30-50g of protein and should be low in fat. Mass builder or recovery shakes are often excellent choices as they are generally low in fat and contain highly bioavailable proteins and carbohydrates.
6. TRAIN WITH HEAVY WEIGHTS Muscles need to be regularly and progressively overloaded to sustain growth so challenge yourself regularly to lift more weight during each successive training session. This may require that you decrease your training volume and increase your intensity. After performing a couple of warm up sets with the first exercise for a particular body part, don’ t waste time or energy performing unnecessary warm up sets on the following exercises for that body part. Go straight to the heavier weight.
7. USE GOOD FORM Perform your exercises with good form, only using controlled cheating when necessary. Never cheat to reduce intensity. Controlled cheating should only be used as a means of increasing intensity – in other words to get one or two more reps out of a set after reaching muscle failure. If the weight is too heavy your form will be too sloppy to be effective. If, on the other hand, the weight is too light, you may use great form but you won’ t progress without the challenge of lifting incrementally more weight over time. This is the basis of proper periodisation.
8. ENSURE ADEQUATE REST Train each body part no more that once a week when isolating muscle groups, and always take a day or two off during the week to ensure adequate recuperation and recovery.
9. BE CONSISTENT AND PERSISTENT“ Rome wasn’ t built in a day.” Developing a physique to be proud of is a long-term endeavour. Impatience with the bodybuilding process is the greatest threat to you ever achieving your goals.
10. TRAIN WITH PASSION Passion is what fuels your drive, delivers the intensity you require to achieve your goals, and ensures you stick with it until the end.
CHASING DOMS
QI have been exercising full-time for more than a year now and have seen a lot of transformation. However, I’ ve now reached a point where I’ m never sore anymore, and this is upsetting as I feel I’ m not progressing. I have incorporated more supersets, I lift heavier weights and try to do less cardio and more weight training exercises, pushing myself harder every day to feel that sense of satisfaction that comes with next day muscle soreness. I haven’ t changed my diet a lot as it has been working for me the past year. Can you please advise what I’ m doing wrong or give me tips on how to go about‘ feeling’ the results again? Suzanne Trautmann
AAfter having trained almost daily for more than 20 years I can tell you I can’ t recall when I last felt sore in the days following a workout, despite the fact that I train very intensely and often mix my workouts up a bit to change the stimulus. I have nonetheless continued to progress over all these years and post-workout muscle soreness, more commonly known as delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS, is therefore not an indicator I use to gauge workout effectiveness nor measure progress with regard to my physique development. I honestly wouldn’ t worry about not experiencing DOMS and simply focus on training with consistency, focus, high intensity and passion. Continue to mix up your workout plan up from time to time to provide a change in stimulus and ensure whatever programme you follow is periodised to ensure constant progression in terms of muscle and strength development. Give yourself some time and I’ m sure you will see the results you are looking for despite not necessarily‘ feeling’ the post workout effects of your training sessions.
14 Muscle Evolution