Are you looking to flex your muscles at the gym?
If you’re in a rut in the gym or want to set yourself a challenge you might come to a point in your training where you want to start building muscle.
Getting ripped isn’t just about lifting weights in the gym – you’ll have to consider your diet as well.
While it’s always advisable to consult a personal trainer or doctor if you have any questions, these are some good things to know before you begin:
How should you get started?
The first thing personal trainer Hendrick Famutimi wants to know from clients looking to gain muscle is, “if they’ve done any form of weight training before, just to gather up a basic history of what they’ve done”.
“If you’re a newbie and you haven’t lifted weights at all... If you want to get stronger and build muscle, then go with dumbbell work,” he suggests. Opting for dumbbells over a barbell means you can, “see if one side is stronger than the other”, he says. You can then make sure your dominant side doesn’t automatically take over when lifting weights – this can “lead to injuries”.
Hendrick recommends tackling compound exercises in the gym – those working multiple muscle groups, “like squats, deadlifts, bench press, clean and press”.
If you want to put together a sustainable training plan, he says, be realistic. There’s nothing worse than planning to train three times a week and only managing two – “then you’re going to feel bad about not being able to do it.”
What about your diet?
For Signe Svanfeldt, a nutritionist at Lifesum, protein is key to seeing results. “Protein builds muscles and other tissues, as well as aiding recovery,” she explains. “With a good protein balance, we can limit muscle breakdown and stimulate muscle building.”
It’s important to consider what kind of protein you’re having. Signe says: “Protein consists of small building blocks called amino acids. There are about 20 different amino acids in total, nine of which are essential. This means that we need to get them through the food we eat since we can’t produce them naturally.”
Some animal protein sources contain all nine – including eggs, fish and chicken – but it’s rarer for plant-based sources to contain all of them, so you’ll need to combine food. To really see changes in your body, Signe’s top tip is to make sure you’re eating enough. “If you don’t, the body will use the protein as fuel, instead of its other tasks, such as building muscles,” she says.
How quickly can you expect to see results?
There’s no hard and fast rule with this, because “everyone varies”, says Hendrick. “This is a very touchy subject because some people might get results in six weeks, some people might get results in 12, so there’s not a specific number.”
What are the common mistakes?
“Not finding the time to learn how to do the technique properly,” Hendrick says with a groan. This is something he particularly saw when gyms were closed during lockdowns, when some people made up their own “creative” training plans at home.
He says squats and deadlifts are two of the most effective and common exercises, but are often executed improperly. With deadlifts he often sees, “people with a rounded back, so they’re deadlifting using their back and no legs” – potentially leading to injury.
Outside of the gym, building muscle doesn’t mean you have to reach for the protein powder. It “can be helpful for those who have difficulties eating a sufficient amount of energy; it’s easy to drink a protein shake and really convenient, particularly if you’re on the go,” Signe says. “But whole foods that are rich in protein work just as well, plus they come with many other benefits.”