Put in the work, and the calories
Not long from now, the gyms will be filled with newbies seeking to transform their physiques, but only some of them will stay the course.
If you will be among those looking to make gains as part of your New Year goals, there are three exercises that you should perform if you want to drastically improve your results.
● Bench Press - This is probably the best upper body exercise you can perform. Yes, there are others. Yes, it doesn’t grow certain parts of the upper body. However, you should never ignore this exercise if you want to pack on some serious muscle mass.
● Squats - No ifs, and or buts, squats are the best lower-body exercise. Heavy squats also put the body into an anabolic state; this means the body will sort of welcome muscle more effectively. It will also increase your metabolism, making it easier to burn body fat.
● Deadlift - The deadlift is a very good exercise for the whole body - mainly the back and legs. If you want serious results, you need serious exercises.
One key ingredient, food
If you are looking to make gains, you have to eat. I may have said this a thousand times, but don’t skip this point.
Working out, stimulating your muscles is only 33% of muscle building. You can perform the most intense workout of your life, but if you don’t get enough protein, it’ll all be for nothing. The other 67% is divided equally between eating or feeding your muscles and sleeping, during which time they grow.
If you aren’t getting enough protein from food alone, try protein shakes. My go-to which I had shared some time ago is achieved by blending together one cup of (whole, soy or almond) milk, one scoop of iso whey protein (I use MuscleTech), and one banana. It is simple and delicious and if you are only using plant products you can swap out the whey for a vegan protein powder. You also don’t have to be limited to bananas, try papayas if you prefer or even mango pulp.
Now, despite what the advertisements promise, protein shakes do not have magical muscle-building properties. A protein shake is just a convenient meal replacement when you don’t have the time for a healthy, balanced real meal. If you are training hard and want to maximize your muscle growth then you need a constant supply of protein throughout the day, preferable every 2-3 hours except when sleeping. Each meal should contain its share of your daily protein, 10-35 grammes per meal depending on your weight. Your body really does not care where that protein comes from. It can be beans and rice. It can be a piece of boneless chicken. It can be a nice salmon fillet. Or, it can be a protein shake, when you don’t want to cook.