We are halfway through our popular series on building lean muscle! In Part 5, Mike Bewley shares his secrets on sticking to your diet plan, even when you don’t see gains overnight.
One of the most crucial things to realize if you want to grow muscle quickly is that you won’t see results right away. Period. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Muscle growth is a process. Unfortunately, many athletes fail to grow muscle safely because they lack patience. They abandon the strategy and revert to their previous eating habits when they notice immediate benefits. We live in an “immediate gratification” culture, where we can read, watch, listen to, or study practically anything online in seconds. However, you will not achieve your aim of building muscle properly unless you can overcome your urge to want fast results.
Here are some suggestions to assist you in overcoming your desire for “immediate gratification.”
Body Type Impacts Your Speed of Muscle Growth
The human body comes in all shapes and sizes. The concept of somatotypes – categorizing people into three main body types – can help you understand individual differences in your quest for muscle gain.
Three main body types, or somatotypes, were first defined in the 1940s. They are ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. Each body type has its own unique set of physiques, characteristics, and genetic predispositions.
For instance, if you have an ectomorph body type, which means you’re naturally slim, you’ll have difficulty gaining muscle. Ectomorphs have a slower muscle-building process since their bodies naturally oppose weight gain.
However, if you are a mesomorph and naturally highly muscular, your muscle-building process will differ from an ectomorph. You’ll notice that gaining muscle is relatively easy, even if you don’t put in as much effort.
The odds are stacked against you if you’re an ectomorph comparing your weight growth outcomes to those of a mesomorph, which is why comparing your muscle-building progress to others is never a good idea. You’ll notice results at your own pace if you learn your body type and how to work with it rather than against it.
Simple Test To Determine Your Somatotype
To get a precise assessment of whether you’re an ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph, or a combination type, you could go to a lab and have your body fat, bone, and muscle mass measured. You can also gauge your body type by doing this simple test:
What happens if you encircle one wrist with your other hand’s middle finger and thumb?
A. My middle finger and thumb overlap a bit.
B. My middle finger and thumb touch, but just barely.
C. There’s a gap between my middle finger and thumb.
Image Reference:Â What the Difference Between Ectomorph Mesomorph and Endomorph Is. (2021, November 2). https://5minutecrafts.site/improve-life/what-the-difference-between-ectomorph-mesomorph-and-endomorph-is-1687/
There is no one “perfect” body type for everyone. You can’t do much about your body type because your genes determine it, so you might as well accept it. However, understanding your somatotype can help manage your expectations and recognize the challenges associated with building lean muscle.
Too Fast Muscle Gain = Fat Gain
Keep in mind that the faster you try to acquire muscle, the more likely you are to gain body fat.
Your body can only create so much muscle every week — at about 1-2 pounds per week. Any calories ingested more than your body needs to build that muscle will get converted to excess body fat. As a goal, your weight gain composition should work out to about 75 percent muscle and 25 percent fat.
To grow lean muscle, you must make a diet tailored explicitly for muscle gain. If you eat too little, your body won’t have enough raw resources to develop new muscles. If you overeat, you will, without a doubt, acquire fat weight. Striking the right balance is critical.
Safe Muscle Gain Takes Time
Finally, keep in mind that building muscle safely takes time. Your body can only do so much in a day, and if you try to overload it with too much food and exercise, it will fail you. Over time, the safest and most effective way to build muscle is slowly, with a proper diet and training program.
Furthermore, supplements that are not approved by the FDA or those that are experimental will not produce faster outcomes. Most of the time, these products come with a long list of unpleasant side effects and few, if any, benefits.
Takeaway
You’ll see benefits if you ditch the notion that dietary supplements alone, at the expense of good nutrition, will not produce the muscle gain you desire (which, ideally, you’ve figured out from our previous four entries on the subject). They may be a little slower than you’d like, but good things come to those who wait.
Keep an eye out for the next chapter in our muscle-building series, in which I’ll go through the various elements that might speed up or slow down muscle growth. To refresh your recollection, return to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, or Part 4 of my 10-part series.
Part-6 of Series Coming January 2022
