Packing on size can prove to be one of the most formidable fitness-specific goals; a dilemma faced by a large number of athletes and gym goers. Building a bigger body has uses beyond the beach, with distinct strength and metabolic benefits. With CarnoSyn® – the athlete’s secret weapon – we have compiled muscle-building tips to help you get the most out of your training…
Count the calories
Think of your body like an automobile. Fuel powers performance. No matter how long spent in the gym bench pressing or squatting, if you aren’t fueling your body with sufficient calories, you won’t build significant size. When it comes to calorie intake, you need to consider two concepts – your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and daily activity level. Once you’ve worked out your BMR using one of the many online calculators, multiply it by one of the following figures that most accurately applies to you:
- Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR x 1.2
- Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375
- Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55
- Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): BMR x 1.725
- Extremely active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training): BMR x 1.9
This should provide you with an accurate calorie estimate. In order to build muscle, you need to be in a slight calorie surplus, however. Taking in more energy than you burn off will cause you to gain size, but you must be careful not to overdo it – the dreaded ‘dirty bulk’. Once you’ve calculated your calorie count, take 10% and add that on top. Supposing you expend 2500 calories per day, an extra 250 obtained through food and drink can help you beef up without risking too much of a belly-bulge.
Strength & power
There are no real ‘secrets’ when it comes to training for muscle mass. What works is a system of progressive overload, whereby the weights you lift increase as you get stronger. This in turn forces your body’s skeletal muscle tissue to grow in order to cope with the increasing physical demands placed on it.
Proven to ignite your workout, CarnoSyn® beta-alanine buffers the build-up of intramuscular acidity (lactic acid), a process which has been proven to delay the onset of fatigue. This allows you to lift heavier weights for longer, and this accumulated volume leads to increased muscle growth. To reap the muscle-building benefits of beta-alanine, you should load the scientifically-proven dosage threshold – at least 90 grams over a 28-day period (an average of 3.2 grams per day).
Endure the pump
Hypertrophy – the technical term describing new muscle growth – is triggered not only by progressive overload but a process of volume. Training once per week with progressively heavier weights would not suffice. Each muscle group should be targeted every 48-72 hours. To help you cope with this accumulated volume, you must build up a foundation of muscular endurance.
CarnoSyn® beta-alanine converts to carnosine in your body, and is proven to extend performance and delay the onset of fatigue. When you’re struggling to hit those extra couple reps, this can be the difference between success and failure. A meta-analysis conducted by researchers at Nottingham Trent University and the University of Sao Paulo looked at 40 individual beta-alanine studies. The studies in question focused on 65 different exercise protocols involving more than 1400 participants. The research concluded a practical suggestion to supplement with beta-alanine to increase muscular endurance and performance. When levels of beta-alanine are boosted, so is athletic endeavor.
A word of warning – ensure you opt for a CarnoSyn®-verified supplement. Products containing unbranded, generic beta-alanine are prone to under-dosing – resulting in less effective workouts, poor training adaptations and inferior results. Limited ingredients lead to limited muscle growth.
Extra reps. Better performance. More PRs. CarnoSyn® is the athlete’s secret weapon.
For more information on why you should choose CarnoSyn®, visit choose.carnosyn.com.
