Gaining muscle takes a lot of hard work and dedication. It is not as easy as going to the gym several times per week. Having large muscle mass attracts a lot of attention, and can make a person feel good about themselves. Many people feel that those with big muscles are very vain and spend a lot of time looking in the mirror. There is some truth to their observations, but there is usually a lack of understanding or empathy. Big muscles do not come overnight, and when they come, their owners are proud to display them. Just like a writer may brag about their latest publication, a movie-maker invites you to the latest screening, or your neighbor with a green thumb wants you to come see her new garden, big muscles are an accomplishment and accomplishments are meant to be shared.
 
Rest and sufficient sleep are imperative for those gaining muscle. Professional bodybuilders are known to take naps during the day in order to properly recover and allow their body to build muscle mass. Sleep affects the hormones that are released in the body, some of which effect muscle gain in specific ways. Additionally, an un-rested person is more likely to skip days at the gym, or to not train as hard as they could on any given day. Resting the muscles is important for recovery, too. Think of the body as being made of cement. When building a wall with cement, workers build with layers, and one layer must be allowed to set and harden before any additional layers are added. It is impossible to build a big strong wall of cement when the foundation is mushy.

Constant training and no rest equates to having a mushy wall. You cannot always be in "muscle gain mode", but it does not mean that you have to stop going to the gym. Break down the training into phases so that the body can recover and it is forced to adapt to different levels of stress. For example, some months you may be lifting hard and heavy, while in other months your regimen may consist of circuit training. This keeps you in the gym lifting weights, but it allows the body to be most efficient at growth.
 
Muscle fibers will respond to stress by getting stronger and may also get bigger. People go wrong in the gym because they rest too long and lift too light. When hormones that promote growth are released, they affect the entire body. More hormones means greater potential for change, and bigger muscles release more hormones. For this reason, a person wanting bigger arms needs to do big lifts, such as squats. Similarly, dead-lifts will help your pec muscles grow. Gaining mass is hard and must include hard lifts that require many muscles to activate. These hormones are affected by the intensity of the exercises, too. The intensity needs to be high enough to release these hormones.

This is accomplished by doing multiple sets per body part, and doing enough weight so that only 10-12 repetitions can be done. Each exercise should have a high volume and thus the set number should be 4-5. Too much rest does not place the necessary demand for hormone release, or allows for hormone uptake, so one minute between sets is ideal. The recipe for muscle mass looks like this: high volume, medium to high intensity, one minute rest, and working big muscles in addition to the smaller ones.
 
Eating is the last component necessary for muscle growth. This will be discussed in other articles, so stay tuned!

Manny Escalante, Jr. MA, ATC, CPT has a Master's Degree in Sports Medicine,

Certified Athletic Trainer, and Certified Personal Trainer.

Competed in bodybuilding and a 3 time Ironman Triathlon Finisher