Whether you call is toning, leaning out, building more definition, all three of these phrases are just different ways to say increasing muscle mass. But, what exactly does that entail and how do you go about it effectively? There is a lot of information on the topic and it can be hard to determine exactly what information to follow. So, here is some of the basic information that is important to a foundation of muscle building.
1. Nutrition: this is a key component to muscle building with the key being protein intake. If you are trying to lose fat but increase muscle mass, you need to ensure you have a calorie deficit along with an increased protein percentage of your total macronutrients, which also include your carbohydrates and fats. If you are trying to increase your total weight with an emphasis on muscle mass and no additional fat mass gain, you will need to ensure a calorie surplus, again with an increased protein percentage.
2. Muscle Hypertrophy (increase in muscle size): this component is often confused with the creation of more muscle fibers. Hypertrophy is increasing the size of the muscle as a whole without any muscle splitting. This component of increasing muscle mass is done through resistance training. The general guidelines for hypertrophy training are 3-4 sets or 8-12 reps, however, this can vary from 6-20 reps because you want variety as well. You don’t want the body to get used to the rep range you assign.
3. Muscle Fiber Splitting (increase number of fibers): this component isn’t often executed properly or it is difficult for someone to reach this point. Through exercise, mainly resistance training, hyperplasia is achieved through high-intensity stimulus. We see this happening most commonly in Powerlifters, Olympic lifters, and bodybuilders. To achieve this you need to work in the strength and power range, commonly 5+ sets for 1-7 reps. Just as important, rest periods need to be taken with this higher intensity as well to allow the body to recover.
4. Hormones: different hormones play a different role when it comes to muscle growth, which is also why there are some gender differences in muscle mass increases. Hormones regulate growth and repair, the main hormones being Insulin Growth Factor-1 and testosterone. Testosterone is the one most people think of because it is important for protein synthesis and decreasing protein breakdown. Strength training also helps release more testosterone and make your muscles more sensitive to it. IGF is important for regulating the amount of muscle growth by enhancing protein synthesis and dividing up amino acids during uptake.
5. Rest: without proper rest, your body can go into a catabolic state where the body will breakdown more protein then it creates (synthesizes). Post-exercise, the body will respond with muscle metabolism (breakdown and synthesis) for 24-48 hours. Nutrition and rest during this time are very important to how much muscle you grow.
These five things can really change how you are currently training. If you are lacking rest, try going to bed earlier. Meals lacking protein, swap a lean or plant-based protein with the strachy carb on the menu. There are lots of small changes or one large change that can be made to help you get the results you want.
References:
Delavier Frédéric. (2010). Strength training anatomy. Champaign (IL): Human Kinetics.
Marieb, E. N., & Hoehn, K. (2019). Human anatomy & physiology. Harlow: Pearson.