Myths of Building Muscle
The scale doesn't move and some people excuse it away saying "Oh I'm building muscle." Usually NO THEY'RE NOT. I've noticed two generalizations. People who attribute weight loss failure to muscle gain almost always are not working out ANYWHERE near the level that they'd actually be building ANY muscle and people who dodge exercise programs by claiming they "don't want to get big and bulky" are the types who would never train ANYWHERE near the level for that to be even the most remote possibility.
It's much more difficult to build muscle than most people know. A young man, working under optimum conditions and expending serious effort can build about a pound of muscle a week. Most people cannot devote the time let alone put forth the effort it takes to start looking like a bodybuilder. It takes obsessive devotion and commitment. Really.
Hilary Swank packed on 19lbs of muscle in three months for her role in "Million Dollar Baby." What did it take to do that? Nearly five hours of training EVERY DAY, a brutal diet including 210 grams of protein consumed around the clock (yes she got up in the middle of the night), and working with world-class trainers. Doing absolutely nothing else. Twenty-four hour focus. Every day. For three months. That's all she did. Under conditions no regular person could duplicate.
For a woman to do what she did has been controversial. The bodybuilding community has expressed some skepticism about the 19lbs claim.
So do you think you're building muscle? Not if you're on a treadmill or lifting a three-pound weight or doing Pilates. Muscles grow when they are stressed by intense, focused work. They go into a state of repair and grow back a little larger. You HAVE to have the soreness to know it's happening. And you MUST feed your muscles with clean protein or you will undermine the potential effects of your workouts.
You should be sure to consume high-quality protein shortly after an intense training session. When I go to my trainer, I carry a protein bar that I eat on my trip home. Get on the bus, eat that bar! I usually choose a Myoplex Lite bar (a former recommendation of the famous MeltingMama) or a Power Crunch. At home, I have a protein drink after my workout.
It's much more difficult to build muscle than most people know. A young man, working under optimum conditions and expending serious effort can build about a pound of muscle a week. Most people cannot devote the time let alone put forth the effort it takes to start looking like a bodybuilder. It takes obsessive devotion and commitment. Really.
Hilary Swank packed on 19lbs of muscle in three months for her role in "Million Dollar Baby." What did it take to do that? Nearly five hours of training EVERY DAY, a brutal diet including 210 grams of protein consumed around the clock (yes she got up in the middle of the night), and working with world-class trainers. Doing absolutely nothing else. Twenty-four hour focus. Every day. For three months. That's all she did. Under conditions no regular person could duplicate.
For a woman to do what she did has been controversial. The bodybuilding community has expressed some skepticism about the 19lbs claim.
So do you think you're building muscle? Not if you're on a treadmill or lifting a three-pound weight or doing Pilates. Muscles grow when they are stressed by intense, focused work. They go into a state of repair and grow back a little larger. You HAVE to have the soreness to know it's happening. And you MUST feed your muscles with clean protein or you will undermine the potential effects of your workouts.
You should be sure to consume high-quality protein shortly after an intense training session. When I go to my trainer, I carry a protein bar that I eat on my trip home. Get on the bus, eat that bar! I usually choose a Myoplex Lite bar (a former recommendation of the famous MeltingMama) or a Power Crunch. At home, I have a protein drink after my workout.
posted by Dagny at
5:45 AM
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