John Baines

How to Bulk Up For the Beach

Want to have that rock hard, muscular body when you head down to the beach? Look no further as I'll reveal to you the fundamentals of building a beach body ready for next summer.

With all the countless muscle building information we have today it's no wonder why guys are having a hard time building muscle. This article is here to help you cut through all the B.S. you've heard about building muscle.

Fundamental aspects of building muscle

When it comes to building muscle, there are 3 aspects of fitness. They include Exercise, Nutrition and Recovery. With respect to exercise there are two types, cardiovascular training and resistance training. Both important for health. The best exercise for cardio training is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). HIIT works by alternating the intensity of the exercise which results in Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC).

An example of HIIT below:

1st set - 1 minute walking, 30 seconds sprinting

2nd set - 1 minute walking, 30 seconds sprinting

3rd set - 1 minute walking, 30 seconds sprinting

4th set - 1 minute walking, 30 seconds sprinting

5th set - 1 minute walking, 30 seconds sprinting

6th set - 2 minutes walking, 30 seconds sprinting

With respect to resistance training, periodization has been found to be one of the most effective training protocols for most people. Periodization involves progressive cycling of various aspects of a training program during a specific period of time to prevent adaptation and stimulating different muscle groups. Periodization is based heavily on variation in sets and reps.

The types of exercises one should focus on in resistance training are compound exercises. Compound exercises recruit more muscle fibres than isolation exercises resulting in an increase in testosterone production. With increases in testosterone production comes greater muscle growth potential. Examples of compound exercises include deadlifts, squats, bench press, pullups, chinups and dips.

With respect with nutrition, getting enough calories is vital to building muscle mass. Nutrition also happens to be the hardest aspect of fitness. One should consume 6 small meals a day spaced 2-3 hours apart to ensure a steady flow of nutrients to the muscles. Since 6 small meals maybe too much to prepare consider using a 3 main meal, 3 snacks approach. This approach is also effective in building muscle.

Lastly, recovery is vital for muscle building. You actually build more muscle outside the gym than when you're working out. This is because while you're working out you actually cause microtrauma to the muscle tissue. When you're resting the body then heals the microtrauma by creating more fibres resulting in an increase in muscle size. Hormones that are released when you're sleeping include IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1), Melatonin and HGH (Human Growth Hormone).

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