What To Do If You Lack Muscle Mass

Lacking muscle mass isn’t just an aesthetic problem. It can also lead to significant and unwanted health issues.

For instance, a lack of muscle is associated with sarcopenia or age-related frailty. People who don’t have sufficient muscle in their legs and hips are at significantly higher risk of falling over. They are also at a higher risk of collapsing.

Lack of muscle is also an issue for insulin resistance and diabetes. Muscle is one of the most metabolically active tissues in the body and essential for mopping up excess glucose. Unfortunately, when a person lacks muscle, they do not have the same metabolic “sink.” This makes it more likely that glucose will build up to unacceptable levels.

Finally, a lack of muscle can leave you feeling weak and tired. You may struggle to carry groceries from the car or lift up your children.

The trick here is to build more muscle. Adding more muscle to your frame won’t automatically make you look like a bodybuilder. It will give you a better shape and increase your performance and stability. After a few months of training, you should notice tremendous changes in your appearance and how you feel.

So how do you build muscle and what do you need to do if you lack it? That’s what we’re about to find out. Here’s everything you need to know:

Nail Your Diet And Nutrition

The most essential element of building muscle mass is diet and nutrition. Gaining extra muscle requires consuming more energy than your body burns.

Therefore, make sure that you eat enough. If you want to gain muscle, you will need to put on some weight.

You should also up your protein intake if it is low. Eating the maintenance level will prevent your muscles from growing. It may even make you feel tired and lethargic after you train because you don’t have sufficient resources to recover. Even frozen meals that have been pre-prepared can have strong hits of protein, and they’re super easy to include in your diet. Buying up some frozen Chinese food in flavors you like can make it ten times as convenient to get the increase of protein you need – just make sure you’re buying from a brand that prioritizes nutrients.

With that said, you don’t need as much protein as you might imagine. Aim for 1 gram per kilo of body weight. Get the majority of it from plant sources, like beans. This will protect your long-term health. If you notice you aren’t gaining muscle, you can experiment with increasing intake beyond this point.

You’ll also need to include plenty of healthy whole-plant foods, like nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables in your diet. Avocados and fatty fish may also support healthy muscle growth. These foods provide the raw ingredients you need to build new muscle and repair existing damage. Fruits and vegetables can help prevent delayed-onset muscle soreness, keeping you more comfortable throughout the week.

Do Strength Training

The next step is to perform strength training in conjunction with your new dietary regime. The two in combination is what yields results in 90% of people.

Make sure that you do compound movements involving multiple muscle groups. These have the most significant hormonal effect, encouraging growth.

The best movements are:

Rows
Squats
Deadlifts
Pullups
Chest presses

During training, ensure you drink enough water to power your exercise. Also, ensure you make your weight sessions challenging. You want to operate close to your maximum to stress your muscles sufficiently to get them to grow.

You should also go to the gym long-term. Regular sessions are how you will build the most mass.

Take Supplements

While strength training and diet can produce decent results, supplements can enhance them further. Creatine, BCAAs, and a multivitamin can all help support muscle growth and improve performance.

You might also want to experiment with alternative compounds. For example, MK 677 before and after pictures can be dramatic.

The reason these supplements are effective is because they shift the body into a different mode. These encourage the body to loosen its grip on its hypertrophy-preventing mechanisms. Instead of focusing on breaking down muscle for energy, they allow full muscle growth to unfold.

Rest Properly

If you’re looking to build muscle, you should also rest properly after an intense training session. Ensure you get the recommended eight hours of sleep (or thereabouts) and that you take days off from training.

Resting can involve some activity if you want, but it shouldn’t be hard lifting. Your muscles and nervous system need time to grow and adapt. If you keep pounding your muscles in the gym day after day, they won’t have the chance to grow bigger. They could even get smaller.

Get Some Help

Finally, get someone to help you if you are struggling to build muscle mass. Trainers can point you in the direction of the best techniques and training routines.

I am not a medical doctor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any healthcare decisions based on the content of this blog post.