Millennials love working out. They love going to the gym, working up a sweat, and looking good. Working out can bring a lot of joy to a person, but it can also disappoint them if they don’t see any changes in their body.
The average time needed to work out before people can see changes in their bodies is about 8-12 weeks. This varies from person to person, of course, but it’s a good average. Working out consistently is the key to seeing results, but eventually, your body reaches a threshold.
If you’re looking to build muscle, there are certain thresholds you must be aware of. Once you reach these thresholds, it becomes much harder to build new muscle. However, if you understand these thresholds and how to work around them, you can continue building muscle even when it seems like your progress has stalled. Here are things you need to know when building muscle.
Muscular Fibers
The first thing you have to consider is your muscular fibers. There are two types of muscular fibers: slow-twitch and fast-twitch.
Slow-twitch fibers are responsible for endurance. They’re the muscle fiber used when you run a marathon or bike long distances. These muscle fibers aren’t as big as fast-twitch fibers, but they can contract for more extended periods without tiring.
Fast-twitch fibers are responsible for power. For example, these muscle fibers are used when you sprint or lift heavyweights. Fast-twitch fibers are much bigger than slow-twitch fibers but tire quickly and need more time to recover between bouts of exercise.
When you first start working out, your body recruits both types of muscle fibers equally. However, as you continue to work out, your body becomes more efficient and favors one type of muscle fiber over the other.
If you’re mainly doing endurance-based activities, your body will start to favor slow-twitch fibers. On the other hand, if you’re primarily doing power-based activities, your body will begin to prefer fast-twitch fibers.
This is why it’s essential to mix up your workouts. It’s one of the ways you can bypass the thresholds set by your body, so you can continue building muscle. The next thing you should consider is your muscle’s myonuclear domain.
The Myonuclear Domain
The myonuclear domain is the area of a muscle cell that’s controlled by a single nucleus. Nuclei are responsible for maintaining the growth and function of cells, so the more nuclei a muscle cell has, the bigger and more robust it will be.
When you start working out, your muscles will grow in size (hypertrophy) due to an increase in myofibrils (the contractile proteins that makeup muscle cells). This phase of growth is called sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
Eventually, your muscles will reach a point where they can no longer grow in size due to an increase in myofibrils. This is when your body starts to recruit more muscle fibers, and your muscles grow in number (hyperplasia). This phase of growth is called myofibrillar hypertrophy.
Myofibrillar hypertrophy is much harder to achieve than sarcoplasmic hypertrophy because it requires your body to create new muscle cells. This process is controlled by satellite cells, a type of stem cell.
Satellite cells are inactive until they’re needed, at which point they fuse with existing muscle cells to form new muscle cells. This process is known as myogenesis, and it’s how your muscles grow in number. One way to drastically increase the process we’ve explained above is through your nutrition.
Nutrition
Your diet has a significant impact on your ability to build muscle. When trying to build muscle, you need to ensure you’re eating enough calories. If you’re not eating enough calories, your body will break down muscle tissue to use for energy. This is why it’s crucial to eat a calorie-dense diet when you’re trying to build muscle.
You also need to make sure you’re getting enough protein. Protein is the building block of muscle tissue, so if you’re not eating enough protein, your muscles won’t grow. You can find the best protein is micellar casein, which can be found in some dairy products. Micellar casein is a slow-digesting protein, which means it’s perfect for muscle growth because it provides a constant supply of amino acids to your muscles.
You also need to make sure you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are essential for many biochemical reactions in your body, including muscle growth. For example, zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D are essential vitamins and minerals for muscle growth.
Zinc is a mineral involved in protein synthesis, the process your body uses to create new proteins. Magnesium is involved in energy production and muscle contraction. Vitamin D is involved in calcium absorption, vital for bone health.
To build muscle, you must understand the body’s thresholds and how nutrition impacts muscle growth. You also need to make sure you’re working out with various activities to bypass your body’s natural barriers to muscle growth. Finally, you must be eating enough calories and protein to ensure that you give your body the necessary nutrients to build muscle. With this knowledge, you can start building the muscles you want.
