Building muscle mass can be quite hard, but anyone can do it if you take the right steps! One thing is certain: if you want a muscular body, you have to work really hard for it. To help you get off to a good start, this blog tells you more about building muscle mass and nutrition per body type. In the end, you'll also get an answer to the question: How fast can I build muscle mass?

NUTRITION AND TRAINING

Building muscle mass can be quite hard, but anyone can do it if you take the right steps! One thing is certain: if you want a muscular body, you have to work really hard for it. To help you get off to a good start, this blog tells you more about building muscle mass and nutrition per body type. In the end, you'll also get an answer to the question: How fast can I build muscle mass?

WHAT IS MUSCLE MASS?

By muscle mass, we mean the amount of muscle in your body. Your muscle mass is measured in relation to your body fat percentage.

HOW DOES MUSCLE BUILDING WORK? (SUPERCOMPENSATION)

Ever heard of the term supercompensation? It describes how the body recovers after a training stimulus to above its original level. When you ‘load’ your muscles with weights, your muscles change. This is because the membranes in the muscle fibres get damaged. The proteins in the muscles that play a role in muscle contraction are damaged. In the recovery phase, the proteins are replenished to repair the muscles. But this time, more protein is produced, so you can handle the next training stimulus. This is what we call ‘supercompensation’.

HOW FAST CAN YOU BUILD MUSCLE MASS?

When you start strength training, it's important to set goals. Setting goals helps you train more efficiently and most likely make more progress. Keep in mind that your goal has to be realistic. Nobody can build 1 kilo of muscle per week. So how fast can you build muscle mass? That differs from person to person. The factors below can influence how you build muscle mass:

PREDISPOSITION AND GENES

Take your body type into account. It can have a big influence on how you train and eat. A distinction is made between these body types: ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph.

ECTOMORPH

An ectomorph is naturally very thin and has a very low body fat percentage, but building muscle is harder. An ectomorph is best off focusing on heavy strength training and avoiding cardio as much as possible. Do you want to add cardio later on to lower your body fat percentage? Then make sure you adjust your nutrition plan too, so none of your hard-earned muscle mass breaks down.

The ideal nutrition plan for an ectomorph consists of good fats with a moderate protein intake (25 to 30 grams per meal). Carbs are also important in an ectomorph's diet. An ectomorph needs a lot of calories to gain muscle mass. The Build muscle meals from SportMeals are a perfect fit.

ENDOMORPH

An endomorph has a slightly sturdier build. This body type stores more fat, especially in the legs and arms. It's harder to build muscle and easier to gain weight. But hey, where there's a will, there's a way! In this case, it's extremely important to eat small sports meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism going.

An endomorph's diet consists of good fats and protein. To get the most out of it (lean muscle mass and fat loss), you'll need to lower your carbs. At SportMeals, Get lean meals contain fewer calories but are still perfect for building muscle mass because they're high in protein.

MESOMORPH

A mesomorph sits between the ectomorph and the endomorph. This body type builds muscle easily, and genetically it's the ideal build for bodybuilding. That doesn't mean it's easier to build muscle mass as a mesomorph. A mesomorph will also have to work really hard for it. In this case, strength training has more priority, but it's also advisable to do cardio to build fitness and lose fat mass.

For the best nutrition plan to get lean muscle with as little fat mass as possible, it's best to eat mainly good fats and protein. In a mesomorph's nutrition plan, carbs can be lower than in an ectomorph's.

NUTRITION

To grow muscle mass, nutrition is of course essential. You have to give your body the right building blocks. We've already covered what the balance should look like per body type. In general, getting a good amount of protein is very important for building muscle. After a heavy workout, protein can help repair the small tears in your muscles with muscle tissue and fibres. So always make sure you have the right ingredients at home. With our sports meal packages or Build muscle meal packages you're at least sure to have a good supply in your freezer.

TRAINING

During your workouts, you need to keep stimulating your muscles. That's why variety in your training schedule over time is very important. It keeps your muscles constantly challenged. The number of reps also has a big influence on muscle building. In general, few repetitions with heavy weight promote muscle growth.

AGE AND EXPERIENCE

Younger athletes produce more testosterone, so their muscles will grow faster than at an older age. Beginners in strength training will also build muscle faster, because at the start the body is stimulated more during strength training.

Because all these factors differ per person, it's hard to say exactly how fast muscle mass can be built. If you train enough, eat well and get enough rest, a beginner will probably build between 0.9 and 1.1 kg of muscle tissue per month. If you've been at it for a long time and are now focusing on the details, 0.1 to 0.3 kg is more realistic. In the end, there's only one way to find out: get started and track your progress!

Also read: Getting lean: 6 golden tips for perfect lean training