Building muscle: reality vs. fiction

If you are involved in any workout or resistance training program, the ultimate question on your mind is how to build muscle fast and efficiently.  There is a variety of information about training methods and proper nutrition available online, focused on giving people help and guidance on how to pack extra muscle. While many sources offer quality information, many can also be slightly misleading, and this often results in people creating false ideas about what is achievable and how long does it take to get results. 

The truth is that muscle gain is a slow and challenging process that doesn’t happen overnight. Such a process requires a workout stimulus of sufficient and appropriate intensity to achieve desired results.

Here are a few points to consider, points that can help you get a clear picture if you decide to start a workout program that focuses on building more muscle.

Muscle gain

Muscle gain is a result of our bodies response to heavy resistance training. This resistance can be external (weights) or our bodyweight. 

Fiction: 

People often think that building muscle is a short term commitment and that they should see tremendous results (or even reach their dream body) in just a few weeks. The idea comes from not having the proper information about the way body works and the science behind the workout process. 

Reality: 

There is a big difference between people who work in fitness for a living (e.g., trainers, models, bodybuilders or actors) and an average person who is involved in fitness for recreational purposes. The recreational athlete who is beginning a workout program can’t expect to see the same results as the professional. It would take a long time, and possibly performance enhancing supplements, to get to the same level.

However, the good news is that a beginner can expect to gain anywhere from a few hundred grams to a few kilograms of muscle per month at the beginning of the workout plan, while a person with an advanced fitness level will progress much slower, expecting to gain a few kilograms per year.

Genetics

Genetics play a vital role in how our body responds to resistance training.

Fiction: 

The idea that everyone can progress at the same speed and achieve the same results if they put in the effort. This idea comes from various sources, that offer one universal approach that will work regardless of individual potential and workout approach.

Reality: 

In research, most studies classify a small percentage of people as low or high ‘’responders’’ to resistance training. Majority of people have a ‘’moderate’’ (mediocre) reaction to the muscle building training, while a smaller percentage of people reacts either very good or very bad. Because we are so different from each other, genetics will ultimately determine the level of success you will have during a workout process. One single workout approach can’t be universal for everyone. 

Madbarz offers a variety of workouts that focus on many different fitness goals. Adjust the exercises in the app to fit your personal needs and goals and get the best out of your training.

The athletic body

Professional athletes, bodybuilders, and various fitness celebrities have a specific look that is often characterized by a well developed and muscular body. Is this physical perfection the way that the body is supposed to look like?

Fiction: 

It is not misleading to think that the mentioned population of people look in real life as they do in various pictures and videos seen online. However, it is misleading to believe that this is what an average person’s body should look like, and this is where the ‘’perfect body myth’’ comes from.

Reality: 

The perfect athletic body is an illusion. It doesn't exist in real life among regular everyday working people unless you are prepared to do precisely what those athletes and fitness personas are doing every day. Unless you are ready to go as far as you can and use everything at your disposal, you won't look like them. You’ll end up chasing physical perfection that doesn't exist.

Nutrition

Along with training and quality rest, nutrition is the most important thing when it comes to building muscle mass. Eating a high quality and high-calorie diet with a sufficient amount of protein will guarantee you results.

Fiction: 

The supplement industry has created an idea that all you need to get to your wanted is the right supplement. From muscle mass gainers to various pre-workout supplements, there is a special formula that will make your muscles grow somehow. 

Reality: 

There is no special ingredient, or a perfect diet in general, that fits everyone's needs. The supplements are never going to replace real food and a well-balanced diet, adjusted to your bodies needs.

In the best case scenario, some supplements can help you and can be a great addition to your everyday real food choices, but you should properly research the supplement before you decide to buy it. Many of them claim to produce a fantastic result, but in reality, they don't deliver.  

Takeaway: 

Train hard and smart with realistic expectations. Don’t waste your time and energy chasing some physical perfection or someone else’s look. Instead, focus on becoming the best version of yourself. This is what we are here for, to help you achieve real results.