Many people work hard to have bigger, stronger and more defined muscles. If you combine these characteristics with a low percentage of body fat, the muscles are even more noticeable or look firmer. Unfortunately, there is no single specific way to increase muscle strength and definition; it is necessary to combine proper nutrition, a correct lifestyle and an exercise routine. However, with time and patience you can achieve your goal and achieve a perfectly shaped physique.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Increase Muscle Strength
Step 1. Start with cardio exercises
Although the muscles are strengthened mainly with typical weightlifting or resistance exercises, if you want a clearly visible and defined musculature or you want it to become toned, you must also include regular cardio sessions.
- These are great exercises for several reasons: they help improve mood and sleep habits, reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as improve blood circulation.
- In addition to the health benefits, regular cardio activity is required to burn calories and reduce excess fat that has accumulated on the surface and underlying layer of muscles. The lower the amount or percentage of body fat, the more defined and firmer the muscles appear.
- Include at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity cardio activity; consider exercises such as: jogging / running, rowing, dancing, elliptical or joining aerobics classes.
Step 2. Include different types of strength exercises for each muscle group
To have a great workout and get the best results, you need to do more than one type of exercise per muscle group.
- This way, you can strengthen and define your muscles in different ways, as each single exercise involves different muscle fibers or a series of smaller muscles; by doing so, you can get a more toned look.
- For example, you don't have to just do squats to define the leg muscles, but a combination of squats, lunges, calf raises, leg raises and leg curls are required; each of these involves a specific muscle group.
Step 3. Do a combination of many reps with small weights and a few reps with large weights
Both of these approaches benefit the muscles, albeit in different ways; include both of them in your training sessions for best results.
- Doing a lot of repetitions with low weights helps to strengthen the larger muscles, making them more visible, more defined and firmer; this is an important aspect to consider if your goal is also to gain mass.
- However, this type of exercise does not necessarily increase strength, but the volume of the muscles.
- Conversely, a few reps with heavier weights help you get stronger; in fact, they act on different fibers, allowing to obtain more powerful and robust muscles.
Step 4. Always enter a day or two off
Rest days are just as important as the days you train. Studies have shown that the true strengthening and increase in muscle volume occurs during rest and not during exercise.
- Usually, it is advised to have at least one or two rest days per week, although they should be "active rest days"; this means that you don't have to just laze around all day, but you should do some stretching and low intensity exercises, such as walking or yoga.
- In addition to active rest days, you must also ensure rest between the stresses of the different muscle groups; for example, if you focus on the lower body muscles on Monday, on Tuesday you should work the upper body muscles.
Method 2 of 4: Insert Basic Exercises to Define Muscles
Step 1. Do squats by adding weights
Squats are excellent basic exercises for getting toned and more defined muscles; they involve a variety of groups and can help achieve perfect leg and buttock shape.
- Choose an appropriate weight on the barbell. Lift the tool carefully and place it gently on the shoulders, just below the nape; bring your shoulder blades closer, so that the barbell rests on the muscles and not on the spine.
- Stand upright with your legs slightly wider than your hips and your toes pointing forward; start bending your knees as if you were going to sit in a chair and squat until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor.
- When you reach the lowest point, pause for a second or two and then slowly rise, returning to the starting position; press on your heels and contract your buttocks. This sequence represents a repetition; do as many as you want.
- Start with a fairly high weight and perform a limited number of repetitions (six to eight); this should be quite an intense exercise to allow you to gain muscle mass.
Step 2. Walk doing the lunges
This is another great exercise that works on different leg muscles; in particular, it helps strengthen the hips, thighs and buttocks.
- Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands at your sides or resting on the nape of your neck.
- Take a step forward, bringing the back knee down as you bend the front one. Lower the body until the knee of the rear leg almost touches the floor; make sure that the one of the forward leg is aligned above the ankle and no further.
- Apply downward pressure to lift your body while staying on the front leg; the muscles that are activated in this exercise should be mainly those of the front leg and buttocks.
- Take another step forward, but this time with the other leg; continue the lunges by doing eight to ten reps on each side.
Step 3. Enter the Spiderman variant of planks
Any variation of the planks involves the whole trunk; it is an exercise that engages all the muscle groups of the central part of the body, as well as those of the upper and lower part.
- Start with the traditional plank position, lying on the floor with your face down; support your body weight with your forearms and toes; maintain a perfectly straight posture, working the muscles of the trunk and contracting those of the pelvis.
- Start by bringing your left knee towards your left elbow and place your toe on the ground; Then bring the leg back to the starting point.
- Now move to the other side and repeat the sequence ten times per leg.
Step 4. Do the bicycle in the air
This is another great core-focused exercise, involving the front abdominal and oblique (sideways) abdominal muscles.
- Lie on your back on a mat, put your hands behind your head and lift your knees in the air by bending them 90 degrees.
- Begin the crunch by bringing the right knee towards the elbow on the same side; lift your shoulders and head off the mat to try to reach your ankles.
- Alternate sides by switching to the left leg and arm.
- Try to do this exercise for at least one minute.
Step 5. Do the shoulder press exercises with one arm
This is an excellent movement that engages various muscles in the arms, back and shoulders and involves the entire upper body.
- To begin, choose the dumbbell or kettlebell of the appropriate weight, hold it in one hand at shoulder height, with the palm facing forward.
- Push and raise your hand up until your arm is completely straight (but don't block the elbow joint); hold the position for a few seconds.
- Slowly, lower your hand and bring it back to shoulder height; at first, do two reps per arm and then progressively increase to three, ending with five.
Step 6. Do the incline bench press
This exercise helps build muscle mass and strengthen the chest and shoulders.
- Lie down on an incline bench at an angle of approximately 30-45 degrees. Place your feet firmly on the floor to take the appropriate position.
- Lift a dumbbell weight appropriate for your fitness level by holding it shoulder-width apart with your hands; start by carrying it in the air with your arms fully extended and locked.
- Then slowly lower the weight back down until it is approximately 3 to 5 cm from the tip of the chin or collarbone bone; stay in this resting position for a few moments and then lift the weight back up again.
- To build muscle mass and strengthen muscles with this exercise, you need to choose a barbell that is heavy enough to fully fatigue the muscle after four or six repetitions.
Method 3 of 4: Change Your Diet to Increase Strength and Muscle Definition
Step 1. Track your calorie intake
While your goal is not to lose weight, it is a good idea to keep track of the overall calories you consume on a daily basis.
- You need to know how much you eat on average each day; if you start gaining weight or losing weight without wanting to, you have at least one reference figure.
- For this purpose, you can keep a food diary or download a smartphone application; by the way, many calorie counting applications include a food diary.
- You can use an online calculator to roughly estimate the number of calories you need to maintain your weight while exercising.
Step 2. Opt for low-carb meals
If you want to get well-defined muscles or feel toned and firm, you need to reduce the excess amount of fat that is deposited on and under them. Low-carb diets have proven to be the best for achieving this.
- In addition to reducing body fat, the low-carb diet helps you lose weight faster when compared to other types of diets (such as low-calorie diets).
- Carbohydrates are present in several food groups. Reduce your consumption of grains, starchy vegetables, or fruit that is very high in sugar. many of the nutrients found in these foods are also found in other foods you can eat.
- However, don't rule out the carbohydrates found in products such as dairy products or low-sugar fruit, as these contain other essential nutrients for health.
- Include a serving of low-fat dairy products in your daily diet, as these are foods rich in protein, calcium and vitamin D.
- Non-sugary fruit still contains carbohydrates, but is also rich in fiber and antioxidants; you should eat 50 g of blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
Step 3. Eat lots of protein
They are an essential nutrient for health, but they also play an important role for people who exercise and try to increase and tone muscle mass.
- You should eat one or two servings of lean protein with each meal; by eating a portion of 90-120 g, you can reach the recommended daily amount.
- If you want to know exactly how many proteins you need to take daily, you can calculate the requirement by solving the simple equation described here: weight in kg x 0, 8-1 g of protein. The more intense the physical activity or the longer you stay active the more you need to eat protein. For example, if you weigh 68 kg, the calculation is as follows: 68 x 0.8-1 = 54-68g of protein per day.
- Most people don't need a large amount of protein every day; only athletes, powerlifters and bodybuilders need to eat large quantities; keep in mind that a high-protein diet followed for a long time can cause kidney damage.
- Choose lean proteins like eggs, poultry, non-fat dairy, fish, lean beef, pork, and tofu.
Step 4. Make half of the plate consist of low-sugar fruit and non-starchy vegetables
For your meals to be even more balanced, you need to consume more than just protein foods; supplement your diet with plenty of low-sugar fruit and starch-free vegetables.
- Health professionals typically recommend eating 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables a day; if you are on a low-carb diet, you should especially focus on vegetables that do not contain starch.
- Try to eat a serving or two of green or starch-free vegetables for most meals; this means 75-150 g of green leafy vegetables.
- Eat fewer servings of low-sugar fruit and make sure that one serving does not exceed 50g.
Step 5. "Recharge" and rest properly
When looking to gain muscle mass and strength or to define muscles, you need to have appropriate meals and snacks so that you always have enough energy to train and regenerate after exercise.
- If you neglect this aspect, you feel even more tired and your athletic performance may deteriorate along the way.
- Eating a snack before training provides the energy needed to perform the exercises; it should be made up of simple, nutritious carbohydrates that you can digest easily and that quickly bring energy to the body.
- The ideal snacks before physical activity are: a piece of fruit, a wholemeal waffle with a little peanut butter or a cup of oats.
- Snacks to eat after training should be higher in protein, but contain some carbohydrates; you need to replenish the energy you have consumed with the exercises, while the proteins allow the muscle tissue to regenerate.
- For this purpose consider: a milk protein shake, muesli, chocolate milk or the next meal (if you can consume it within an hour).
Method 4 of 4: Insert the Supplements
Step 1. Eat protein shakes
You need to consider incorporating them into your daily meal plan. Studies have shown that shakes made with 100% whey protein help you lose weight, facilitate the development of muscle mass and increase strength.
- Whey proteins are a derivative of milk; whey contains essential amino acids that the body is unable to synthesize on its own; as it is a complete protein source, it is also of high quality.
- You can drink the smoothie as a pre- or post-workout snack; remember, however, to respect the daily protein intake that you have set for yourself. In this case, a larger amount does not automatically lead to greater benefits.
- The other powdered solutions for a protein shake are those derived from egg whites, peas, or hemp. You can find some of these products made specifically for women or for people with food restrictions, such as vegans.
Step 2. Consider taking creatine
It is a commonly used supplement by many athletes and people trying to improve their physical performance. Some studies have shown that this substance offers benefits in terms of muscle strength and sports results.
- Creatine is naturally synthesized by the body in the liver; it is carried by the blood to provide energy to the cells. However, most of it is used and stored by skeletal muscles.
- This compound helps build strength and muscle mass by providing more energy to perform more reps with heavier barbells.
- You should always consult your doctor before starting to take supplements; ask him which ones are suitable for you.
- Discontinue use if you experience any of the symptoms described above: nausea, cramps, diarrhea or abdominal pain.
Step 3. Allow yourself to drink moderate amounts of caffeine
A cup of coffee before training is another natural technique for getting more energy.
- Studies show that when you drink coffee before exercise, you can train longer and with heavier dumbbells; also, if you do cardiovascular activity, you can finish faster.
- Usually, it is recommended to drink a 180-240ml cup of American coffee before exercising; this dose provides 80-100 mg of caffeine, which is more than enough for your purposes. Do not take pills with caffeine or other similar supplements, as they can cause adverse effects.
