If you are hitting the gym and not seeing the muscle growth you want, or if you just want to make sure that your choices away from the gym are supporting your hard work at the weight bench, you need to focus on more than exercise. Your food choices, water intake, and sleep quality can all have a big impact on your eventual success.
Diet
Take care that what you eat is supporting your desired improvements. If you are trying to build muscles, make sure that your meal after the gym includes at least twenty grams of protein. One cup of cottage cheese can do the trick, as can three jumbo eggs. Vegans can use a serving of chickpeas to boost protein intake, and lentils can also work.
Keep an eye on portions when planning out healthy snacks. If you are a clean plate club champion, you may struggle to take just a bit and put the container back. Treat yourself to small storage containers so you can portion out nuts, peanut butter, and other healthy snacks to keep your nutrition level high without overloading on calories.
Water
Many of us that are working to build muscle are also striving to lose fat. Always carry water to make sure that you are fully hydrated before enjoying a snack or a meal. Getting thirsty can convince you that you are hungry, even if you are not.
Staying hydrated is also critically important for joint health. If you are pushing your muscles hard, you may also be putting a lot of pressure on those joint tissues. A smoothie after a workout, especially one that contains whey-based protein, can help repair stressed tissues and tiny muscle tears. Treat your smoothie as a meal and go right back to that refreshing bottle of water.
Rest
Make sure that you are getting adequate rest. Carefully guard the conditions in your bedroom to confirm that your sleeping space
- is dark enough
- is cool
- has no distractions
- has no screens
If your home is small and there is no other location for television, make it a requirement that you sit in a chair to watch TV. Turn the screen so you cannot see it from the bed and get a set of headphones if your partner or roommate wants to watch TV while you are trying to sleep.
If you usually sleep with your phone in the bedroom because it is your alarm clock, get a longer cord and put it in the bathroom or closet. Making sure that you have to get up to turn off the alarm will get you out of bed, and not being able to reach it when you should be sleeping will protect your resting time.
Activity
Take a break from lifting. Get outside and racewalk or jog. Take your dog out for an extra stroll early in the morning so they do not get overheated while you elevated your heart rate at a fast pace.
When you do this, make sure to take care of your toes, arches, and ankles. The shoes that work for walking may not be good for jogging. Celebrate this new activity with a foot massager and a cooling towel to wear around your neck.
Stretch
Whether you are running, lifting, or walking, make sure that every bout of exercise is followed by some dedicated stretching. Keeping your spine, hips, and legs lose will make sitting in an office easier. Stretching your upper body after a workout will make work on a computer easier.
Tight muscles lead us to alter our postures, which can cause nerve pain over time. Once the nerves are inflamed, the muscular tissue can also become inflamed, which further alters our posture. Beat this by stretching deeply, even after a walk around the block.
If you find that you are experiencing back pain that doesn’t go away after stretching, you should consider seeing a doctor for neck and back pain, and consult a personal trainer to ensure you are performing your exercises correctly. If your form is off while you lift weights, you can do serious damage to your back muscles and spine.
Eating right, drinking plenty of water, stretching, and enjoying a break from lifting are all critical to staying on track with your fitness goals. Take care to protect your sleeping space and time from distractions that will prevent your brain from sinking into a deep sleep. Finally, make sure you are getting more than enough water after every workout, and if you are doing a lot of sweating, drink something to replenish your electrolytes.