Growing and strengthening muscles is a crucial aspect of the journey towards peak fitness. However, there are several approaches to increasing muscle mass, and one might get overwhelmed by the options. Well, Dr. Andy Galpin recently addressed this issue and talked about some of the important stimuli that triggered muscle growth.
In a short YouTube video, Galpin listed some triggers that he felt were responsible for an increase in muscle mass. These ranged from resistance training to nutrition tips to ensure optimum muscle growth.
Dr. Galpin’s first focus was to establish a good nutrition plan as a base so one could build workout patterns over it. This step ensures the consumption of more than enough calories to burn during training. The doctor suggests adding 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight for efficient muscle growth stimulation.
For training, he began by explaining the importance of working each muscle in the body and practicing resistance training. While one might want to focus more on certain groups of muscles, he emphasized that the ones near joints needed special attention, and none should go untrained for prolonged periods.
“….whether you prefer your bodyweight, machines, dumbbells, kettlebells, or any number of other strategies, those are absolutely fine. All are incredibly effective.”
Another crucial aspect of training is maintaining a complete range of motion to get the best out of every exercise. Since this also came with the chance of injuring oneself, Dr. Galpin reminded viewers to protect their joints while also applying proper technique.
“The total amount of sets per week is probably the bigger determinant. From there, you probably want to be in the neighborhood of about 15-20 working sets per muscle per week.”
Lastly, the frequency of training mattered a lot in ensuring proper muscle development without the risk of injuries. Around two to three days per week per muscle group should serve as the ideal balance. At the same time, Dr. Galpin also had a perfect solution for anyone completely untrained.
Dr. Andy Galpin talks to Dr. Peter Attia about getting stronger muscles for the untrained
An inexperience surrounding gym training doesn’t have to act as a hindrance in one’s fitness journey. Dr. Galpin firmly believed that it all depended on whether one’s foundation was solid enough. In a conversation with Dr. Peter Attia, he provided some solutions for cases like these.
Since the goal was to provide some muscle growth and strength, Dr. Galpin suggested any form of intense cardio, including running, and cycling for the purpose. For the uninitiated, this could easily serve both as cardio and strength training while being easy enough to pull off regularly.
