If one of your New Year's resolutions is gain muscle mass in 2023 you probably already know that you will need to practice strength training However, where to start? Below are some simple tips that will make a difference in your results:

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Tips for gaining muscle mass in 2023: the Learn how to perform the exercises

According to the physical educator and calisthenics teacher Felipe Kutianski, there is no point in betting on complex exercises if you still don't know how to execute the "base" exercises correctly. These are some:

• Squatting;
• Push-up;
• Abdominal;
• Isometric Plank;
• Fixed bar.

Remember, also, to perform them in a cadenced manner (i.e. slowly), paying close attention to the movement (and the muscles recruited during it) and trying to get the maximum amplitude possible (i.e., increasing the displacement of the joints without harming them).

All this allows the activation of the muscle fibers in a more complete way, besides preparing you for the "harder" exercises without overloading any region or offering risk of lesions The accompaniment of a personal trainer is very important at these times.

So, from the moment there is mastery of the simplest movements, one can include variations, for example:

• Deep squat;
• Supra simple abdominal;
• Australian pull up ;
• Bottom .

Breathe correctly to gain muscle mass in 2023

According to trainer Vanessa Zanotini, the importance of breathing during workouts is unquestionable. It acts both in increasing oxygenation to the muscles and tissues, and in the body's stability.

The trainer explains that the ideal in strength exercises is to perform the exhalation, that is, the release of air, at the moment when there is more physical exertion .

The best way to figure out when to breathe in and when to breathe out is to observe the moment of greatest effort of the exercise being performed. "While performing, find the most difficult 'part of the exercise': 'up or down', 'flex or extend'? When you realize the answer, remember: in the most difficult phase of the movement, I release the air."

According to the trainer, breathing in through the nose helps humidify and filter the air, while breathing out can be done through the mouth. excessive fatigue and need to potentiate the breathing, it is nothing serious to allow inspiration to also occur through the mouth", he highlights.

Increase loads

After you have mastered the execution and learned to breathe properly in the exercises (which can happen after months or days, depending on the complexity of the movement), it may be time to increase loads After all, to gain muscle mass, it is necessary to reach the so-called failure: to reach your maximum effort at the end of the series.

This allows for an evolution in the workouts, since it stimulates the muscles to expend more energy and come out of the plateau effect.

But of course, increasing the weights must be done progressively and safely in order to avoid pain and injury. Usually, trainers give sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. So, when you can perform the maximum number of repetitions in all sets and feel that they were easy, talk to the professional so that he can tell you how much to increase.

Small progressions are the most recommended (2 to 10% of the load you already use), but it is always worth pointing out that a specialist can better evaluate the issue. After all, not all strategies prioritize the highest possible weight - there are those that focus on a higher number of repetitions.

Vary your exercises to gain muscle mass in 2023

Varying the workout is another strategy to avoid stagnating results, because over time our muscles "get used to" the movement and may not develop as desired.

New exercises recruit different muscle groups and joints, so it is always good to change them from time to time. Usually this change takes place every four to six weeks, but of course the period can vary according to individual characteristics.

An ideal workout is one that combines isolated exercises with multi-articular exercises While the former move only one joint, and thus focus on certain muscle groups, the latter work more than one joint during the movement, requiring the effort of several muscles at the same time. Again, the help of a personal trainer will make all the difference.

Include protein in every meal

It works more or less like this: in the gym, you cause micro-injuries to the muscle fibers. And for the muscles to become stronger, the proteins need to be rebuilt.

This is where the role of the macronutrient comes in: some experts even argue that not consuming protein after exercise can cause the breakdown (of protein) in the muscle to be greater than the synthesis - meaning that there will be no gain in muscle mass.

That is why those who seek hypertrophy generally consumes a higher amount of protein than other people: the figure can be around 1.5 to 2g of protein for each kilogram of body weight per day.

However, one must also understand that the anabolic effect of muscle building is long-lasting, and lasts for at least 24 hours after the activity. Therefore, there is no point in loading up on protein right after training, but leaving it aside during the day.

"In the 24 hours following a workout, muscles go through a recovery process, so it is important to distribute protein intake in this period to provide the body with the necessary amino acids to recover and ensure the growth of muscle mass," advises nutrologist Dr Marianna Magri.

So, you already know: invest in a good post-workout snack But don't neglect your diet throughout the day.

But don't forget the carbohydrates

"Carbohydrate prevents muscle deterioration and replenishes glycogen (our cells' main energy reserve)," explains Dr Marianna Magri, so having adequate glycogen reserves in your muscles is important for a few reasons:

• It provides the energy to endure intense workouts from start to finish;
• It prevents the body from using the muscle fibers themselves for energy (so-called muscle catabolism), which hinders the goal too much.

The recommendation of how much to consume changes according to some characteristics, such as biological sex, age, metabolism But it can vary between 8 and 9g per kilogram of body weight (high-performance athletes consume up to 12g) per day.

Drink water

It is in the aqueous medium that biochemical reactions take place in our body, including those that result in the release of energy The glycogen is stored in the muscles in the company of a good amount of water, which facilitates the action of the enzymes needed to supply the muscles with energy.

The regulation of body temperature Because it has a high capacity to conduct temperature, it is through the evaporation of our sweat that we eliminate the heat produced during exercise, keeping the body temperature within physiological limits.

Therefore, it is easy to understand that staying hydrated is important to gain muscle mass. Relatively small losses, such as a 2% reduction in our body's water content, are already enough to compromise physical and even cognitive performance!

Sleep well and rest

If it is during training that muscle fibers are injured, it is during rest that the body recovers them and increases muscle volume. Therefore, if you want to hypertrophy in 2023, bet on two fundamental strategies:

Don't train the same muscle groups every day

Doing so increases the chances of pain and injury and does not respect the time the body needs to recover properly. The more intense your training, the longer the break period needed - it can be 24 to 72 hours.

To avoid problems, some people train their upper limbs There are also those who divide the training into more parts (usually those with more experience).

Prioritize quality sleep

It is during sleep that hormones important for muscle growth are produced and released, such as melatonin and the GH .