Health & Wellness - India Herbs Blog

Here are some of the natural and healthier ways you can adopt to enhance muscle.


1) Getting Healthy Sleep - Sleep is probably the most important tool in building muscle mass. After a strenuous exercise, your muscles need recovery time. This takes place in your sleep. During sleep, growth hormones are produced and protein synthesis occurs to rebuild your broken down muscles. Without this, the time spent in work-out is put to waste. The REM (rapid eye movement), the deepest phase of sleep, is the stage where extensive repair is done to your body. During this stage, your muscles are in a paralytic state that allows optimal rejuvenation. 8 hours of sleep is recommended for both children and adult daily.

2) Increasing Protein Intake - The synthesis of muscle protein is essential to the body's ongoing growth, repair, and maintenance. The human body synthesizes protein from diet. Carbs serve mainly as energy for the body, while protein provides the necessary amino acids to build and repair muscle. For muscle growth, carbohydrates are not as essential as protein and fats. High quality protein, which the body breaks down into amino acids, should be the center point of all your meals. At least 1,000 milligrams of protein per pound of bodyweight is recommended daily. Protein-rich foods include soy milk, egg, lean meat, fish, tofu, grains, and other legumes.

3) Increasing Vitamin B12 Intake - Vitamin B12 is important for increasing energy as it stimulates production of red blood cells as well as processes carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. It aids the body in digestion and absorption of protein and carbs. Good sources of Vitamin B12 include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, and fortified cereals. At least 2.4 micrograms of Vitamin B12 is recommended daily.

4) Increasing Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) Intake - Dietary fats play an essential role in hormone production, which in turn is responsible for growth and strength increase. Fat is a concentrated source of energy. EFAs are unsaturated fats that are necessary for thousands of biological functions throughout the body. They aid in the prevention of muscle breakdown and help to increase your HDL level (good cholesterol). Sources of EFAs include fish, shellfish, soya oil, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and leafy vegetables.

5) Increasing Water Intake - Water is a miracle supplement. To utilize optimal physical strength, take one 8 ounces glass of water for every 10 to 12.5 pounds of bodyweight per day. It will not only facilitate natural detoxification but will improve your bodybuilding training results. It will help your kidneys deal with the extra protein and circulate the nutrients throughout your body. Water is the transportation system that delivers great nutrition to the muscles.

6) Doing Compound Exercises - Compound exercises are those which stimulate more than one major muscle group at a time. They affect your entire skeletal system and trigger growth throughout the body. The following are recommended exercises effective for muscle growth and strength enhancement: Squats (Legs), Calf Raises (Lower legs), Bench Press (Chest), Pull Ups (Back), Bench Dips (Arms), Bicep Curls (Arms), Military Press (Shoulders), and Crunches (Abs). To ensure general fitness, Cardiovascular exercises may be incorporated to your exercise program. However, Strength training remains to be the key to muscle strength and balance.

To have a well-structured exercise program, you can follow the FITT (Frequency, Intensity, Type, Time) Principle. The FITT Principle is applicable to individuals exercising at low to moderate training levels and may be used to establish guidelines for both cardiorespiratory and resistance training. Here's a recommended training combination:



Cardiovascular Exercise

* Frequency - 3 to 5 times per week

* Intensity - Moderate to moderately difficult activity

* Time - 20 to 40 minutes per session

* Type - Rhythmic, large-muscle-group activity that generates faster heartbeat, such as walking, jogging, jumping rope, swimming, and dancing

* Benefits - Reduces body fat, lowers risks of heart diseases, increases HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) levels also known as the "good" cholesterol, decreases clinical symptoms of anxiety, tension, and depression, and enhances blood circulation and detoxification



Strength Training

* Frequency - 2 to 3 times per week

* Intensity - Load or weight = 60 to 75% of the maximum amount you can lift one time for a particular type exercise

* Time - 1 to 3 sets (8 to 15 reps per set) each of 6 to 10 exercises involving all of the major muscle group areas: chest, back, shoulders, arms, low back, abdominals, hips/thighs, and calves

* Type - Resistance exercise that works the major muscle groups, such as weight machines, free weights, exercises using tubing, or exercises using your own body weight for resistance, such as curl ups, pull ups, push ups, and squats

* Benefits - Burns calories to help you keep your weight down, increases bone density which lowers your risk of Osteoporosis and broken bones, strengthens muscles which improves your balance, and reduces your chances of joint injuries

7) Breathing Properly - Slow, deep breathing is a powerful anti-stress technique. When you bring air down into the lower portion of the lungs, where the oxygen exchange is most efficient, heart rate slows, blood pressure decreases, muscles relax, anxiety eases and the mind calms. Breath control can also help your exercises become more rhythmic and regular.


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