If you are reading this then it is likely you are interested in learning how to build some more muscle.  Sadly there is no magic pill for this and it isn’t even just a case of going to the gym regularly.

Muscle is expensive! It costs a lot to make and a whole lot more to maintain.

Behind the scenes (outwith the gym) you will need to eat a diet rich in protein and nutrient-dense food, get  7-9 hours of sleep every night and manage your stress very well.

The 3 major components to building muscle

In the gym, there are 3 magic components that lead to your body creating muscle.  These are mechanical tension; metabolic stress and muscle damage (1).  

In plain English, this means how hard your muscles contract when you train; the horrible painful feeling get when exercise gets hard and the soreness you feel after a tough session.   

Let’s look at each individual component in more detail and pick out the key takeaways.

Mechanical Tension

This is well regarded as the primary driving force in muscle building (hypertrophy) (2).   This is the use of an external load (a weight)  in combination with the creation of internal tension (tensing the muscle) through an exercise.  

It works by altering the signalling in the cell and which helps to “rev-up” various pathways that promote muscle growth (3).

To maximise the effect of this combination it is important to lift as heavy as you can but under the strict premiss of maintaining correct posture and keeping maximal tension on the chosen muscle at all times (4).

If you are new to weight training then start by mastering the movement and the ability to bring tension on to the muscles involved in the exercise before adding load.  You would be surprised how much a difference achieving these two variables makes to the results you get.  Until you nail this I advise keeping the load minimal.  

Metabolic Stress

If you have ever trained hard in the weights room or on the sprint track then you will likely know that horrible painful feeling that builds up to almost unbearable levels when the going gets tough.  You know the feeling. It feels like your head is going to explode and you have a disgusting burning in your muscles and lungs.  You may even feel sick.

Inside your body, there is a large accumulation of metabolites (breakdown of chemical reactions) which most people know as a buildup of Lactic acid (5).  There are few compounds other than this, but a large proportion of this is Lactic acid".

To create these metabolites you need to consistently work at a level of 7/10 or more for the majority of your session.  Hence using a load that is heavy enough to create this feeling is key (6).

This build of metabolites assists with fibre recruitment, myokines (chemicals produced by muscle cells that can aid with muscle building), cellular swelling (increased hydration of the cells) and hormone production.  All of which are recognised to have a role in building muscle (7).

Muscle Damage

Muscle damage occurs when the body is put under significant load and stress (8).  It creates micro-tears in the muscle tissue and forces the body to repair and grow (8).  Unfortunately, as you get stronger your muscles become less susceptible to damage with recurring exercise. However, even in those who are very proficient in exercise, this stimulus can have a positive effect (9).

Muscle damage generally occurs more in the eccentric action (10) (the lengthening phase of an exercise - the downward part of a squat).  Thus an emphasis on this part of any exercise is probably wise if you are looking to build muscle.  Try making this action of each lift take 3-4 seconds.

As you get more experienced you will likely have to modify your exercise selection more frequently to achieve muscle damage (11).  This doesn’t mean a radical overhaul of your programme just an appropriate tweak at the right time. Getting someone else (a coach) to write your programme is probably a wise idea for this reason alone.

Achieving the optimal balance of all 3 is the golden ticket to muscle gains (1).  Remember your body will try and find the easiest way to do something. If you want to build muscle you must stop your body finding this way and force it to chose the path that most benefits your goal.

References

1. Schoenfeld, BJ. The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 24: 2857-2872, 2010

2. Fry, AC. The role of resistance exercise intensity on muscle fibre adaptations. Sports Med. 23: 106-129,1997

3. Hornberger, T. A., Chu, W. K., Mak, Y. W., Hsiung, J. W., Huang, S. A., & Chien, S. (2006). The role of phospholipase D and phosphatidic acid in the mechanical activation of mTOR signaling in skeletal muscle. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 103(12), 4741–4746.

4. Frey, J. W., Farley, E. E., O’Neil, T. K., Burkholder, T. J., & Hornberger, T. A. (2009). Evidence that Mechanosensors with Distinct Biomechanical Properties Allow for Specificity in Mechanotransduction. Biophysical Journal, 97(1), 347–356..2009.04.025

5. Rooney, KJ, Herbert, RD, and Balnave, RJ. Fatigue contributes to the strength training stimulus. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 26:11-60-1164, 1994

6. CHOI, JOYEON & Takahashi, Hideyuki & ITAI, YUJI & TAKAMATSU, KAORU. (1998). The difference between effects of “power-up type” and “bulk-up type” strength training exercises - With special reference to muscle cross-sectional area, muscular strength, anaerobic power and anaerobic endurance. Japanese Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine. 47. 119-130.

7. Tesch, PA,Colliander, EB, And Kaiser, P. Muscle metabolism during intense, heavy-resistance exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 55:362-366, 1986.

8. Clarkson PM, Sayers SP. Etiology of exercise-induced muscle damage. Can J Appl Physiol. 24; (3):234-248, 1999

9. Peterson, M. D., Sen, A., & Gordon, P. M. (2011). Influence of Resistance Exercise on Lean Body Mass in Aging Adults: A Meta-Analysis. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 43(2), 249–258.

10. Enoka, RM. Eccentric contractions require unique activation strategies by the nervous system. J Appl Physiol. 81: 2339-2346, 1996

11. Variety of exercise to create an effect for experienced exercise: Alway, SE, Grumpt, WH, Stray-Gunderson, J, and Gonyea, WJ. Effects of resistance training on elbow flexors of highly competitive bodybuilders. J Appl Physiol. 1985 (720:1512-1521, 1992