Gaining muscle, problematic or not?

In many sports, gaining muscle is seen as a problem.

So in this case, which one of these is true?

A. Gaining mass will make you slower.

B. You’ll be less flexible.

C. You will gas out faster.

If you guessed A or/and B, your wrong. While A is a myth, most people think that they can gain an incredible amount of lean muscle mass in a matter of weeks, it just doesn’t work that way. If you chose C, you are on the right track. You need to get used to these new gains. It needs a little getting used to, but it is well worth the effort. I often see guys going up a weight class but most think it’s a free pass to eat more junk. Gaining muscle is a tougher challenge, I agree. But gaining fat, as easy (and fun) as it can be, is a big mistake. Gaining fat (read eating anything you want, especially junk and process foods) promotes inflammatory processes in the body and can have a negative impact on hormones, especially testosterone. If you are looking to go up a weight class, gain muscles, not fat. Assess body composition to avoid this mistake.

With the amount of energy expenditure when you are involved in a professional sport, it’s good if you can gain a solid pound of muscle a month, yes, A MONTH! Keeping it is even a bigger challenge. You have to eat a ton of food, especially protein to gain a fair amount of muscle, every day, without fail. You also have to maximize recuperation, which means sleeping a good 8 hours a night, uninterrupted, have little to no stress in daily life, and have no digestive issues whatsoever. You’ll also have to strength train a good 3-4 days a week.

Sounds easy right? Gaining muscle, as well as losing fat is systemic. It’s part of multiple elements put together to achieve given goals. Many factors influence the outcome. Plan it right, and results are yours.

Coach Eric