Building muscle takes a lot of concentrated effort and exercise.
And since you have to put so much effort into gaining muscle you
want to make sure you feed your body right and get enough sleep
to really have your workouts pay off. However, there are some
negative side effects where gaining muscle is concerned if you
don't get enough rest. The simple fact is that when you sleep
your muscles grow from the efforts you put into your workouts.
So, getting plenty of rest is very important if you really want
to gain muscle. Otherwise, your efforts will not be rewarded.
Recovery Time
After you spend an hour or so working your muscles out at the
gym and fantasizing about the muscles you are building you
should also be aware that your body needs substantial "recovery
time" from the workout. This "recovery time" is approximately 8
hours of sleep each night and that is each and every night not
10 hours tonight and 6 tomorrow because that does not work. Your
body needs adequate sleep every night because rest cannot be
stored and saved for later, it is something you must engage in
every night.
Additionally, all sleep is not made equal. There are five stages
of sleep and if you are like most people leading stress filled
lives you never make it past stage 1 or 2. Because of this you
wake up feeling as tired and drained of energy as when you went
to bed. If this is the type of sleep you are getting then it
will not be overly productive in helping you gain and build
muscle while you are asleep. On the other hand, if you can
practice deep breathing, meditation, or other stress relieving
activities before you go to sleep then you will more than likely
be able to reach stages 4 and 5 where your body can heal,
repair, and grow. These are the stages of sleep you need to
reach if you are really interested in muscle gain. However,
since your body reacts to a lot of different elements in your
life you can't just focus on muscle gain, but must also focus on
stress relief, eating right, and exercising on a regular basis.
Deep sleep is important because during this phase the body is
able to repair the muscles that were torn or broken during the
workout. Also, while you are in deep sleep your body also begins
the process of Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand. During
this process, known as SAID, your body builds your muscles
bigger and stronger so that when you workout again your muscles
will be ready. This is the process of gaining true muscles and
if you want to build muscles you will be sure that you not only
workout properly, but that you also get plenty of deep rest to
help your body do its job and reward you for working out by
building your muscles bigger and stronger.
An additional benefit of this, which not many people know, is
how your body gets the energy to perform these muscle building
activities while you rest. The answer is from fat. That is
right, while you are in deep sleep and your body is working hard
to repair and build your muscles it uses your fat stores to do
so. So, not only are you building muscle but you are also
burning fat simply by getting a proper amount of sleep, which
most people won't complain about anyway.
Getting the Sleep You Need
So now you are convinced that you really need to focus on
getting a good night's rest in order to build muscle, lose
weight, and really be rested the next day. However, you life is
full of family obligations, work, exercise, errands, cooking,
cleaning, carpooling, and the list goes on and on so you really
don't have enough hours in the day to do all you need and this
creeps in on your sleep time. How, then, are you going to get
everything done that you need to get done and still get 8 hours
of sleep each night? The answer is to prioritize. Your family,
work, and sleep should be your priorities. Also, you make a
schedule to make your life more fluid so you can get all you
need to get done and still have time for rest. For example, pay
your bills online and this alone will save you many hours over
the course of a month. Another tip is when you must do a load of
laundry or go to bed, choose to go to bed and do the laundry
tomorrow. It really can wait. Prioritizing and realizing that
sleep is more important than the many things in your life you
put ahead of it will allow you to get more rest, build more
muscle, have more energy, and simply enjoy life.
About the author:
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