Ways to Grow Taller

Today, there are a couple of questions relating to hardgainers and muscular growth, lactic acid and post-exercise muscle soreness, as well as protein intake for muscle growth.

Q. I consider myself a hardgainer because I have a very hard time building muscle. Do you have any kind of approaches for me that will deliver results?

A. If you need a uncomplicated suggestion for mass, an overall total of thirty to 60 repetitions per body part two times a week will bring about mass gains in virtually all hardgainers. To use the flat bench press as one example, if you’re following an upper-lower split routine, you might do five heavy sets of 5 reps, followed by a back-off set of 10 (5 x 5 + 10 = 35 total repetitions) on Monday and then four lighter sets of ten reps (4 x 10 = 40 repetitions) on the Thursday. Most hardgainer workouts ought to be based on this established muscle-building concept.

Q. What is your view of the idea that lactic acid causes muscle soreness?

A. The reality is, far from being a waste product, lactic acid is really a supply of fuel for your muscles. In fact, one of the reasons that intensive training helps you exercise harder and for a longer time is that it makes your muscles better at using lactic acid. The concept lactic acid is detrimental is one of the classic mistakes in the history of science.

Lactic acid has nothing to do with DOMS. In fact, the majority of the lactic acid has disappeared from your muscles soon after exercise.

So why do your muscles get sore a day or two after training?

A bout of unaccustomed or unusually intense exercise results in inflammation - the exact same biological safety system that creates the redness, swelling and pain when you cut your hand.

Inflammation is your human body’s response to damage and helps to begin the process of restoration and recovery. And one of the stages in this process is a rise in the production of immune cells, which hit a peak 24-48 hours after exercise.

These cells then generate chemical compounds that make pain receptors inside your body - which are responsible for the transmission of dull, aching pain signals - more sensitive.

The outcome?

Whenever you move, these pain receptors are activated. Since they will be much more sensitive to pain than normal, you end up feeling sore.

Q. Just how much protein is desirable for adding muscle? I have come across advice which range from 1 to 2.5 grams of protein each pound of body mass, and I have also noticed some people state that no additional protein should be used? Who’s right?

A. Protein expert Doctor Peter Lemon recommends 1.6-1.7 grams of protein for every kilo of bodyweight daily for people involved in muscle building. Consequently, a 70-kg guy would take in around 136 grams of protein every day. The majority of bodybuilders will go for a somewhat larger number - around 2.2 grams for every kg (1 gram per pound) - which would supply our 70 kilogram man 154 grams of protein daily.

The bigger amount stated (2.5 grams for every pound) is simply too high. Surplus protein will be burnt off to provide energy, used for ureagenesis or converted into sugar, and is highly unlikely to be converted into additional muscle mass.