Thread: The Science Of Muscle Building

Bodybuilding involves more than just lifting weights. It pays to have an understanding of human kinetics. How do muscles work?


Muscles develop by making them work. Muscles can only work when the body is in motion. They work extra when we are in full motion. Thus, to develop the muscles to the maximum, we must make them work to the best of our abilities. Hence, the bodybuilding principle of “No Pain, No Gain.”


You can’t grow your muscles by doing nothing. You have to move around a lot. The only thing that will grow in points of inertia, if you remain stationary, is your weight. If you want muscle growth and power, you must work your body methodically. Muscle training is called a workout.


Muscles can be toned (or conditioned) by regular activities like brisk walking, jogging, and doing other slightly heavy works. But toning muscles will not grow them in size and beauty. You have to do more —lots more — to have stunning muscles. You have to workout. By the very term “workout,” you can have a good idea of what it takes to grow muscles.


Bodybuilding procedures using weights and other heavy-duty activities are the best-known muscle growers so far. You have to devote your life into this if you want extra visible muscles on you. You also have to do away with vices like smoking, drinking liquor, eating junk foods, etc.


Muscles grow in size only when they are moving. Try to be still in front of a mirror and you’d see no sign of any bulking muscle taking shape. Now, clench your fist hard, and muscle evidence will show at least on your forearm. This simple principle illustrates the potential of muscles being developed through repeated and graduated motions. As muscles are subjected to repeated exertions that gradually increase intensity, they grow and toughen.


The more intense the muscle activity, the better and faster the muscle is developed. Hence, a systematic muscle development program incorporating increased muscle stimulation builds more muscles effectively. If your exercise features no such system of increasing efforts and challenges to your muscle strength, your muscles can only grow so much. Some exercises do form muscles, but only to a certain extent. The muscles built only become regulating muscles that enable you to perform normal tasks effectively. But they cannot exceed in performing beyond such tasks.


On the contrary, a fully developed muscle does not only allow you to do normal tasks; it is calibrated to reach its full potentials — far beyond what regulating muscles can do. Bodybuilding helps you develop your muscles to the extreme.

Very good post! Thanks for the information!

I'd like to further add that you will not look like a body builder if you start weight lifting. A lot of women I know are scared to pick up weights because of that. What they don't get is that even body builders don't look like that except for 2 days out of the year. They go to extreme lengths and dehydrate themselves so each muscle can be seen. It's not uncommon to have body builders pass on competition days due to dehydration.

So ladies. There's very little reason not to lift.

I used to think I'd bulk up and look like a bloke but its not possible. The reason men bulk up like they do is due to testosterone. So there's no reason for women to be afraid to hang out with the boys and do the workouts they do!

Agree that some woman (myself previously included!) don't do weights due to fear of looking like a man!
I've now been having weekly PT sessions doing weights and I can already notice a difference. I'm now more than happy to be in the " testosterone zone " of the gym!

Thanks for sharing this!

Would you recommend extra protein for building muscle? Like protein powder or just to get it naturally?

Originally Posted by takebackcontrol

Would you recommend extra protein for building muscle? Like protein powder or just to get it naturally?

If you are trying to build extra muscle by doing some kind of weight training then you should definitely be taking extra protein. Be it in the form of meats such a chicken breasts, steaks or turkey breasts or a protein powder if you'd find it hard to consume enough of those foods a day. If you are trying to build muscle then for your body weight I'd say you need between 115 - 184 grams of protein a day. Just google protein amounts in foods to see how much you'd need to eat to reach that. Otherwise if you got some kind of whey protein supplement you'd need about 3-4 servings a day.

I know nothing about protein powders. Would it replace food? And is there a type you'd recommend. How do you go on with your calorie intake if you're having a shake?

Protein powder is a supplement. So no, it would not replace food. You just use it to make sure you hit your protein levels. Optimum Nutrition has very high quality protein. You can tell it's high quality because it dissolves easily, as opposed to cheap protein that tends to cling to the shaker cup.

You'll want to take protein powder calories into account. A regular serving is typically 2 scoops and that adds up to 220 calories. So it's not that much.