Get your hormones in check!
For effective hypertrophy maximization, you need to master natural hormonal balance. From here, you will get to learn about the principles of hormones for growth of muscles, how they carry out their functions and their role in building muscles. Muscle growth, according to this context is the goal of many men put in action, for example gains of massive chest, huge biceps and tree trunk legs. But why the struggle for muscle growth amongst some men? You fail to control your hormones thus failing to achieve muscle growth. So, hormones are a basic foundation for the muscle building process because all of them contribute uniquely to body functions. Don’t overlook the power of hormones for growing muscles.
What hormones are and their role
Before looking into the facts about hormones, we firstly need to know what they are and what they do. Here is the definition of hormones: They are unique chemical messengers which are manufactured in glands that are released to have an effect on specific targets. They majorly control most body functions from simple basic needs (e.g. hunger) to complex systems (e.g. reproduction). This control extends to emotions and moods. So, understanding these hormones and their roles in the body helps people to care for their health. And now that you know what hormones are, we can now learn in-depth about them and their roles.
The most vital hormones attributing to muscle growth
Testosterone
Let’s start the list with the number one hormone for muscle growth. Testosterone occupies the number one space as far as muscle growth is concerned. Testosterone is very much responsible beyond just muscle growth since it also contributes to several factors important for overall health. Low levels of testosterone will result in a low libido, lack of strength, energy, and bad moods during training sessions in the gym.
To increase testosterone naturally: lift weights, eat in a surplus, and potentially try natural boosters.
Hitting the iron is one surefire way of boosting your testosterone levels. You just need to incorporate heavy compound lifts like rows, squats, and bench press or their machine equivalents. These may be your best options for hitting the iron. Though isolation exercises are also good, they are best after doing your compound lifts for maximum pump or beforehand for pre-exhaustion so the compound lifts recruit maximal muscle fibers. The trick here is to lift heavy weights a few times in a week but always remember to lift with good form. Regular strength training can take you a long way if you are considering boosting your testosterone naturally. There’s also some natural boosters that can aid in muscle growth acceleration, such as D-aspartic acid, which will in turn improve your overall strength and mood. In essence, boosters including tribulus can enhance natural production and result in effective muscle growth and fat loss for those with low testosterone.
Thyroid Hormones (T3 and T4)
With the goal to gain muscle mass, it is mandatory to take into consideration the major beneficial role played by thyroid hormones. Underactive thyroid hormones can leave you fatigued with a very slow metabolism and will reduce your body’s ability to metabolize nutrients and increase fat storage. Conversely, overactive thyroid hormone will attribute to potential brittle bones and heart conditions..
Ingestion of a minimum amount of iodine is necessary to regulate your thyroid. Luckily, in America, salt is iodized so this shouldn’t be an issue for most. But, be careful because Himlayan Salt is not iodized. Foods to consume to support thyroid hormones are seaweed, cod, dairy products, and eggs. The recommended iodine daily intake, for a healthy adult is 150 micrograms (mcg) so it isn’t very much.
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone that assists the body with removal sugar accumulated from the bloodstream and is extremely anabolic in all senses of the word, fat and muscle. It is mainly produced and released by the pancreas upon intake of food. It is vitally required that you elevate insulin after workouts because it will send a message for growth, repairing them after intense training sessions. It is truly beneficial and appropriate to manage insulin levels with appropriate peaks and troughs to support lean mass.
Insulin levels of your body can be controlled by eating low carbohydrate foods. This will ensure that no insulin is found spiking within the body. The only time you may want spiking of insulin levels is after the workout as mentioned before, where it is very important to diet high on a carb-protein meal.
Estrogen
Estrogen is a hormone produced in females and also in men to a smaller extent, except if the man is obese. Estrogen elevation can wreak havoc on the body and lead to largely negative effects like mood issues, joint pain, and fat growth. The worst case scenario is when it contributes to breast cancer. Individuals with higher percentage of body fat likely suffer from higher estrogen levels because fat cells, adipocytes, produce estrone, a very powerful estrogen. So, if you were didn’t have enough of a genuine reason to lose fat, here it is. You can greatly reduce estrogen levels by losing fat with a caloric deficit, resistance training, and cardio.
Growth Hormone
High levels of growth hormone can help you to both stay lean with maximal muscle mass and recover completely between heavy workouts. Regular strength training (3-5x per week) directly correlates with a hyped-up level of growth hormone. But other ways of adding growth hormone are with enough sleep, minimizing stress, and drinking enough water.
Cortisol
Cortisol is also known as the stress hormone and a glucocorticoid. It is recommended that your cortisol levels should not get too high because it results in muscle breakdown and is more easily broken down that fat. When levels of cortisol are normal, it can definitely lead to increased fat metabolism potential through lipolysis. Similarly to growth hormone the best way to ensure healthy levels of cortisol are through enough sleep, minimizing basal levels of stress, and drinking enough water.
To get the best results out of your fitness, you need to bring your hormones into proper regulation through consistent and supportive healthy living. Having your hormones out of whack can lead to poor muscle growth or even loss and can then negatively impact or impair your overall health. With this noted, you should have a deep understanding of what role the hormones play and their functions in the muscle building process. If you need help in these areas, hire a professional coach to aid in reaching your goals.
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Nick Trigili is a respected IFBB Pro bodybuilder and trainer. Check him out on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more informative content. Also make sure to visit his official personal training website – World Class Trainers.
