Build more Muscle by Managing Stress Levels

When designing a weight gain program, most people don't even consider stress management an important factor.  The truth of the matter is that high levels of stress make building lean muscle tissue very difficult. 

For this reason, managing the amount of stress in your life is very important, and if you are serious about reaching your weight gain goals you should seriously take stress management in to consideration. 

Since chronic stress is becoming more and more common as our lives become busier and more hectic, learning how to manage any stress in your life is crucial to your success.

The effects of stress can take a serious toll not only on your overall health, but also our body's ability to build muscle mass.  In order to gain significant amounts of weight, we have to promote a "muscle building"  environment within our bodies.  This means that our body needs not only to feel healthy, but also be healthy on the inside.

Managing your stress is important for the bodybuilder, because chronic stress can lead to many ailments that effect the bodies ability to gain weight including the following: 

  • Hormonal Imbalances - Having the right balance of hormones in your body is important.  Too few anabolic hormones and too many catabolic hormones can sabotage your success quickly.  Chronic stress can put all of your body's hormones out of whack.  There is often both a decrease in anabolic hormones like testosterone and HGH,  andstress management an increase in catabolic hormones like cortisol -  a deadly combination.  High levels of stress can also cause the body to constantly pump out the "fight or flight" hormone adrenaline, which also promotes a catabolic environment.

  • Persistant Fatigue and Exhaustion -  Chronic stress can cause you to constantly feel tired and run down.  You will not have the energy you need to get through your weight training workouts, let alone your daily routine.

  • Problems Sleeping -  Stress can lead to  insomnia and other sleeping ailments, which can snowball into many other serious problems.  Since rest and recovery plays such a large role in your bodybuilding program, this will put a serious damper on your muscle building efforts.

  • Loss of Motivation -  Picture yourself getting up out of bed in the morning trying to force yourself to go to the gym for a weight training workout... But you just don't have the motivation.  Stress can lead to lack of motivation, making your daily routine a chore.  You will no longer be motivated to weight train.

  • Weight Loss - Ultimately, weight loss is imminent if you suffer from chronic stress.  Aside from all of the symptoms above that contrubute to weight loss, stress will also decrease your appetite and increase the metabolic demands on your body causing you to burn more calories!

How Does a Bodybuilder Manage Stress? 

Now that you understand the negative impacts that stress can have on your muscle building efforts, you can see why stress management is such an important part of your program. 

Fortunately managing stress is a relatively easy task.  Here are a number of stress management tips you can apply if you think that stress may be effecting your weight gain program:

  • Remove yourself from stressful situations - Even if only for a short period of time, remove yourself from any stressful situations as often as you can.  Get some fresh air, breath and try to relax.

  • Learn how to relax - Meditation and breathing exercises are an effective way to reduce stress

  • Avoid extreme reactions to situations - No matter what the situation, don't let yourself over react.  Why be furious if you only have to be mad?  Why be anxious when you can be nervous?

  • Get enough sleep - Lack of sleep just makes every little thing more aggravating, so it is important to get as much sleep as possible to help minimize your stress levels.

  • Do something for others - Helping others will help get your mind off your own life, and any stressful situations that you might be facing.

  • Don't overwhelm yourself - Deal with each task as it comes, and try not to "bite off more then you can chew" in your daily life.

  • Find a hobby or sport - Taking up a new hobby or sport is a great stress management tool.  It force you to focus on the task at hand, and take your mind off of anything that is bothering you.

Putting it All Together

Next time a stressful situation comes up, try to take a deep breath, relax, and remain calm.  Constantly getting worked up over things that bother you is unnecessary, and will eventually effect your health. 

Remember that in order to build muscle and gain weight, we have to do everything in our power to help create a muscle building environment within our bodies. 

Like proper nutrition and the right weight training program, managing stress is just another small piece of the puzzle that cannot be overlooked.
 
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