Importance of Sleep

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 it's 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.