Not getting enough water will stunt your muscle gains.
Your body is around 70% water; muscle tissue is around 75% water. It should therefore come as no surprise that you need to stay hydrated in order to build muscle.
Here’s 5 reasons why water is crucial to your bodybuilding success
(1) Peak Strength. Sufficient hydration means optimum strength. Strength can decrease by up to 15% with a drop in hydration levels of only 3%!
(2) Energy levels. Dehydration leaves you feeling tired and lethargic. Just imagine how you’ll perform in the gym in this state!
(3) Digestion. Your body needs water to aid the digestive process. You want those muscle-building nutrients shuttled to their destination quickly and efficiently don’t you? This is especially relevant post-workout, which is why I recommend a liquid meal after your weight-training sessions.
(4) Less Likely to get Injured. Water is the main ingredient in the makeup of the synovial fluid, which is the lubricating fluid between your joints. When your body is taking a pounding as it does with the MuscleHack 8-12 | 6-9 program, you need to keep your joints well-lubricated to avoid injury.
(5) Improved Effectiveness of Creatine Monohydrate. Supplementing with creatine means you need to stay hydrated. Creatine draws water into the muscle tissue, super-saturating or volumizing the muscle. This means you should compensate for this fact by consuming a little more water than average Joe to see maximum gains.
So How much water do I need to build Muscle?
Easy. Here’s a good rule of thumb
Body weight (lbs) X 0.6 = Water Intake in ounces
So a 160 lb man needs 96 ounces of water daily. That’s around 12 x 8 ounce cups.
Yes, it’s more than the 8 x 8 ounce cups recommended to the public, but we’re active and are placing out bodies under much more strain than the masses.
It’s easier than you think though. Despite what other people may say, tea and coffee do count. Also, your post-workout shake counts which is around 2 cups worth of water for most people.
So, if you want to build serious muscle mass, don’t neglect this life-giving nutrient!
Stay Motivated!
Mark McManus
