8 March 2023
How to Recover From a Sports Injury With Exercise, Without Making It Worse
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Building Muscle Mass: The top 5 tips for building muscle
Are you looking to build muscle mass and achieve your fitness goals? If so, you're in the right place. In this article, we'll cover everything you need to know about building muscle mass, from the best exercises to the most effective nutrition strategies.

Why Is Building Muscle Mass Important?
Building muscle mass has numerous benefits for your health and fitness.
Firstly, it can improve your strength and endurance, allowing you to perform everyday tasks with greater ease. It can also enhance your athletic performance and reduce your risk of injury.
Secondly, building muscle mass can increase your metabolism, helping you to burn more calories and lose weight.
Finally, it can improve your overall health by reducing your risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis.

The Best Exercises for Building Muscle Mass
When it comes to building muscle mass, the most effective exercises are compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once.
Some of the best exercises for building muscle mass include:
Squats
Deadlifts
Bench press
Shoulder press
Pull-ups
Rows
Lunges
Calf raises
It's important to perform these exercises with proper form and technique to avoid injury and get the most out of your workouts.
If you're new to weightlifting, it's a good idea to work with a personal trainer or fitness professional to learn the correct technique.
Nutrition Strategies for Building Muscle Mass
Nutrition is a crucial aspect of building muscle mass.
To build muscle, you need to consume enough calories to support muscle growth.
However, it's important to eat a balanced diet that includes protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
Protein is particularly important for muscle growth, as it provides the building blocks necessary for muscle tissue.
Aim to consume around 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day.
Good sources of protein include:
Lean meats such as chicken, turkey, and beef
Fish and seafood
Eggs
Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese
Plant-based sources such as tofu, tempeh, beans, and lentils
Carbohydrates are also important for muscle growth, as they provide the energy necessary to fuel your workouts. Good sources of carbohydrates include:
Whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, and oats
Fruits and vegetables
Legumes such as beans and lentils
Healthy fats are important for overall health and can help to reduce inflammation in the body. Good sources of healthy fats include:
Nuts and seeds
Avocado
Olive oil
Fatty fish such as salmon and tuna
It's also important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.

Rest and Recovery
Rest and recovery are essential for building muscle mass. When you lift weights, you are essentially breaking down muscle tissue.
The muscle then repairs and grows stronger during rest periods. Make sure to get enough sleep and allow your muscles to recover between workouts.
Overtraining can lead to injury and slow down muscle growth, so listen to your body and take rest days when needed.
Tracking Your Progress
Tracking your progress is essential for building muscle mass.
It allows you to see how much progress you are making and adjust your workout routine and diet accordingly.
Keep track of your weight, body measurements, and strength gains.
This will help you stay motivated and ensure that you are on the right track.
Conclusion
Building muscle mass takes time, effort, and dedication. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this article, you can achieve your fitness goals and build the physique you've always wanted.
If you've got a persistent sports injury, a dodgy knee, a shoulder that never fully healed, a lower back that flares up every time you try to train, you're probably frustrated.
You might have had physio. You might have rested for months. And yet the problem keeps coming back.
Here's why: rest and passive treatment alone rarely fix the underlying cause of a sports injury.
The root of most recurring injuries is weakness or movement dysfunction and the only way to address those is through progressive, targeted exercise.
The Most Common Mistake in Injury Recovery
Most people either rest completely (which weakens the area further) or return to full training too soon (which re-injures the same structures).
The sweet spot is a structured rehabilitation programme that progressively loads the injured area in a controlled way.
As a Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist (FRCms), I assess joint function before building a programme that specifically targets the movement restrictions and weaknesses driving your injury.
What an Exercise-Based Rehab Programme Looks Like
- Week 1–2: Joint assessment and movement re-education, teaching the body to move properly around the injury
- Week 3–4: Controlled strength work at the end of the available range of motion
- Week 5–8: Progressive loading, building strength and resilience in the injured tissue
- Week 9–12: Sport or activity-specific conditioning, preparing for return to full training
Why This Works
Tendons, ligaments and muscles respond to load. When you progressively challenge them with controlled exercise, they adapt and become stronger.
When you avoid using them, they weaken. The research is clear: exercise-based rehabilitation produces better long-term outcomes than rest alone for the vast majority of musculoskeletal injuries.
Getting Started in Orpington
Conditioned Fitness in Orpington offers sports injury rehabilitation programmes with Massimo Massaro BSc FRCms. One of very few personal trainers in South East London with an advanced qualification specifically in joint health and mobility.
Sessions are 100% private, 1:1, and tailored to your injury and your goals.
If you're dealing with a persistent sports injury in the Orpington, Bromley, or Sevenoaks area, call
07950 398025 to book a free assessment.












