verb phrase · neutral
build muscle mass
/bɪld ˈmʌsəl mæs/build MUS·cle MASS
Band 4-5speakingtask2
to increase the amount of muscle in the body, usually through exercise and diet
Examples
“He followed a high-protein diet to build muscle mass.”
“Strength training helps older people build muscle mass and stay independent.”
“Athletes often aim to build muscle mass in the off-season.”
Band 8 sentence
“He followed a structured lifting programme and a high-protein diet to build muscle mass over several months.”
Collocations
- build muscle mass through strength training
- aim to build muscle mass
Word family
build muscle mass verb phrasemuscle nounmuscular adjective
Common mistakes
make muscle→build muscle
gain muscles→gain muscle
Say it for a higher band
5get bigger→6gain muscle→7+build muscle mass
Synonyms
gain muscle
Easily confused
gain weight
“He wanted to gain weight, so he ate more.”
Related words
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In Health & Fitness
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