Ever wondered how a pit bull puppy grows to look so strong and brawny?
Every pet parent wants their puppy pit bull to grown-up looking strong and ripped like The Hulk. But gaining 173 lbs. of pure lean muscle does not happen overnight. It takes work, patience, and dedication to get your blue nose pit bull puppy. Remember, it also takes keeping your puppy before caring for it. Make sure to check an ESA Letter online to keep your pet with you despite pet restrictions.
Here is another secret…
Building muscle strength on a puppy pit bull is a lot like building your own weight. First, you have to warm the body up with light exercises. It can be jogging, sit-ups, push-ups, lunges, and so on. This is called muscle conditioning.
Once your body gets used to working out, you gradually move to the heavy stuff. Benching 25 pounds before you move to the heavy stuff that is 30 to 45 pounds.
Whether you have a standard pit bull terrier or an XXL pit bull puppy, building muscle on your pup should take the exact same approach. Also, it is going to take years for your pit bull to reach their full potential in fitness. So, you need lots of patience.
We are going to divide the works in two;
● The warm-up
● The heavy lifting
The Warm-Up
These exercises are designed for muscle condition in a pit bull puppy. Also, you can use these exercises to socialize your dog and get them used to new people and sites.
1) Swimming
There is nothing as soothing to a dog as a good swim. But puppies are not born with the knowledge of swimming in them. You have to start puppy pit bull swimming lessons as early as when the pups are 6 weeks old.
A bathtub is an ample swimming ground for the little fellows. You can kill two birds by bathing your puppy too.
● Lower the puppy gently into the water
● You may have to hold him first as he gets used to the water
● Try floating him around so he can start kicking. They have that natural swimming instinct in them. Slightly moving the puppy pit bull in water activates his swimming instinct.
● Now let go of the puppy and let them swim on their own. Their bodies naturally float on water so you do not worry about them gulping water.
● Let them swim from one end of the tub to the other. It helps if someone cheers and encourages the pit bull puppy on the other end.
● Do this each time you bathe your pit bull puppy to get them used to water
2) Walking
Walking preps up your puppy pit bull’s limbs. Allow them to walk around the house as they explore every corner. If you have a backyard, allow the puppy to run around the grass and dirt exploring. Limit walking to small areas until they can fully walk with a sturdy gait.
3) Shot Jogs
This exercise is perfect for a standard or XL pit bull puppy that accustomed to short distance walks. Find a park where you can do short jogs together. Indoor jogging is possible too if you own a treadmill. But keep the treadmill running on low speeds so you do not startle the little fellow.
4) Exploring
Take time to go out together and explore. Let your pit bull puppy ride shotgun as you go to the mall. Let them walk around the aisle sniffing at various toys. Playtime should be easy if you let your puppy pick his own toys. Explore many other pet-friendly places together. This gets the furry fellow more used to the outside world. It will come in handy when doing outside training.
5) Tug of war
Tug of war is a perfect game for a puppy wanting to strengthen its limbs and biting force. As they tug on the rope, they have to use their full fore and hind limb strength. But be aware that you are also activating the predator instinct of the pup. Games like tug of war should be paired with Obedience training.
The Heavy Lifting
These exercises are great for a pit bull puppy that is at least 18 weeks old. They help in building the stamina required to gain muscle mass and strength.
The heavy lifting exercises you will focus on are;
● Up and Downs
● Weight Pulling
Up and Downs
This a simple exercise that makes playtime exciting for a puppy pit bull. The best area for up and down exercises is a steeply sloped hill.
● You will need two trainers for this one
● Let one person go to the top of the hill while the other keeps the dog distracted
● When both of you are ready, encourage the pit bull to run up the hill to join the other person
● If the dog does not make it to the top, no problem. Encourage them with praises and cheers
● To excite the dog more, the person at the top should hold out a delicious treat
● This encourages the puppy pit bull to work harder as a reward awaits at the top
● As the pup tries to maneuver its way up, he is using and building his leg muscles
● This training also sharpens your dog’s thinking skills. He will have to work a possible route that will get them to the top safely
● About 20 to 30 minutes of up-downs are enough to build muscle gradually.
● You can find more steeped slopes to vary the intensity of the exercise
Weight pulling
This exercise involves pulling weights short distances at a time. You will gradually increase the weights to intensify the training.
● You will need a quality weight pulling harness for this one. Ensure the harness is padded to prevent injuries on your pit bull’s coat as he pulls.
● Start with weights ranging between 3 and 5 lbs.
● Increase the pulling distance to vary the intensity of the training
● When the dog gets used to the weights and the distances covered, add more weights
● The maximum weight an XL pit bull terrier can pull is 15 lbs. Go any further and you risk hurting your dog.
● With the 15 lbs. weights, you only need to vary the pulling distance to make the training intense
The best diet for building strength and muscle in a puppy pit bull
A high-quality diet rich in proteins and healthy carbs are necessary for a pit bull to build muscle. Note that pit bulls love to eat and they can feed on anything; including unhealthy diet options. You must control what goes into your pitty’s plate especially during this season of strength training.
Use your pit bull’s current weight to determine how much food you give them. Generally, a bully that weighs between 30 and 70 pounds requires 900 to 1700 calories a day. A pit bull weighing between 30 and 50 pounds will need 800 to 1400 calories a day.
Ensure your puppy pit bull is getting high-quality proteins in every meal. A pit bull puppy requires about 20% of high proteins in their meals. Older pit bull terrier dogs need about 18% of high proteins in their diet. Also, keep fats as low as 8% in pit bull puppies and 5% in adults.
Do you feel your puppy pit bull is not getting enough nutrients? Or perhaps you want to beef up their current diet to get them stronger and leaner fast. We recommend adding healthy supplements like Bullyade in their diet. Bullyade contains over 18 vitamins and nutrients that are necessary for building strong muscles and bones in dogs.
Final thoughts
Building muscle strength in a puppy pit bull is a lot like weight lifting in humans. You start with the light stuff to warm up the body before moving to the heavy lifting. Your Xl or XXL pit bull puppy also requires a high-quality diet to ensure they have enough energy for the job.