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How To Build Muscle

How To Build Muscle

Building muscle is both easy and hard. It is hard because it takes a lot of work, dedication, focus, and consistency. There are also some sacrifices you are going to need to take if you really are interested in building muscle. It is easy because, if you just follow a few steps, you will see results.

Here are the keys to how to build muscle. I have provided links to quality articles that will provide with more information on the topics as well:

Nutrition – Eat enough quality foods

Nutrition is the most important aspect of building muscle.  If you want to build muscle then you need to be eating plenty of food. I would venture to say that building muscle comes down to about 70% diet and 30% training. So your main focus needs to be what you are eating, when you are eating, and how much are you eating.

So how much food do you need to eat? Remember that your weight, height, gender, activity level, lifestyle, and metabolism all play a factor in determining this. One of the general rules I follow is that you should be eating about 18-20 times your bodyweight in lbs of food. So for a 150 lb person they should be eating around 2700-3000 calories. The best way to estimate how much you need to eat is just log you foods each day and track your weight at the end of the week. If you are not gaining at least 1pound a week then you need to increase your calories.

Use the BMR Calorie Calculator to give you a rough estimate the maintenance calories you should eat to stay at your current weight.  If you plan to build muscle add 300-500 more calories to the number of calories this calculator gives you.  If you still do not gain muscle on a weekly basis add more calories.  If you are gaining more than 2 lbs a week or seeing too much fat then cut down on the calories.  For most people, about 1 to 1.5 pounds of week of muscle is the most you are going to gain naturally.  So those claims of 20lbs in a month or two is not realistic will be mostly fat and water weight.

Spread out Your Meals

You need to be eating at least 6 meals a day divided into 35-40% protein, 40-45% carbs, and 20% fat. So if you estimated that you need 3000 calories, you will aim for 500 calories in each meal. This would equal about 50 grams carbohydrates, 50 grams protein, and 11 grams fat in each meal.  Remember it is very important to eat six meals a day so your body is consistently getting protein and other nutrients into your body and none goes to waste.  Also breaking down multiple meals will also increase your metabolism and limit the amount of fat you might gain as you build muscle.

What Should You be Eating?

For good meal choices check out these top foods that build muscle. Also do not forget the importance of pre and post workout nutrition and how easy and effective protein shakes are.

It is very important to get quality whole foods into your body.  Do not think just because you are trying to gain muscle you should eat anything you can, you will just add unnecessary fat.  For some people with really high metabolisms, and in order to eat enough food to gain weight and build muscle, you can afford to eat more fatty foods.

Other Recommended Nutrition Resources for Building Muscle:

• Importance of Pre and Post Workout Nutrition
• Nutrition for Building Mass
• Importance of Protein for Building Muscle
• Muscle Building Diet Tips
• Alcohol’s Effect on Building Muscle

Use core and compound exercises in your training

You need to do core exercises to build mass. Doing isolation exercises like bicep curls, chest flys, or tricep kickbacks are not going to build as much muscle as compound exercises.

Work each bodypart once a week. Aim for at least 12 sets per bodypart and 8-10 reps each set.

These exercises are a must in your training routine:

• Deadlift
• Squats
• Bench Press
• Overhead Press
• Rows
• Dips
• Pullups

Be consistent in your workout routine.  Try not to miss workouts and keep a running journal of all your lifts an exercises.  Remember to add volume each week by increasing overall reps or adding additional weight.  If you fail to stress your muscles each week, they will not grow.

Visit the workout routines page for ideas for some great workouts.  I highly recommend starting out with a 5×5 routine or similar full body workout routine to add mass the quickest.

Some Other Recommended Workout Resources:

• Muscle Building Workouts
• Hypertrophy and Building Muscle
• Strength Training vs BodyBuilding
• Compound Exercises for Mass
• Build Muscle Without Weights

Get enough rest and drink plenty of water

Remember muscle grows while you rest and are sleeping. So do not over train and make sure you are getting at least 7-8 hours or sleep a night.

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water – at least 1 gallon per day. See the importance of water.

Set goals and track your progress

Before you begin your training program, it is a good idea to set goals for yourself. What are you planning on accomplished and what is the time frame for you to see these results? Write these goals down and look at these everyday to keep you motivated.

Do not forget also to track your progress and you daily food intake. Write your workout details after or during training session. You should include exercises, weight used, sets, and reps. Then next time you go to the gym you will be able to improve upon what you did last time.

Writing down you daily food intake can be a big pain, but if you are dedicated to building muscle it is a must. Write down calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrate breakdown for each meal. Looking at your food logs, you will be able to see how you can modify your diet to build more muscle. Be sure to click below for the video on how to build muscle.

More Tips and Help

If you are looking for more tips and advice on building muscle be sure to check out Builtfit’s new muscle building workout program and diet : The Epic Warrior Muscle.

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