How Do I Build Muscle

When learning how to build muscle mass, many people fail to understand the importance of sticking to the basics.

Countless articles have been written touting the benefits of the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid!) principle. Yet every night when I visit the gym I can't help but notice the disproportionate ratio of impressive muscular bodies to the average overweight non-muscular bodies.

If I stick around long enough, I inevitably notice that the vast majority of average body types are focused intensely on some type of strange new "cutting edge" training program.

What is going on here, certainly these people have seen some of the same information that I have.

There is no doubt that they had to do some serious studying to uncover the bizarre training routines that they so intently perform.

Somewhere along the way, they had to run across at least a few of the timeless muscle building techniques that actually work…

Right?

Well after many years of noticing the same trend in gym, after gym, after gym, I am assuming that the vast majority of people have never been exposed to the truth about building lean muscle mass.

In order to set the record straight I am taking it upon myself to unlock the mystery surrounding the timeless goal of packing on slabs of lean muscle mass!

So Exactly How Do I Build Muscle?

When it comes to building muscle, there is a very simple three-part process that you must always follow. There are absolutely no exceptions to this rule, so pay close attention!

#1 - In order to build muscle you must first stimulate muscle growth through some type of weight bearing exercise.

While it is true that everyone's body responds differently to different types of training, it is universally accepted that weight bearing exercises inflict the type of muscle damage that is required to stimulate both bone density and muscle growth.

As a general rule of thumb, the more basic compound free weight exercises like squats, dead lifts, bench press and bent rows seem to stimulate muscle growth more effectively than the isolation style exercises like preacher curls, leg extensions, smith machine bench press and the like.

In my experiences lifting fairly heavy weights for lower repetitions is a surefire way to stimulate serious muscle growth.

Yes it is uncomfortable. Yes it hurts. Yes it makes you sore for a few days after your workout.

But let’s face it, if you never go outside of your comfort zone and lift progressively heavier weights, you will never stimulate serious muscle growth.

On the flip side, if you have been training with heavy weights for lower repetitions for an extended amount of time, you may benefit from switching gears and trying lower weights for more repetitions.

If your goal is to gain muscle mass, it is advisable to limit your workouts to a maximum of 1 hour. Anything longer will pull your body out of muscle building mode and into endurance mode.

By limiting the length of your workout sessions, you can assure that your body is receiving the appropriate stimulation for muscle growth.

#2 – After you have put in the time to properly stimulate muscle growth, you then must fuel that muscle growth by consuming ample amounts of the proper nutrients in the proper combinations, at the right times.

This allows your body the proper “fuel” to repair the damage inflicted by the weight bearing exercise.

Again, this is pretty simple stuff!

If your goal is muscle growth, consume a minimum of 5 meals per day, evenly spaced every 2-3 hours.

Each meal should include protein, carbohydrates, fat and some type of fruit or vegetable. When putting your nutrition plan together, it is important to realize that each gram of protein or carbohydrate contains 4 calories. Each gram of fat contains 9 calories.

Although, it is important for people wanting to gain muscle mass to consume enough protein, it is simply not necessary to consume absurd amounts. While it has been a popular recommendation over the last few years by many bodybuilders and self proclaimed fitness “gurus” to consume absurd amounts of protein, this is simply not necessary.

The American College of Sports Medicine suggests in it’s position statement on protein consumption, that by consuming as little as 0.72 grams of protein per lb of bodyweight per day, you can effectively repair damaged muscle tissue, build lean muscle mass and limit the chances of negative side effects.

Fat does not just make people fat because it is bad for them, at 9 calories per gram, a small amount of fat can contain a staggering amount of calories.

Following this logic, it is important to realize that in order to consume more calories, fat is essential to your muscle building diet. Certain types of fatty acids, (fat) when consumed properly, can not only increase your calories, but they have been scientifically proven to lower unwanted body fat levels, increase muscle building hormone levels, increase brain function and alertness and provide an additional energy source for the body.

As you can see, these are some pretty great side effects! By consuming between 40 and 60 grams of “healthy” fat per day, spread over 5 meals, you can ensure that you will be able to get the benefits that dietary fats have to offer, without consuming the excess of calories often associated with fat consumption.

Carbohydrates serve as the primary energy source for your body and are an important part of the nutritional spectrum required for muscle growth.

There are two types of carbohydrates, complex and simple.

Simple carbohydrates break down into sugars in the body very quickly. Because of this, they provide a very unstable energy source and are of little nutritional value. Examples of simple carbohydrates are white flour, white bread and sugar.

While consuming some simple carbohydrates will not hinder your muscle building goals, you will want to consume the majority of your carbohydrates from nutritious complex sources such as oats, yams, whole-wheat pasta and whole-wheat breads. This will not only provide your body with ample amounts of nutrients for muscle growth, but also ensure that your energy levels and mood remain stable throughout the day.

#3 – Now that you have laid the foundation for muscle growth, it is imperative that you do what is necessary to allow your body to repair, recover and grow. By making sure to get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep each night, you ensure that your body has ample time to recover from your workouts.

It is also critical for proper recovery, to consume a minimum of 1 gallon of water each day. Aside from simply being a healthy thing to do, consuming enough water helps to flush out toxins associated with weight bearing exercises.

As you can see there are no definite answers that will provide the best results for everybody. Although not popular, by stimulating muscle growth with weight bearing exercise, consuming the right nutrients at the right times, and allowing for proper recovery, you are increasing your chances of building muscle exponentially.