5 Tips for Building Muscle

5 tips for building muscle for hard gainers

I run across countless message boards and forums related to bodybuilding, one of the most popular questions is, how can I gain muscle? There are many young men who struggle to pack on muscle. While some of it has to do with genetics, genetics is not the only thing holding you back. In this article, I will discuss 5 tips for building muscle.

Whether you are a hard gainer, gaining muscle is not rocket science. Gaining muscle requires some basic knowledge that everyone can apply and get results. Most of the tips in this article are simple yet very effective.
Gaining muscle requires you to follow some basic principles which include:

1. Shocking the muscle by increasing the weight load week by week
2. Getting enough nutrients (protein) to help muscles grow
3. Plenty of rest to ensure your muscles can recover and repair themselves
4. Switch up your training routine
5. Take the right supplements for improved performance in the gym

Lifting heavy and increasing the weight week by week

This is such a basic principle yet most men are not willing to put in the effort. If you ask any of the greatest bodybuilders how they got massive, they will tell you that their initial success was due to lifting reduces.


Dorian Yates, Serge Nubret, and Ronnie Coleman all lifted heavy. Now I know you are going to say they also took steroids. Yes, they did, but they also had incredible amounts of muscle before they took steroids.

A solid foundation is essential for big muscles. Its like building a brick wall, if you start laying the brick on the surface of the ground and place a lot of stress on that wall it will tumble, however, if you dig a deep trench and start building the wall below the surface you will have a solid foundation that can tolerate a lot of stress on the structure.

Gaining muscle is no different, in order to gain a solid muscle foundation it is important to stick with compound movements and use free weights.

Some of the best exercises you can perform that will help pack on muscle include:

• Deadlifts
• Rack Pulls
• Squats
• Front squats
• Bench press
• Pull-ups
• Barbell rows
• T-Bar Rows

Each one of those exercises is considered a compound movement and target core muscle groups. While a lot of guys worry about developing their arms, the exercises mentioned above also target secondary muscle groups (Triceps, bicep, shoulders, and delts).

Protein is your best friend for gaining muscle

If you are serious about gaining muscle, eating ham and cheese sandwiches not going to cut it. Gaining muscle mass requires protein on average you should be getting at least 1gm of protein per pound of body weight. Some say 1.4 grams is better, but a minimum of 1 gram should be considered.

Getting enough protein does not have to be expensive, you can get plenty of protein for whole eggs, nuts and of course lean cuts of beef. Besides protein, you should eat plenty of healthy carbs which are essential for boosting energy.

Plenty of rest is important for muscles to grow

If you train hard and heavy you will find training more than 4-5 days a week will wear you out. When training heavy you are placing an enormous amount of strain on your muscles and your body.

Stick to training one muscle group per week and make sure you get plenty of sleep. When you sleep you give your body a chance to replenish important hormones which are testosterone and HGH (human growth hormone).

Switch up your training routine

While consistent training is important it is not hard to fall into a routine. Most guys will see impressive gains within the first couple of months after they start lifting. After a while, those gains will slow down. A lot has to do with the body getting used to the same routine day in and day out.

In order to ensure continuous muscle gains, it is important to switch things up, try switching up your training. Change your routine, try doing fewer reps with more weight or resting less between sets, this will not only stimulate new muscle growth it will prevent you from getting bored with the same old routine.

Taking the right supplements

Most guys will not need supplements when they first begin lifting. However, the more experienced you become and the harder you push yourself, you will find that there are certain supplements can help you increase your training intensity.
There are many supplements that help you increase energy, strength reduce fatigue and help your muscles recover fast. Some of the supplements you should consider are the following:

Pre-workout supplements can help boost energy and improve focus while training. There are also intra-workout supplements that help reduce muscle fatigue while you train.

Legal steroids are also essential, many of them contain ingredients that help naturally boost testosterone and HGH levels. Many of them are loaded with creatine, BCAA's and whey protein which are essential for fast muscle gains and muscle recovery.

Conclusion

Everyone probably has their own idea and sometimes many will try to overthink their training. At the end of the day, it comes down to intense strength training, proper nutrition, and the right supplements.