A lot of people see building muscle as a linear process. Pick up heavy weights and before you know it you’ll look like The Rock, right? Wrong. Packing on muscle is actually quite a complex process, and there are several intricacies to keep in mind if that’s your goal.
We’re here to make that process as easy as possible, which is why we’ve put together a list of our top 10 proven methods on how to build muscle fast. Let’s get into it.
Top 10 Proven Methods On How To Build Muscle
- Compound Exercises.
- Train Each Muscle Group Weekly.
- Never Skip Leg Day.
- Improve Your Sleep.
- Eat More.
- Achieve A Calorie Surplus.
- Calculate Your Macros.
- Track Your Calories.
- Hire An Online Coach.
- Progressively Overload.
Focus on compound exercises
Isolation work is great for fine-tuning your physique, but if you’re looking to pack on the pounds you need to be focusing on lifts that engage your muscles at more than one joint. These are called compound exercises and include movements such as deadlifts, squats, rows, pull-ups, and press work. These sorts of lifts recruit lots of muscles and trigger a big release of hormones that help promote growth, making them a really efficient way of using your time in the gym – especially if you’re up against the clock!
Work each muscle more than once a week
We’ve all been guilty of sticking to the classic ‘bro split‘. For those of you that aren’t familiar with the phrase, it refers to dedicating a certain day to just one muscle group – like chest day, for example. The problem with that is it leaves a long time between workouts. And if life gets in the way – which it often does – you end up in a position where you have to decide what to skip and let’s be honest, it’s usually legs. Instead, why not try two push and two pull sessions per week with a leg day thrown in for balance? That way, you’ll hit each muscle more frequently and build strength and muscle at a faster rate.
TRAIN YOUR LEGS
I know it hurts, I know you’re left walking like the Tin Man for the next two or three days, and I know lowering yourself to the toilet feels like a second workout, but training your legs is so important. From an aesthetic point of view, muscle imbalance doesn’t look great. But building your legs is also vital in aiding you to lift heavier when deadlifting which, as we’ve previously covered, engages a whole host of muscles. What’s more, having a strong base hugely improves your balance and is key for sports performance.
Get some sleep
Often building muscle is seen purely as an active process. If you lift heavy weights you’ll get big right? Well, half right. While your training is a huge aspect of muscle growth so is your recovery – and sleep plays a big role in that. Our bodies do a lot of work to repair the microtears we create while working out when our heads hit the pillow. Seven hours a night is an absolute minimum, but really you need to be aiming for eight or nine if you want the best chance of sculpting your dream physique.
Eat more on your rest days
While you might be resting your body is still hard at work. In fact, most of the muscle growth actually occurs on the days you aren’t in the gym, so make sure you’re taking in the nutrients you need to fuel your gains. Don’t feel guilty about eating big while you’re sitting on the sofa, but be mindful of what you’re consuming. For example, it would be smart to up your protein and slightly reduce your carbs as you don’t necessarily need the same energy reserves for a workout. But this isn’t a necessity.
Achieve a calorie surplus
Simple logic tells you that if you want to grow in size you’re going to have to eat more. That process is known as a calorie surplus, which entails consuming a greater number of calories than your body needs for maintenance. For a lean bulk you’re looking at achieving a conservative surplus of around 350-500 per day.
Work out your macros
It’s all very well and good telling you to ‘eat big’, but you still need to be controlled and methodical with what you’re putting into your body – even when you’re trying to put on weight. So many people bemoan their lack of progress, and so often the source of their failure is their diet. You have probably heard the term macros banded around a lot. Put simply, macronutrients are a type of food such as fat, protein, and carbohydrates required in large amounts in the diet. How do I know how much I should be eating, I hear you ask? Luckily for you, we have created a super-handy macro calculator which will do all the hard work for you.
Track your calories
There’s no point in setting yourself a calorie goal if you aren’t going to stick to it. Training hard won’t translate to muscle unless you’re consistently hitting your calorie surplus, and that requires tracking. Guesstimating your intake leaves too much room for error and will most likely lead to a plateau – unless you’re an experienced trainer or nutrition coach, that is. Apps like MyFitnessPal are great tools that can really make a difference in your quest to build muscle.
Get yourself a trainer
It sometimes feels like there’s a stigma surrounding personal trainers and online coaches. People often act as if asking for help is an admission of defeat, and that they should instead valiantly struggle to find their feet in the gym as if it’s some sort of unwritten right of passage. But why should it be?
In fact, bodybuilders and athletes at the very highest level are surrounded by experts who work with them day in, day out to improve their performance. That’s because they realize the value of having an external influence.
Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been pumping iron for decades, at some stage you will plateau. Now that might be through a lack of knowledge, a drop in motivation, or a poor diet. Either way, having a helping hand to guide you through the malaise and get the fire back in your belly can prove invaluable.
At Gymfluencers, we’ve scoured the net for simply the best fitness coaches so you don’t have to. Follow the link to pick from more than 100 top trainers.
The principle of progressive overload
Although it sounds complicated, progressive overload is merely a type of strength training that involves gradually increasing the intensity or difficulty of your workouts over time. Your muscles get used to the weight and format of your workouts and, unless you switch things up, you’ll gradually notice your progress start to slow. One way to stop this from happening is to add a little more weight or a few more reps when you feel the dumbbells starting to move more easily. Don’t go too mad, the last thing you want is an injury. The Principle of Progression states that increases in time, weight, or intensity should be kept within 10% or less each week to allow for a gradual adaptation.
