Some people are experts at gaining weight, but is it really the kind they want? Everyone wants to know how to build muscle, instead of gaining weight by packing on fat and blubber.
In this article, I’ll teach you exactly how to build muscle, walking you from step A-Z. This article is for everyone looking to build muscle, whether you’re a newbie to the gym, or a seasoned hardgainer, everyone can learn from this ultimate muscle building guide.
Let’s get into it:
Why You Need To Have Muscle:
One of the most beneficial things you can do for your health is to maintain your muscular mass. There are several advantages to having more lean muscle, including:
- Injury risk is reduced.
- You look amazing
- Better health
- If you’re jacked you can get away with anything
More muscle also benefits you when you’re older. Let me explain-
If you’re muscular, you’re likely strong. Strength at a younger age has been shown to improve overall health when you’re older.
BUT-
The number one reason we all build muscle though is to look amazing. Everyone wants to look like the giga chad, or Zyzz. Unfortunately, this transformation doesn’t happen overnight, or in a few weeks, or even months.
It takes a consistent grind to get where you want to be with bulking and muscle building.
How to Build Muscle
When it comes to building muscle, there are three important factors to keep in mind. The first is how you train, the second is what you eat, and the third is supplements you can take.
The quick answer to successfully building muscle is to train with intensity, eat more calories than you burn, and take key muscle building fitness supplements.
There are tons of sites claiming to have a “secret method” to building muscle, or a crazy supplement that costs thousands of dollars that will “get you jacked within 2 weeks.”
This is all BS- the only reliable way to really build muscle is with the basics and fundamentals of fitness. Sure there are tons of tips and tricks you can use to help along the way, but overall this will be a journey where you have to work to get what you want.
How To Lift To Build Muscle:
Part 1: Lifting With Intensity
Whenever I go to the gym, I notice two kinds of people. 1- the jacked chads who are lifting like it’s their last day on earth. 2- the small little chodes who lift without a purpose, randomly selecting machines and lifting like they’re half asleep.
Let me tell you- there’s a reason why one group is jacked and the other is not. You only get jacked if you lift with intensity. Yes, etch that into your brain and don’t forget it.
Either you are training with INTENSITY, or your not.
If you don’t go to the gym and lift with all your heart and soul, you will never be jacked.
Just look at this comparison below…
| Intensity | Non-Intensity |
|---|---|
| Lifts with a purpose | Lifts to "have fun" |
| Gets jacked | Little to no muscle gains |
| Increases strength | Doesn't gain strength |
| Gets what he wants | Wastes time and gets frustrated |
| Succeeds | Fails |
But how do you lift with intensity?
The easiest way to ensure you have a good, intense lift, is to take pre-workout. My favorite is beyond raw lit, but we’ll review that later in the supplements part of this article.
If you don’t want to take pre workout, it’s all about effort. You get what you work for, it’s that simple.
So the next time you’re in the gym, lift with everything you’ve got.
Part 2: Choosing The Right Workout Routine
What? Your workout routine matters when it comes to gaining muscle? I thought all workouts would build muscle. No, allow me to explain.
Different training programs are designed to achieve various objectives. Some are better for growing strength, while others are better for endurance, and still others are designed to increase muscle mass. Ideally, you should go with the latter option.
If you’re having trouble gaining muscle, I recommend hypertrophy training. You can get bigger and stronger by mixing both sorts of training, and you can do it faster than if you just focused on one type of exercise.
Reps that build muscle are in the 8-12 range.
This is common knowledge, when it comes to rep ranges, the following is widely held:
- Strength = 1-5 reps at >80% of 1 rep max
- Muscle Mass = 6-12 reps at 60-80% of 1 rep max
- Endurance = 12+ reps at <60% of 1 rep max
Do your compound lifts at a mix of strength and muscle building reps. (Compound lifts are lifts that use more than one muscle group ex: bench press)
Do your isolation reps at mass gaining and endurance level reps (8-12+ range)
How To Eat To Gain Muscle:
No one ever eats enough when they want to gain muscle. If you look at what most mainstream sites recommend, they say “don’t eat over 2,000 calories a day it’s unhealthy.”
Nope- most mainstream fitness advice is BS. If you want to get big, you’ve got to eat like you’re already big. You must eat more calories than you burn.
The MAIN REASON WHY MOST PEOPLE FAIL TO GAIN MUSCLE IS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT EATING PROPERLY. Seriously, when I was a freshman in high school, I recall eating around 1,000 calories each day and wondering why I couldn’t gain muscle. Eating a lot is how you bulk up.
If you want to gain weight, you must consume a lot of calories… And it’ll almost certainly be a lot more food than you anticipated. That’s the kind of meal I’m referring to here.
There’s 3 Steps To Figuring Out What You Should Eat:
Step 1: Calculate Your Caloric Intake (Basal Metabolic Rate) –
The first and most crucial stage in muscle growth is to calculate your calorie intake. It’s impossible to make any kind of significant progress if you don’t know how much you should be consuming to gain muscle.
An easy way to find your BMR is to take your weight and multiply it by 15. That will give you a rough estimate of what you should be eating.
The second more accurate way is to use the app macros. It will give you an exact estimate of how many calories you should consume each day. Always strive to consume this number of calories from now on.
Step 2: Use a Calorie Counting App
A Calorie Counting App can be downloaded for free. I use Macros, although there are many others available on the App Store. From now on, keep a note of everything you eat. Whatever it is, if it contains calories, it must be recorded. This will ensure that you keep track of how much you eat accurately.
Step 3: Eat LOTS of Protein
Calculate Your Ideal Protein Intake — Despite the fact that many of these calorie counting applications are precise, they are typically inept when it comes to macronutrient targets.
You won’t gain muscle if you don’t eat enough protein, so here’s what you should do. To figure out your ideal protein consumption, multiply your ideal lean bodyweight in pounds by 1.0 to get your ideal protein intake. So, if you want to be 200 pounds lean (with abs), you should attempt to eat 200+ grams of protein every day.
Foods That Build Muscle:
When it comes to building muscle in the kitchen, there’s foods you certainly want in your fridge, and foods you DEFINITELY want to avoid.
Some foods you want to avoid are:
- Fast foods:
- Fries
- Low quality hamburgers
- Chicken nuggets
- Junk foods:
- Cookies
- Donuts
- Candy
- Anything soy
Some foods you want to eat are:
- Chicken
- Brown rice
- Steak
- Eggs
- Milk
- Salmon
- Potatoes
- Cheese
Muscles Are Built In The Kitchen
After years of lifting, the most important thing I’ve discovered is that around 75% of your results are from what you eat in the kitchen, and the other 25% is just tearing your muscles down in the gym.
It took me a while to figure out, but if you can track your calories, eat enough protein, and actually hit your daily calories, you’ll pack on muscle like a madman on steroids.
Seriously just by following these principles I’ve actually had people ask me if I was on steroids. (That’s probably the biggest compliment a natty lifter can get)
So all in all, calculate your basal metabolic rate, get a calorie counter, and eat lots of high protein foods. Avoid junk food at all cost (but not if you’re dirty bulking)
Supplements To Build Muscle
Supplements are by far one of the best ways to fast track your muscle building journey. With so many supplements being promoted, it’s important to know which ones are actually worth your time and money. You can read my guide on the best bulking supplements for more in depth information.
Or just read my general guide to the best fitness supplements to get jacked.
Luckily for you, I know the in’s and out’s of supplements in the fitness industry, having spent thousands of dollars on supplements.
While some supplements may work faster than others, it’s important to keep in mind that some fitness supplements I discuss here are not for everyone. Only dedicated lifters should be using supplements.
A quick overview of the supplements to help you GAIN* muscle are as follows:
- Protein Powder
- Pre-Workout
- Creatine
- RAD-140
Protein Powder For Building Muscle
First on the list is classic whey protein. This is one of the safest, trusted, reliable supplements on the market.
The way whey protein works is, it gives your body straight protein, which is critical for building muscle once it’s been broken down.
Whey Protein Benefits:
- Maximize Recovery Post Workout
- Straight quality protein
- Helps Build Lean Muscle
As I said before, whey protein has a reputation for being one of the oldest and most trusted muscle-building supplements for a reason. It has tons of clinical studies backing up its effectiveness.
Supplement Clinical Research
In a study conducted by the University of Toronto Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, researchers praised whey protein for its ability to enhance recovery post-workout [1]:
In conclusion, whey protein supplementation enhances whole body anabolism, and may improve acute recovery of exercise performance after a strenuous bout of resistance exercise… our data suggest that resistance-trained individuals may benefit from protein supplementation
University of Toronto Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education
It’s a great supplement for everyone trying to put on muscle because it helps you get protein into your system, repairing your muscles.
I just put 2-3 scoops of protein powder into a blender bottle or shake and drink it. You can do it in different ways, but it’s important that you take it consistently every day.
Pre-Workout For Building Muscle
There’s no point in going to the gym and getting big if you don’t even have enough energy to lift at 100% effort. Like I said before, lifting with intensity is the #1 step to building muscle.
That’s where pre-workout comes in. Good pre-workout will make your gym sessions 10x better, and give you tons more energy.
When you lift with intensity and energy, you’ll put on tons more muscle and build more strength than you would without.
Pre-workout gives you important nutrients that help you build more muscle, and give you energy.
Supplement Clinical Research
A found that supplementing with beta alanine (which is found in almost all pre-workouts) increased muscle carnosine by 80.1% [3]
“Thirteen male subjects were supplemented with β-alanine (CarnoSyn™) for 4 weeks, 8 of these for 10 weeks… Muscle carnosine was significantly increased by +58.8% and +80.1% after 4 and 10 weeks β-alanine supplementation.”
This means that using pre-workout with beta-alanine literally increased the muscle building blocks by over 80%. An 80% increase in anything is huge, especially in building muscle.
Muscle carnosine is very important for building muscle, it’s almost like the building blocks of it. An 80% increase in it is incredible.
Benefits of Pre-Workout
When you take pre-workout, you pump yourself full of energy and valuable nutrients.
Pre-Workout Benefits:
- More energy
- More endurance
- Muscle building nutrients
- Ability to lift with intensity
Taking a pre-workout supplement will drastically improve your workouts, and help you pack on muscle like never before. I strongly recommend you take it.
Creatine For Building Muscle
Creatine is an extremely effective supplement for building muscle, mass, and strength. There’s tons of science backing this, too. In fact, it’s one of my favorite fitness supplements to take.
Creatine is arguably the top supplement for increasing strength, meaning it’s one of the best for athletes, bodybuilders and powerlifter. It helps us gain good weight, be strong, and be muscular.
Supplement Clinical Research
One study by the University of Oklahoma found that creatine improved “high-intensity anaerobic peak power” by 19.6% in TRAINED athletes. [2]
Researchers stated:
“Our findings indicate that creatine, supplemented concurrently with resistance and anaerobic training, may positively affect cell hydration status and enhance performance variables further than augmentation seen with training alone.”
The way creatine works is by increasing ATP output, which is pretty much your body’s ability to exert energy and force.
Benefits of Creatine
As I said before, creatine is one of the best weight gaining supplements. It also helps you get stronger.
Creatine Benefits:
- Increases muscle strength
- Helps you gain weight
- Gives you more energy
- Improves strength
In short, taking creatine is one of the fastest ways to speed up muscle growth, weight gain, and enhance athletic performance.
RAD-140 For Building Muscle
As you can see, this before and after picture is after RAD-140 was taken for 60 days by Jon from masculinedevelopment. I use these images with his permission.
As you can see, these results are absolutely incredible. RAD-140 is a SARM for bulking.
But what is a “SARM” and “RAD-140?”
To put it clearly, RAD140 is a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM), and it stimulates particular androgen receptors in your body, much like any other SARM.
Testolone, also known as RAD140, has a high affinity for muscle and bone receptors, allowing you to gain muscular mass quickly.
Shortly after consumption, RAD 140 begins connecting to androgen receptors in skeletal muscle, telling your body to develop and grow muscle. Most users see a boost in training capability, faster muscle growth, better recuperation, and faster fat loss within a week.
It also avoids other androgen receptors, such as those found in smooth muscle tissue (in your organs), ensuring that you don’t have numerous androgenic adverse effects.
Supplement Clinical Research:
There have been hundreds of studies on these “SARMS” and although they’re not made for human consumption (like a lot of supplements), they have been proven to be safe and effective.
I would not take these if you are new to lifting (under 5 years of experience) or under the age of 18. There is simply not enough research to see how it affects developing bodies. However, if you’re an adult who is looking to pack on some more muscle, I highly recommend checking them out. (R)
“Clinical chemistry indicated the expected lowering of lipids (LDL, HDL, triglycerides).28 Despite the rather dramatic increases in body weight over such a short time, there was no elevation of liver enzyme transaminase levels in any animal at any dose >2 fold over its baseline value.29,30 Given the well-established relationship between oral androgen use and liver stress indicators, we were quite pleased that at a dose 10-fold greater than the fully effective dose we saw minimal liver enzyme elevations.”
NBMBI
Benefits of RAD-140:
- Build A TON of muscle
- Gain strength very quickly
- Faster recovery times
- Increased energy
- More fat loss
- Safe and effective
It has been reported that while taking RAD-140 you gain over 20 lbs of muscle and lose around 12 lbs of fat in just one cycle. That’s months of hard work at the gym eating perfectly, all in around 30 days.
In short, taking RAD-140 has the potential to completely transform your body, within just 1-3 months.
All in all, following the steps I give you in this article will make you build muscle. Just remember, you actually have to do things like count calories and workout with intensity, otherwise everything else will be for nothing.
Let me know if you have any questions (drop it in the comments) and I’ll see you next time.
