How to Build Muscle Article

How to Build Muscle

A common misconception is to build muscle all you have to do is workout. While this is half true you’re also missing the most important part, your diet.

I don’t care how much weight you lift, you will not build muscle without a proper diet!

What is a proper muscle building diet?

1. Protein - A major part of a body builder’s diet consists of protein. The best source for protein is from meat products. If you’re looking to really build some muscle you should be getting 1gram of protein for every 1lb you weigh. For example if you weigh 150lbs you should be getting 150 grams of protein every day. This is the biggest overlooked step when trying to build muscle. 150 grams might be hard to reach day after day; this is where a protein shake comes in. Some protein shakes have up to 50 grams per shake.
2. Calories – A lot of people blow this step off because they don’t want to loose their beautiful six pack. Little do they know you can’t build muscle unless you have some fat on your body. This is called the bulking up stage. You must eat 1.5x more then you usually eat every day. If your normal intake is 2000 calories then you must now take in 3000 calories per day. Most people do this stage over the winter for the period of four months.

Now that we know the diet what should I do about weight lifting?

1. Never stop weight lifting. Some people stop working out over the summer or winter, but if you want to build muscle you can never really stop working out.
2. Heavy weights with less reps. The weight should be so heavy that you can only pump out 8 reps at a time. Once you finish your set of 8 wait 1-2 minutes and pump out another 8 reps. Repeat this step 4 times.

When should I start to notice a difference?

            If everything is done correctly you should start to notice muscle mass in 6-8 weeks. Some people may be longer or shorter depending on your genes and your motivation.  If you don’t see any muscle growth in 8 weeks, don’t give up. Having a great physique doesn’t happen over night, nor is it easy to do. If you stick it out though you will thank yourself in the end.