Trainers, magazines, supplement companies, and everyone else in the world who claims to be an expert will try to promise you that you can build muscle fast. Simply take this magic supplement, and in 30 days, you can look like Ronnie Coleman!
Not so fast chief. The guys in magazines didn't get their ripped, muscular physique by taking pills, potions, and powders. They got there because they dedicated their lives to training and working hard to get there. And even if you've been toiling in the gym for months without making the progress you think you should, with a few simple tweeks to your training you can start packing on the pounds and start shedding the disgusting fat that's hiding the muscle you do have.
What it boils down to is a few common mistakes that almost everybody in the gym makes.
1. Focussing on "small muscles"
This is number one for many reasons. By focussing too much attention on small muscles, and single-joint, isolation exercises, like curls or laterals, we aren't using enough muscle. Isolation exercises aren't bad, but think of them as the condiments rather than the meal. Instead, base your workouts on heavy compound movements like squats, presses, deadlifts, and rows. Then, after you do your "big lifts" then work some isolation exercises. Big lifts will make you stronger, thus allowing you to use heavier weights on the isolation exercises.
2. Not progressing.
I see this one a lot, most commonly on the bench press. If you are working at the same weight, week in and week out, you aren't being productive in the gym. It all boils down to adaptation. If you aren't placing enough of a stress on the body, you won't adapt. The body adapts to training stress by getting stronger, bigger, and better conditioned. The converse, however, is also true. If you don't stress the body through training, you will adapt and become weaker, slower, and fatter. Or, in the best case, you'll stay exactly the same. Instead, try adding weight in small increments each and every time you train. If you add 5 pounds to your lift every week for 10 weeks, that's 50 pounds! Now, you will eventually stall out. That's okay, it's part of the process.
Bottom line is this, you absolutely need to either add more weight, increase the amount of reps, or increase the speed in which you move the weight. The best bet will be from a combination of all three.
3. Last but not least- EAT MORE!
If you have followed steps 1 and 2, you are now placing a much higher demand on your body than you previously have before. Therefore, you must fuel your body accordingly. Getting proper quantities of protein, carbohydrates, and fats will allow you to grow muscle without adding a lot of excess body fat. Don't be like every skinny wuss out there who claims they eat so much. If you are skinny and weak, you don't eat enough. Shoot for at least 3 proper meals per day, make it a goal to get 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, and add in some carbs from foods like oatmeal, potatoes, rice, and fruits and vegetables. Finally, layer in some healthy fats from olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and seeds, avocados, grassfed butter, and fish oil.
For most people who want to get bigger and stronger, this will give you ample room to grow for months, or even years to come. These steps are so simple, yet their effectiveness is unparalleled. Consistent, hard, training, combined with consistent, quality nutrition will absolutely guarantee to build more muscle faster than any supplement, shake, or the latest muscle magazine workout program.
Nate Aye is a strength coach and gym owner, as well as the founder of Man-Training. You can read more of my articles, as well as get free training tips by visiting my website:
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