How to Build Muscle
Aside from burning fat, building lean muscle is definitely one of the most popular fitness goals out there.
When I first entered the fitness scene, I thought I knew a lot about building muscle but when I look back now it was actually quite the opposite! I had some pretty impressive results from the start but then a plateau happened that I could not get over. I fell in love with working out but people would still ask if I was working out rather than it being super obvious and that was VERY frustrating!
So I tried everything, from weight gaining supplements to grueling workout regimens. Over the years (many years), I finally got the hang of it. What I realized in the end was that building muscle could happen a lot more successfully as long as I followed 3 main strategies: a dedication to strength training, a focus on compound exercises, and a high-protein, high-calorie diet.
In combination, these 3 factors will get you weeks, if not months, closer to your weight training goals.
Let’s take a closer look…
How to Build Muscle in 3 Easy Steps
Strategy #1 – Strength Training
Strength training is the first thing you need to pay attention to. What I mean by a “dedication to strength training” is that you have to commit yourself to making regular improvements in strength.
The key measure of strength is, of course, how much weight you can lift. But regularly increasing the amount of weight you can lift, you’ll make the biggest gains in size. You need to lift heavier to build muscle.
The best approach is to find a repetition range that works for you and stick to it. Generally speaking, 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps per exercise will effectively build muscle mass over time. As soon as you get into the high end of this range (by really pushing yourself), it’s time to add on the weight. This is how you get stronger, and by lifting heavier weights, you’ll build more muscle.
Strategy #2 – Compound Exercises
The next thing I want you to focus on is compound exercises. Compound exercises involve larger muscle groups, like your chest, back, quads, and glutes, as well as smaller muscle groups like your biceps and triceps. Isolation exercises, on the other hand, focus on a single group of muscles. A concentration curl is a good example of an isolation exercise.
