15 of the Most Effective Muscle Building Tips

You’re showing up to the gym each day and working out, but you’re just not seeing any muscle gain. You don’t necessarily want to look like Arnie, but you do want to see an increase in muscle definition—what’s gone wrong?

If you’re not getting results on the weights floor, it might be because you’re focusing on the wrong things. Gaining muscle is so much more than just lifting weights and putting them down again!

Whether you want to lose weight, get leaner, or build up muscle mass, you need to know what you’re doing—to learn more, keep reading to find 15 of the best muscle building tips to help you get started.

Eat Enough Protein

When building muscle, you first need to understand the importance of protein in the process. As we exercise and lift, we’re breaking down our muscles.

However, protein and amino acids are the body’s building blocks, with protein working to repair our muscle cells and make new ones. Essentially, protein is responsible for muscle growth, so if you don’t eat a diet high in protein, your body won’t be able to build new muscle.

While we often think of protein as only being found in meat, there are actually plenty of amazing and delicious foods that are high in protein.

To build muscle, eat a diet high in protein—it can be found in foods such as oats, almonds, Greek yogurt, tuna, lentils, and fish, to name a few.

Smaller, Frequent Meals Are Your Friend

To build stronger muscles, many trainers recommend ditching the breakfast, lunch, and dinner routine. Instead, switch to smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day.

That way, you can plan your meals to fit in right after your workouts, giving you a quick energy boost. Smaller meals also spread out your caloric consumption throughout the day, which stops you from feeling so hungry.

Try lean, high-protein meals, with plenty of veggies, healthy fats, and some carbs. When planning your meals, it’s a good idea to limit salt, as too much salt can raise your blood pressure and also cause temporary bloating, which isn’t helpful if you’re wanting to look lean and strong.

Stay Hydrated

Eating the right food isn’t enough to gain muscle—another key part of your diet is staying hydrated. Water is essential for helping your body function, as it lubricates your joints, flushes out toxins, and helps you move easily.

Water also plays a role in cell growth, so it’ll be easier for your body to make new muscle cells if you’re properly hydrated. Try carrying around a water bottle, or leaving one on your desk, so that you always have water nearby.

Supplements Can Help With Building Muscle

Many bodybuilders find that vitamins, supplements, and energy shakes can give them a boost.

One popular option is SARMS, which stands for selective androgen receptor modulator. They are similar to steroids and help your body grow muscle faster—you can find SARMS for sale here.

Just be sure to always do your research when trying new supplements, making sure you find a product that’s safe, beneficial, and learn how to correctly administer the dosage.

Lift Heavy

To put on a notable amount of muscle, you need to really push yourself out of your comfort zone in the gym. Train heavy and lift weights that are hard for you—if it feels easy, you’re not going to see results.

Develop challenging, varied workout routines in the gym, working out all of your major muscle groups. By lifting weights and focusing on large muscle groups like glutes, biceps, and quads, you’ll eventually start to see results.

To make things more challenging, you can work out several muscle groups at once.

Always be sure to lift safely, so if you’re lifting really heavy weights, it can be a good idea to have a spotter or workout buddy to help you out.

Show Up Every Day

Wondering how to build muscle? One of the main ways to go about this is with consistency. Show up every day, both in terms of working out and in living a healthy, nutritious lifestyle.

If you’re lifting heavy, but not eating well, you’re not going to see results—you can’t out-train a bad diet.

While days off and rest days are important, you want to be consistent—give 100% in the gym each time you work out and be patient—over time, you’ll start to notice gains. Make a schedule to work out at least 4-5 times per week and stick to it.

Consider Working With a Trainer

If you feel like your muscle growth is plateauing, it might help to work with a personal trainer. Once you let them know your fitness goals, they can develop a personalized workout plan for you.

Often, a personal trainer will encourage you to lift harder, which can take your fitness to a higher level than you could accomplish by yourself.

Add Some Variety to Your Workouts

When working out and lifting weights, it’s easy to get into a comfortable routine. Doing the same workout each day can be reliable and easy, but eventually, your body is going to get used to it.

This means that if you always do the same thing, your body isn’t going to be challenged as much as it should. Make a difference by adding some variety to your workout, trying new things.

When you add something new, like jump rope, a new lifting routine, or a new type of cardio, it’s going to feel hard at first—this is a good thing! It means you’re working out new muscle groups and forcing your body to adapt to something new, which will help with muscle groups.

Although lifting weights is essential to muscle growth, it’s not the only way to get stronger. You can also focus on core strength, balance, resistance training, and even cardio–all are great at improving your overall health!

Go Easy on the Booze

It can be tempting to relax with a beer after training, but this can sabotage your training. For one, alcohol is very high in sugar—for example, one vodka and cranberry juice contains a shocking 7.5 teaspoons of sugar.

Sugar is no good for our health and can often lead to weight gain, which will make it harder to see muscle definition. However, alcohol also lowers our inhibitions, making it easy to give into the temptation of late-night snacks—not a good way to gain muscle and get lean.

While the occasional drink is fine, try to keep it for special occasions only.

Consume Healthy Fats

Fats are not the enemy—they actually supply our body with energy, which we need to power through hard workout sessions. However, not all fats are created equal.

It’s helpful to include healthy fats in your diet when trying to gain muscle.

What’s a healthy fat? Generally, this is a type of fat that’s monounsaturated—these fats can help decrease your cardiovascular disease risk.

They can be found in foods like peanut butter, avocado, and vegetable oil, so try to include these fats in your diet.

Unhealthy fats, like fried food, processed foods, and sweets, are best limited, as they don’t offer us any nutritional benefits.

Don’t Neglect Carbs

Another key component of your diet is carbs. Many people assume carbs are bad, but that’s not the case—they’re important for anyone looking to build muscle.

Carbs give us energy, as your body uses carbs to create energy. If you’ve been eating a diet without carbs, then your body is going to turn to your muscle tissue to create energy, which will take away from your gains.

Nutrition is a critical part of the muscle-building process, but it’s also one of the parts that confuse people the most. It’s a complicated process, especially if you have special dietary needs.

If you’re confused about how to improve your diet to gain muscle, it’s a good idea to work with a nutritionist, who can create a weekly meal plan for you. That makes it easy to figure out what you should be eating, and when.

Lift to Muscle Fatigue

How many reps should you do when lifting? Many trainers think that bodybuilders should lift to the point of fatigue—that is, to the point where you can’t physically do any more reps.

Lifting very heavy, but doing fewer reps, can be more effective than lifting lighter weights and doing higher reps.

When lifting heavy, focus on form, ensuring you’re using the correct muscle groups and protecting your body from injury. Do a set number of reps until you can’t do more, then have a rest and repeat.

If done correctly, you’ll be helping your body build muscle, creating a stronger and healthier you.

Get Plenty of Rest

After a challenging workout, you’re likely to be exhausted. Listen to your body—when you’re working out hard, you need more rest.

Be sure to get at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep per night, as sleep is a time for your body to regenerate and rebuild.

When you’re regularly working out, it’s normal to feel tired and to experience aching muscles. If muscle pain is uncomfortable for you, try stretching, taking a warm bath to increase blood flow to your muscles, or getting a sports massage.

However, if your muscle pain is more acute, then it could be related to an injury—take a few days to rest and see a doctor if it doesn’t improve.

Set Realistic Goals

Humans always do better with set goals, so why not set a goal for your muscle gains? Work out what you want to change about your body, then work out a realistic goal of when you want to achieve it.

Setting a goal gives you a clear purpose, which can make your training sessions more motivational. You might find it helpful to have a body scan done at your gym, as this can let you know your current percentage of body fat and muscle mass.

With the help of a trainer, you can set a goal to lower your body fat and increase your muscle over the next few months. It’s a fun way to encourage yourself and stay on track.

Prepare Your Meals to Save Time

One more tip for muscle building—after a big workout, you’re going to be starving. When you’re hungry and tired, it can be tempting to reach for easy, quick choices like unhealthy snacks or fast food.

However, don’t risk ruining your workout with an unhealthy diet. Instead, meal prep each week, preparing your meals for the week on a Sunday afternoon.

That way, when you come home from the gym and you’re hungry, you can reach for a healthy meal that you’ve already prepared, rather than an unhealthy snack.

Keep them in the fridge or freezer so that you can access them anytime, or bring a few to the office for weekday lunches.

Get Ripped With These Muscle Building Tips

Ready to get strong, lean, and healthy? If so, these muscle building tips are sure to help.

Develop a fitness regime and diet plan that you can stick to, as this will help you plan your days, knowing exactly how much to lift and what to eat.

Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts when it comes to building muscle—it requires sacrifice, focus, and hard work. However, as long as you’re willing to put the effort in, you’ll see results!

After a month or two of gym work, you’ll start to notice more muscle definition and your clothes might feel a bit looser—get started today and get ready to sweat!

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