Building Muscle Mass - My Top Tips

Building muscle mass is one of the simplest formulas around, and yet still we all hear a million and one versions of how best to do it. So before you look any further for the special tips that will make all the difference, check your workout against my must-do's and you will learn all you need to know.

1. Training -

To build muscle you must train in a certain way. You need to hit the gym with high intensity, and then get out within 45 minutes. That's correct, 45 minutes. This is because after this period your testosterone levels will begin to reduce and your workout will be a catabolic one, as you watch your cortisol levels rise. So how do you fit a complete workout in 45 minutes? This is very simple as most of the exercises performed in the gym are a complete waste of time, so you simply begin by cutting these out of your program. Concentrate on heavy compound moves, such as power lifting techniques like bench-press, squats, deadlift, clean and press, pull-ups, and the like. Choose a maximum of 3-4 exercises and train heavy in the 8-10 rep range ideally failing on the 8th rep of the 4th set. You will train like this 3-4 times a week and that is it. Simple. At no point will you feel inclined to hit the cardiovascular section of the gym or go for a run. If your goal is to build muscle, then build muscle, you can play around with how pretty it will look later. Too many athletes try to build their Adonis frame on the first day and three years later have actually achieved nothing.

2. Nutrition -

Eat, eat and eat. Bodybuilding is 60% nutrition and 40% training, which answers why so many meatheads who sweat to death day in day out in the free weights room are not always making significant gains on a regular basis. Your body needs a lot of fuel to grow, so don't be shy with the calories. The main 2 problems here is people too scared to put on fat, they restrict their diet and result in gaining no muscle, or they eat the calories and panic themselves into going for a run. Stop shaking like a little girl, your goals will still be on track and you're not going to turn into Father Christmas. Now, to get the most of the calories you do need to focus on quality food. A trip to the drive thru, after purchasing 5 doughnuts is not satisfactory. We are looking for 1-2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight daily, with an equal quantity of carbs. Your calorie intake from fat should come to at least 25% of your daily allowance, as consuming less than 20% from fat will result in testosterone drops and a failed attempt at building a temple. There are plenty of good ways to healthily consume fats including fish, oils, nuts and seeds. This allowance is not for saturated, trans-fatty sources to feature in as they will just give you a heart attack, meaning you won't be able to show off your results, which is pointless. As is common knowledge consume meals little and often including a mix of protein and carbs at each sitting. Ideally you want to never be 3 hours away from a meal, and can safely consume 6-9 meals a day using your fist as a portion size for your protein/carb source. Always ensure you are loading up on fruit and veg, especially emphasising the vegetables. Do not include these into your calories, just load them up. When training your nutritional requirements exceed the average man, so this is very important.

3. Drink -

Guzzle water as if there is going to be a drought tomorrow. Aim for between 2-4 litres a day. There are a million and one reasons for this, however for the purpose of this article you're going to have to trust me as I don't have the space to go on forever. While we're on the subject of drink, give alcohol the complete drop and don't touch it! Again, trust me on this as it will destroy your goals making your efforts worthless.

4. Rest -

Always sleep for a good 8 hours a night and when not in the gym take it easy. Your body doesn't grow in the gym; it grows at rest so make your life as restful as possible. This will not only provide the optimum conditions for muscle growth, it also prevents stress, blocking it from sabotaging your hard earned muscle. Stress is an evil force in the muscle building world and can be caused by a hectic schedule, bad diet, sugar rushes and lack of rest and recreation time. Avoid all of these scenarios.

5. Mindset -

Make a decision to commit to a dedicated plan that incorporates the above. If you don't have the resources within your mind to achieve this then don't waste anybodies time asking them for advice. It is wasted on someone who doesn't commit to busting a gut in the gym and feeding themselves religiously while resting well at home.

6. Review -

Training affects different people in different ways so monitor your progress and your body will direct you on how to go forwards. Make sure you change your routines every 8-12 weeks to keep the body developing, and if you really need to incorporate a 'fat loss', or 'CV' cycle then you can, just keep it a completely separate cycle from building lean mass.

In short my advice for building muscle is to take a hard line approach and be serious about your goals. It is not a game to dabble in or 'give it a go', it's a game designed to be taken by the scruff of the neck and run with. The main pet hates of mine are 'I can't train like that', 'I can't eat that much', 'What if I get fat', 'Do you really need to push yourself that hard?' etc…

My advice to people with these gripes is 'that's fine, just don't bother training. And while you're at it, get out of the way of people who are committed to their routines'.