3 Things You Need to Get Right to Build Muscle

Although building muscle takes a lot of time and consistency, it's a relatively easy process, once you know what you're doing. I mean, it's as easy as anything is going to be. Do you have to work? Of course. Do you have to work hard? Definitely. But if you know what you're doing, you can build a lot of muscle in record time. Today, I want to share with you my 3 steps for putting on over 30 pounds of lean muscle mass in just 3 years. We're talking muscle here, folks. Not fat. There is a difference.

Before we begin, let's start with my take on supplements. Creatine, whey protein, and caffeine are some of the best supplements that you can take to help yourself build muscle. I like going with Body Fortress products. For my pre-workout, I've been using C4 Extreme with great results. If you're interested, you can checkout my review. 

Step #1. Diet Right.

Before you ever start training, you need to get your diet right. This is the single most important aspect to building muscle. If you get this wrong, you're going to be left spinning your wheels in the gym for nothing. If you want results, you need to eat right. But what exactly does that mean? For building muscle, that means that you need to get in enough calories, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Don't be confused by this, but you need to get your macros right. Macros is just another fancy way of saying that you need to get in the right amount of calories from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, If you're wondering, the macro nutrient split that I use is 50% carbs, 30% protein, and 20% fat. This has worked well for me, and it's the split that I will always use.

Aside from macros, you need your micros as well. This means that you need to be getting in your vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients in order for your body to function. Take a good multivitamin, and always try to consume green, leafy, and other colorful fruits and vegetables at every meal.

Step #2. Train Smart. 

Once you have your diet right, you need to follow a solid muscle building program. I recommend following a program made by a guy who used to have your current build, but now has the build that you want. In any case, I'm going to assume that your goal is to build muscular size, and muscular strength.

In which case, you should be lifting weights 3 to 5 days a week, and minimizing the amount of cardio you do. For big muscle groups, I recommend performing 12 sets, and for smaller muscle groups, I recommend performing 9 sets.

Remember, focus on the lift. Be sure to lift in the 8 to 12 rep range for size, and 5 to 6 rep range for strength. Always focus on the negative part of the lift, as this will help you get the best results possible.

Step #3. Rest.

Never workout a sore muscle, and always take every 3rd day off at least. This is what I've been doing the past 6 months, and I've gotten awesome results. Remember, you don't build muscle in the gym, you build muscle while you're resting, and consuming food.

Final Thoughts.

Building muscle isn't too complicated once you know what you're doing. But there are a lot of places that you can go wrong. If you diet right, train smart, rest, and as a bonus, use supplements, you can start seeing some amazing results here in the next 3 months. Remember, consistency is key to your success, both in the gym, and in the kitchen as well. By the way, for the image, I got it from Flick from A. Blight.