Written by Mehdi

Internet & magazines are full of misinformation & myths on how to build muscle. Countless methods promise results some struggle to achieve.
If you don’t get results, you’re using ineffective methods. Which is a shame. Not getting results is the chief reason you end up quitting.
It’s easy to build muscle the natural way. But you have to know how. These 10 tips will help you – How to Build Muscle: The Definitive Guide.
1. Get Stronger. Strength training builds muscle. The stronger you are, the stronger you’ll look. Check out the Beginner Strength Training Program if you don’t know where to start. It takes 3 x 30 mins a week.
2. Use Free Weights. Free weights are your best tool to get stronger. Free weights are:
Start with an empty barbell to avoid injuries. Add weight gradually. Read articles on exercise technique & get Starting Strength.
3. Train Your Legs. Don’t lose your time training abs, chest & biceps only. You need to train your whole body, especially the legs. If you could do only one exercise, it would be the Squat.
4. Eat. Food speeds up recovery & builds muscle. Eat at least your body-weight in lbs x 18 calories. Eat every 3 hours. Eat post workout.
Strength training burns calories. You’ll need to eat more to keep your current body-weight. Never starve yourself to death. Even if you want to build muscle while losing fat.
5. Eat Healthy. Limit junk food & alcohol consumption to once or twice a week. Eat healthy the rest of the time, you need:
Go for whole food. Use multi-vitamins & fish oil supplements if you want. It doesn’t need to be expensive, you can eat healthy while keeping it cheap.
6. Drink Water. Strength training causes water loss. Drink water to avoid dehydration & help muscle recovery. One gallon a day will do.
7. Get Protein. Proteins are the muscle building blocks. You need protein for recovery & to build muscle. Plenty of sources you can choose from:
Eat at least 1g protein/body-weight in lbs daily. Feel free to experiment with higher protein intakes.
8. Rest. Muscles grow after your workout, not during. Give your muscles time to recover & grow.
9. Plan Ahead. Career, business, family, friends, hobbies, etc. All will interfere with your goal to build muscle. Plan ahead:
Build a lifestyle that helps you achieving your goals. Build the exercise habit.
10. Persist. Don’t believe the hype. It takes time to build muscle. If you’re a beginner: at least 2 months to see serious change. Measure your muscle gains & keep a training log to keep yourself motivated.
The only thing that will prevent you achieving success is you. Persist.
18 Responses to How To Build Muscle: The Definitive Guide
Czar
October 10th, 2007 at 19:22
This is by far the BEST article on building muscle I’ve ever come across. Every other muscle building website is full of marketing garbage! Thank you very much. Keep up the good work. -Czar.in.LosAngeles.
The Gain Weight and Build Muscle Expert
December 10th, 2007 at 06:14
I agree, this guide is a great weapon to have in your armoury for building muscle. It really does help you understand all the bull that is circling the bodybuilding industry today, but there is also a lot of other things you need to know to get that body you desire.
Sean Nalewanyj - Building Mass Muscle Expert Review
December 12th, 2007 at 17:45
Excellent info, nice and short points and all of them very true, Building Mass Muscle is not for everyone as it does take work, follow the steps above and you will be well on your way.
Build Muscle Fast
January 14th, 2008 at 23:39
Plenty of details in this article. If all beginners read an article like this before they stepped in to the gym life would be much simpler for them!
Body Sculpting For Men » Build Muscle Mass - Build Muscle Fast - BodyBuilding Workouts - Strength Training Tips
January 18th, 2008 at 16:00
[...] How To Build Muscle: The Definitive Guide | The Best Article Every dayInternet & magazines are full of misinformation & myths on how to build muscle. Countless methods promise results some struggle to achieve. … [...]
lejen
March 20th, 2008 at 23:59
Thats an amazing article ,
Chris
April 5th, 2008 at 21:39
not very specific. Thats a basic guide to staying healthy..
To get larger muscles you do endurance training, like 50 10lb curls instead of 4 50lb curls. This causes your muscles to fill up with fluid, which contains all the fuel the cells need.
The drawback is that while ur muscles last a lot longer they become a bit weaker.
When you do strength training the other thing happens. You actually form new actin and myosin proteins needed for muscle contraction. This increases strength but does not increase muscle size as much. If you did strength training and had comparable muscle size to that who practices endurance training then you would be incredibly strong compared to the other person.
The drawback is that although you can lift heavy stuff and push harder you can only hold it for a limited period of times while the endurance trainer could probably keep pushing for hours.
Generally endurance is preferred in real life as long as your strength is a little bit more than your body weight. But always remember that if you do strength training you probably will be able to overpower a guy with much larger muscles than you.
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April 18th, 2008 at 08:51
[...] ????? ?????How To Build Muscle: The Definitive Guide? [...]
Alex
May 25th, 2008 at 10:18
Please correct section 5. on healthy fats: saturated fats are not the healthty ones. Healthy fats are unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats.
Kathy Mead
August 24th, 2008 at 22:16
thanks, very useful tips~
nicko H
January 7th, 2009 at 09:15
I work out, i have used diff vitamins and proteins and other crap but the only way i built muscles was the hard work, follow the steps in this article and trust me you will get there where u want to be. One thing though eat healthy and eat every few hrs dont dont eat untill you’re full just eat often.
Erol
May 4th, 2009 at 18:57
I use a Muscle Building program based on natural ways.
Gives very good results and costs less effort and money :-)
Muscle Building Dude
May 4th, 2009 at 19:00
Agreed on that, Natural is best, no supplements or any of that!
Legal Steroids
June 20th, 2009 at 10:32
Thanks for sharing this information. I found it very informative as I have been researching a lot lately on practical matters such as you talk about…
Viagra
August 3rd, 2009 at 08:27
You have the right idea, I need to look into more ways on how to build muscle without weights…?
tim
October 2nd, 2009 at 21:54
I was a little skeptical when i first read about the Dr. Max Powers HGH Spray ( I found it at http://www.drmaxpowers.com), since I’m not a huge fan adding to much “unknown” to my diet.
After using 1 bottle i exploded in energy. I had some problems increasing muscle and bulking up on my biceps and chest for a few months, but after taking this for 3 weeks i increased my lift by 30%, more intensity, more focus and just an overall good felling day around.
I have had no real side effects. The only thing i might mention is that you can get a aggressive a little easier than before. But if you use it in the gym or to work out and not on your fellow people, then i wouldn’t worry about it. Ohh, and yes, blood is pumping all day long, which can have the side effect of your “little friend” turning active at times you might not want him to :) I do recommend the Dr. Max Powers HGH spray to those looking for a healthy way to increase their strength
Whey protein site
October 9th, 2009 at 16:54
I think the most important advice here is just to persist! There are far too many 6 weekers in bodybuilding who eventually give up.
pariuri sigure
October 20th, 2009 at 00:44
Well, this is a very valuable post. Thanks for the information you provided. It would be great if got more post like this. I appreciate it.