5 tips to build muscle as fast as possible
Learning how to build muscle fast is easy, putting it into practice is the hard part. Most people think that if you lift more, you will gain more muscle mass. This is simply not the case.
Building muscle has as much to do with diet as training, if not more.
You can’t build muscle without a calorie surplus, just like you can’t build muscle without resistance training.
To build muscle fast, you need to optimize your diet and training regimen. Here is how to do it.
1. Avoid low-carb diets
While low carb diets are great for cutting fat, they won’t help you gain muscle mass. You need carbohydrates for fuel so you can exercise more efficiently.
Carbohydrates are important before training sessions and immediately after training sessions. Carbohydrates are your main muscle fuel.
By consuming complex carbohydrates, you restore glycogen stores within your muscles.[1] for greater activity and fullness. This is an important factor in the effectiveness of a training session.
2. Avoid all alcohol
Alcohol, even in small amounts, can have major effects on sleep and recovery. In a 1980 study, alcohol in small doses (0.8 g/kg) before bedtime suppressed plasma growth hormone by 70-75%.[2].
If you add the effects of dehydration and cortisol release, it’s nothing more than a recipe for disaster.
3. Get more protein
There is a lot of confusion surrounding protein these days. One article says you don’t eat enough, the other says you eat too much.
So what is the key?
For moderately active and very active adults, it is reasonable to consume around 2-3 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight.[3]
Studies show that excessive protein consumption has an extremely low chance of negative side effects. Additionally, protein is essential in many bodily functions.
4. Lift heavy weights
Protein alone cannot build muscle. To really increase size, you need to lift heavy weights. Or use your body weight to achieve your desired resistance.
In the gym, you could focus on lifting 6 sets of 6 reps with a weight heavy enough to go to failure on the last two sets. This should be enough to make some serious profits.
5. Change up your workouts
This does not necessarily mean changing the exercises. Vary your sets and reps, rest time, and intensity. This will help you break those dreaded deadlocks.
I hope this list helps you achieve your desired physique. But this can only help you if you continually take daily measurements. Avoid analysis paralysis and get down to business.
References:
1. Louise M Burke, Bente Kiens, and John L. Ivy
Carbohydrates and Fats for Training and Recovery
Pages 15-30 | Accepted August 7, 2003, published online: February 18, 2007. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0264041031000140527
2. Prinz, PN et al., The effect of alcohol on sleep and overnight plasma growth hormone and cortisol concentrations, J. Clin. Endocrine. Metabol., 50(4), 759-764, 1980
3. Paul Hovan Jr., May 10, 2016
https://www.issaonline.edu/blog/index.cfm/2016/how-much-is-too-much-protein-myths-busted