The Five 5 Proven Steps To Building Muscle

Bodybuilding and fitness magazines are just so full of it. Every week they have a new  “secret” method for building muscle faster than ever before? I find it incredibly frustrating to never know who’s really right. When it comes to supplements it’s even worse. Every week there’s a new miracle supplement that is the new muscle building breakthrough.

When you stop and think about it, the real truth about building muscle is simple. It is as simple as getting the basics right and then sticking to it - without getting side-tracked by the latest bodybuilding magazines and fitness experts. Here are 5 simple and fundamental steps to building muscle.

Step 1 - Set Your Goal
Setting goals is not some airy fairy self help method. It’s a fact that without a goal we won’t get anywhere. You will just be working out and spending a lot of time in the gym – hoping that eventually you will build enough muscle to look good and be happy with your body.

A goal helps to focus your mind and gives you a clear direction. When you have a goal for exactly how much muscle you want to gain, with a clear deadline and a clear image in your mind, then half the battle is won. Always start with a goal.

Step 2 - Lift Weights The Right Way
Lifting weights build muscle. We all know that, but most people either lift too much or too little. Both can be equally destructive to your body. Ideally you should be lifting weights every 72 hours. This allows enough time between your workouts for your muscles to recover. Remember that it is during the recovery phase that you muscles actually get bigger. Weight training 4 times a week is ideal and try to allow 2 days for upper and 2 days for lower body weight training.

Step 3 - Eat Right
Gaining muscle mass requires a lot of mass. That’s why you need plenty of nutrition. You cannot build muscle on a fast food diet either. You will need to eat a lot and eat good, nutritious and balanced food to maximize your muscle growth. Try and eat 5 – 7 meals a day. 45% of your meal should be carbohydrates, 35% should be protein and 20% should fat (make sure it’s good fats).

Don’t rely too heavily on shakes to replace your meals. Make sure that 50% of your meals are solid meals.

Step 4 - Stretching
One of the most steps in building muscle is stretching. It is as important as lifting weight because it your muscle fibers need stretching. When you train with weights your muscles contract and shorten. When you stretch your muscles relax and lengthen.

If you just keep training weights without stretching, your muscle tissues will start to shorten and perform weaker and be slower. This one the main causes of reaching muscle building plateaus and injuries.

Step 5 - Don’t Rely On Supplements
Bodybuilding supplements is big business. Bodybuilding magazines are in on it and the majority of supplements are actually owned by the magazines (who promote and advertise it). With all the clever marketing, advertising and testimonials it’s easy to get sucked into buying the latest miracle supplement.

Yes, supplements can help you get results faster, but it’s not a must to use them. A great tip I learned from Vince Delmonte is to never buy a supplement product that hasn’t been around for at least 3 years. It is a great way to avoid those impulse buys and forces you to only buy proven products that actually work and are guaranteed to help you build muscle.

For more great tips on building muscle fast visit BIGstrongRipped.com or make sure you tune into our muscle building blog for the latest news, reviews and advice.