Build Muscle Mass

I'm often asked if it's possible to build muscle mass fast without supplements or performance enhancing drugs. While I must admit the body building supplement companies have done a great job of persuading you to try the latest and greatest "anabolic boosters" and "whey protein blends", the fact remains...

I know that this may come as a shock to all of you out there who have been shelling out $50 a pop for whey protein, hoping that it will be the answer...the "missing link" in your muscle gain program that will catapult your muscle building gains to the stratosphere...But it's the truth!

Simply adding a supplement...any supplement to your plan is not enough to guarantee muscle gain.

Not only has it been proven that simply adding more protein to your diet without making any other changes to your plan does not help gain lean muscle mass, but it may be dangerous!

While I do believe that using some supplements can help you build more muscle mass than training alone, there is not a magic pill or potion on the planet that will allow you to pack on slabs of lean muscle without first mastering the basic fundamentals of lean muscle gain.

To drive the point home...it is absolutely possible to build muscle mass without supplements!

Supplements as the name suggests, are meant to be an addition to an already good diet and training routine...a supplement to the basic fundamentals of muscle gain.

Do not expect body building supplements to help you pack on slabs of lean muscle mass if you have not taken the time to pin down your muscle gain training program and diet...It simply won't happen!

It is possible to build muscle mass without supplements, but in order to do so, you must pay close attention to the fundamental muscle building principles. I know that this sound boring and I understand that you're in a hurry to achieve you muscle building goals, but trust me on this one...

Nearly every client that has come to me with sob stories of "trying everything possible to gain muscle" only to succumb to the belief that "their body can't gain muscle mass", has completely ignored at least one of the muscle building fundamentals that are critical to build muscle mass.

Chances are, you along with most of my clients have lost touch with the muscle building basics perhaps never even applying the fundamentals of muscle gain at all!

Before you run out and spend your hard earned money on the latest body building supplements, protein powders and "underground anabolic potions", you owe it to yourself to take a long look through the basics and see if there isn't something simple that you're overlooking.

How Not To Build Muscle Mass!

Nearly all muscle building failures stem from a deficiency in one or more of the following areas...

1.) Not Eating Enough - If you want to build muscle mass without supplements, you need to make sure that you're consuming enough calories to produce this result.

Start by calculating your maintenance calorie level. Once you know that number, consume 500 more calories per day for 1 week.

If you're still not making progress, increase your caloric intake by an additional 500 calories the following week. Continue in this manner until you begin to see results.

Remember....everyone's body is different. What may work for your friend, brother or acquaintance at the gym may not work for you!

Take the time to get to know how your own body responds. This is invaluable information!

2.) Not Getting Enough Rest - Adequate rest and recovery is critical to the muscle building process. If you are doing everything else right and ignoring your recovery, your body will begin to give you some signs.

It's critical that you pay attention to these signs if your goals are to build muscle mass.

You've put in the time to hit the gym and train in the right way, you are dedicated enough to prepare your meals and eat on schedule so far everything is going well...until you decide that you really only need to sleep for 2 hours each night.

Wouldn't you feel foolish if this were the one thing that was holding you back from achieving your muscle building goals? The bottom line is that rest and recovery is important to the muscle building process. Try to get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each night.

3.) Not eating the right amounts of nutrients at the right times throughout the day - This one goes hand in hand with the first rule. Once you know how many calories you need to target each day, the next step is to break it down into 5 - 6 evenly spaced meals.

Plan to eat a meal every 2 - 3 hours throughout the day. Each meal need to be composed of protein, complex carbohydrates, and fats.

4.) Not training properly - In order to build muscle mass, your training routine must constantly evolve to stay one step ahead of your body.

The trick here is to "progressively overload your muscles". This progressive overload is the stimulus for change in your body. If applied properly, it becomes the reason that your body must build muscle mass!

A good place to start, is with heavy multi joint compound muscle building exercises such as squat, dead lift, dips, weighted pull-ups, shoulder press etc...make it a point to master these basic but powerful exercises.

For the most part, stay away from single joint isolation exercises like cable curls, triceps push downs and leg extensions. Yes...isolation exercises have their place in the muscle building arsenal, but only after you've spent some time working on the basics!

5.) Not drinking enough water - This is a big one! Make sure to drink a minimum of one gallon of water per day, spaced out throughout the day. The more muscle mass you are carrying around the more important this becomes.

Approximately 75% of muscle mass is made of water. Knowing that...doesn't it just seem like good muscle building sense to keep your body adequately hydrated?

If you're serious about building muscle and not wasting your money on hype, stick with the muscle building basics. Take the time to figure out what really works for your body by trial and error and keep a log of your efforts.

Once you're confident that you have applied these fundamentals correctly, then and only then is it the right time to even consider adding supplements to your muscle building arsenal!

Build Muscle Mass Fast...Without Any Hype!

How Not To Build Muscle Mass!