The 10 Rules of Building Muscle Mass

Are you confused about what workout routine and diet plan to follow to build muscle mass? After reading these 10 golden rules of muscle building you will learn some basic facts about training and diet for muscle growth.

1. CONSUME MORE CALORIES THAN YOU BURN

First of all, don't forget this most important rule - eat more calories than you burn every day. That means that you need to be in caloric surplus every single day, especially on training days when your muscles need more protein and healthy calories to grow.

How To Eat To Gain Muscle Mass

2. GO HARD, LIFT HEAVY

If your goal is to build muscle then you will need to lift heavy and focus on progressive overload which is very important for strength and muscle gain. By lifting heavy and in moderate rep range you will gain strength and muscle simultaneously and that approach is the most effective. 

3. IDEAL REP RANGE

I recommend you lifting in a 6-12 rep range. In big lifts like squats, bench press, and deadlifts go with 6-8 and those exercises are the most effective for muscle building because they hit more than one muscle group at the same time.

4. COMPOUND EXERCISES

Major lifts like Bench Press, Military Press, Squat, Dead Lift and Bent-Over Row are the most effective muscle-building exercises. You can build muscle mass with only these exercises together with compound bodyweight exercises like Pull Ups and Dips. You may totally avoid isolation exercises like dumbbell curls and triceps extensions and still make gains in your triceps and biceps. But, if you want to add some isolation work in your workout then save it for part of training after you give your best on big lifts that I mentioned.

For example, if you have a back and biceps training day, start your workout with exercises like deadlift, bent-over row or pull up and then go on with exercises like dumbbell rows, hammer curls, etc.

Top 10 Exercises To Build Muscle Mass

5. CONSUME ALL THREE MACRONUTRIENTS

Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are all very important nutrients for building muscle mass. They all have their role in muscle building so neither one should be excluded in your diet plan. You must know that carbs and fats are not your enemies and that you can't build muscle mass without those two nutrients. Research shows that diets that are higher in fat (monosaturated and saturated, stay away from trans fats) have a good effect on male hormone testosterone which has a big role in muscle growth.

6. GET PLENTY OF SLEEP


You already heard that average person needs 8 hours of sleep daily for optimal health and that rule also applies for lifters that want to build muscle mass. Your sleep time is when your muscles recover and grow. 


Your sleep time is when your growth hormones and testosterone levels are boosted and your insulin sensitivity is also enhanced. If you don't give your body time to heal and grow stronger your training and diet could be worthless.




7. CONFUSE YOUR MUSCLES


The reason that progressive overload works so well for muscle growth is that it confuses your muscles. At the time when your muscles are used to a certain number of reps and a particular weight, you need to add more weight and reps to build more muscle mass.



Also, you shouldn't let your body getting used to the same workout routine for too long. Change your exercises choice, reps and sets ranges that you use or even muscle groups that you train every day. Confusing your muscles is very useful in building muscle mass. If you don't believe me, ask Arnie or other bodybuilding legends. 



Hint: Add dropsets and supersets in your workout routine to boost your muscle growth.




8. FULL-BODY ROUTINE


By following a full-body routine three or four days per week you are going to hit every muscle group on every training day. That is the best way to enhance your muscle growth for natural lifters. Lifters who are consuming anabolic steroids can build muscle mass with long, high-intensity, split routines but for natural lifters, especially beginners, the best way to build muscle mass fast is to do short, high-frequency, full-body workouts three or four times per week.



You can find many articles about full-body routines on this site:


3 Best Full-Body Workouts to Build Muscle Mass Fast







9. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER EVERY DAY


It is very important to stay hydrated throughout the day and especially during the training session. The reason for that is simple, your training performance begins to suffer when your body is dehydrated. Also, water helps to move food through your system so you don't feel bloated.




10. MUSCLE-BUILDING SUPPLEMENTS


For building muscle mass there is nothing more important than your diet, but supplements can be very helpful to speed up the process and make calories counting less stressful. Of course, you shouldn't waste your money on unnecessary supplements. I recommend you to buy Whey Protein as one of the best supplements on the market and after buying one you may also buy Creatine Monohydrate which is the best selling supplement these days. 


More about Whey Protein and Creatine you can read in another article:


Best Muscle-Building Supplements to Build Muscle Mass Fast

Steve Reeves Workout - Remembering The Old-School Bodybuilding Legends

Steve Reeves is the icon of Natural Bodybuilding and one of the most famous bodybuilders of 1950s. Renowned for his fabulous physique and many bodybuilding titles, Reeves became famous for acting in Hercules movies in the mid-twentieth century.

In the world without anabolic steroids, isolation machines and internet it was only a hard work in order to build a muscular and well-proportioned physique. Steve Reeves is the finest example of what people can achieve in building their body without the use of anabolic steroids.

Back in the day, guys like Steve Reeves, John Grimek, and Reg Park didn't have online articles and forums to learn some modern bodybuilding techniques as the case is today, but still, they are renowned for having some of the greatest and most athletic physiques.

Old-school bodybuilders knew that the key to building muscular physique is the full-body workout routines. 

Check out more tips from Natural Bodybuilding Legends:


How Did 100% Natural Bodybuilders Train

To build strength and muscle mass naturally, the answer lies simply in full-body routines, hard work, and consistency. The consistency should not be deserved only for training, the nutrition should also be checked and not to forget muscle recovery and rest.

Rather than devoting one session to triceps or biceps, chest or back, legs or shoulders, full-body workouts will have you hitting all muscle groups every training session which is the best way to naturally build a well-proportioned muscular body. 

Here are three old-school bodybuilding full-body routines for muscle growth:


3 Best Full-Body Workouts to Build Muscle Mass Fast

Check out what Steve Reeves personally said about modern bodybuilders and their training in one interview:

"Today, everything about the top bodybuilding champions is oversized; they have lost the whole purpose of bodybuilding which is to create a harmonius whole, not to exaggarate the development of one part or parts of the body."

Below you'll find one of Steve Reeves' favorite full-body workouts which he called "Classic Physique" routine written by Reeves personally for bodybuilding magazine back in 1951.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Incline Dumbbell Press	3	8-12
Front Squat	3	15
Dumbbell Fly	3	15
Seated Barbell Curl	3	12
Alternate Dumbbell Front Raise	2	15
Bent Over Row	2	12
One Arm Row	2	12
Alternative Raise Lying	2	15
Good Mornings	1	15
Dumbbell French Press	3	12
Calf Raises	1	30-40
Bench Press	2	12

Training Notes:

This is absolutely a monstrous routine and because of that, I wouldn't recommend it for novice lifters, only for intermediate to advanced lifters.

Like most full-body routines should be performed three times a week and on non-consecutive days to fully rest and recover from such hard routine like this one.

To maximize recovery the best way to perform this routine is to train on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday leaving other four days for muscles to feed and rest to be ready for next hardcore training week.

The 6 Golden Rules of Building Muscle Mass (Skinny Guys Too)

Before you even start reading this you should know that this article is dedicated to all guys (and girls too) over there that want to gain muscle mass fast and NATURALLY. You won't see the same tips here as on many other fitness websites and blogs. 

I am saying that because a lot of fitness websites, magazines, and blogs advertise the same split workout routines and diets that are inspired by popular bodybuilders that have over 200 pounds of muscle mass, the perfect muscle definition and - THEY ARE ON STEROIDS. Or like gym rats like to say, they are on THE JUICE. 

I will be completely honest with you guys, especially for beginners and hard gainers, you can't build 20 pounds of muscle for one or two months. It is very hard to gain such amount of muscle for one year, even with the perfect workout routine and diet. After your first year of training in the gym, it will become harder and harder to gain muscle. There is no healthy shortcut to muscle gain, not without the risk. On the other side, you have the anabolic steroids which I don't recommend to anyone but that is another topic.

FACE THE FACT:

YOU WILL NEVER LOOK LIKE RONNIE COLEMAN OR THE KING OF BODYBUILDING ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER - NOT WITHOUT USING STEROIDS. 

All of the supplements in the world won't get you such a muscular body. Gaining muscle mass is a steady process, it takes a lot of time and it demands a lot of sacrifice and persistence. First three months of your journey to muscle building are the crucial months because you will see the big difference in the mirror in that period of time if you don't follow the wrong tips. 

1. Follow the right workout routine

Don't look for workout routines of professional bodybuilders that demand you to train 5 days a week and high volume. That is not the right way to naturally gain muscle mass and it definitely won't work for beginners. It can also lead to overtraining which can destroy your precious muscle gains.

Recommendation: Try with one of the full-body workout routines that are proven as the most effective for muscle gain. 

3 Best Full-Body Workout Routines for Building Muscle Mass

2. Lift heavy and in a lower rep range

When it comes to training for muscle gain you should focus on lifting heavier weights and strength gain. By becoming stronger you would be able to give your muscles a reason to grow more and more, of course, if you feed and rest them properly. 

Progressive overload is the key to muscle gain, so at the beginning try to train with a medium rep range like 6-8 reps for a set to become stronger and build muscle in the same time and when you see that the weights are becoming lighter add more weight plates and lift in the same rep range. After some time you can switch to 8-12 rep range that is proven as the best rep range for muscle hypertrophy but you should dedicate at least one or two months of training to building strength.

3. Compound Exercises

Progressive overload and compound movements are the sure way to building muscle mass. Improve your lifting on the bench press, rows, shoulder presses and squats and you will see results. By lifting more and more your muscles will grow. That sounds like a rhyme, but that is true. Avoiding big lifts like bench press and squats can be a very big mistake and it can cost you a lot of muscle gains.

You can find the best muscle-building exercises by clicking on this link:

Best Exercises to Build Muscle Mass Fast

4. Consume more calories than you burn

If you consume more calories than you burn every day you will gain weight and by consuming a lot of calories from right foods you will gain muscle mass. If your target is only to gain weight you can do that by eating a lot of junk foods that are high-caloric and will build you a nice belly and probably man boobs. 

You will need to consume a lot of calories from whole foods and shakes to gain muscle mass but you should check out which foods are the best for building muscle without gaining fat.

20 Foods You Should Eat to Gain Muscle Mass

If you are a real hard gainer don't be afraid of some cheat meals from time to time especially after the workout when you need a lot of calories to fuel your muscles. You won't read it on many other websites, but it is hard to follow a totally strict diet and gain muscle mass for hard gainers. One homemade pizza with cheese and tuna after a hard workout can help you to build muscle faster. 

It is common that people gain some fat together with muscle mass but it is not the end of the world, you can do more cardio and focus on shredding after you reach the desired amount of muscle mass. But remember, grab a cheat meal from time to time, once or twice a week, not after every workout or every day.

5. Proteins, Carbs, and Fats

Protein is the most important nutrient for muscle growth, but without carbs and healthy fats, you won't get far. You need all those three macronutrients to build muscle mass. You are going to need a high protein intake (1 - 1,2 g of protein for each pound of your body weight), and twice as high carbohydrates intake. 

Fats from foods like avocado, olive oil, and nuts are also recommended as they are very healthy and high in calories. You will consume 8 - 9 calories for each one gram of fat, so by eating 100 grams of peanut butter, you will consume 50 grams of fat which is equal to 400 - 450 calories. That amount of peanut butter also provides 25 g of protein and 20 g of carbohydrates.

Don't be afraid of healthy fats, they can be very helpful to hard gainers to gain lean muscle mass faster. Saturated fats that are found in dairy and meat products may increase testosterone levels and may also promote strength and muscle gain.

6. Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night

You lift heavy, force your muscles to grow and feed them with the right choice and amount of food, you are almost there. Only one step left - REST. Your muscles grow while they rest so the rest is important as much as are your workout and diet. When you don't sleep enough hormone called cortisol is increased and it makes harder for you to build muscle. Also, don't train more than two days in a row because in order to build muscle mass your muscles need to rest and recover.

I am highly recommending you to follow these 6 steps and also to buy supplements that promote muscle growth and that can help you build muscle mass faster. Don't waste your money, buy only the supplements that you really need.

Best Muscle-Building Supplements

Stimulate Muscle Growth with this Muscle Building Workout Routine

There are a lot of Workout Programs for all people that want to Gain Muscle Mass. Some of them are split routines (for example, Monday – Chest and Triceps, Tuesday – Back and Biceps, Thursday – Shoulders, Friday – Legs and Calves), and some training programs are full-body workout routines. Some bodybuilders prefer a high number of reps for better muscle pump to stimulate growth and others like to train with lower rep range (for example 6-8 reps per set).

All of these programs will give you some results and you have to decide which program will fit you most. Adapt your workout program to you. If you are a very busy man then you probably have time for only two training days for a week and you don’t have to quit training because of that, try adapting your workout program to your free time and train two times a week. 




By following the right workout routine, you can gain muscle even if you train just two or three times for a week. Also, eating 8 meals a day as many Fitness instructors advises is not necessary, I had good results in lean muscle growth with only 4 – 5 meals and 2 of that meals are consumed in shakes so I have 3 big meals and two good protein shakes for a day and all of that differs from day to day. 

The most important things for muscle gain is consuming all nutrients that are necessary for muscle growth and progressive overload to stimulate it.




You can split all nutrients into 10 small meals, or you can eat 5 bigger meals that consist of all nutrients that muscles require to grow, that doesn't make such a big difference. You will grow as long as you force your muscles to grow with progressive overload and feed them will enough calories and nutrients that your muscles need for growth.

ALSO READ:


How to Gain Muscle Mass - 5 Principles of Muscle Hypertrophy

Just focus on lifting heavy with compound movements and consume a lot of proteins, carbs, and fats, have a good night sleep and you will gain lean muscle mass. By following these tips you will gain at least one pound of lean muscle every week and that is enough. Gaining one pound of lean muscle every week will lead you to gain 4 pounds of lean muscles for a month and so on, keep calculating. 




Nobody can gain 10 pounds of lean muscle for a week or even for a month without using anabolic steroids and just by proper training and nutrition plan. So, focus on little gains every week and try to eat clean and train hard.

The Muscle Building Workout Routine:

Monday:  (Push Workout)

Exercise	Reps	Sets
Incline Bench Press	8-10	4
Military Press	8-10	4
Bench Press for Triceps	8-12	4
Dumbbell Flies	10-12	4
Dips (Chest)	12	4
Seated Shoulder Press	10-12	4
Triceps Overhead Press	10-12	4

Wednesday: (Pull Workout)

Exercise	Reps	Sets
Dead Lift	8	4
Bent-Over Row	8-12	4
Chin Up	12	4
Biceps Curls	8-12	4
Bent-Over Laterals	10-12	4
Hammer Curls	10-12	4
Lat Pulldowns on Machine	10-12	4

Friday: (Legs Workout)

Exercise	Reps	Sets
Barbell Squat	6-8	4
Dumbbell Lunges	12	4
Leg Press	12	4
Lying Leg Curls	12	3
Leg Extensions	15	3
Standing Calf Raises	12	4

This Workout Program for Mass is created as Push, Pull and Legs split and it is great for hypertrophy (muscle growth). Try this workout routine for one month and you will see results in strength and muscle mass.