How to Gain Muscle Mass - Tips for Beginners and Hardgainers

Gaining weight is easy for many people. On the other side, building lean muscle mass can be very hard, especially for people that have a fast metabolism, often referred as hardgainers. 

Like many of the people in the world that are fighting with a body fat, there are also many people that are struggling to gain weight and build muscle mass. If you are one of those from the second group, continue reading this article. I strongly believe it will help you to gain a few pounds of muscle in a couple of weeks. 

There are 3 main ways to make your muscles grow:

1. Force muscles to grow with the right training

2. Feed your muscles with enough healthy calories

3. Rest, recover your muscles, let them grow

Those are only three general rules for muscle gain, now continue reading to learn five principles of muscle growth.

1. Multi-Joint Movements

In order to gain muscle mass faster, you need to place emphasis on the compound, multi-joint movements. Compound exercises are much better for building muscle mass than single-joint, isolation exercises. That is because exercises like squat and bench press allow bigger loads of weight and involve more muscle groups which lead to more muscle gains.


Bigger load and heavier exercises stimulate the bigger release of the muscle-building hormone. 

It is very important to do one of the hardest exercises - Squats. The squat is a great mass builder and it is probably the movement that involves the most muscle groups at the same time. 


Best Exercises to Build Muscle Mass Fast





2. Progressive Overload


The progressive overload is one of the most important muscle-building principles. Lifting the same weight with a same number of reps won't help you build muscles. Muscles can quickly adapt to the weight and you need to put some more load in order to force your muscles to grow. 


Mass-Building Full-Body Workout Routine for Beginners


The key of muscle gain is to leave your comfort zone, give your muscles a reason to grow. If you lift heavier weights from week to week you won't let your muscles time to adapt and you will force them to grow.


By performing compound movements in every workout and consuming enough calories you will become stronger and that will make you able to lift heavier which will lead to more muscle gains.




3. Caloric Surplus 


To gain muscle mass you need to eat a lot. And that means you need to spend a lot of your time in the kitchen. One of the biggest mistakes that lifters make while trying to build muscle mass is that they don't consume enough calories or macronutrients. 


20 Foods You Should Eat to Gain Muscle Mass


You need to consume 18 calories per pound of your bodyweight to build muscle and at least 1 gr of protein per pound of bodyweight. On training days, try to consume more proteins because your muscles need it to repair and grow. 


Foods that are Best Sources of Protein




Consume enough calories and all three macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats) and in a combination with resistance training your muscles will start to grow. 




4. Rest Your Muscles


This is how it goes, you give your muscles a reason to grow in the gym, build them in the kitchen and they grow while you sleep. Lack of rest can decrease the chance of muscle growth.


Also, don't overtrain your muscles. Don't train same muscles for two days in a row or you will overtrain them and prevent them from growing. To build muscle you need a short and intense workout and long periods of rest. 




5. Supplements Selection


Many supplements ads promise you results. A lot of them are actually unnecessary and just a waste of your money. The best muscle building supplements that you need to buy are Creatine and Whey Protein. They can be a great support for building muscle mass. 


You can check the list of 5 best muscle-building supplements, but you must know there are no better supplements for building muscle mass than Whey Powder and Creatine. 


Top 5 Muscle-Building Supplements




If you start following these five principles right now, you have a big chance to build your muscles for less than one month. Applying these rules could make the most benefits for beginners because in the starting phase, first two to three months, you can build most muscle mass. 


It is very important to start doing it right from the beginning, so don't lose your time following wrong workout plans and wasting money on unnecessary supplements. 

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

How Many Calories You Need to Gain Muscle Mass

How many reps I should do to build muscle? How many calories should I consume to gain muscle mass? There are many different answers and different opinions on these questions, but one is sure - you need to consume more calories than you burn every day. You need to constantly be in caloric surplus.

But, that isn't so easy and it doesn't mean that if you eat twice more calories than you need that you will build twice as muscle. Also, that doesn't mean that you should eat anything. By the way, check out the list of muscle-building foods you should include in your diet:

20 Foods You Should Eat to Gain Lean Muscle Mass

There is an upper limit of nutrients that you can consume and turn into muscle which means that there is no point in eating calories that would just be stored as fat. Of course, it is very common that you will gain some fat while trying to build muscle mass but that doesn't mean that you should eat more that it is enough for the muscle to grow. 

Now you are probably thinking something like this:

But those big guys on YouTube say that I need to consume at least 5000 calories to gain muscle mass.

Your muscles need enough calories and enough proteins to grow, you don't need to consume 5000 calories every day if you weigh about 170 pounds. That would be too much and many nutrients will be stored as fat. Protein also, if you consume more proteins that you need that excess of proteins will be stored as fat and nothing else. 

There is no natural way to build 10 pounds of muscle every week, it doesn't exist. You need to focus on steady lean muscle gains. The whole point of muscle growth is to pursue progressive overload every week and to be in caloric surplus every day.

SO, HOW MANY CALORIES DO YOU NEED TO GAIN MUSCLE?

Some people say that one needs to multiply his body weight in pounds by 16 - 17, well I recommend you to multiply your body weight by 20. You might gain some fat along the way but if your diet is perfect there is nothing special to worry about. You can always shred one or two pounds of fat after you reach the size that you always desired.

Let's do some calculation for all you lazy people over there:

If you weigh about 160 pounds, for example, you need to multiply that number by 20 as I already mentioned which will be equal to 3200. You can add about 100 calories more if you want to be sure that you consumed enough, but I think that 3200 calories will be enough for you muscles to grow. Now, as you gain more and more muscle mass every week, you are going to need more calories and more proteins. If you reach the 170 pounds weight then multiply that number by 20 and the result is - 3400 calories. 

I know that there are many recommendations that differ from mine and that is mostly because I recommend more calories than someone else, or less than someone else but you can adopt this advice and see if it works for you. I believe that it does, especially if you are just started your bulking phase.

ALSO READ:

High-Protein Foods for Lean Muscle Gain

Mass-Building Workout Routine for Beginners

Best Exercises to Build Muscle Mass

Workout for Strength and Size - Gain Strength and Muscle Mass with one Workout Routine

Alright, we all know that best rep range for building muscle is from 8 to 12 and that is range is usually used in bodybuilders' routines. We also know that working out with 1 - 5 rep range is common for powerlifters for strength gain. 

But can strength and muscle mass be built at the same time?

Actually, strength and size are highly related to each other and one of the best ways to keep gaining both of them each week is to unite strength and hypertrophy training.

Three big lifts, deadlift, squat, and bench press are the probably the best exercises to build muscle and also strength with lower rep range. Those three exercises are very important but you are going to need some isolation exercises to train some of the smaller muscles directly.

The best way to increase muscle mass and strength is to start with multi-joint movements like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses in a powerlifting rep range and then continue training with higher rep range to aim for muscle hypertrophy.

Muscle Palace Strength and Size Workout Routine:

MONDAY - Legs and Calves

TUESDAY - Chest and Triceps

THURSDAY - Back and Biceps

FRIDAY - Shoulders and Traps

To gain lean muscle mass you need to be in caloric surplus, constantly. Consume proteins, carbs, and fats to feed your muscles and follow this workout routine for at least 8 weeks for to gain more strength and muscle mass.

20 Foods You Should Eat to Gain Muscle Mass

The Secret of UFC Fighters for Building Muscle Mass Fast

We know that training routine of UFC fighters consists of a lot of cardio and most of them look shredded. But, how do they succeed to gain 20 pounds of lean muscle for one month when they want to move up a weight class? Is it possible to gain that amount of lean muscle mass for that time?

Well, it is possible. No matter that many people say that is physiologically impossible to gain more than one pound of lean muscle per week. And of course, absolutely without using steroids.

Dr. John Berardi, Georges St-Pierre's nutritional coach tried that experiment on one UFC fighters and he gained 20 pounds of muscle for 28 days. The experiment started with the guy that had 169 pounds and after one month he weighed in at 190 pounds.

More information about this experiment you can find on the blog of author Tim Ferris:  How To Gain 20 Pounds In 28 Days: The Extreme Muscle Building Secrets of UFC Fighter

Most important things for building muscle mass are diet and training routine. Check out what training routine and diet plan were used for this experiment:

MONDAY - Upper Body Strength

Bench Press - 5 sets x 5 reps (5 RM - rep maximum)

Weighted Chin Up - 4 sets x 6 reps with 6 RM

Weighted Dips - 4 sets x 8 reps with 8 RM

Overhead Press - 4 sets x 10 reps with 10 RM

Barbell Curls - 4 sets x 10 reps with 10 RM

Weighted Crunches - 3 sets x 8 reps

TUESDAY - Hurricane Sprints

Round 1:

Sprint on treadmill at 10 mph for 25 seconds

1 set x 20 crunches

1 set x 20 table-top crunches

Repeat 3 times from the beginning and rest 2 minutes before Round 2.

Round 2:

Sprint on treadmill at 11mph for 25 seconds

1 set x 20 knee-grab crunches

Repeat 3 times then rest 2 minutes.

Round 3:

Sprint on treadmill at 12mph for 20 seconds

1 set x 20 bicycle crunches

Repeat 3 times this round too.

WEDNESDAY - Off

THURSDAY - Hurricane Energy Circuit 

Rope Swings

10 double rope swings

10 alternating rope swings

10 rotations

Kettlebell Swings

10 reps with both hands

10 reps for each hand

Medicine Ball Slams

Sledge Hammer Swings

Ladder

FRIDAY - Upper Body Hypertrophy

Close Grip Bench Press - 4 sets x 8 reps

Cable High Pull - 4 sets x 10 reps

Triceps Pushdown - 4 sets x 15 reps

Cable Rows - 4 sets x 8 reps

Dumbbell Curls - 3 sets x 8 reps each arm

Half-kneeling Chops - 3 sets x 5 reps

SATURDAY - Lower Body Strength

45 Degree Back Raise

1 set x 10 reps with bodyweight

1 set x 8 reps with 25 pounds

1 set x 8 reps with 45 pounds

1 set x 8 reps with 70 pounds

Barbell Squat 

3-4 Warmup Sets

5 sets x 8 reps (8 RM)

Deadlift

3-4 Warmup Sets

5 sets x 8 reps (8 RM)

SUNDAY - Off

The sample of diet plan that fighter followed for gaining 20 pounds of lean muscle:



Breakfast

Breakfast pudding

Blend these ingredients:

2 frozen bananas
1/4 cup of almond milk
3 scoops casein protein powder
2 squares high cacao chocolate 


Side dish

4 pieces of whole grain bread
2 tbsp of peanut butter
2 tbsp of jam
multivitamin
1 tbsp of creatine in coffee or green tea


Pre-Workout

500 ml water
10 grams of BCAA's


Post-Workout

1.5lb any type of lean meat
3 cups of vegetables
2 large sweet potatoes
1 tbsp of Udo's 3.6.9 oil


Anytime meal

1lb of any type of lean meat
3 cups of vegetables
1/2 cup of sauerkraut
2 servings of fruit 
1 tbsp of fish oil



This diet plan provides a lot of healthy calories that are needed to feed muscles to grow. 



I know that a lot of you that are reading this would probably be very skeptical and write comments like this is not possible, researchers have shown that one can't build such amount of lean muscle mass for that time and other comments like that. Before you do so, I must say that this was what Dr. John Berardi claim that is possible and proven so you can check out one of his comments about this experiment:


Dr. John Berardi, Georges St-Pierre's nutritional coach:

In the end, I know some people will be skeptical about these experiments, not knowing us. But we’re trustworthy guys and have documented everything in painstaking detail in our free online book "Bigger Smaller Bigger"

www.biggersmallerbigger.com