But you don't know where to get started. How do you train? What do you eat? What exactly is it that you're asking for? If you can't even answer these basic questions, then you might as well just give up now.

LUCKILY, I'm here to show you the way. Not the quick and easy way, mind you. But the hard, RIGHT way. In this article, I'm gonna TELL YOU exactly what you're asking to look like. Then, I'm gonna give you tips on what you should be doing inside the gym.

And perhaps most importantly, I'm gonna give you insights on what to eat in order to be able to look like your favorite NBA Superman.

What Are YOU Asking?

When you think of Dwight Howard, what do you think of? Tall (can't help you there), Black (can't help you there either), lean (now we're getting somewhere) and most importantly, muscular (luckily, my expertise).

But look closer. What exactly is it that makes Dwight Howard look so impressive? Its the shoulders, the arms, the chest, and obviously, the cuts to go with it all. So how do you get big shoulders,shredded arms, and a toned, firm chest? By lifting hard, lifting right, and going on a strict, no nonsense diet.

The Workout - Dwight Howard Style

Let's get a couple of points straight right off the bat.

1 - Dwight Howard is a genetic freak (but you don't have to be to look lean and ripped!) and an NBA star who has access to the top trainers, nutritionists, and fitness experts in the country.

You are not Dwight Howard and just because you read this article and do what you're told doesn't mean you're going to BE Dwight Howard. I'm not promising a miracle. What I AM promising you is that if you follow this article, train hard, and most importantly, are SERIOUS about your body, then you WILL be on your way.

2 - Dwight Howard is no body builder. He might be one of the biggest guys on the court but when it comes down to it, again, he's a BASKETBALL player.

That means he's fit, he's in shape, and he's lean. If you want to look like Dwight Howard, you're going to be training for strength through VOLUME. Not weight. So get rid of those ideas right now. Dwight Howard ain't winning any bench press contests any time soon.

Key principles in the workout

1. Volume will be key for your workouts. You want more exercises, more sets per exercise, and more reps per set. You want to exhaust both your fast twitch (those muscles that are resonsible for strength and explosivesness) and slow twitch (those muscles that are responsible for endurance) muscle every single workout.

 

2. Cardio is king. If you want to be lean, be shredded, and look bigger without having a huge body-builder-like body, the only thing you can do is lose body fat. And in order to do that, you MUST, MUST, MUST do lots of cardio. I'm not talking 3 times a week, 20 minutes per time cardio. I'm talking 6 days a week, 45 minutes per session cardio.

 

3. While I'm not going to give you a detailed workout by workout schedule to follow here, what I will give you is a couple of very important principles and tricks and tips that will help you along your way.
    
   1. Strip-sets are your friend. Strip sets target fast twitch muscles, exhausting them at the start of the set, and target slow-twitch muscles towards the end of the set when you're completely exhausted.

    

   2. Reps, reps, reps. Since your aim is not necessarily to build huge, bulging muscles, you want to concentrate on getting shredded more than anything else.The way to do that is to work in the 15 to 20 rep range during each of your sets. If you're doing anything less that 12 reps per set, you're cheating your workout and yourself.

    

   3. Watch your rest time. Between set rest times should not ever be longer than 45 seconds. Your muscles recover from exhaustion and exertion extremely quickly so you want pound the iron while its hot so to speak.Don't give your muscles a chance to recover all the way. By doing so, you'll recruit more muscle fibers during each workout.

The Diet - Dwight Howard Style

1) The most important thing to keep in mind about the diet is that your diet is the most important thing.

If you want to build muscle, if you want to lose body fat, if you want to look like Dwight Howard, you need to realize that the workout is only about 25% of the process. The diet is the other 75%. Heed your diet even if you don't heed your workouts.

2) Protein: Protein is the main component that goes into building muscle. You want muscle? Eat protein. Its as simple as that. You should be consuming about 1.5g of protein per pound of body weight that you WANT TO BE.

3) Carbohydrates: Carbs are your FRIEND. Carbs are the main energy source for your body. If you don't consume carbohydrates, your body will essentially be like a car without gas. You won't have energy to do anything.

That being said, all the excess carbs that you eat beyond what you use gets stored as fat. And FAT (meaning body fat) is the enemy. You need to eat the right amount of carbs so that you have enough energy to get through your workouts and get through your day, but you don't store any excess as fat.

To that end, you should be having about .75-1g of carbs per pound of body weight THAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY. Keep in mind however, that everyone's metabolism is different so that .75-1g range can stretch to roughly .5-1.25g of carbs per pound of body weight.

4) Fiber: You know those commercials that claim that most Americans don't get enough fiber in their diet? That's true. If you're not taking a #2 at least semi-regularly it means that your body isn't digesting and processing the food that you eat to the fullest.

Its time to mix some fiber into your diet so that you get the maximum benefit out of all those calories you're consuming.

5) Calories: Speaking of calories, you WILL need to up your caloric intake if you're gonna embark on this task. You need to increase your calorie intake because if you're reading this article, it probably means you're TOO DAMN SKINNY! There's no way around it. If you want to get big, even if its big and lean, and you want to build more muscle, YOU MUST EAT MORE FOOD.

Click here if you're a skinny guy and you want to build 10 lbs of muscle or more FAST!!!

6) Keep it clean: When I say keep it clean, it means that you should stop and think about what it is you're putting into your body. Sure, you need protein, but that doesn't mean you should have fried chicken and burgers every day. Try a lean skirt steak or a steamed/grilled/baked chicken breast.

Sure, you need carbohydrates. But that doesn't mean you reach for the nearest loaf of Wonderbread. Try oatmeal, 100% whole wheat bread, or whole wheat pasta. And finally, sure you need to eat a lot more calories. But stuffing your face with junk food isn't the answer.

Listen to your mother and eat some vegetables! All the more so if they're steamed or made into a salad with some extra virgin olive oil drizzled on top.

Any Questions or Comments???

Leave a comment below and let me know if you like this tips, if you have a question or if have any tips of your own. I'd love to hear what you have to say.
Until next time,

Work hard, eat right, and don't give up!

Rich

Remember in order to build muscle FAST you need to consume extra calories FAST.

Since it takes 3500 EXTRA calories to gain 1lb of new muscle mass your goal should be consuming 3500 EXTRA as fast as possible.

So think about it, If you can consume 500 extra calories a day that's 3500 calories in 1 week , it's simple math.

But the real goal is to consume these extra calories without the excess fat gain. Believe it or not, but since fat gain goes hand in hand with building muscle.

Why?

it's pretty simple, In order to build muscle you need to consume excess calories, well that's the same environment fat gains thrive in.

So to help you pack on the most muscle but the least amount of fat, here's a run down of what you should eat and when you should eat it to get the best results possible.

Sample Muscle Building Diet Breakdown

Meal 1: Breakfast [7am] For Jimmy breakfast is typically his largest meal of the day and it might be your largest meal of the day as well.

So for this meal you’re going to have a high amount of protein, you’re going to really need your simply sugars to get your body going for the day, you’re also going to need to your complex sugars to keep it going. And that’s basically it for your breakfast.

Meal 2: Post Workout [9:30am] This “meal” is just going to be a workout shake. This is when you definitely want to take Whey Protein, because it hits your muscles faster than any other type of protein. (This’ll be discussed more in the supplements section)

Meal 3: 1hr after your workout [12pm] For this meal you’re going to want to load up on your complex carbs at this time, again a good amount of protein and also a good amount of fatty acids, this should be a pretty well balanced meal, this is typically my largest meal of the day.

Meal 4: Weight Gainer shake[2:30pm] This is an ideal time to be consuming your weight gainer shake (if you choose to use one) because it’s in the middle of the day while you’re still active which means less calories that turn into fat.

If you don’t want to use a weight gainer for this meal, then you should look to consume another well balanced meal high in complex carbs, protein and Essential Fatty Acids.

Meal 5: Cutting the carbs [5pm] For Meal 5, you want to start cutting your carbs a little bit.

Because even though we’re not on a cutting diet [trying to lose body fat] personally I don’t like to be ingesting a lot of carbs during the evening hours because I’m primarily just sitting around not doing much, which can lead to unnecessary fat gains if you ingest too many carbs during this time.

This is probably the last meal where you have a good amount of carbs.

Meal 6: Large snack without the carbs [7pm] This can be something like a salad, a steak, maybe some All Natural Organic Peanut butter [not the Jif’s and Skippy’s] the real stuff.

This meal should primarily consist of protein and EFA’s.

Meal 7: 45 min before bed [9pm] This meal could be something like a casein protein shake.

Why casein?

Because casein protein is kind of like soy protein, in essence it’s a slow digesting protein. And what that does, is it prevents your body from eating away at itself while you’re sleeping and without nutrients for the next 8 hours while you’re resting.

I hope this quick muscle building diet breakdown helps you because nutrition is very very very important.

And when you know how to consume massive amounts of calories without all the excess fat gains will be able to build a lot of pure lean muscle mass and ultimately change your physique that much quicker.

If you're struggling to cook muscle building meals (as in you don't really have a clue) and you want some "quick" and easy recipes for some pretty tasty meals that'll SPARK your Muscle Gains I highly recommend you checkout Anabolic Cooking

Click Here to learn how to make quick and easy muscle building meals

Train hard,

Rich

If you don't know what foods and nutrients you need to build muscle then good luck because you have a long and hard road ahead of you.

So to make sure you don't make the same mistakes I made, here is a down and dirty guide to what foods you need, why it's important and whens the best time to consume it.

Proper Nutrition is Just As If Not MORE Important Than Exercising

Why?

Because think of your body like a house. You can’t build that house bigger and stronger without the bricks right?

And guess what the “bricks” are when it comes building muscle, CALORIES. And if you’re a naturally skinny guy like myself, then you’re going to have to consume A LOT of extra calories in order to build muscle and build it fast.

So let me break it down for you…

It takes approximately 3500 EXTRA calories to build 1 lb of new body mass.

And I say body mass because it ultimately depends on your genetics and where those extra calories come from that decide how much of those extra calories is converted to muscle and how much is converted to fat.

For example if most of your extra calories come from fats and bad carbs “like chips and soda” you’ll gain mostly fat. But if they came from protein and good carbs “like tuna and whole wheat bread” you’ll mostly gain muscle.

It doesn’t matter how hard you train, if you cannot provide your body with these extra calories on a daily basis (with the right combination of carbs, protein and fats) your body will struggle to build muscle.

The faster you consume 3500 EXTRA calories the faster you'll see muscle gains.

So your goal should be consuming the following foods so you can consume 3500 EXTRA calories as FAST AS POSSIBLE.

Let's do some math, if you consume 500 EXTRA calories each day, in 7 days you would have consumed 3500 EXTRA calories.

So here’s a quick guide into the important food groups and nutritents you need to build muscle. I go more indepth in my 30 Day Build Muscle Challenge, but this should get you going.

Carbs - The main fuel source for your body. Your body breaks down carbs for energy

Fast Acting Carbs (Simple Sugars)

- provides almost immediate energy to your body when it need to.

Impact on muscle gains: In order to build muscle, you need to workout your muscles. but if they do not have enough energy to go through your workouts your results will suffer. That’s where these carbs come in.

Best time to consume: immediately before, during and immediately after your workouts to provide quick energy when your muscles need it most

Foods high in “Fast” Acting Carbs

• Apples
• Berries
• Bananas
• Oranges

Slow acting carbs (Complex Carbs)

- provides a constant release of energy to your body throughout the day.

Impact on muscle gains: once your muscles are depleted of its energy (due to your workouts) it needs to replenish its energy stores for the next workout.

Best time to consume -pretty much any time, you're not working out.

List of “Slow” / Complex Carb Souces”

• Oatmeal and non-sugary cereals
• Whole-grain breads
• Brown Rice
• Beans
• Potatoes

Protein - Used to build, maintain and repair muscle.

Types Of Protein - Whey, Casein, Soy, Egg… (many)

Whey Protein

- a fast acting, easily digested protein. Provides a surge of amino acids (protein) to the muscles very quickly.

Impact on muscle gains: during your workout sessions your muscles demand for protein dramatically increases and to avoid any unnecessary muscle breakdown whey protein is needed

Best Time to consume: immediately before, during and immediately after your workouts to provide protein when your muscles need it most .

Best Whey Protein sources: Supplements

Casein, Soy, Egg, Lean beef, chicken protein

- provides a steady release of protein that your body and muscles can use throughout the day.

Impact on muscle gains: helps repair the damaged muscle tissue and helps build new muscle

Best Time to consume: any time throughout the day when you're not working out.

Foods High in Casein, Soy, Egg, type protein

• Grilled Chicken and Turkey
• Egg Whites
• Tuna and other fish
• Milk and other low-fat dairy products
• Lean Beef

Essential Fatty Acids - Used to help increase metabolism, used in Testosterone Synthesis

Types - Mono and Poly Unsaturated Fats

Impact on muscle gains: Helps produce Testerone “Big daddy muscle building Hormone”, increases metabolism, helps decrease inflammation.

Best time to consume: During the day time (not within 2 hours of your workout)

List of Foods High in Essential Fatty Acids

• Peanuts
• Almonds
• Virgin Olive
• Sunflower Oil
• Tuna Fish

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the foods you should eat, but it's definitely a start in the right direction of the things you should be eating in order to build muscle and gain weight with the least amount of fat.

If you need help figuring out how to prepare meals that's filled with all of these muscle building nutrients, and actually taste good and easy to create then I highly recommend you check out my 30 Day Build Muscle Challenge Training Program, that comes with one of the easiest and simplest diet plans designed to help you gain 10 lbs of muscle FAST.

Leave a comment below and let me know what is your favorite muscle building food or any simple recipes you like to make, or if you have a question about anything I just discussed in today's post.

Train hard,

Rich

If you haven’t done so read How to Build Muscle Fast because it’ll give you the fundamentals you need for muscle growth.... This article is Part II of that article designed especially for skinny guys and hardgainers. (in other words don’t read this page before reading that article)

In this article I’m going to reveal to you very easy and “practical” ways (that you can start using immediately) for you to gain weight if you’re a skinny guy. In the next few minutes you’ll learn how you should approach food and eating, what habits you need to break as well as strengthen. So let’s get started:

Step #1: Constantly Eat Food

If you’re a skinny guy or hardgainer and you want to build muscle then the first thing you need to learn is that food (calories) are VITAL to your success. Most skinny guys have a “faster than normal” metabolism which means that your body typically burns through more calories in a day than the average person.

This is important to know because, in order to build muscle you have to consume more calories than your body burns each day. And if your body naturally burns through more calories in a day (for example 2500 calories instead of 2000 calories - which is true for most skinny guys and hardgainers) then you’re going to have to consume more calories overall in order to be in a caloric surplus.

So now that you know you’ll have to consume more calories than most people to virtually get the same results the best way to achieve this is to eat food (consume calories) constantly throughout the day.

I’m not saying that your entire day should be spent at the dinner table, but what I am saying is that you should prepare yourself to be constantly nibbling on “healthy muscle building foods” throughout the day.

As a skinny guy / hardgainer you should be consuming a “muscle building meal” approximately every 2 ½ - 3 hours and even snacking on “healthy” things in between depending on your metabolism.

Step #2: Increase Your Protein AND Your Carb Intake

We all know “extra” protein is essential to building muscle. Nothing new there. But what most skinny guys forget about is Carbs.

Here is something you may not know.

Your body needs “calories” to survive and your bodies most preferred source of “calories” is Carbs.

In the end, your body doesn’t care what food source it comes from. Which means if Carbs aren’t found then your body will use another nutrient source to get these calories.

So why is this important to you???

When it comes to muscle building, protein is essential to muscle repair and muscle growth. But it can also be used an energy source (it can be broken down for energy in the body) as well.

As a skinny guy it’s important that every bit of protein you consume each day gets used for muscle growth and repair. But if you only consume more protein and not carbs as well, your body will actually use that extra protein for energy rather than muscle growth.

As a hardgainer here is a general guideline for how much Protein and Carbs you shuld be consuming each day in order to build muscle and gain weight

1.5 - 2g Protein x (your bodyweight in lbs) each day
2.5g Carbs x (your bodyweight in lbs) each day

For example if you weigh 150lbs, every day you should be consuming:

225 grams (1.5g x 150lbs) of protein
375 grams (2.5g x 150lbs) of carbs

Make sure you learn what the top foods to build muscle and what foods you should be consuming everyday to build muscle and gain weight

Step #3: Avoid Hunger Like the Plague

As a skinny guy, when it comes to building muscle you have to realize that hunger is a VERY BAD THING.

Hunger is the response your body gives you when it’s running low on calories from it’s #1 calorie source (Carbs).

photo credit: Pat Hawks

If you think of your body’s energy levels like the fuel gauge on a car, you can’t build muscle when your stomach is on Empty.

It’s a very simple concept but it plays an important role especially if you’re a hard gainer or skinny guy. Whenever hunger strikes, just remember you’re NOT building muscle.

In fact if you’re ever hungry throughout the day you’re actually 1 step away from your body breaking down the muscle you already have. Don’t believe me??

Remember, your body NEEDS calories to survive. If it can’t get Carbs or Protein from your stomach because it’s empty guess where it’s going to look at next.... your muscles. Why?

Because your muscles are made of Amino Acids (Protein) and your body knows that they can be broken down for energy should it need it.

So remember, avoid hunger like the plague because you can’t build muscle when your gas tank is on empty.

Step #4: Short But Intense Workouts Are KEY

I talk about this more thoroughly in the previous article but this is a BIGGIE when it comes to building muscle as a skinny guy.

Since our bodies in a sense is working against us when it comes to putting on muscle we have to do things that promote MAXIMUM muscle growth if we want to see results and doing Short and Intense workouts is one of them.

Why Short Workouts?

It’s primarily because of a hormone called Cortisol. The higher our stress levels the higher our Cortisol levels become. And get this... one of the effects of high Cortisol levels is “Catabolism” (muscle breakdown)

This is important because after about 60 minutes of intense training our Cortisol levels begins to rise.

Which means the longer you stay in the gym working out after this point the less effective (and actually counter productive) your workout becomes.

As a skinny guy the key to your workouts is to stress the greatest amount of muscle fibers in the shortest amount of the time possible. And then get out.

This is why Compound Exercises are amongst the top exercises to build muscle because they stress the most amount of muscle in the least amount of time.

So if you’re a hardgainer and you want to build muscle and gain weight Short And Intense Workouts are ESSENTIAL.

That’s which it’s highly recommended that you spend no more than 60 minutes weight training while you’re trying to build muscle.

Step #5: Destroying Your Skinny Guy Habits

After helping hundreds of other skinny guys build muscle and gain weight, I’ve come to realize that there are several habits that most skinny guys have that are holding them back. And if you’re reading this right now then I’m certain you’re guilty of a few of these "habits" as well:

• Skimping out on your meals
• Letting yourself go hungry before you eat
• Thinking of eating as a DREADED "chore"
• Not pushing yourself in the gym
• Making excuses
• Not having a plan (Winging it) - this includes your diet plan and your workout plan
• Listening to "all the wrong" people about building muscle

The truth is if you’re falling victim to any of these things then you’re literally sabotaging your results. And it’s important that you DESTROY these habits ASAP because you can’t build the physique you want with these habits.

If you want to build muscle fast and you’re a skinny guy then here is a quick list of the Muscle Building Habits you need to live by and start taking action on them TODAY:

• Never letting your stomach go hungry
• Cooking and Preparing your meals in advance
• Eating on a schedule
• Always thinking about your next meal
• Not waiting til you're hungry to eat
• Getting in, Working Out and Getting Out ASAP
• Training like it's your LAST workout EVER

This is something that I address BIG TIME in my 30 Day Build Muscle Challenge Training Program. You can’t build the body you want with the habits you currently have, you have to do key things each day to Destroy your skinny guy habits and strengthen your Muscle Building Habits.

Life Changing Tip: Write those Muscle Building Habits above somewhere you can see them multiple times each day (and FOLLOW THEM) you’ll be surprised how fast you start seeing results, just by following these "HABITS")

Step #6: Reward Yourself

Let's be honest, building "life changing, physique altering" muscle takes a BIG commitment and alot of dedication. But in my opinion it takes an even BIGGER commitment and dedication if you’re a skinny guy.

Why??

Because us skinny guys have to do even more to get the same results as average guys. And it can take a few weeks before “real” results start appearing. And that’s why it’s VERY important that you reward yourself on a regular basis for sticking with your diet, your workouts and your recovery.

Not only is it great for your motivation, it’s great for your SANITY as well. (trust me, I know how grueling following a muscle building diet and breaking yourself in the gym can get)

Aside from lack of results alot of guys quit because they lack the motivation it takes to see the life changing results they want. Well, this won’t be the case with you if you just reward yourself regularly.

I’ve transformed my body twice (more on that later) and the second time was way more “enjoyable" (and fun) than the first and a large part of that was because I rewarded myself each week for sticking with my diet, workouts and recovery.

And it really doesn’t matter what you do to reward yourself. It can be something as small as eating at your favorite restaurant once a week to getting a massage each for a job well done.

Here’s how I reward my way to fast muscle gains.

Each week, to reward myself I take a “RAID-A-BUFFET” Day.

Yep, after EVERY successful week I’ll treat myself to MASSIVE amounts of delicious food.

You’ll be surprised how focused you get in the gym and outside the gym with your diet when you have something like this to look forward to each week.

There’s a number of reasons why I prefer to treat myself this way but the #1 reason is because it’s EXTRA calories.

And remember, as a skinny guy CALORIES are crucial to building muscle. And it’s a proven fact, the more calories you consume the more muscle growth you can experience.

So if you want to build muscle and gain weight I highly recommend you reward yourself with (MASSIVE AMOUNTS of) delicious food every week.

If you like these tips and you’re a skinny guy / hardgainer I highly recommend you check out my 30 Day Build Muscle Challenge Training and see step by step what I did to transformation my body from skinny to massive.

What do you think???...

What was your favorite tip?
Do you have a tip of your own you’d like to share?
Do you have a question about any of the tips I’ve mentioned?
Do you have any experiences you’d like to share about building muscle?

I’d really love to hear what’s on your mind when it comes to building muscle or fitness in general so please leave me a comment and let me hear what’s on your mind and if you enjoyed this article.

And today I’m going to break down the “Nitty Gritty” of what you need to do in order to build muscle including how much food you should be eating, what foods you should consume each day, what are the top exercises to stimulate muscle growth and what you should do to see faster growth over time.

Step #1: Eat More to Get More

Here’s my secret (well not so anymore) formula for building muscle.

(The Muscle Building Formula)
Proper Nutrition + Intense Workouts + Rest & Recovery = *Muscle Gain*

As you can see the first ingredient is “Proper Nutrition”. In other words, it’s not all about what you do in the gym (despite what you might think).

It’s a well known fact that it takes roughly 3500 EXTRA calories to gain approximately 1lb (or .5 kg) of EXTRA muscle mass. So if you want to build muscle and gain weight your first goal is to consume extra calories on top of what your body burns each day.

For example, if your body burns 2,000 calories each day then you’ll need to consume MORE than 2,000 calories a day to build muscle.

Better example: let’s say you wanted to you wanted to gain 1 lb of muscle each week and your body burns 2,000 calories a day, theoretically all you’d need to do is consume 500 extra calories on top your normal 2,000 calories (that your body needs to get through a typical day) and you’ll gain 1 lb of muscle each week.

Here’s the math to prove it:

500 “EXTRA” calories a day * 7 days a week =
3500 “EXTRA” calories = 1 lb of muscle each week

Now there are several factors thats involved including the speed of your metabolism, nutrition sources (where your calories come from - every calorie isn’t created equal), intensity of your workouts, genetics... etc. But if your goal is to build muscle, this is how you go about it.... by consuming more calories.

When Is A Calorie NOT A Calorie

A better to say this is All Calories Are Not Created Equal.

Remember when I said it takes approximately 3500 EXTRA calories to build 1 lb (or .5 kg) of new muscle mass. Well that’s not entirely true, and let me explain....

The truth is it takes approximately 3500 EXTRA calories to build 1 lb (or .5 kg) of new body mass. It all depends on where those extra calories come from that decide how much of those extra calories gets converted to muscle and how much is converted to fat.

For example - if the majority of your EXTRA calories come from fats and bad carbs (i.e. from foods “like chips and soda”) you’ll gain mostly fat.

But if the majority of your EXTRA calories come from protein and good carbs “like tuna and whole wheat bread” you’ll mostly gain muscle.

Remember you should increase your calories with healthy whole food sources rather than from processed, artificial and unhealthy junk food sources.

Check out my article on the Top Food to Build Muscle and Gain Weight for a full breakdown on what foods you should be consuming to build muscle fast.

Step #2: Lift Heavy (6 - 12 reps)

The next ingredient in this formula is INTENSE workouts.

You NEED intense workouts if you want to build muscle. As much as I stress proper nutrition, what you do in the gym also plays a very significant role to building muscle.

There are many different factors that go into an intense workout but the #1 muscle building factor is to Lift Heavy Weights. Your muscle gains (and strength gains) will be VERY small (if any) if you stay on the 10 and 15 lbs weights.

So what do I mean by “lift heavy weights”?

Well, I know your muscles perception of what’s heavy is way different from an athlete with years of weight lifting experience thinks of as heavy.

So here’s the general guideline.

If you’re lifting more than 12 reps per set then the weights you’re lifting is too light for MAXIMUM muscle growth. (this is more endurance training)

On the flip side if you’re lifting less than 6 reps per set then the weight you’re lifting is too heavy for MAXIMUM muscle growth. (this is more strength training)

Why is 6 - 12 reps the SWEET SPOT for building muscle?

The reason for this has to do with your muscle fibers. Without getting too technical, you have two dominant types of skeletal muscle fibers in your body; Type I (slow twitch) and Type II (Fast twitch) muscle fibers.

And the stress you experience when you lift heavy weights (6 - 12 reps) directly stimulates these large Type II muscle fibers

Why is this important??? …

It just so happens that of these muscles your Type II muscle fibers grow the largest. These are the muscles that help sculpt your body.

I usually have to explain the difference of why you need to lift heavy when I answer the common question of: Can I build muscle without a gym?

So remember in order to build muscle fast you need Intense Workouts and by using the 6 - 12 reps weight training rep scheme you’ll experience the most amount of muscle growth.

Step #3: Less is More (How long your workout should "really" be?)

When you’re first starting out common sense might be telling you that the longer you stay in the gym lifting weights the bigger and stronger you’ll get. But guess what?

This far from the truth.

The reality is, your body is on a time limit everytime you walk into the gym. Yes, there is a timer that starts the second you pick up the weights and do your first to the time you finish your workout.

And guess what, the more time you spend after that timer runs out the less effective your results will be. In fact you may be even putting your muscles in danger of “shrinking”.

So how long should I be working out for?

Like with most things everyone is different but there is a general guideline that you should stick to you want to see the best results possible (and then change it accordingly after you gain more experience)

The general rule of thumb when it comes to how long you should be weight training is no more than 60 minutes.

In other words, if it takes you longer than 60 minutes to complete your weight training workout then you may be putting your muscle gains in jeopardy and you may be putting your muscle gains at risk.

So remember, when it comes to weight training.... less is more. You’ll see way better results from “short and INTENSE Workouts” rather than Long, drawn out workouts.

So be sure to keep your weight training sessions to no more than 60 minutes.

Step #4: Be a Man - Do Compound Exercises

Have you ever seen that guy in the gym that stays on the bicep curl machine, the tricep machine, the leg machine???

Whether you have or you haven’t, if you want to build muscle don’t be that guy. You NEED to do compound exercises.

The name of the game when it comes to building muscle is muscle stimulation. While you’re in the gym you want to stimulate the most of amount of muscle in the least amount of time.

Remember, “Short and INTENSE Workouts” are key to building muscle.

With that being said, compound exercises stimulate way more muscle fibers than isolation exercises.

So what are compound exercises?

In a nutshell compound exercises are exercises that stimulate multiple muscle groups at the same time, whereas isolation exercises (i.e. - dumbbell curls, tricep extensions, etc) only target one muscle group at a time.

Some key compound exercises that are CRUCIAL to build muscle fast include:

• Squats
• Bench Press
• Barbell Rows
• Deadlifts

If you ask any experienced weight lifter what are the top exercises to build muscle... ALL of them will be compound exercises.

Step #5: Rest and Recovery

Despite what you might think, your muscles don’t grow in the gym... your muscles grow outside the gym. The majority of your muscle growth actually occurs while you’re asleep, this is when your body can dedicate the most amount of nutrients and cellular activity to muscle repair and growth.

With that being said, what you do in between workouts is EXTREMELY important to building muscle. Most guys think their job starts and ends once they’re finished pumping iron, but when you look at how many hours you spend outside the gym, in some sense it’s just beginning.

So once you finish your workout, your mind should shift into rest and recovery mode. There are two important things you need to focus on when it comes to proper rest and recovery

Follow your muscle building diet -

Eat when you’re supposed to eat and eat the things you know you're supposed to eat. Don’t skimp out on your meals, because once your workout is over, that’s when your body is prime for muscle growth. And it’s during this phase when all those calories are needed... for muscle repair and muscle growth.

Getting proper rest -

Make sure you get at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep EACH night. This helps promote the optimal amount of muscle building hormones during this crucial recovery period (while you’re sleep).

This also means don’t overdo it. In between your workouts its vital that you limit the amount of strenuous activity you perform to help you muscle recover faster.

Rest and recovery is important because your muscles only grow after they’ve fully recovered from the previous workout.

Step #6: Be Consistent With Your...

This should go without saying but it’s VITAL to your success that you be consistent with your diet, your workouts and your rest and recovery. Your body is an “Adaptation Machine”. The more your body adapts to something, the easier and more efficient it gets at doing it.

And this is very important when it comes to building muscle.

For example: when you first start following a proper muscle building diet, your body gradually adapt to your proper eating habits by speeding up your metabolism (which is good) to digest food quicker and repair your muscles faster which speeds up muscle growth.

But if you slack off on your diet and you’re inconsistent with your meals, guess what your body will adapt to these “poor” eating habits by keeping your metabolism slow, thereby slowing down your digestion and your muscle repair and guess what these things all do???

You guessed it.... slows down your muscle growth.

That’s the reason why “The Big Get Bigger” because they’re so consistent at doing all the right things that to their bodies, building muscle is almost effortless because everything has been adapted to build muscle faster and more efficient.

You can get there too, all you have to do is be consistent.

Step #7: Enjoy It

This is VERY important if you're looking to build "life changing" muscle. The last step to building muscle is to ENJOY IT! Building muscle takes weeks of doing and eating the “right” things inside the gym and outside the gym.

And I’m going to be very honest with you, there are many things I’d rather be doing than lifting weights and cooking healthy meals (if I could, my diet would consist of pizza, lasagna, buffalo wings, and craft beer )

But I look forward to lifting weights and cooking healthy meals because I enjoy the benefits working out and eating healthy gives me. I enjoy:

• the way my clothes fit me now
• the way girls look at me
• the respect I get from guys
• the confidence I have everywhere I go

So in order to build life changing muscle you have to stay committed and consistent and the only way to do that is to enjoy the process.

And the best (and easiest) way to do that is to find something you really enjoy about following a proper muscle building diet and working out like:

• how good you look in the mirror week after week
• how great you feel after relieving your daily stress in the gym
• watching all the hotties as you workout
• how your clothes fit
• the compliments and stares you’ll get

Building muscle isn’t that hard. I transformed my body TWICE, you can checkout my SHOCKING transformation photos if you don't believe me and the second time was actually easier than the first, all because I followed these very same tips that I provided for you today.

What do you think???...

What was your favorite tip?
Do you have a tip of your own you’d like to share?
Do you have a question about any of the tips I’ve mentioned?
Do you have any experiences you’d like to share about building muscle?

I’d really love to hear what’s on your mind when it comes to building muscle or fitness in general so please leave me a comment and let me hear what’s on your mind and if you enjoyed this article.

photo credit: jontunn

So now that you’ve learned about nutritional principles and weight-lifting strategies, there’s just one more tool you need to equip yourself with before hitting the gym and reaching those fitness goals that you’ve only dreamed of before… and that’s motivation.

Now I’ve always believed that motivation is a mindset and that people who weren’t motivated were just weak minded and willed… turns out motivation and motivational tools can be taught and they’re just about the easiest thing to learn!

So whether you’re struggling just to get into the gym in the morning or you’re seeking that extra mental push to put you over the top and get that one last rep, or your diet is taking its toll, here are the top 5 motivational tools I use when I feel my mental game slipping:

Motivational Tip #1: Set Definitive Goals

Do you know why most people fail to achieve their New Year’s Resolutions to “lose weight” or “gain muscle” or “get healthy”?

Because those goals are so broad that people often don’t know where to start… and then they get discouraged before they’ve even lifted a finger.

Half the battle is in setting your goal. Instead of saying “gain muscle”, you should be saying, “I want to gain 20 pounds in the next 6 months and keep my body fat the same”.

Instead of saying I want to get healthy, maybe say, “I want to be able to run an 8 minute mile” or “I want to train for a 5K marathon 2 months from now”.

Motivational Tip #2: Set Short and Reachable Goals:

Now that we’ve established a clear goal for ourselves, we can further refine and better outlook by breaking that goal down further into a bunch of sub-goals.

So instead of saying “I want to gain 20 pounds in the next 6 months and keep my body fat the same”, tell yourself, “I’m gonna gain 5 pounds of muscle this month”.

We’re all driven by success and its success that fuels us. Setting achievable goals isn’t cheating. It’s being smart by allowing yourself to achieve a larger goal in stages!

Motivational Tip #3: Get a Workout Partner

And make sure that partner has similar goals to you. There have been number of mornings when I haven’t wanted to get out of bed or it seemed hard to do the last rep on every set.

But having a workout partner makes me get up because I have a responsibility to them… and it’s that same workout partner that helps me eek out those last one or two excruciating reps.

Motivational Tip #4: Keep Things Fresh

One of the best motivational killers is getting into a routine.

If you’re in the gym every day and you’re doing the same workout week after tiresome week, things are going to start getting boring… and when they do, that’s when motivation levels drop and people quick.

Change up your workout every week and do get a new scheme every 2 or 3 months. It’ll give you and your body something new to tackle which will help keep you going as well!

Motivational Tip #5: Take a Break

Here’s a secret that I’m sure a huge number of fledgling gym rats don’t know… your muscles don’t grow while you’re working out… they grow WHILE YOU’RE RESTING.

So take a week off to recharge both your body and your mind every 2.5 to 3 months.

It’ll give you an appreciation for the extra time you have and at the same time it’ll allow your body to grow and recover from the pounding you’ve given it!

Until Next Time,

Jim

I just had to share an underground video I just checked out explaining a pretty cool muscle growth technique called: "INTENTIONS"

A little while ago Jimmy (my training partner) once told me his philosophy when it came to building muscle. He said "Rich, think of your muscles as being a wet sponge. And with every exercise you do it's like squeezing that sponge out. So with that being said in order to build muscle the goal of your workout should be to squeeze ALL THE WATER you possibly can out of that sponge when you're in the gym"

What Jimmy was talking about was putting the maximum amount of TENSION on your muscles during each exercise.

FACT: The only way to build muscle is to create the greatest amount of "tension" or torque in a muscle within a given period of time.

Putting the "maximum" amount of tension your muscles is tough. And if you don't know what you're doing or how to do it then your results will suffer.

In fact if you have a lagging or "stubborn" body part then this might be the answer you're looking for because the video below explains not only why you have lagging body but also how to fix it... with an "underground muscle growth technique called INTENTIONS.

Ben Pakulski Explaining INTENTIONS

The guy in the video is Ben "Pacman" Pakulski (an IFBB Pro Body Builder). I was actually on my way to attend a fitness seminar to meet him as well as a few other Pro Fitness Models and learn some tricks of the trade.

Unfortunately, my trip was scheduled on the same weekend of Hurricane Irene and I had to cancel. But I was so eager to go that I was literally 2 seconds away from hopping in my car to try and outrun the storm just so I could attend the seminar (fortunately my sister and cousin helped talk me out of it)

But that's how much I respect Ben Pakulski and the body building advice he gives.

Ben actually has a free ebook called: 5 Tricks to Double Your Gains

I've read it, and I highly recommend you check it out. Make sure you read:

Page 10: Being Obsessed with...
and Page 24: Not Understanding Muscle...

Because those two sections definitely gave some "AH HA" moments on things that I going to apply the next time I go to the gym. And I have a feeling those will help you out the most as well.

Click Here to Download Ben Pakulski's 5 Tricks to Immediately Double Your Gains

Til next time,

Rich

Question: What type of workouts can you do if you don’t have access to a gym, to gain extra weight and build muscle?

photo credit: ToGa Wanderings

Now here's the problem - You NEED heavy weights to build a significant amount of muscle if you're a hardgainer, or someone who hasn't touched a weight before in their life then you can get away for sure while in the beginning with just bodyweight exercises.

But your body will adapt to those exercises fairly quickly, and it'll be time for you to start exercising with heavier weight (heavier than your bodyweight)

I remember back in high school, I didn't understand this concept that you need to lift heavy weights in order to build muscle.

I remember doing some crazy things like doing a gazillion push-ups every morning and every night, and curling water jugs thinking I was going to get big and buff.

Boy was I wrong!!!

So why wasn't this enough...

Why do You Need to Lift Heavy Weights to Build Muscle?

And to answer this question we need to look at your muscle fibers. Your muscles consists of two main types of muscle fibers, and they are your Type 1 and Type 2 muscle fibers.

Type I Muscle Fibers (Slow Twitch)

These muscle fibers have a slow contraction, produce very low-power, but these muscle fibers can be used for a duration of hours. The size of the motor neuron: Small (they don't get that larger.

When you think slow twitch think of a long-distance runner.

Marathon runners probably have the most developed slow twitch muscles in the world, yet they aren't that big and muscular, and it's because the size of type 1 muscle fibers are very small compared to other muscle fibers within your body.

Type I I Muscle Fibers (FAST Twitch)

These muscle fibers have a fast contraction rate, they produce a very high amount of power, but these muscle fibers can only be used for a duration of one minute to a maximum of 30 minutes. The size of the motor neuron: Large to Very Large (compared to Type I Muscle Fibers).

Think of a world-class sprinter like Usain Bolt. A lot of power (Type II Muscle Fibers) is needed within the sport of sprinting.

And since Type II muscle fibers grow very large compared to Type I Muscle Fibers that's why sprinters always look bigger than Marathon runners.

With that said you need some type of way to progressively overload your muscle with heavier weight, because it's heavier weight that targets your Type II muscle fibers, which are the muscle fibers that grow the largest.

So if you don't have access to a gym you'll have to find another way to target your Type II muscle fibers. You can use such things as:

• Resistance Bands
• Kettlebells / Free weights
• Home Gym
• Do some backyard "strong man" stuff (IMPROVISE)

Remember, in order to build muscle or ultimately change your physique you need to build your Type II muscle fibers and to do that you need to lift heavier weight.

If you don't have access to a gym I strongly suggest you invest in a home gym or you can try one of the other alternative I mentioned.

All the best,

Rich

photo credit: d_vdm

Today I want to go over something really important and it's muscle building supplements.

Just to set the record straight “You DON'T NEED Supplements to Build Muscle”

I used to think supplements were the holy Grail to muscle gains, especially as a naturally skinny guy. I used to think all I need to do is suck down as many supplements as I can and I’ll get huge. Boy was I wrong!!!

I remember one time back in college 90% of my diet consisted of sucking down protein supplements, after about two days of doing this.

My body eventually crashed. I remember waking up sucking down a shake before going to class, then realizing it had absolutely no energy at past out of my bed for hours.

Not only did I miss all my classes that day, but that was a huge wake-up call.

You NEED to have a balanced diet, not only to build muscle but to promote a healthy lifestyle as well.

So why take supplements and if they're not necessary to build muscle?

1. the truth is supplements provide certain nutrients in various combinations of nutrients at peak times, whereas if you tried to get them from whole food sources. It would be very difficult and even in practical.
2. Supplements also make it easier to consume the right combination of nutrients at the right time
3. supplements help you reach your caloric goals (consuming six meals a day, not only is tough to cook, but it's also tough to eat, tough to store and also tough on the wallet)

So, which muscle building supplements to take (which ones are essential for muscle gains)?

Muscle Building Supplement #1- Protein Supplements

There are three types of protein supplements that I'm going to be discussing:

Whey protein: whey protein is the most common muscle building protein out there and for good reason. Whey protein hits the bloodstream very quickly. Which makes it the ideal protein to consume before during and after your workouts.

Casein Protein: casein protein is almost the exact opposite of whey protein. Casein protein is slowly digested within the body, where whey protein supplies almost a surge or immediate supply of protein casein protein provides a steady flow of protein to your body and muscles. This protein is ideal to consume throughout the day and right before you go to sleep.

Weight gain shakes: weight gain shakes is another popular dietary supplement. Weight gain shakes are high in primarily protein, carbohydrates.

These supplements are used to help you reach your caloric goals.

Remember you have to consume an extra 3500 calories in order to gain 1 pound of new muscle, weight gain shakes makes it easier to consume those extra calories.

Here are some quick tips I want to give you if you choose to use protein supplements or any supplements for that matter

Quick Tip#1: DRINK LOTS OF WATER - If you’re going to be increasing your protein and your caloric intake with supplements in any way shape or form drink LOTS of water. I recommend AT LEAST 6 – 8 cups per day, in all honesty you should be doing this anyway to promote a healthy body but it’s especially important when you begin increasing your caloric intake.

Quick Tip#2: Make sure you’re getting the MAJORITY of your protein from whole food sources - When I first started out, I thought supplements were way better than “actual’ food when it came to building muscle.
But that couldn’t be farther from the truth, whole foods have so much more benefits that supplements don’t have, so make sure you’re consuming NO MORE THAN 40% of your daily protein from supplements. Remember supplements are used to SUPPLEMENT (or assist) your diet not replace it so make sure you’re consuming the majority of your protein from whole food sources.

Muscle Building Supplement #2 - Essential Fatty Acid Supplement

Believe what all fat is not bad for you. Some fats actually help boost your metabolism, regulate you're hormone producing glands which helps keep your testosterone”the big daddy muscle building hormone” levels high, also reduces inflammation, and joint pain.

You can usually find EFA’s in whole food sources like:
walnuts, avocados, extra virgin olive oil etc.

But to ensure you get quality amounts of your a censure fatty acids. It is recommended that you take an Essential Fatty Acid Supplement

Supplements to REALLY consider

Just note that with a proper balance diet (unless you have a fulltime nutrtionist this is VERY hard to do) you don't need these but remember since you're putting alot of STRESS on your entire body when you workout you need to provide your body with an ABUNDANCE of nutrients.

This not only will this speed up your recovery, keep your energy levels high, but it'll also ensure your body (not just your muscles) stay in tip top shape while you're damaging and stressing it through your transformation phase.

• Multi-Vitamin
• Calcium
• Vitamin C

But just remember, you don't need supplements to build muscle Supplements are just that “supplements”, the are used to assist your current diet. They're basically a convenient solution to help you reach your dietary goals.

No supplement can replace a well-balanced diet

Train hard,

Rich

photo credit: Ulf Liljankoski

Today, we’re gonna be talking about the most important, yet most neglected body part in all of weight training: the legs.

This topic is so important that I feel the need to dedicate an entire article to just convincing you that training legs, and training them hard, is a MUST.

I could go on and on about why having big legs is not only good for your physique, but will also help you push past weight plateaus that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to.

However, seeing as we don’t have all day and you most likely don’t want to be reading 10 pages of ranting and raving, I’m going to list a couple of the top reasons for training legs and talk about each of them in a bit of detail. So without further ado:

You want to train legs because:

1. You don’t want chicken legs
2. Your legs support the rest of your body
3. Training legs increases Testosterone (Your BIG DADDY Muscle Building Hormone)
4. Leg strength is a major part of every compound exercise

So let’s dive right in and talk about number 1 on the list.

Reason #1: You're NOT BIG Without BIG LEGS

I can’t even count the number of times I go to a gym and see a bunch of guys working on chest, back, biceps, triceps, etc.

And they walk around, thinking their big and tough… except they’re all wearing pants… and when the AC blows… you can tell they’ve never trained legs a day in their life.

You think you’re big without big legs? You’re not. Your legs are LITERALLY HALF YOUR BODY.

So no matter how much you can bench, no matter how many pounds you can curl, no one is impressed if you have stick-figure legs.

Reason #2: Your Legs Support the Rest of Your Body

As a wise man once told me, your legs have to support all of your body weight. So if you’re legs aren’t big and strong, it’s going to be hard for your body to pack on mass. Your base just won’t be strong enough to support it. Makes sense right?

Reason #3: More TESTOSTERONE!!!

When someone tells me that they’ve hit a plateau and either they can’t gain weight or they’ve hit a sticking point in their bench press or deadlift, or what-have-you, the first thing I ask them is if they squat. Squatting regularly will increase your testosterone, making it:

1) more likely for you to get stronger
2) more likely for you to gain weight

And if you’re reading this right now, you don’t need any more than the two reasons listed above to start hitting the rack.

Reason #4: You Need Your Legs More Than You Think!

Finally, your legs are an essential part of every compound exercise that you do. And as we’ve learned previously, compound exercises are the best way to not only get stronger, but also to build more muscle and gain more weight.

Some food for thought: When you bench, you’re always told to keep a stable base and put your legs firmly and in a comfortable position on the floor.

Why is that? (because you drive with your legs even when you’re working your chest… that’s why its called a COMPOUND exercise).

Again, when you deadlift, why is it that you’re told to drive through your heels? (the power is primarily coming from your legs).

And finally, when you clean and press, why do you explode with your legs on the clean portion, squat down a bit, and then drive again with your legs in a fluid motion on the press portion? (because your legs generate the most power here).

"Be a Man...WORKOUT YOUR LEGS"

You can thank me later.

Until next time,

Jim