Welcome to BuildMuscleChallenge.com - a blog dedicated to helping naturally skinny guys and hardgainers become BIGGER, STRONGER and more CONFIDENT versions of themselves.
Hi name is Richard Knight (Rich - for short) founder of the Build Muscle Challenge. I created this site because throughout my younger years I realized something.... BEING SKINNY SUCKS!!!
As a naturally skinny guy aka "hardgainer" it took me a long time to figure out how to actually build muscle, gain weight and change my physique. I did EVERYTHING to try to bulk up when I was younger.
Before I tell you more about the site and how it's going to completely change your life, I think it's best to get some one on one time and tell you a little about my story, so you can see that I'm someone you can trust and I'm someone whose been through what you're going through.
Life Before My Transformation
Back in my high school years, which is when I really began to notice that I was skinnier than everyone else, was the worst. I remember getting picked on because I was skinny and "frail" looking. I remember not having the confidence to talk to girls (having braces during this time didn't help either).
I remember being ridiculed by friends AND family, being called names like "sack of bones", "string bean", "toothpick"....(man, the list goes on).
So if you've gone through anything like that... I can definitely relate.
What Changed???
Well needless to say no matter how hard I tried, no matter how many pushups I did at night or in the morning, how many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I ate at night (or any of the other ridiculous things I used to do) I couldn't gain weight when I was in high school.
So when I finally made it to college, even though I had access to a weight room, a full time dining hall and a few extra bucks in my pocket to invest in food and supplements I still struggled.
For me the change came when I ultimately realized that I couldn't keep winging it, I couldn't keep going to the gym, buying all these supplements and eating whatever, without some sort of game plan.
My biggest change ultimately came when I became a "dedicated" student of muscle building. I think my wake up call was after busting my butt off in the school gym for MONTHS just to look the EXACT same as I did the first day I walked in really got me upset. It almost made me throw in the towel to be honest.
Fortunately for me I learned at an early age "If you're not getting results with something then all it means is that there's something you don't know." I knew it could be done but for some reason no matter how many hours I put into the gym I just wasn't getting anywhere.
So I began my journey "educating" myself on the ins and outs of muscle building, how it grows, why it grows, what it needs to grow, what to eat, what not to eat, what workouts to do, what exercises work best.... etc.
Needless to say there's so much information out there, you don't know who to trust, what information is right, wrong or even meant for you.
I'm sure you can relate to this, alot of the information out there is totally contradictory, one would say do this, another would say "don't do that do this". I didn't know which way to turn, who to believe, what advice to follow and it was EXTREMELY frustrating (and that's when I realized the stone cold truth: alot of the information out there is NOT designed for us naturally skinny guys!)
So after getting alot of bad advice from friends and family (people who didn't have a hard time building muscle and gaining weight) I realized I needed to follow the advice of those who were just like me (naturally skinny) and figured out how to build muscle.
To make a long story short (this is supposed to be the quick version) I slowly stumbled onto guys who were just like me (skinny as a toothpick) who figured out how to build muscle and learned as much as I can from them. The result.....
I Gained 42 Lbs in 4 Months....
Transformation #1
Me at (184 lbs) and 4 Months Later (226 lbs)
I used a technique called "bulking" which is when your diet and workouts are concentrated toward MAXIMUM muscle gains. A side effect of this is also fat gains because during this bulking phase, you're consuming a S#@& ton of extra calories, which is essential for muscle gains but is also the condition where fat gains occur consuming excess calories.
Once you build up enough muscle through your bulking phase, you then go through a cutting phase which is when you basically cut all the body fat you gained to reveal all your muscle gains that are hiding underneath.
To be honest, when I first did this I was somewhat lazy (I'll admit it). I barely did cardio (which is essential especially if you're bulking) and I also made some poor dieting choices which lead to more fat gains during this bulking phase.
I Lost It.... ALL OF IT.... But I Gained It BACK!!!
Well after I first bulked up, it was time for me to begin cutting my body fat. Unfortunately, a few things in my personal life occurred which didn't allow me to go to the gym regularly or the ability maintain a proper "cutting" diet.
So I began losing weight.....fat and MUSCLE. Since I realized it would be a while before my situation would get back to where I knew I could maintain a diet that would allow me to build my muscle back again, I decided to go for broke.
I decided to get as low I could go in body weight and build it back up again for a more DRAMATIC transformation and to let other guys know that IT CAN BE DONE no matter where you're starting from.
So in 2010 I started over again and here are the results:
Transformation #2
And the truth is, after going through my first transformation building muscle for me this second time around was almost a joke. During this second transformation I was literally building muscle on demand. And it was all because of my Secret Weapon.
My (and now Your) Secret Weapon: Jimmy
Current Height: 5' 7"
Current Weight: 184 lbs
A few quick facts about Jimmy:
1 - Jimmy is probably one of the biggest Mets fans I know.
2 - He LOVES craft beer (Jimmy can’t stand main stream beer AKA “nasty” beer (i.e. - Bud, Coors, etc) with a PASSION).
3 - He’s also a Certified Trainer
4 - And lastly he’s a BEAST when it comes to working out and putting on muscle. (I tell him, he’s like the Jackie Chan of building muscle)
I’ve learned things on all aspects of muscle building from Jimmy like:
- Dieting : What to eat, when to eat, what to avoid, how often to eat, pre workout nutrition, post workout nutrition.... (the list goes on)
- Exercise: What exercises put on the most muscle, how many reps you should be doing, how your form should be so you’re not wasting your time, which exercises are ESSENTIAL for each muscle group.... (the list goes on)
- Supplements: What supplements you NEED, which ones you don’t, what to look for when you’re buying supplements, what to avoid, which ones are a waste of money … (the list goes on)
- Cardio: How much cardio to do when you’re building muscle, how much is too much, what type of cardio you should be doing, which type of cardio will eat away at your muscles (the list goes on)
It’s MIND BOGGLING the WEALTH of knowledge I learned from Jimmy over these past few months.
Well, to make a long story short, it took some arm twisting, some name calling (ALOT of name calling actually) and a probably a case of some GOOD craft beer for Christmas but WE GOT JIMMY.
Even though, I called Jimmy ALOT of “sissy-girlie” names to get him to join in, I think its when he realized that he used to be a “REALLY” skinny guy himself and how hard it was for him years ago to find the right information and the right people willing to share it, that made him get AMPED UP to help this movement..... of Changing the lives of naturally skinny guys like us by training, inspiring, and motivating them to transform their bodies and boost inner confidence...... I call it: THE BUILD MUSCLE CHALLENGE (sound familiar? - more on this "movement" that later).
Right now I want you to do yourself a favor and read Jimmy’s quick bio. I’m certain you’ll find a few things in common with Jimmy. See what mistakes he’s made, how he overcame them because odds are they’re probably the same mistakes you’re making right now.
Click here to read Jimmy’s quick bio
Once you read it, you’ll come to see why I like Jimmy so much. And it’s because he’s a tell it like it is, kinda guy. If you’re slacking, he’ll let you know, if you’re not putting in the effort he’ll let you know, if you’re wasting your time (and his).... he’ll definitely let you know.
How This Blog Is Going to Change Your Life
So now that you know my story and the LOOOONNNNGGGG road I had to take to get where I'm at today and Jimmy's story and the road he took to get to where he's at I want to share with you how this blog is going to change your life.
I know what a BOOST it is to transform your body. When you finally reach your transformation goals (or goals of any kind for that matter) it’s like putting your self-confidence on STEROIDS, and that’s how I felt coming into this year (after my 2nd transformation) and it’s EXACTLY how I want YOU to feel as well.
And it's really simple, for years I wished that I had someone to:
- take me by the hand and show me everything I needed to know to reach my transformation goals
- bounce questions off of
- help keep me motivated, on pace and on track
- to tell me when I'm doing something wrong and how to fix it.
Because if I did I KNOW I wouldn't have struggled for so many YEARS and I wouldn't have almost thrown in the towel so many times.
And Jimmy and I want to be that person for YOU.
We want to be the people you turn to for:
- Guidance on what you need to do to build muscle
- Motivation when you need a spark to keep going
- Support when you have a question that you NEED answered
- Inspiration so you can overcome whatever hurdle you're facing
This blog is more than just about building muscle it's about building a BIGGER, STRONGER, and more CONFIDENT YOU both inside and out. And I feel that going through this body transformation process is one of the BEST ways to do that.
And its simple, this body transformation process (your Build Muscle Challenge) goes WAY beyond just getting bigger, stronger and “sexier”, it’s about putting a goal in front you and knocking down ALL obstacles and barriers to achieve that goal.
And once you achieve with out even knowing it you'll be a BIGGER, STRONGER and CONFIDENT YOU who's ready to take on ALL CHALLENGES life puts in their way.
That's ultimately what I want for you. And it's what Jimmy and I are going to strive to help you achieve.
How to Get Started
Step 1 - Claim your FREE video "My #1 Secret to Gaining 42lbs in 4 months" ASAP.
This reveals the secret I day in and day out to build muscle on DEMAND. You'll also gain access to the Build Muscle Challenge 7 Day Bootcamp (which is VERY important... you'll see why in a sec) when you claim your video. Plus you'll also get daily updates from us.... as soon as we post something new you'll be the first to know, so don't wait!
Step 2 - Fill out your "What Am I Doing Wrong Survey?"
This is VITAL, I want you to let us know what you're having the BIGGEST problem with so we can show you how to overcome that invisible mountain that's stopping you from seeing results. (This is ONLY available to those who are serious and claim their FREE video and join the Build Muscle Challenge 7 Day Bootcamp (Step 1).
Step 3 - Introduce Yourself... "Leave a Comment!!!"
I've told you alot about myself, now it's your turn, let me know a little bit about you. Let me know where you're at and what your goals. Let me know what things I've been through that you can relate to. Let me know that you're ready to make a change.
Most of all let me know that you're alive, and that somehow some way this blog has helped you get one step closer to your goal.
I look forward to connecting with you,
Rich