20 Muscle Building Tips.

1 - Compound exercises are your best tools for growth. Use them.

2 -  Eat your biggest meal of the day about 30 to 60 minutes after you lift weights.

3 - Get strong! There are no weak bodybuilders. You don't have to become a powerlifter, but you do need to dramatically improve your strength over what it is now.

4 -  Squats are king of the muscle builders, and they are not bad for your knees unless your form is horrible and/or you are half-squatting.

5 -  Deadlift. If squats are king, deadlifts are second in command. They are not bad for your back unless your form is horrible.

6 -  Learn proper form. Read every article, and watch every video you can on proper exercise form. There is no excuse for having sub-par squat and deadlift form.

7 -  Balance your upper body work. This means equal effort for chest, back and shoulders. Stop doing 7 exercises for chest and only lat pull downs for back. Balance will keep you healthy, strong and help to stave off shoulder issues.

8 - Beginners...stop training like advanced lifters, using advanced splits and training techniques. They are not needed. What you need is to get strong on the basic compound lifts more than anything.

9 - Beginners...stop adding training volume. Having 3 bicep days per week isn't going to help. You need to get strong right now, not fatigue yourself with endless sets.

10 - Stop believing that muscle building is rocket surgery. It isn't. Get stronger, eat enough food and stay persistence.

11 -  Stop missing workouts.

12 -  Stop complaining about muscle soreness. It's part of the game. Don't miss workouts because of it. No excuses - get to the gym.

13 - Stop complaining about every ache, pain or strain. Lifting weights is hard, and a man's game. You're going to feel off occasionally. No excuses - get to the gym.

14 -  Proper muscle building nutrition is much more than broccoli, rice and chicken breasts. Eat a variety of whole foods each week.

15  Eat more red meat.

16 - Eat more eggs, including the yolks. Egg yolks are nutritionally dense.

17 -  Drink plenty of water. Then drink more.

18 - Sleep at least 8 hours a night and take naps when possible.

19 - Learn to cook. Muscle building nutrition doesn't have to be bland.

20 - Having trouble reaching your calorie goals? Add butter or olive oil to your veggies.

Grilled Tuna Burgers.


Burgers don't have to be unhealthy! This grilled tuna burger is high in protein, low in fat and less than 200 calories.

What you need:
450 Grams of Tuna
40 Grams of chopped onion (1/2 small onion)
1 large carrot (shredded)
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
4 egg whites
20 grams of chopped chives
40 grams of bread crumbs
Spices to taste
Cooking Instructions

What you need to do:
Mix all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. If you like spices you can chili or paprika here as well. I added chili to taste. Split ingredients into four patties.

Take a tray and cover with a non-stick piece of baking paper. Spray the paper lightly with low fat cooking spray. Grill patties on both side until brown.

Serving Suggestions

You can either serve the tuna patties in the traditional style with a roll and trimmings or with rice and vegetables. I had mine with a wholemeal roll, salad and chutney - very nice!

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 200g
Protein: 35g
Carbs: 15g
Fat: 1.2g

How Much Weight Do I Want To Gain?


A beginning natural bodybuilder who is training hard and eating right should gain at least 10 to 16 pounds of muscle during his first year of hardcore training. An intermediate to advanced lifter will gain fewer pounds as the years progress. According to Casey Butt, this is the muscle progression that an average natural bodybuilder can expect:

Year 1 - 16 pounds of muscle.
Year 2 - 8 pounds of muscle.
Year 3 - 4 pounds of muscle.
Year 4 - 2 pounds of muscle.
Year 5 - 1 pound of muscle.
When bulking, you will also gain some fat. Some fat. Keep in mind that this bulking protocol will not turn you into a sumo wrestler, but you may add 5 to 10 pounds of fat during a given year. Some will gain slightly more, and some will gain slightly less fat. If you have fat fear and undereat, you will be limiting your gains. Bodybuilding requires building, or eating more. You simply can't maximize muscle mass by trying to eat less. There will be plenty of time to see your abs once you are a muscular beast!

Here are some general guidelines on how much weight gain you should aim for based on your training and muscle growth experience:

Beginners.
 Beginning lifters who have gained no prior muscle mass should set a goal to gain about 2 pounds a month over the course of their first training year. In a perfect world this would equate to 16 pounds of muscle and 8 pounds of fat.

Beginner to Intermediates. 
Second year lifters (or someone who has gained about 16 pounds of muscle mass) should set a goal to gain one pound per month over the course of the next year. In a perfect world this would equate to 8 pounds of muscle and 4 pounds of fat.

Intermediates. 
Third year lifters (or someone who has gained about 24 pounds of muscle mass) should set a goal to gain two pounds every 3 months over the course of the next year. In a perfect world this would equate to 4 pounds of muscle and 4 pounds of fat.
Intermediate to Advanced. Fourth year lifters (or someone who has gained about 28 pounds of muscle mass) should set a goal to gain one pound every 2 months over the course of the next year. In a perfect world this would equate to 2 pounds of muscle and 4 pounds of fat.

Advanced.
 Fifth year (plus) lifters (or someone who has gained about 30 pounds of muscle mass) should set a goal to gain one pound every 2 months over the course of the next year. In a perfect world this would equate to 1 pound of muscle and 5 pounds of fat.

Eliminate These 5 Fat Loss Mistakes.

If you have been struggling to lose weight after dropping the first 5 pounds, or if your fat loss has hit a roadblock even before it began, then you are most likely making one or all of the 5 mistakes in this article. Yes, no matter how unique you may think you are in your failures to lose fat, you do have a lot in common with other strugglers.

I have observed time and again the similar training mistakes made by trainees that halt their fat loss progress. So let me share 5 of the very common ones, and how you can overcome them.

1 -  Too desperate and short sighted
 - Yes I can understand how badly you want to fit into those size 32 waist jeans or that designer dress in a few weeks. However, in the real world you need to be more patient and think of the long term. I am sure you did not pack on 30 pounds in 3 weeks, so why expect to lose it in 3 weeks?

A reasonable expectation would be to lose the fat in ¼ of the time that it took you to put it on. Remember one thing: when that fat comes off you should be a far fitter and stronger person. If your fat loss program leaves you weak, unfit and overall, makes you feel terrible, then it’s not worth it.

A better approach would be to focus more on your progression in terms of strength and fitness. This would mean a focus on lifting more weights, doing more reps, running faster, etc. As your physical capacity improves your bodyfat levels will come down too if your diet is clean.

To put it another way, focus on the journey of getting there and giving it the best along the whole way rather than only being obsessed about the destination. This will give you a much better chance of “getting there”.

2 -  Your workout lacks intensity 
- It is very common to see fat people walk on a treadmill while watching TV. If that is your idea of a workout, then be prepared to be stuck with your bodyfat. Your workouts need to be I-N-T-E-N-S-E!

And don’t even get me started on doing high reps with those 5 pound plastic dumbbells. I don’t even consider them weights. They are just toys for kids and not a tool for serious fat loss. You can start with them for certain exercises if you are weak to begin with, but slowly you'll want to move onto serious weights to see a real loss of bodyfat.

From now on focus on going hard and heavy during your workouts and try to finish them in 45 minutes. Yes, moving around slowly for 90 minutes is not the best way to lose fat. Of course you can take a little longer if you do an extended stretching session along with your weights and cardio.

Focus on compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, etc to maximize your results. You will also do well to spend most of your resistance training with free weights like barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells instead of using too many machines like leg extensions, etc.

3 -  Lack sufficient resistance training
Traditionally it was advised that to lose weight one should spend about 80% of their training doing cardio. The outcome of this advice was that the cardiovascular exercise machine manufacturers had fatter purses. If you want to lose fat then learn to make resistance training a major part of your training program.

Resistance training can include both weighted and bodyweight exercises. The advantage of resistance training is that it raises your resting metabolic rate which means that you burn more calories throughout the day. This ends up creating a much greater fat loss than doing just 30-60 minutes of slow cardio.

Of course it is essential to go heavy to get the benefits of resistance training, so once again those 5 pound pink dumbbells should not be your best buddy in the gym.

4 - Changing programs too often and not focusing on progression 
Did you start a routine and leave it after two workouts because you came across another awesome looking super fast results promising routine on the net? If you have been doing such chopping and changing for months then stop and have a good look at yourself and see how much progress you have made. Chances are that there will be very little to no improvements made.

It is important that you try a program for at least 4 weeks before changing it to get the best results. In fact, I will even advise that if a program is working well for you then don’t be in a hurry to change it even if you end up doing it for 3 months.

Progression is what you need to focus on instead of being obsessed with finding a “perfect” program.

5 -  Being a couch potato outside the gym
Being a couch potato was one of the major reasons why you got fat in the first place. So if you have not overcome that habit, then you are not maximizing your fat loss results.

Look for opportunities to get active outside the gym. This could mean playing sports with buddies, walking more instead of using a car for short distances, etc. If you are a parent, then you can plan 1-2 days a week to take your kids to the park and play active games with them. It will be a great stress buster and will help you bond better with your kids.

Again, there can be many other such options to get active if you really try to look for them. So to help you get started or blast through that plateau let me share with you a sample fat loss workout that you can try.

Banana And Oats Protein Shake

Protein shake with banana, oats and your favorite protein powder flavor. This recipe also doubles as a quick and nutritious breakfast for those on the go.

Ingredients

What you need:

8 oz skim milk

1 banana

1/2 cup of oats

2 scoops of whey protein powder

Cooking Instructions

Chose your favorite protein powder flavor, and combine all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. The nutritional information for this recipe was based upon a medium banana, and whey protein blend. Recipe provided by Lycanthrope.

Serving Suggestions

This recipe makes one protein shake.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 554g

Protein: 59g

Carbs: 68.2g

Fat: 6.1g

The Best Exercises. 

1 - Chest Building Exercises.

Bench Press. 
The king of all upper body muscle building movements. The bench press is so popular that it is often seen as having it's own training day - bench press Monday.

Incline Bench Press. 
The first choice of many top pro bodybuilders.

Dips.
Once considered the upper body squat, dips are a great compliment to any bench press movement.

Dumbbell Bench Press. 
You will really be able to feel the chest work with this pressing variation.

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press. 
A solid alternative to the incline barbell press.
Decline variations didn't make the list because they shorten the pressing distance and tend to shift some of the focus to the triceps.

2 - Back Building Exercises.

Deadlifts.
 Nothing builds beefy backs like the deadlift. The sheer act of holding a barbell with heavy weight places the lats under an incredible amount of stress.

Pull Ups.
A far superior choice to lat pull downs. If you can do one, try for two. If you can do two, try for three! If you can't do them at all use rack chins.

Barbell Row. 
No back building workout should be without a heavy row, and barbell rows are at the top of the list.

Dumbbell Row. 
An excellent second choice to barbell rows, especially if you have a weak lower back.
Power Clean. The explosiveness of the power clean effectively works the back from traps down.

3 - Shoulder Building Exercises.

Military Press. 
This exercise has been a staple of great workouts for decades on end.

Push Press. 
Very similar to the military press, but utilizing more of an Olympic lifting-style explosiveness.

Bench Press. 
Yes, you read that correctly. The bench press is an amazing front delt builder. In fact, if your chest day involves several pressing movements there's a good chance you won't need any direct front delt work on shoulder day.

Seated Behind The Neck Press.
 Go no deeper than arms parallel to the floor, and this is a rock solid choice.

Seated Dumbbell Press.
 A little easier on the shoulders for many because the dumbbells can be placed in a more natural position.

3 - Leg Building Exercises.

Squats. 
The king of all muscle building lifts. 'Nuff said.

Front Squats. 
Another top choice of bodybuilding beef kings. Front squats can be tricky to learn, but you will be rewarded with big wheels.

Stiff Leg Deadlifts. 
Beef up your hamstrings!

Leg Press.
 If you don't have access to a squat rack this is your next best bet.
Barbell Lunge. Lunges are another quality leg-building staple.

4 - Arm Building Exercises.

Chin Ups. 
A shocker, but chin ups (performed with palms toward the face) are a beastly bicep builder, perhaps even better than straight bar curls.

Close Grip Bench Press. 
This exercise allows for a heavy amount of weight to be placed on the triceps.

Dips. 
Much better than most tricep isolation exercises.

Barbell Curls. 
A classic. Just don't curl in the squat rack.

Seated Two Arm Dumbbell Tricep Extension. 
Allows you to lift heavy weight and reach a deep stretch. You will need a good spotter.

The Top 7 Muscle Building Exercises

A workout is made up of only so many sets and exercises. Constructing a workout without a purpose, and without the use of the best available tools will only waste your time. If you want to gain muscle and strength at the fastest rate possible you will need to choose the best possible exercises.

Squats. Squats are the king of all muscle and strength building exercises. No workout should be without deep squats. They are performed with a barbell, generally in a squat rack. Squats not only build massive legs, but also stress most of the upper body. They are like a hormonal nuclear bomb – destroying the entire body, forcing it to get bigger and stronger with ever rep.

1 - Deadlifts. 
Second only to squats in effectiveness (and a very close second at that), deadlifts are another manmaker that will pack on slabs of muscle mass while helping you become as strong as a bear. Like squats, deadlifts are a barbell only exercise.

2 - Dips.
 Dips are often called the upper body squat, and for good reason. Dips work the shoulders, chest and triceps very hard, and are a great overall exercises for building a beefy upper body. Dips should be performed at a parallel bar dipping station.

3 - Pull Ups. 
It seems that even the strongest and most fit lifters can barely squeak out more than a few pull ups. The pull up is an excellent exercise for building the back and biceps, and should be used instead of inferior exercises such as the lat pull down when possible.

4 - Bench Press. 
The bench press is an upper body staple. There are several highly effective variations including the flat bench barbell press, flat bench dumbbell bench press, incline bench barbell press and incline dumbbell bench press.

5 - Overhead Press. 
As with the bench press, there are numerous quality variations of the overhead press that can be used. Nearly all seated and standing dumbbell and barbell overhead presses are solid choices. You may also use the Arnold dumbbell press, and behind the neck overhead presses. Another popular press variation is the standing push press.

6 - Rows.
 Both barbell and dumbbell rows are tremendous upper back exercises. Old school barbell T-bar rows are also a solid choice. While cable and machine lifts are generally sub-par, seated cable rows can be very challenging and effective.