Build Muscle

Reached a plateau in your training?

If you want personal training for muscle growth click the link. For advice on home gym equipment, click the link.

I've found an incredibly good value protein shake, Impact Whey Protein, from MyProtein, around £12 for 1kg, click the link for more details. One of my personal training clients introduced me to it, and it's good quality as well as great value. A rare combination! If you want to bulk up, and gain weight faster, a great supplement is Hurricane XS from MyProtein.

The key to muscle growth is to combine 3 things effectively:

1. Exercise with progressive overload. Here are some great exercises for each muscle group: chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, abs, glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves. You also need to train to failure, which means perform a set until you can't do any more reps. This is best done with a gym buddy or personal trainer, who can spot you for the last few reps.

2. Eat every 3 hours, and include protein, complex carbs, and vegetables in your main meals. For low fat recipes click this link. I recommend Maximuscle Progain after your workout to gain size (and Maximuscle Promax for a low-carb version). Just click the Maximuscle banner to place your order.

3. Get plenty of sleep and rest. If you want to learn how to sleep better click this link to the Sleep Better page.

Want regular muscle building tips sent straight to your email? Click here to contact me.

If you feel you've stopped making progress, change your routine, get more sleep and boost your nutrition.

Muscle-Building Nutrition

Good nutrition is crucial to grow lean muscle. Ask any personal trainer in London worth their salt.

Here's a great credit-crunch tip on how to fuel your muscles with high quality protein at low cost: lamb's liver. I get mine from Waitrose because it's top quality and £1 will buy you enough for one meal.

As for carbohydrates - avoid refined foods like white bread, white rice, cakes, biscuits. Stick to clean and wholesome sources of carbs like sweet potato, wholemeal bread, brown rice, quinoa, bulgar wheat, wholewheat pasta. Good nutrition is half the battle when packing on muscle.

And don't forget water. Drink around 2 litres per day between meals/snacks, evenly spread through the day.

If you want to look lean and ripped, without too much bulk, so your six pack abs show up, go to the Tone Up page.

In the late 1990's I had a personal trainer in London SW3 who advised me to gain weight and bulk up by eating whatever I wanted. Following this advice, I did gain muscle, but I gained a lot of unwanted fat as well. Now I know better!

For an idea of a typical workout week, see personal trainer workout

Muscle Growth FAQ's

Do I need the right genetics to build muscle? 

It definitely helps to have good genetics, but anyone can build muscle with the right kind of hard work, and good nutrition. If you have a mesomorph body type (athletic appearance, broader bone structure with wider shoulders and broader ribcage, and able to put on muscle easily, but with a tendancy to put on fat more easily if you don't watch your diet) you have a head start over the ectomorph body type (narrow shoulders, narrow ribcage, long thin limbs, typical 'hard gainer' in muscle growth, also hard to put on weight generally).

The third body type is the endomorph, with a tendancy to gain fat easily, and a rounder body shape with shorter limbs. Endomorphs pack on muscle more easily than ectomorphs but not quite as easily as mesomorphs. Not everyone falls neatly into one of these categories, as you might have skinny legs and a broad muscular upper body, or vice versa. It's best to make the most of your body type rather than struggle to transform it from one extreme to the other.

I'm too skinny. How can I bulk up fast?

The healthiest way is to bulk up steadily, so aim to gain 1 - 2 lbs a week, consistently over time. Don't make the mistake of eating everything you can get your hands on. Eat healthy clean unproccessed foods, and don't skip meals. Women should aim for around 2,000 calories per day, men around 2,500 calories. If you're shorter, reduce this number slightly. And don't forget, exercise and nutrition are equally important to gain healthy weight ie- muscle. And plenty of sleep!

Can I train sore muscles?

A sore muscle needs rest and recovery before you train it again, so train other body parts while the sore muscle recovers. If you train sore muscles, you'll sabotage your muscle-growth, because you're not giving the muscle a chance to recover and grow after the previous workout.

How long should I train for in the gym?

Your gym workout should last around 1 hour. The first 5-10 minutes should be a warm-up on the exercise bike or rowing machine (start gently at low resistance) to get the mind and body prepared for the main workout. And the last 10 minutes should be a cool-down (to get the body gradually back to a resting state, so you can flush out the lactic acid that's built up) followed by a stretch of the muscles you exercised.

How many times a week should I go to the gym?

To build muscle, aim to work out three times a week with mainly free weights (dumbbells and barbells). Don't train for muscle growth two days in a row, always do alternate days, such as Monday, Wednesday, Friday. And on the other days, do 20 minutes cardio, three times a week.

Is it healthy to have less than 10% body fat?

A healthy range of body fat for men is 12 - 18%, so if you're working out regularly, and want a lean muscular physique, aim for 12%. For women, the healthy range is 22 - 28%, so aim for 22% if you want a lean toned physique and a flat stomach. Too little body fat can cause many health problems, such as hormone imbalance, lack of vitamins/minerals, low energy, reduced ability to build muscle, poor hair/skin/nails.