For beginners, the key to building muscle is to ignore about 99% of what you read. Anyone who tells you that they know the magic formula has something to sell you. Maybe it is a wonderful new protein powder that costs only a few bucks per scoop. Maybe they make some newfangled brand of adjustable dumbbells that are the ultimate secret. All of your past musclebuilding failures never have anything to do with how you have been training–the salesmen only want to convince you that the only missing ingredient is their product.
I was a beginner once. There was a day when more than anything I wanted to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. (No, I still don’t). I wanted to cut corners. I wanted there to be shortcuts. I wanted more than anything to believe that there was a secret, and if only I could discover it, I could save myself a lot of wasted time. And by wasted time, what I subconsciously meant was effort and patience.
Patience is in ever-shorter supply these days, particularly when it comes to fitness. But if building lean muscle is one of your goals, there are very, very few things you need to do, and even fewer that you need to buy.
Here are the questions you need to ask yourself as you examine your past strength training endeavors:
1. Am I getting stronger? How often do actually lift more weight than in a previous session?
The numbers don’t lie. Make the numbers go up and your muscles will be growing. There’s no way around it.
2. Do I eat enough?
If you are getting stronger but you still aren’t packing on much muscle, try eating more calories. Don’t increase it all at once. Just add 500 calories at a time, go back to your lifting, and see if things change.
3. Am I sleeping 8-9 hours a night?
Sometimes it stinks, sometimes it’s impossible, but you simply have to rest. If you don’t, no amount of extra effort in other areas will make up for it. Get 8-9 hours a night, eat and lift, and you’ll be fine.
Anything additional is simply a distraction you don’t need. Focus on the basics because the basics work. People were building muscles long before supplements and other quick fixes.
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