If you’re looking to build bigger muscle, here are some steps to take to achieve your goal.

Train the Muscle

Weight training places stress on the muscles. Muscles adapt to this stress by getting bigger and stronger. The most effective way to build bigger muscle is to train with free weight, compound exercises. These exercises include the squat, deadlift, bench, overhead press, and rows.

Feed the Muscle

Nutrition plays a vital role in building muscle. Nutrition provides the fuel for training and the raw materials to build muscle. You must consume adequate calories and protein to build bigger muscle. A general rule is to consume 18 calories per lb of bodyweight and 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. These figures will vary from person to person but they serve as a good starting point. Consume complex carbohydrates and healthy fats to round out the rest of your calorie needs.

Supplement the Muscle

Proper supplementation is important to build bigger muscle. While I believe there are good supplements on the market, they are NOT a substitute for poor nutrition and training!!! Supplements I believe all hard trainees could benefit from are multivitamins, protein powder, fish oil, and a joint supplement, if needed. Creatine is an extensively researched supplement that has been shown to be beneficial.

Rest the Muscle

Muscle growth takes place outside of the gym. To build bigger muscle, we must allow out bodies to rest and recover from the stress placed upon it during our training sessions. It is not necessary to train 6-7 days a week to gain muscle. I recommend training 4 days a week, then gauge your progress from there. Three days a week may be even better for some trainees. We also must get adequate sleep to build big bigger muscle. Staying up late or hanging at the bar with the boys when you have to get up at 6 AM for work the next morning will slow recovery.

Repeat

You have to commit to this process if you want to build bigger muscle. You need to train hard, consume adequate calories, supplement properly, and rest to gain muscle. Repeat this process every week, every month, and every year. This is called consistency. Be consistent with your efforts and you will build bigger muscle.