Fifty Tips for Building Big Muscle Fast

When it comes to packing on muscle, you need more than a lot of volume. As great as higher rep training can be for mass building, there are specific training techniques that will help you get the most out of your efforts. Here are fifty tips for helping you build muscle fast.

1: Favor Volume But Don't Neglect Intensity

About 70 percent of workouts should push volume and moderate loads, and 30 percent should be trained at a higher intensity with heavy weights.

2: Go To Failure

Train to failure to produce muscle damage and a large protein synthesis response.

3: Periodize your workouts

Sets, reps, loads, and exercises should change every 2 to 3 weeks. Alternate between accumulation and intensification phases every 3 weeks to build muscle fast.

4: Strategically Train For Intensity

Include select intensification training phases that favor heavier loads (above 85 percent) and lower reps (6 or less).

5: Train in the Afternoon

Train in the afternoon between 2 and 5 pm because muscle strength peaks during this window and protein synthesis peaks at 5 pm.

6: Include Metabolically Stressful Workouts

Train for metabolic stress by using higher volume, moderate intensity, and short rest periods (10 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on protocol).

7: Train Based On Muscle Fiber Type

If you’re fast-twitch with exceptional speed and jumping skills, train with heavy weights and low reps. For slow-twitch, go high rep, high volume.

8: Don’t neglect the slow-twitch fibers completely

Even in power athletes, slow-twitch fiber make up the majority of whole muscles and growing them will maximize muscle size.

9: Do eccentric-enhanced training

To build muscle faster, use a longer tempo on the eccentric motion (4 seconds) and 1 to 2 concentric.

10: Use A Dynamometer

For advanced hypertrophy, a dynamometer provides a consistent resistive force that is not gravity dependent like dumbbells. This will allow you to train a fast tempo for maximal muscle growth.

11: Train More Often

Training frequency is an often overlooked variable for building muscle faster. Favor multi-joint lifts with training splits to maximize recovery and allow for the greatest training frequency.

12: Focus on recovery

Besides genetics, the true indicator of muscle development is your ability to recover rapidly so you can hit it hard again in the gym.

13: Avoid steady-state and long duration cardio

Stick to sprints, strongman, and loaded conditioning.

14: Develop a hypertrophy lifestyle

Train, eat, sleep, recover, "think" hypertrophy.

15: Pick a priority and train accordingly

Although it is possible to build muscle and lose fat at the same time, massive muscle is best accomplished with a hypertrophy lifestyle.

16: Improve your training technique

Avoid using momentum to get the weight up. Follow tempo prescriptions and avoid letting weights fall with gravity.

17: Set goals

We’re talking specific load and volume numbers you need to hit for every lift, every workout, every week, every training cycle.

18: Keep Training Logs

Track everything: workouts, sleep, diet. Evaluate your performance every time you change your training program.

19: Train for the pump

A muscle pump occurs when your muscles swell with liquid, stimulating muscle growth.

20: Do forced reps

Pick the maximal load you can lift for 12 reps. Increase the load and do 4 sets of 12. Get assistance from a partner when necessary.

21: Do “X” reps

"X" reps are partial reps that are done after you achieve full-range failure on a lift. For the bench press, once you can’t do anymore full-range reps, do 6 to 10 inch partials in the top range until failure. Use a spotter.

22: Do drop sets

Build muscle fast with a high-intensity set followed immediately by the same exercise at a low-intensity with 50 percent of the 1RM. Go to failure on the last set.

23: Train Giant Sets

Throw in some circuits that alternate agonist/antagonist muscle exercises and have no rest between exercises for a set time goal.

24: Don’t ignore the power of strength for muscle growth

Giving your greatest effort during intensification cycles will help you build big muscle faster in the long run.

25: Eat enough protein

At a minimum get 0.75 g per pound of bodyweight of protein daily. An intake of 1 g per pound is likely optimal for building muscle fast.

26: Eat high-quality protein and fat at every meal

Favor foods that provide at least 10 grams of essential amino acids every time you eat.

27: Eat Meat

There’s evidence that there is something about “the meat itself” that yields maximal muscle gains.

28: Eat High-Quality Protein Every 3 Hours

Ensure each protein meal contains at least 20 grams of protein per serving to build muscle fast.

29: High-quality calories are king

Choose the most nutrient-rich foods possible instead of relying on junk calories.

30: Take whey protein post-workout

Whey is superior to all protein sources for elevating protein synthesis. If you’re allergic, try a blend of pea and rice protein.

31: Cycle your carbs

De-emphasize carbs on off days, but eat higher carb on training days.

32: Have a higher carb, high calorie day

Every 5 to 7 days, increase calories by up to 50 percent.

33: Balance your fats

Aim for an equal omega-3 to omega-6 fat intake: Eat fish, pastured animal products, take fish oil, and avoid vegetable oils.

34: Avoid low-fat eating like the plague

Fat provides cholesterol, which supports hormone balance and recovery from intense exercise.

35: Ensure hydration

Most people are chronically dehydrated. Shoot for drinking 37 ml/kg of body weight. For a 75 kg person this equals 2.8 liters.

36: Attend to your body’s pH

Drink lemon or lime water, and eat a boatload of green vegetables and nutrient-rich fruits to become more alkaline.

37: Optimize gut health

Always pair protein with healthy fat and fiber (veggies and fruit) to improve protein digestion so that it doesn’t pass through to the intestinal intact.

38: Get extra B vitamins

B vitamins are depleted in people who experience a lot of stress, both physical and mental.

39: Balance your cortisol

Adopt mind-body practices to help ease stress and balance cortisol. Try 2 grams of vitamin C post-workout or anytime you’re stressed.

40: Be smart about caffeine

Avoid using it as a crutch and never take it during the post-workout recovery period.

41: Embrace sleep

Sleep is called the “athlete’s steroid” because it can boost athletic performance by as much as 10 percent. Shoot for at least 10 hours a night if you’re trying to gain muscle.

42: Sleep according to your chronotype

Sleep according to your natural tendency to be a morning or evening person because this optimizes hormone balance.

43: Attend to your vitamin D level

Achieve a year-round level of at least 30 ng/ml. People in northern latitudes generally require 2,000 to 5,000 IUs daily.

44: Ensure magnesium status

Scientists suggest athletes should supplement with 500 mg of high-quality magnesium daily.

45: Dose BCAAs

Aim for a 4 to 1 ratio of leucine to valine and isoleucine. Taking BCAAs during an intense training session is a trick for building muscle fast.

46: Take creatine to experience double muscle gains

Aim for 5 grams a day to build muscle fast. One review found an extra 2 to 4 pounds of muscle mass gained in athletes with creatine supplementation.

47: Use caffeine pre-workout

Caffeine is godsend when you are sleep deprived, have a blue mood, or just don't want to train. Research shows caffeine is the most effective legal performance-enhancing aid available.

48: Take fish oil post-workout

Build muscle faster by taking up to 4 g of fish oil to improve protein synthesis and reduce inflammation.

49: Take glutamine in doses throughout the day

Use glutamine anytime you feel your immune system suppressed or are nearing an overtrained state.

50: Work harder

You’re less likely to be a “hard-gainer” if you work harder and smarter.