I can tell you from firsthand experience, it’s not easy packing on pounds of lean muscle mass.
As someone who has struggled mightily in the past, I know a thing or two about a thing or two.
In an effort to save you years of frustration, here are some guidelines you oughta follow.
No fluff, no quackery, no-nonsense.
1. Consistency trumps intensity
If you’re a complete newbie, provided you stay consistent, those gains will come quick.
Once your body has become fully aware of the physical demands you’re putting it through, that’s where things start to become increasingly difficult — you have less room for error.
If there’s only one thing you can takeaway from this, it’s that you have to remain consistent.
You need to train hard, and you need to do it often for a long time.
As much as it has to do with exercise selection or whatever program you’re following, showing up 3-4 days, 52 weeks out of the year is what’s going to make a difference.
As long there’s a level of progression, good things will happen.
2. Learn to love the basics
There’s nothing inherently wrong with variety or wanting to change things up. I’ve done it numerous times in the past, and still do so from time to time.
However, the perception that you HAVE to constantly “switch it up” is complete horse sh*t.
The body is amazingly adaptive, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to find a new exercise to do every time you hit the gym.
Get strong at the basics, and learn to love them because they work. You’re not going to change your body doing curls or squats on a BOSU ball.
3. Cardio is important, but prioritize lifting
Everybody will have their own opinion on how much cardio should one do. It’s a never ending debate.
Fact is, I’m not anti-cardio. There are a host of benefits by regularly training in an aerobic environment, and I think it’s a big mistake by not doing any cardio whatsoever.
However, if done in excess, that’s when it starts to interfere with strength and muscle gain.
Most people struggling to gain lean muscle mass, seemingly, fall into the trap of doing too much cardio.
I know I’ve been guilty of it.
For instance, if you’re always starting your workout with a one mile run, it’s going to have a negative impact because you’re expending most of your energy on the activity that’s not going to give you the biggest return.
If you want to optimize strength and muscular development, prioritize resistance training. Keep the cardio to a minimum. Don’t take things out of context, though. If you’re goal is primarily fat loss, don’t even think about skipping cardio.
Other Tidbits:
– Subpar nutrition can and will neutralize the best training. Don’t blame the program, blame the incessant need to stuff yourself with cupcakes, donuts and copious amounts of your favorite cocktail/alcoholic beverage.
– You don’t need to train borderline crazy to get quality results. Don’t overdo it. Your training is only as good as your ability to recover.
– Getting to bed on time, drinking more water, and eating your veggies are all the detoxification you need — and it sure does make a huge difference.
– If you’re truly pressed for time, always remember it’s better to get in something than nothing. Don’t play devil’s advocate and come up with reasons why you can’t do it. Make it a priority to get it done.
If you’re looking for a training resource that’s revolved around getting the most out of your workouts without wasting your time, I’ll be launching my new digital product on the 28th.
Check it out by clicking the link below.
Dre Delos Santos 