5 Simple Tips if You Want to Pack on Muscle Fast

5 Simple Tips if You Want to Pack on Muscle Fast

Jul 29, 2024 mindpump

Packing on muscle fast means trying to optimize your workout routine to make the most amount of muscle gains in the least amount of time. While there are many ways to get you there (some of which may not be the MOST optimal), we will focus this article on the most effective. There are several key strategies to keep in mind.

Progressive Overload

We want to make sure we are challenging the muscle week after week. If all we did for bench press was stick to 100 pounds every week open ended and never change, we wouldn’t see much new growth from there. Slowly adding 1 more rep or 5 more pounds will allow us to keep sending stress to that particular muscle to keep growing and adapt to this ever-changing stimulus being placed.

Compound Movements

If you are new to lifting, or have been lifting awhile, let’s not forget the staples. There is a reason why movements like the bench press, squat, deadlift, overhead press, and rows are in every professional’s regimen. They have stood the test of time as being the most effective bang for your buck exercises. They stimulate many muscles within that single movement, while more isolated movements require more machines to target all the same muscles. Having them work in conjunction also allows you to move more weight than you would in isolation, stimulating the release of anabolic hormones to further facilitate more muscle growth.

Nutrition

You can have the perfect program in the gym, but if you are not eating to repair that muscle breakdown, then it doesn’t matter. We need to make sure we are in a caloric surplus to provide more than enough energy to grow. We want enough protein (1g/lb of body weight) to have enough resources to facilitate better muscle growth. Meats, chicken, eggs, and fish are all great sources of protein. They provide the most amino acids per 100 grams in weight to repair and grow. The remainder of your surplus can come from any mix of carbohydrates and fats. These are to provide enough fuel for your workouts, so the ratio of whether you go higher fat or higher carb comes down to what makes you feel more energetic in the gym.

Recovery

Let’s remember that muscles break down during your workout. They need time to grow. Sleep is where they regrow. This is when growth hormone is released, which is pivotal to muscle growth. You want 7-9 hours of quality sleep to prevent overtraining and proper recovery.

Consistency

The most often overlooked piece is consistency. You can have the perfect program, and the best diet laid out. That’s the easiest part. The hard part is sticking with that consistency day in and day out for years. It’s realizing new lifestyle habits need to be formed if the goal is to create a dramatic shift in how you look. How you behave currently isn’t what gets you the body you want, so changes are needed in order to achieve your goal. A coach used to tell me it doesn’t matter how perfect your program is. You have someone lift properly and consistently for long enough and they will grow muscle.