Bench Press
Rows
Overhead Press
Pull Ups/Chin Ups
Squats
Deadlifts
The many variations of these compound exercises (like incline and decline bench press, Romanian deadlifts, lunges and leg presses, lat pull-downs and seated cable rows, etc.) are also highly effective. After that, a secondary focus on isolation exercises (like dumbbell flyes, bicep curls, triceps extensions, lateral raises, leg curls, etc.) can often be useful in most muscle building workout routines.
The Remaining Diet Components
A caloric surplus is definitely the most important part of your muscle building diet. However, after that, there are still some other diet factors that play a role in improving the results you get. So, let’s take a quick look at each of them now and set them up accordingly…
Protein
After calories, protein is definitely the next most important part of a muscle building diet. Common recommendations for the ideal daily protein intake typically fall between 0.8-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight.
In general though, an even 1 gram of protein per pound is a perfect starting point for most people trying to build muscle.
Common ideal sources include chicken, turkey, fish, meat, eggs/egg whites and protein supplements.
Fat
Recommendations for the ideal daily fat intake typically fall between being 20-30% of your total calorie intake, with an even 25% usually being just right. Another common recommendation is 0.4-0.5 grams of fat per pound of body weight, which usually ends up being pretty close to the first method. Either will work just fine.
Common ideal sources include fish, fish oil supplements, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.
Carbs
The last of the macronutrients is carbs, and recommendations for the ideal daily carb intake are pretty simple. Carbs should make up the remaining calories left over to reach your total calorie intake after protein and fat have been factored .
Common ideal sources include fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, beans and most whole grains.
Post Workout Meal
While eating the right total amount of calories (and getting those calories from ideal amounts and sources of protein, fat and carbs) is definitely the most important part of a muscle building diet, eating a proper post workout meal (the meal after your workout) is definitely the next most beneficial factor.
In general, this means eating a significant amount of both protein and carbs, usually from fast and easily digestible sources. As long as you’re doing that, you’re doing it right.
Muscle Building Supplements
95% of the supplements on the market are useless over-hyped garbage that do nothing but waste your money. And the 5% that are useful will NOT make up for failing to properly do everything else I’ve described in this article.
Having said that, there are a few supplements that I personally use and recommend because they’ve proven to be safe and effective for building muscle. They are:
Protein Powder
Creatine
Fish Oil Supplements
Multivitamins
Need A Muscle Building Program That’s Already Proven To Work?
You now know everything you need to know about how to build muscle successfully. We’ve covered the main muscle building requirements as well as the best workout, the best diet, and everything in between.
Now, it’s still possible that you’ll have some additional questions about how to put everything together and design the most effective muscle building program possible.
It’s called The Ultimate Fat Loss & Muscle Building Guide, and in it I provide every additional answer, detail and fact you will ever need to get the best results as fast as possible.
Need A Muscle Building Program That’s Already Proven To Work?
You now know everything you need to know about how to build muscle successfully. We’ve covered the main muscle building requirements as well as the best workout, the best diet, and everything in between.
Now, it’s still possible that you’ll have some additional questions about how to put everything together and design the most effective muscle building program possible.
It’s called The Ultimate Fat Loss & Muscle Building Guide, and in it I provide every additional answer, detail and fact you will ever need to get the best results as fast as possible.