Building Mass

Here is a quick guide to what you should read on this homepage to understand what is required to build mass. A reasonable goal is at least one pound of muscle per month, though up to 4 pounds may be possible. Mind you, even more phenominal gains are possible!

If you've follow Muscle Medias competition at all, you will have seen guys put on upwards of 25 pounds of muscle in 3 months!! So dare to dream. The most gains will be made in the first 3 months of training as you most quickly approach your genetic potential. Then expect gains to come more slowly.

So the amount of muscle you can expect to put on varys depending on genetics, supplements (creatine will cause huge gains in short time, mostly water retention in muscle), amount of cardio, amount of training, nutrition, and current level of fitness.

anatomy - learn about different muscle fibers, energy systems, and hormones involved in muscle growth.
macronutrients - learn about your bodies increased needs as you push your body harder and further.
measuring progress - use some of these methods to ensure continuous muscle and strength gains.
overtraining - it's easy to do too much of a good thing which causes overtraining. Learn the signs and how to avoid it!
exercises - here's a list of some effective exercises for each bodypart, with sample routines for that bodypart.
sets/reps/rest/volume/intensity - some major variables in training, and how changing them affects your workout and progress.
stretching - do this regularily to avoid injury, increase flexibility, blood flow, and muscle growth.
training principles - some tactics for avoiding stagnation, breaking through plateaus, and achieving maximum intensity.
sample workouts - Some training split examples for different schedules and goals.
supplements - find out which ones to increase growth, prevent overtraining, increase pumps, increase intensity and energy.
meals - find out how to maximize your energy and muscle growth through proper nutrition.
programs - popular programs for building a better body, including my own mass building program!
build mass tips - a quick reference list of important factors in building quality mass.