Gaining lean muscle is something that many men want to achieve. However, with so much conflicting and confusing information, knowing the best techniques to build lean muscle mass can seem daunting. So here are key principles I have used to obtain success with clients.

1.      You have to keep a journal containing details of each workout. Here’s why; your body has an incredible ability to adapt to the demands of strength training. If you don’t increase the intensity every time you work a muscle, gains in strength and muscle growth will slow and eventually plateau. Intensity is increased by adding resistance, sets, reps, or tempo.  By tracking all of these things you will be able to take the guess work out of whether or not you are working harder than you did last time. If you are not already doing this you are shorting yourself in a major way. Start using a journal every time you train and reach levels!

2.      Vary your training application and exercises. This piggybacks off of the previous point. Stay one step ahead of your body’s adaptive capabilities by mixing it up. I’ve stated this before and I’ll state it again: I use free weights, body weight, plyometrics, rings, and stability balls.  I also constantly change the exercises I perform with these different methods. So there’s no confusion, you can get awesome results by using one type of training application. However, you have to train harder and longer to do it. I believe in hard work but I also believe in smart work.

3.      Allow for recovery time. This is a critical element missed by many. Muscle groups must be allowed to recover in order to grow and develop. Not allowing them to do so results in lesser gains or even loss of muscle mass. 3-4 days recovery is generally enough recovery time for a muscle to recover. Also, not training a muscle for more than 4 days results in a loss of previous gains.

If you start making these a part of your workout program you will definintely see increased muscle growth and development. Below you can find some supplements that can help with muscle growth, development and recovery. These principles have been proven over time to be some of the best techniques to build lean muscle mass. Until next time………..