Bodybuilding is easy but many people that train don’t realize what they need to do in order to build muscle. Most people are losing muscle with every workout, instead of breaking it down and repairing it making it bigger and stronger. It’s always the same story “I’ve been training for a year and have only put on 2kilos” or “Why don’t I put on muscle?”There is no secret to building muscle; but you have to get the basics right first. The most known fact is you need to Train; Eat and Rest!!

Train

Use a Weight you can handle:  Don’t let your ego get in the way of achieving you goals. Lift a weight where you don’t need a spot as soon as you pick up the weight.

Use proper form:  Its best to isolate the muscle your training rather than to just all out use whatever you can to lift the weight. Proper form will target the muscle you’re trying to build.

Rest between sets: Rest between your sets, but make sure you don’t rest to long.  A couple of minutes maximum will keep your muscles pumped and warmed up, while saving you time at the gym.

Use a 6-12 Rep Range: This will achieve the greatest muscle mass, while at the same time making you stronger.

Hydrate your body: Make sure you have enough water in your body. When you train you lose fluids and they need to be replaced.

Train until failure: There’s no point in messing around. Push yourself to the limit if you want to see gains. A good way to tell your muscles have had enough is when your muscles won’t let you lift anymore and start failing.

Eat (Nutrition)

Lots of Protein:  Protein is the building block of our muscles. Consume at least 3grams of protein per kg of body weight if you want to build solid muscle mass.

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are your main energy source. Avoid simple carbohydrates like chocolate, sweets, cakes, biscuits as well as white bread and rice as they turn into fat easily. Stick to the complex carbohydrates like brown rice, oatmeal, brown bread, vegetables and some fruit as they digest slowly and aid in weight loss and muscle building.

Carbohydrates & Protein before the Gym: Some complex carbohydrates an hour before the gym will give you the energy for your workout. Protein an hour before the gym will give your body the protein it will need for when your body starts breaking down the muscles with weights.

Carbohydrates & Protein after the Gym: After the gym is the most important time to replenish your muscles and start rebuilding them. Within half an hour after training get a protein shake into your system.  50grams of protein and about 80grams of simple carbohydrates is needed. Note this is the only time you will need simple carbohydrates as they get to work straight away.

Don’t eat too much: You must consume the right amount of calories per day. A few hundred more will make you gain weight, while a few hundred less will make you lose weight. Your total calorie intake should consist of about 55% Carbohydrates, 30% Protein and 15% Fats.

High Carbohydrate intake in the morning and Low intake at Night: After sleeping for 8 hours it’s good to get some much needed energy/carbohydrates and protein into your system. Its okay as you’ll need the energy for the day. Cut the carbohydrates at night, this will keep the fat off and aid in fat loss.

Rest

Eight hours of sleep:  Aim to get eight hours of sleep every night. If you don’t get enough sleep your body will not be able to recover properly and you won’t see major gains. When your asleep is when your building muscle.

Protein Shake before bed:  It’s important to have a protein shake before you go to bed. Muscles are repairing while you’re sleeping so it’s a good idea to have some fuel in your body to aid in the repair process.

Don’t Over Train: Try and keep your workout less than an hour. Any longer and your body starts using muscle as fuel. You should also wait at least 48hours before training the same muscle group. If your muscle is sore that’s a sign it hasn’t repaired so don’t train it again.