How To Build Muscle? The Basics For Beginners

To burn fat you need a calorie deficit and hormonal balance. But to build muscle you need calorie surplus and hormonal balance.

Since building muscle is difficult to do without putting on some fat, the approach discussed here has you pair heavy weight training days with higher calorie days. This "lift more, eat more" approach helps get the body anabolic when it most needs it. By keeping calories more regulated on off training days you can also minimize fat gain in general.

This is a very simple, back to basics approach that will work best for beginners looking to grow muscle and not store fat and who are confused by all the fancy metabolic workouts out there that don't deliver results.

5 sets of 8-12 reps using big muscle groups is where we would start. Squat, Barball Rows, Bench Press & Shoulder Press 5 sets of 8-12 reps 3 times per week for a beginner is a great approach. Spend 8-12 weeks with this simple structure and you will have a much better time with your muscle building approach.

On those days try a diet similar to this:

Meal 1: 4-5 scrambled eggs, 1-2 cups oatmeal, Fruit, Milk

Meal 2: 20-30g whey protein plus banana & PB

Meal 3: Chicken breast, 1 cup rice, Broccoli (add fat to taste)

Meal 4: 20-30g whey protein plus banana (Post workout)

Meal 5: Steak, Baked Potato, Veggie. Add Fat for cals and taste

Meal 6: 20-30g whey protein plus banana and PB

If this simple approach does not work you may want to look at your calories a little more. A good rule of thumb is to multiply your body weight X 15 and this will be you maintenance level of calories. Make sure you have 500 cals or more over this number on training days as a very rough estimate. To listen to a podcast Dr. Jade did on the topic of muscle building in a more nuanced fashion... click the link