At some point, we’ve all felt like our workout routines have hit a wall. You’re putting in the effort, but the results just don’t show. You might be wanting to build muscle quickly or striving toward a specific goal but struggling to get there. When results stall, it’s easy to lose motivation or even give up.
While the best way to build muscle is through a steady and consistent routine involving exercise, good nutrition, and a balanced lifestyle, sometimes you need a faster approach to keep your motivation high or break through a plateau.
If you’re working hard but not seeing the results you want as fast as you’d like, here are some great tips to help you build muscle faster.
Often, we head straight to the gym and start lifting without much preparation. This lack of preparation means your body isn’t ready for the workout, so you don’t get as much out of it as you could. Your pre-workout routine should include basic stretches and warm-up exercises, but pre-workout nutrition is also crucial for bulking up quickly. A pre-workout supplement containing Citrulline Malate, Beta-Alanine, caffeine, and a testosterone support complex can boost your energy, improve your performance, and help you work out harder and longer, leading to better results.
You might already know that protein powders, especially whey protein, can help you build more muscle. However, they aren’t the only way to boost your protein intake. Since protein is essential for muscle building, make sure your diet includes plenty of it, but don’t neglect carbs or fats. You don’t need to massively increase your protein intake. Foods like oats, eggs, lean meats, and dairy are great sources of protein.
To build muscle quickly, avoid focusing too much on specific areas of your body or exercises that target only one muscle group. Instead, spend more time on exercises that engage your whole body or multiple muscle groups. Activities such as kettlebell swings, dips, burpees, pull-ups, deadlifts, and farmer’s walks can help you grow muscle faster.
While it might be tempting to work out every day when trying to build muscle, it’s usually more effective to hit the weights and do strength training 3-4 days a week, making sure to work out hard on those days. On other days, either cross-train with cardio, practice flexibility with stretching, or just rest. Your body needs recovery time to perform at its best. Other methods to boost recovery and muscle growth include taking power naps, which reduce stress and increase growth hormone production, and taking cold showers, which improve circulation and energize you, boosting your performance for your next workout.
Cardio might not build muscle like strength training does, but it improves your cardiovascular health, increases your stamina, and boosts your mental strength. All these benefits enhance your strength training performance and give you the tools to bulk up quickly.
If you want to build muscle faster, the key is often balance. Take care of yourself, rest well, follow a balanced fitness plan, and push yourself hard during your workouts.