Do you know that the old saying, “work smart, not hard” also applies to building muscle in the gym?
Well, clearly you don’t, because that explains my presence. Here to cure thy ignorance. You should be thanking me.
Anyway, without further ado, I’ll just get on with it.
If you’re reading this article and know next to nothing about musculature, then perhaps you ought to take a refresher. This is not a Human Anatomy 101 lesson. I won’t discuss muscles in detail. Such a headache is for your biology teacher to handle. If there’s none at hand, you can try learning free modules on Coursera or Udemy.
Building muscle is important not only because it makes you look like a Greek god, but also because the process of gaining it (exercise) helps every part of your body, most importantly the four-chambered organ under the ribcage.
Your heart, genius.
Now, I will discuss some natural ways for you to build muscle faster. These methods to build muscle without supplements will put you well ahead of your peers if you adhere strictly.
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9 Ways To Build Muscle Without Supplements
While many of these methods tend to be self-explanatory and potentially obvious, our busy lives and schedules tend to keep us from what needs to be done to achieve this. Sometimes just reading it and hearing it again can be exactly what you need to see it through. Can be what helps you tackle all of these muscle-building needs in a safe, effective, and natural way.
Working smarter is very much a true saying in the world of lifting and while working hard is important, doing so efficiently is the key to success.
Now, let’s begin. Drumroll, please!
Sleep Like The Dead
Not what you expected first, is it? But believe me, this is very important.
In fact, this is one no-brainer people often don’t think about. Studies have shown that sleeping for eight hours instead of five can increase testosterone by 10 to 15%. This has a huge impact on how much you gain muscle when you work out.
This is a really easy thing you can do to improve your performance in the gym and give yourself the best chance for a better tomorrow.
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Stay Organized
Huge gains are no easy task and getting organized definitely helps make the process smoother. Consider keeping a journal of your workouts and your meal plan. You’re less likely to slip up and cheat with a quick fill of junk food at the end of a long day if you’ve already got a plan in place and food waiting prepared at home.
Heavy To Go Light
If you feel comfortable lifting, you probably aren’t pushing yourself hard enough. Lifting the heaviest amount of weight you can is a critical factor in making the most gains. It will work your muscles to grow, increase that time under tension, and allow for massive gains in your strength and size. That is if becoming a bear is what you want most.
Simply put, lift more if you want to build muscle.
Simplicity is Key
This is one surefire way to build muscle without supplements. You don’t need fancy equipment to get shredded. Remain focused on the basics and the tried-and-true exercises that have worked for bodybuilders for generations.
Don’t get caught up in the promises of fancy tech and “new breakthroughs” that offer shortcuts. There is no shortcut; just do the f*cking work.
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Health is Wealth
If you want to build muscle without supplements, it doesn’t mean you can’t drink or have fun with your buddies at the bar. However, you should do your best to be generally healthy in your habits outside of the gym. This means no binge drinking and staying away from drugs and smoking, at the very minimum.
You definitely won’t be maximizing gains in your workouts if you’re dehydrated and hungover from a long night out partying.
Consistency Over Intensity
The biggest thing to remember about building muscle without supplements is that it largely boils down to consistency. There’s only so much muscle that can be attained by the body in a day; one huge workout, or even one huge workout once a week, will get you nowhere. Make a plan and stick to it but be in the gym three to five times a week and make sure to do that every week.
Muscle is gained incrementally. Even if you aren’t pushing yourself, it’s better for your body and overall muscle mass to do so after workouts five times a week than it is to really push yourself in the gym only once or twice a week. That’s a surefire way to lose gains.
Intensity is Also Key
Too many people get complacent in the gym and stop trying actively to push themselves. The fundamental key to muscle growth is progressive overload – meaning you increase the intensity of your workouts over time. If you aren’t getting that burning feeling from overloading your muscles, it means you aren’t building them, period.
Increase the amount of weight over time and make sure to increase the volume, too – that’s the number of sets and reps you do for each workout with weights.
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Eat Like a King
Many lifters eat low carb in the hopes of staying lean, but this approach can make gaining muscle an uphill battle. Carbs are important for two reasons: avoiding catabolism (muscle loss) and creating glycogen to fuel your workouts.
Restricting carbs is one of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to build muscle. Carbs are necessary because your body will prioritize burning carb calories first, protecting protein stores.
And without adequate glycogen, you won’t be able to produce the kind of effort in the gym that turns on the “get bigger” switch.
Personally, I always aim to eat carbohydrates before workouts so they will be broken down and used as fuel, and again after workouts to replenish those depleted glycogen stores.
In fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret. You don’t need supplements if you take enough carbs.
Even The Lord Rested; Rest!
If you go hard in the gym every night a week in every week for a year, you will absolutely destroy your body. Basically, you’d break down, and it’s bye-bye…everything, in the worst-case scenarios. So, please set aside cycles of rest so you can recover after tough workouts. Pushing yourself too hard will only lead to burnout.
Trust me, your body will thank you. Recovery will also support things like mobility and an overall better mood, so don’t neglect this vital part of your workout and post-workout routine.
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A Word From Battabox On Building Muscle
While it may seem daunting to build muscle without supplements, these simple yet highly effective steps can work wonders for you irrespective of your body type. So long as you adhere strictly, you’re good.
Thus ends today’s class. Shalom!
If you have any questions, let us know below.
