Aside from the large percentage of the population pushing further and further into obesity, there are those that have a hard time putting on weight, or just want a little extra size. What is the best way to put on some quality size? The answers might be more simple than you think, yet many people fail to complete these guidelines. Transform your physique with these top 5 tips to bulk up.

#1: Eat
Although it can be complex depending on what you’re eating, what effects certain foods have on the body, etc, if you’re not eating enough calories, you’re not going to be gaining any weight. There are 3,500 calories in one pound of fat, and 600 calories in a pound of muscle (ISSA claims there are 2500 calories). Either way, just know that there are a lot more calories in fat. To gain weight, reguardless of the composition of it, you need to consume more calories than you burn. If you burn 5500 calories per day, and you’re only consuming 2,000 calories, then that means you’re going to lose about 1 pound per day. Beyond the calories, you should add a lot of protein and complex carbohydrates to your diet. Protein helps to recover your muscles after a workout. Consume plenty of protein, and plenty of carbs to help you make it through the workout.

#2: Sleep
If you don’t get any sleep, then your body will not recover. When you sleep, you release a lot of HGH (human growth hormone), so get some rest! 8 hours of sleep or more is great for the average athlete.

#3 Supplement
Supplements are not always needed to gain muscle. There are many bodybuilders that have been successful without any supplements at all, but they can help you greatly. Supplement your diet with whey protein, creatine monohydrate, amino acids, and more. Hover over our supplements section to learn more about various bodybuilding supplements.

#4 Avoid overtraining
Training the same muscle every day will just cause the muscle fibers to rip and break down again. When you gain muscle, it’s just like getting a cut in your arm. The cut will rebuild and the tissue there will be harder and stronger, just like muscle. If you keep picking at the scab, it will delay the healing. Again, this is the same with your muscles. Have at least 48 hours of rest between working out the same muscle group.

#5: Be Consistent
Make sure that you’re not only doing the right exercises on the right days, but that you’re keeping a steady workout routine to accelerate your muscle growth. To see a sample workout routine, look in our training section. Train all of your muscle groups. Don’t neglect working out other body parts not only because you will look non symmetrical, but also because a lot of growth hormone is released from these workouts.

Popularity: 2% [?]