Some people spend most of their years training just so they can get their muscles toned. The problem is, they can’t seem to get the results they want. Others see themselves looking in the mirror wearing a swimsuit, and realize that their body is not toned enough that they want to do something about it, but just don’t know where and how to start. Whether your goal is to bulk up, get more curvaceous calves, enhance your chest, or achieve your goals in muscle building, you are about to learn ways on how to build muscle fast.

1. Lift

To significantly increase muscle mass, it is necessary for the muscle fibers to tear, and the only way to do that, is to allow your muscles to be accustomed to external forces, such as lifting barbells, dumbbells, and weight lifting machines. This way, you will be able to notice significant muscle building progress.

2. Go Multi-Joint

Single-joint movements like biceps curls or triceps extension cannot build muscle quickly, unless you are already very muscular. Instead of using single-joint movements, concentrate on multi-joint exercises, such as cleans, deadlifts, squats, and bench pressing. These exercises work more muscles in less time, and they also let you use much heavier weights compared to single-joint exercises.

3. Go Heavy

Consider lifting in the range of 8-12 repetitions per set, performing 3-8 sets per exercise, and using a weight that leads to failure by the end of each set. Have a partner with you so that you have someone to help you when the weight gets too heavy. If you do not have a workout partner, just stop when you get too tired to lift with good form. Rest a few seconds when you need it, then keep lifting to complete the set. This is a better option to build muscle than to use weights that lets you finish comfortably, but without the muscle gain.

4. Don’t Do Excessive Cardio

If your aim is to build muscle as quickly as possible, avoid doing a significant amount of cardio exercise, such as running or bicycling. When you do cardio, you are burning calories that your body could possibly use to build muscle. You can still do cardio, but limit this to a 2 to 5 minute warm-up, then focus on your weight training.

5. Eat

To gain the pounds you need, you will have to consume at least 3,500 extra calories. An achievable rate of muscle gain is 1 to 2 pounds per week. Your goal is to eat 500 to 1,000 calories per day to get 3,500 to 7,000 extra calories per week. Try to consume calories from healthy protein sources, such as grass-fed beef, or healthy fat sources like avocados and coconut milk. You can also eat healthy carbohydrate sources that come from sweet potatoes and yams.

6. Supplement

To effectively gain muscle fast, better consume high quality protein powder and creatine supplement. You could also try popular muscle building supplements like nitric oxide or beta-alanine that can provide small results, compared if you are going to protein and creatine supplements.

7. Rest

Working your muscle hard and vigorously for many days in a row is not as effective as you think. This is because your muscle fibers will become too damaged to properly repair and grow. To build your muscle quickly, allow your muscles for some rest. Normally, a muscle needs at least 72 hours to properly heal and repair from a muscle-building, weight training session. It is necessary to allow the complete absence of soreness in a muscle before working that muscle again. To understand better, plan to workout your shoulder and chest on Monday and Thursday, a leg workout on Tuesday and Friday, then arms and abs workout on Wednesday and Saturday.

8. Recovery

While you are resting make sure to include recovery. This will give your body what it needs to properly heal and allow the muscles to return to its optimal growth. Take ice baths or cold showers, compression clothing, massage therapy or foam rolling, stretching, breathing exercises, and enough sleep to make your muscles fully recover.

9. De-Stress

Stress can come in a variety of ways. For instance, you are at school or at work and you are constantly with a high heart rate, moody personality, shallow breaths, and a high body temperature, it is more likely that you are stressed out with your environment. High levels of stress can immediately drain testosterone, which is an antibiotic, muscle-building hormone, and increase levels of cortisol that is a catabolic, muscle-damaging hormone. Allow yourself to relax, breathe deeply and plan out your day to give yourself more time and less stress.

10. Hormone Levels

If you are above the age of 30, there is a chance for hormonal deficiencies slow your rate of muscle gain. Consider consulting your doctor if you feel your muscle gain is too slow, or if you think that you have imbalances or deficiencies.