How to build muscle in 10 easy steps

1. Get stronger 
More strength demands more muscle. Get into weight training because it allows you to start light and add weight endlessly. Body-weight exercises like chin ups and dips work too.

2. Use free weights 
You can lift the heaviest weights using barbells. More weight is more stress, thus more muscle. Dumbbells are great for assistance exercises, but not for your main lifts. Stay away from weights machines.

3. Do compound exercises 
If you’re starting to build muscle, compound exercises that hit several muscles at the same time are better than isolation exercises at building size and mass. For example, swap the leg curl machine for squats and dead lifts.

4. Train your legs 
Squats work your whole body, so they’re your most important exercise. You’ll look totally different once you can squat 1.5 times your own body-weight. That’s a free weight squat with your hips coming lower than your knees.

5. Recover
You will over train if you jump into long and frequent routines. As a beginner you need more rest and recovery.

• Rest: Muscles grow when you rest not when you workout. Start with 3 full body workouts per week and focus on workout intensity not time spent in the gym.
• Sleep: Growth hormone releases when you sleep, helping to build muscle. Aim for 8 hours sleep. Nap post workout if your lifestyle allows. Clubbing until 3am two nights a week does not help muscle growth.
• Drink Water: Avoids dehydration and helps muscle recovery. Drink a glass of water between each meal and sip water during your workout. Beer is not water.
• Eat: “Eat like a horse. Sleep like a baby. Grow like a weed.” Your training is useless if you don’t eat plenty of whole foods to recover and grow. Never skip breakfast. Porridge is your friend. 100% Whey Protein post workout shake immediately after training and a Casein Protein shake before bed. 

6. Eat whole foods 
You’ll reduce your body fat percentage and show off the muscles you’ve developed. And the vitamin and mineral content helps recovery. Stop eating food coming from a box. Eat whole foods 90% of the time. These include:

• Protein - Meat, Whey, Poultry, Fish, Eggs and Milk.
• Carbohydrates - Brown Rice, Rolled Oats, Whole Grain Pasta
• Veggies - Broccoli, Tomato, Carrot, Potatoes
• Fruits - Banana, Orange, Apple, Pineapple, Pears
• Fats - Olive Oil, Fish Oil, Real Butter, Nuts, Flax Seeds.

7. Eat more
You need food for energy and for muscle growth and recovery. More frequent meals also boost your metabolism, helping fat loss.

• Eat breakfast. Get calories right from the first hour of your day. You haven't eaten for 8 hours so drink a fast digesting protein shake.  
• Eat post workout. Protein and carbs within 20 minutes of your workout to help muscle recovery and replenish energy stores. Eat Me Supplements Lean Shake and 100% Whey Protein are the fastest digesting protein shakes, perfect straight after training. 
• Eat every 3 hours. 6+ meals every day. This gives your muscles a steady intake of protein, speeds up muscle repair and recovery, boosts your metabolism.
• Don't starve your muscles while you sleep, feed them with a slow digesting Casein Protein shake before bed.

8. Gain weight 
Monitor your body weight, so you know if you are not gaining weight, or if your weight gain slows. Here’s the most important part. Eat more calories than your body needs each day and you will naturally gain more weight.

• Eat calorie dense foods. 100 grams of raw silverbeet is 25kcals. But 100 grams of raw rice is 380kcals. Eat pasta, oats, olive oil, mixed nuts, etc.
• Get Stronger. Increase your squat to 1.5 times your body-weight for at least 1 rep. Dead lift 2 times your bodyweight for at least 1 rep. More strength is more muscle.
• Drink whole milk. Knock back 3 litres of whole milk daily on top of your current food intake, combined with 3 weekly squat sessions. That will pack on an extra few kilos in only a few months.

9. Get protein
Protein builds muscle. Eat whole proteins with each meal.

• Red Meat - Beef, lamb, pork.
• Poultry - Chicken breast, whole chicken, turkey.
• Fish - Tuna, salmon, sardines.
• Eggs - Eat the yolk, it’s full of vitamins. Try Egg White Protein.
• Dairy - Milk, whey, casein protein, cottage cheese, yogurt, and more whey.
• Beans - Baked beans are a cheap protein source

10. Persist 
Get stronger, track your progress and persist until you’ve built the muscles you want. You’ll see a big change in physique after following this simple guide for only 6 months.