You must pound the fundamentals

Not only is this true for just about... hmm let me think... EVERYTHING in life, but especially when it comes to adding thick, dense, rock-hard muscle onto your physique. So you might be thinking... "I still need to know what builds muscle?" Well here is your answer: Following through with these 3 basic principles.

What Builds Muscle?

1) Stimulate Muscle Growth. Haha... stimulate. Anyway, this is done by going to a gym, wherever it may be, and lifting weights. There are hundreds, thousands, and even millions of strategies, principles, tips, and tricks when it comes to stimulating muscle growth. Right now, these aren't as important.

When you are new to either lifting weights, or starting up a structured nutrition plan, your first priority should be to just get to the gym, and move around some weight. When it comes to building muscle, I am going to use the analogy of Fred Flintsone from the Flintstones.

Did he ever worry about sets, repetitions, and rest periods? HELL NO he didn't. He found the nearest branch, attached some heavy blocks to it, and just went to work... YABBA DABBA DOO! Keep in mind, this is ONLY the first step in what builds muscle, which leads me to...

2) Proper Nutrition. I don't care how long, how often, or how hard you go at the gym, if you don't provide your body with proper nutrition, you aren't going to build muscle. Your nutrition is THAT important. Starting off a new and structured meal plan can sometimes be overwhelming.

When first starting out, my best advice would be to eat 4 or 5 meals while eating the foods you should be eating, and staying away from the foods you shouldn't be eating. It's basic, but it works. Seriously, once again, refer to my good friend Fred Flintstone who dominates brontosaurus burgers.

He sticks with the foods he knows he should be eating here: extra lean ground beef, lettuce and tomato, reduced fat cheese, and a whole wheat bun. He's not looking for twinkies, pop-tarts, or candy bars, he sticks with what builds muscle... the basics.

3) Rest And Recovery. This goes hand in hand with number 2. You don't grow while you are in the gym, you grow when you are outside of the gym. This is why it is important to give your muscle groups at least 1 day of recovery before you blast them again. Once again, my dude Fred Flintstone just knows how to rest and recover. Rest and recovery doesn't just happen when you are sleeping, it also occurs throughout the entire day. This allows the muscle to repair the 'damage' that was done to it which allows it to grow bigger.

So there you have it! Now if you were to ask again, "What builds muscle?" you will have a great idea of the 3 things you need to focus on. Once you get those done... THEN you can move onto the fun stuff... And if you are struggling to see any gains, then you should check out muscle building secrets.