THE 16 BEST MUSCLE-BUILDING TIPS

If you're reading this, you're probably eager to add some muscle to your frame. Whether you're coming off a sharp cut or just want to stack some mass on your body, it helps to have a stockpile of great gains-related tips in your arsenal. Below, you'll find an incredible assortment of muscle-building advice from some of the best athletes on BodySpace.

Implement one or more of these strategies into your routine and watch your muscles grow!

1

 FOCUS ON MORE FOOD

You probably know that clean nutrition is a major player in the fitness game, at least if you want a body that shows off your hard work. When it comes to building mass, however, you have to eat to grow. You simply can't be shy about ingesting adequate calories.

JAMES PULIDO

Need help figuring out how many calories to eat? MuscleTech athlete and Superman fan James Pulido has your answer: "A good rule of thumb is to multiply your body weight in pounds by about 20," he says. "So a 180-pound male would need to eat 3,600 calories per day on workout days to build muscle."

(Note that multiplying your bodyweight by 20 results in a high calorie estimate specific to building mass. Many maintenance calorie estimates are closer to body weight multiplied by 15. If the result of multiplying your bodyweight by 20 seems incredibly high given what you know about your body, you can err on the conservative side and multiply by 16-18.)

As a starting point for calorie composition, Pulido recommends dividing up your macro split by taking in close to 1.5 grams of protein and at least 2 grams of carbs per pound of body weight. The rest of your daily allowance, which should account for 15-35 percent of your total calorie intake, should go toward dietary fat. "Fats are important for hormone balance, including testosterone production, which is critical for building muscle mass," Pulido says.

Important Exercise Missing From Your Workout

BY GEOFF NEUPERT, YESTERDAY

I don’t know if you’ve noticed this or not, but in order for a workout to be any good these days, it has to be “intense.” Or “killer.”

But what if all this intensity isn’t necessarily the best thing for us? What if it’s actually getting in your way, robbing you of the results you’re so desperately looking for?

Best Simple and Free Workouts

I have moved a few times in my life. Dragging fitness equipment over multiple state lines is very expensive and can be a royal pain. Through the years, I have bought and re-bought several Olympic bars, collections of smaller weights, and a ton of other pieces of equipment. While my home gym is still a collection of odds and ends, my favorite training tool is still free.

4 Healthy Drinks

In a recent study from the University of Glasgow, researchers found that some juices may be just as bad for your health as drinking sugary sodas. How come? Most juice has added sugar, the researchers say, which means the average glass is less healthy than you think, and can also heighten your risk for obesity and heart disease.

CrossFit For Your Gym

Crossing Over

CrossFit began with Greg Glassman,
a trainer and gymnast
who started training
clients in his garage in
the 1970s. Over the past
decade, CrossFit has swelled to a
subculture of gyms with more than
1,500 locations worldwide.
Participants train in groups to complete
a "Workout of the Day" (WOD), and
although the workouts change daily, they usually contain some combination of bodyweight exercises, plyometrics, Olympic lifts, sprinting and use of implements like kettlebells. The training is intense and done for a time - workouts rarely last more than 20-to-30 minutes.

While CrossFit followers typically join to improve performance, they inevitably build muscle and get leaner, too.

CrossFit, however, isn't compatible with most big-box gyms. They don't have bumper plates, to facilitate performing the Olympic lifts, or kettlebells. They won't let you throw medicine balls into the wall, and forget about setting up a circuit and going back to a piece of equipment before someone takes it.

CROSSFIT BOOT CAMP WORKOUT

by Train 
Last updated: Feb 04, 2014

The sheer dedication it takes to become a member of Team Grenade is enough to put the most diligent of fitness fanatics off going to the gym. The challenges certainly don't stop once the members make the team. Each member faces individual challenges, but together, every challenge is beatable.

Each year, while attending Joe Weider's Mr. Olympia Fitness and Performance Weekend in the heart of Las Vegas, Team Grenade embarks on a boot camp that could crush the wills of normal people, but these are not normal people.

In 2013, the group took on the Rhino CrossFit boot camp, to see which member of Team Grenade was the fittest of them all.

CAMP RHINO BOOT CAMP

Camp Rhino CEO and instructor Julie Johnston runs Team Grenade through a CrossFit style assault course in Las Vegas each year to coincide with the Mr. Olympia weekend. She is a tough instructor; she has to be to get the best from this group of elite athletes.

In 2011 Team Grenade was sent out into the Las Vegas desert to undergo a grueling early morning workout: carrying heavy logs, running up sand dunes, and pulling vehicles.

THE SHEER DEDICATION IT TAKES TO BECOME A MEMBER OF TEAM GRENADE IS ENOUGH TO PUT THE MOST DILIGENT OF FITNESS FANATICS OFF GOING TO THE GYM.

CROSSFIT MANUAL

by Antony Monks 
Last updated: Jan 02, 2014

This workout is a time-based, high-skill WOD with an emphasis on heavy barbell and gymnastic movements. Complete each superset as fast as you can, while keeping good form, before moving onto the next.

Start the WOD with five squat cleans, then five rope climbs, then four of each, then three, and so on down to one rep. Then go directly into the next superset: five snatches followed by five meters of a handstand walk, then four, three, two, one.

The total time it takes to complete all three supersets is your score.

WINTER'S WOD 5-4-3-2-1 (REPS)

• A1. Squat Clean (male 100kg, female 70kg)
• A2. Rope Climb
• B1. Snatch (80kg, 60kg)
• B2. Handstand Walks (meters)
• C1. Thruster (60kg, 40kg)
• C2. Muscle-up

 Printable Page   PDF Document

WOD COMPONENTS

MOUNTAIN CROSSFIT

Learn how CrossFit Games athlete Heather Welsh uses hills and trails to burn fat, build stamina, and boost her speed! Think outside the box.

by Cassie Smith
Last updated: Oct 03, 2014

VITAL STATS

Name: Heather Welsh
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 147
Occupation: CrossFitter, elementary school teacher, coach, mother

Heather Welsh, an incredibly fit mother and high-level CrossFit competitor, is on a mission. Not only does she want to be one of the best athletes in her region, she wants to be on the podium at the end of the 2014 CrossFit Games.

As a semi-professional athlete, Heather has a lot on her plate. She has to travel, train, and build relationships with sponsors. Her elite athletic endeavors might seem like enough to keep anyone busy, but Heather is also a mother, a teacher, and a coach.

Her ability to maintain a Games-worthy level of trainingand teach, coach, and mother is beyond extraordinary.

Heather's fire to be one of the world's best CrossFitters means that she has to stay ever dedicated to her training. Even on vacation, Heather has to find ways to come back a better athlete than when she left. This holds true even if there's not a nearby gym or CrossFit box

CROSSFIT TRAINING

by Cassie Smith
Last updated: Oct 03, 2014

Meet Marcus Hendren: He was raised on a farm, finished high school with 12 varsity letters, and went on to play football at Cornell University. He's also one of best CrossFitters in the world. In the 2012 games, Hendren earned 7th place; in 2013, he landed 6th. This year, Hendren hopes to improve even more and find a spot on the podium.

VITAL STATS

Name: Marcus Hendren
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 198 lbs
Occupation: Farmer, elite CrossFit athlete

Hendren's CrossFit journey began in late 2010. "I was in my senior year of college and was coming off a football injury. My time as a college athlete was over, and I was looking for another outlet to compete. I'd always loved working out and heard about CrossFit, so I decided to give it a try," Hendren says.

Hendren wasn't necessarily destined for CrossFit. He found the sport and has since worked for constant improvement. His inspiring story proves that with time and effort, even the biggest dreams are achievable. If you want to train and consistently improve like Marcus, start with a few of his favorite workouts, known as "WODs" in the CrossFit community.

1

 LUMBERJACK 20

Hendren dove headfirst into CrossFit. Without a coach or CrossFit gym, Hendren started his CrossFit journey with the ultra-tough workout "Lumberjack 20" to get his feet wet. To fully understand how this WOD jumped Hendren into the CrossFit lifestyle, try it yourself! It's a brutal test of your cardiovascular and

5 BEST CROSSFIT WORKOUTS

by Cassie Smith 
Last updated: Sep 23, 2014

CrossFit requires a certain level of "crazy." Not serial killer crazy, but crazy in that hardcore, "won't quit 'til I'm dead, and even after death I'll burst from my coffin and train like a freaking machine," kind of way.

Because CrossFit workouts can be so brutal, I sometimes feel damn near silly for almost killing myself three times per week. Generally speaking, however, I'm proud that I can kick more @ss and take more names than "Joey Dudebro" doing curls in front of the gym mirror.

WOD, WTF?

If you're a CrossFit virgin, you've probably never heard of a WOD, or workout of the day. Basically, you can head to a CrossFit gym or check out CrossFit online to grab a complete daily workout.

HOW TO DEAL WITH FITNESS DISAPPOINTMENT

TRUTH 1: DISAPPOINTMENT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE

This isn't a foreign concept to anyone, is it? It started when you were a child. Do you remember wanting that Christmas present from Santa that wasn't under the tree? How about the shattering realization that the crush you had on that guy or girl was unrequited? Can you remember a time that you slaved over your homework, expecting a high grade, only to be devastated when you barely passed?

"NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE ON THE LADDER OF LIFE, WE'RE ALL VULNERABLE TO DISAPPOINTMENT AND CHANGE."

Why, then, does disappointment in adulthood come as such a shock? While we'd all like to think there's a lifetime max capacity for it, that's not the way things work. You can make one of two choices: Duck and miss or swing and

CROSSFIT: 3 MENTAL TOUGHNESS TIPS

1

 THE MIND WILL ALWAYS LEAD THE BODY

Many gym-goers struggle to learn how to push themselves beyond the limit of their perceived limitations. If you're tired, you stop, right? The problem with pushing yourself only so far is that your body will stop changing. As your body and mind grow accustomed to a particular workload, they'll stop making progress.

What CrossFit has taught me, and what I think everyone can apply to their own fitness, is the idea that the body can always do more. The average CrossFit WOD (Workout of the Day) is deliberately designed to fatigue your body to the point where you don't think you can go on. The lesson in the WODs is that when your body is totally exhausted, you must look for a different energy source. And guess what? Your body will do it.

You must learn to rely on your mind to push you through the suffering. It is in your mentality, not your 20-inch biceps, that your true power lies. When you learn to depend on your mind, you'll be amazed at the unlimited amount of strength and endurance that your body has. "Whatever you convince your mind to believe," says Bobby Ashhurst, CrossFitter and Pursuit Rx athlete, "will become a reality." Once you discover that your mind can will your tired body to lift heavier weights, do more reps, and perform longer, you can develop a better physique, perform better in sports, or be mentally tougher for any aspect of life.

So the next time you want to quit, listen to that positive voice in your head and let it push you to keep going!

2

 DON'T FEAR FAILURE

If you lift weights, you probably know they have to get progressively heavier in order for your muscles to grow. However, there will come a time when lifting a challenging weight will be an intense struggle. You might even fail.

These big weights can be scary. They can push you beyond your comfort zone and make you feel like a total wuss. That's a good thing. The worst thing you can do is be overly hesitant to try again. Don't live in your comfort zone! Instead of lifting weights you know you can handle all the time, plan for PR attempts, try that bigger dumbbell, and constantly strive to get better every time you walk into the gym.

To CrossFitters, professional weightlifters, big powerlifters, and even college and high-school athletes, fail lifts are part of a positive progression. It is a sign that they are overcoming fear and doubt. Once the fear of the heavier weight is eliminated, you can be persistent in your pursuit of smashing old personal records with giant weights. These big weights are why CrossFitters can pack on big muscle.

Don't wait any longer. Go for a new one-rep personal best in your deadlift or back squat today. If you fail, who cares? Just adjust your training and try again in a few weeks!

ONCE THE FEAR OF THE HEAVIER WEIGHT IS ELIMINATED, YOU CAN BE PERSISTENT IN YOUR PURSUIT OF SMASHING OLD PERSONAL RECORDS WITH GIANT WEIGHTS.

Getting motivated in the gym can be freaking difficult. Sometimes, just hauling yourself off the couch is a challenge; other days it's that elusive bench press PR that gets you down. When the going gets tough you need to reach into your pocket, pull out your iPod, and listen to this playlist.

From Eminem to DMX to Missy Elliot, we think these 20 hip-hop songs will deliver the perfect amount of fun, intensity, and energy, along with a delicate a hint of nostalgia. There's no way you'll get through all of these songs without cracking a smile, nodding your head, or remembering "that one time." We only have one request: Don't let the awesomeness of this playlist distract you from killing your workout.

1

 EMINEM, "'TILL I COLLAPSE"

Although this pregame pick-me-up jam could hardly be more popular, we didn't think any good workout playlist could exist without Eminem's promise to never fucking quit. Follow his lead.

20 Tattooed Fit Bodies

Fit bodies are hot. Fit bodies are extra hot when they're accentuated by awesome ink! Check out these 20 motivating photos.

MsSolokill

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2

pittyj

REASONS WHY I DECIDED TO TRANSFORM

I stopped working out soon after high school, but had always worn body fat well. As I progressed into my upper 20's without any dietary restrictions or exercise, I began to stack on more and more body fat.

I felt terrible and, to top it all off, I was diagnosed with a chronic colon disease known as ulcerative colitis. My doctor began to put me on several different medications to control the disease, but he never told me to watch what I eat or encouraged me to exercise.

I physically felt bad all the time and my wife and daughter began to encourage me to try to eat better and stay away from all of the fast food I was consuming on a regular basis—up to 3 times per day. In 2012, a friend and coworker talked me into running a 5k, so I began to run and tried to life weights. I lost some weight from the running but began to fall in love with weightlifting.

BEFORE /// 234 LBS

AFTER /// 183 LBS

AGE 34 / HEIGHT 6'2" / BODY FAT 22%

AGE 34 / HEIGHT 6'2" / BODY FAT 11%

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WHY I DECIDED TO TRANSFORM

At the beginning of August 2011, my doctor put me on blood pressure medication and suggested that I get gastric bypass. I had a 58" waist, 58" chest and 54" hips. I was dead set against needing to surgically alter my body to lose weight. My best friend had almost died from multiple complications of the surgery so I said no! I had been approached many times to try a weight loss organization called Visalus, but kept refusing until I had no choice but to try it. I lost 56 pounds in my first 90-day challenge and knew I had something to help me get back to being the man and father I had been before I reached 430 pounds.

Each challenge I had tried, I changed my life more and more. Before, I couldn't play with my toddler at my heaviest because doing so got me too winded and tired. Now I run circles around him. The sixth challenge ended May 2013 and was a test of strength for me. This challenge saw me become a Body By Vi Champ.

Today I am 294 pounds with a 51" chest, 40" waist, 43" hips, and a body fat of 15 percent. From the initial weight loss, I continued to build myself until I developed my current physique of being fit and muscular. I have learned the three Cs of life: Choices, Chances, and Changes. You must make a Choice to take a Chance or your life will never Change.

BEFORE /// 430 LBS

AFTER /// 294 LBS

AGE 39 / HEIGHT 6'6" / BODY FAT 45%

AGE 42 / HEIGHT 6'6" / BODY FAT 15%

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Nutrition Basics

There are 3 macronutrients that the human body needs in order to function properly. 

#1 Carbohydrates: 
Carbohydrates are your body's main source of energy. When you ingest carbohydrates your pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin is very important because: 

1) It grabs the carbohydrates and either stores them in the muscle or stores them as fat. 

2) It grabs the amino acids (protein) and shelters them inside the muscle cell for recovery and repair. 

Characteristics of a Good Nutrition Program

1) It should favor smaller and frequent feedings throughout the day instead of large and infrequent ones. Why? Because when you feed your body several times a day, your metabolism increases. Therefore, you burn more fat. Frequent feedings are of particular importance since after three to four hours of no food your body switches to a catabolic state (a state in which you lose muscle and gain fat!). The body believes that it is starving and it starts feeding itself on lean muscle tissue and it prepares to store calories as fat.

Old-School Bodybuilding Nutrition

They say we are what we eat. Never a truer word has been spoken and you can look around and pretty much tell who eats right and who doesn’t. I look at today’s society and see obesity all around me starting with the kids right on up to the adults. TV reality shows are all popping up now with those like The Biggest Loser, Jillian Michael’s Losing It and specials on obesity and diabetes.

5 of the best muscle-building movements and techniques

1

 THE SQUAT

The squat is the foundation of any good muscle-building program. It's an amazing lift not only because it hits huge muscles like the glutes, quads, and hamstrings, but because it requires almost every single muscle in your body—from your calves to your shoulders—to turn on.

I also love the squat because the movement pattern can be altered to fit each individual lifter. For example, beginners or those with mobility issues can start with the goblet squat, then progress through the front squat before starting the back squat.

6 pro tips to maximize your gains

1

 COMMIT TO EVENING TRAINING SESSIONS

Athlete Craig Capurso prefers training in the evening, especially during a mass-gaining phase. "By placing my workouts at night rather than in the morning or early afternoon, I can load my meals prior to training, and shuttle more fuel toward that workout for performance and recovery."

With his fuel stores topped off, Craig achieves a much more productive workout at night than if he trained earlier in the day without sufficient energy. If you really want to see gains, get a few meals in you before your workout, and don't skimp on the post-workout carbs—even if you train late in the evening. Placing carbs around your workouts is a great way to fuel performance and encourage recovery.

9 muscle gaining tips to achieve the mass you want!

TIP 1 TRAIN UNDER AN HOUR

You should be keeping whichever program you are doing to no more than 1 hour of duration. Be sure that you are focusing on keeping the intensity high rather than making the workout drag on. There have been countless studies on how nasty things happen in your hormonal state after training hard for more than an hour. Plus, when trying to gain weight, we want to work out harder rather than longer.