Some people want to look big; others want to look toned. Many people want both, and in fact, the pathways to muscle definition and muscle size intersect and overlap often.

In order to build muscle, you need to increase a bodily function called muscle protein synthesis. This requires two things:

Muscle Stimulation: This essentially means resistance training of some kind. Proper stimulation doesn’t require heavy weights – in fact, it may not even require weights at all (e.g. push-ups). Generally, it’s recommended you train to what is called “failure” in order to adequately stimulate muscles for growth. More on all this below.
Proper Nutrition (Protein & Timing): The body can’t build what it doesn’t have the resources for. If you don’t have protein for it to work with, muscle protein synthesis can’t happen. There are also ideal times to have protein if you’re really hoping to build. About 20g of protein after a workout is a great idea, but it’s also great to get protein first thing in the morning and perhaps even late at night if it doesn’t seem to affect your sleep. This keeps protein levels high in the body, which keeps anabolic (i.e. building) processes going.

How Often Should I Workout?

Let’s start with number 1: muscle stimulation. What kind of exercise regiment is optimal for muscle size?

If you really want to build for size and you want to build quickly, I recommend exercising each muscle group at least twice a week (as a starting point), ensuring 48 hours of rest until you work the same muscle group, and generally lifting to fatigue. There are a few ways to do this.

Full body at the gym, 2x a week.
4-5x/week at the gym working different groups each day.

For most people, I’d suggest method #1. Doing a full-body workout might take a little bit more time than a 2 muscle-group workout (though it might not), but you’re going into the gym less which means you’re more likely to actually do it. In the end, it’s actually less time spent at the gym, and I think you can still get great muscle gains at what is probably a more sustainable start.

If you do the latter, here’s the general outline: each day at the gym, pick two muscle groups. I recommend going by push/pull and legs/shoulders exercises. Push means all the pushing muscle groups: triceps and chest primarily. Pull means biceps and upper back. Legs and shoulders are pretty self-explanatory. (Here’s a helpful Pinterest page on this). And, each day you’re in the gym, throw in a bit of core work – making sure you get some lower back as well as your abs.

How Heavy Should I Lift?

As for how much weight to use… This one is more up in the air.

For the average person, I’d suggest starting at a weight where you can accomplish 10-15 repetitions before the aforementioned “failure.” Basically, failure is when you just can’t do any more repetitions of an exercise. You’ll know when you feel it. Some call it “feeling the burn,” and you’ll find you can’t keep going, at least not while maintaining proper exercise form.

Pro-Tip: If your form fails before you feel the burn of fatigue, you should probably start at a lower weight.

If you can squeeze out 15+ reps with an exercise set, I recommend increasing the weight or resistance level. Then, go to that level of failure each time per set. Do 2-3 sets per exercise with 1 minute of rest in between sets, and 2-3 exercises per muscle group, with 3 minutes between exercises for rest. That means each day at the gym you’ll be doing anywhere from 4-6 exercises plus your core work since you’re doing 2 muscle groups a day. Exactly where you fall in that range isn’t a huge deal, but maybe start at the lower end and work your way up every couple of weeks if time allows. If it doesn’t, no big deal.

How Much Should I Eat?

How much you eat will depend on the method you choose for building muscle, which will be determined largely by how quickly you want to build size and how okay you are with adding (or risking) fat mass.

Bulk and cut methods mean that you have a period of significant gains followed by periods of fat cutting (for definition). The PROs of bulking is that you generally don’t have to worry about what you’re eating (barring allergies and such), as long as you’re working hard in the gym and getting adequate protein. This method also builds muscle faster.

On the CON side of things, you are generally going to add some excess fat while bulking (although less so if you avoid crappy foods and are working hard at the gym). This is why the “cutting” phase exists, and this part is less fun. Basically, you (gradually!) restrict your calories (while keeping protein higher) and maintain a solid workout regimen so that you cut the fat but maintain muscle you built.

A more “slow build” approach is a consistent and regulated approach to building muscle, perhaps in a more sustainable way. As mentioned in another post, this method involves regular training with the right amount of protein and little to no excess/surplus calories. There is no real bulk and cut phase and, depending on caloric intake, you may gain or lose fat mass alongside muscle mass over time. Ideally, you maintain fat mass and slowly build muscle.

Which approach you choose is up to you; both offer the chance at muscle building, just probably at different rates.

Protein Recommendations:

Research suggests consuming 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day if you’re looking to build muscle in combination with physical activity. This amount is also great for preserving muscle mass when losing weight (or “cutting” in the above method).

This is also a generally safe amount of protein; research seems to suggest that an excess of 2g/kg of bodyweight per day for a long period of time could be associated with health problems. That said, this much protein (or more) should be fine for short stints, especially if you’re going hard.

It’s also a good idea to spread your protein intake out during your day to keep the body in an anabolic or muscle-building state. Research is pretty clear that eating about 20g of protein within half an hour or so of your workout is ideal for muscle building.

Caloric Recommendations:

There’s a general rule of thumb for muscle building, particularly bulking: you need a caloric surplus in order to do so.

However, there’s a lot of debate around this, and the evidence that you actually need a caloric surplus is limited.

That said, there’s definitely evidence that a caloric deficit can lead to muscle loss if you don’t get adequate muscle stimulation (exercise) and protein intake. If you’re interested, this relatively recent academic review explains it well.

Basically, stay consistent with your resistance training, lest you lose that muscle you’ve worked hard for.

If you’re bulking, I’d recommend 200-500 calories above the recommended daily amount for your weight, unless you’re doing a lot of cardio, in which case you’ll want to add a bit more.

To lose fat without significant muscle loss: no more than 500 calories below your daily amount.

A Final Word: Balance

If one muscle group gets stronger than its antagonist (opposite) muscle group, problems tend to ensue. This is especially the case if it’s around the core since those muscles operate directly on the spine.

This is why I suggested push/pull above. If your chest gets too strong, you’ll develop a hunch back (your chest muscles will literally overpower your back muscles, pulling the shoulders forward) and compromise your shoulder girdle.

Over time, imbalances mean joint issues, tight muscles, headaches, and a higher likelihood of injury.

So while you probably read this post hoping to make certain parts of your body look nicer, don’t neglect the balance required to keep said body healthy under the hood.

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