Build Muscle

Training volume – your number of reps multiplied by your number of sets – is a primary determiner of hypertrophy (how to grow muscle).

To most effectively build muscle mass quickly, you need to consume more calories than you burn each day. Aim to eat roughly 250 to 500 extra calories per day. To make sure that any weight gained is from muscle, Fitzgerald recommends that the majority of those calories come from protein.

Sleep is one of the key non-negotiables to optimal mental health, performance, and physical potential. Prioritise getting at least 7.5 hours sleep. After all, when you sleep, your body releases human growth hormone, which helps grow muscle and keeps levels of the stress hormone cortisol in check.

According to research published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, eccentric work – for example, as you lower into a squat – is far better at triggering hypertrophy (muscle growth) than the concentric phase – for example,  when you return to standing.

When lifting for hypertrophy, rest periods of 30 to 90 seconds encourage a quick release in muscle-building hormones, including testosterone and human growth hormone.

Exercise breaks down your muscles; protein builds them back up. For optimal protein growth, weight lifters need to eat 0.25 to 0.30 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per meal.