In a world that seems obsessed with getting as skinny as possible, it's easy to forget that the opposite-having a bigger body-is actually a perfectly fine target for exercise. Getting a big, muscular body is a challenging but also very rewarding process. By following a variety of healthy and natural strategies and staying patient, almost anyone can achieve great results in the long run.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Sample Exercise Schedule
This sample exercise schedule can help most people have bigger muscles within a few months. For maximum effect, gradually increase your exercise intensity over time and rest your muscles at least 1 or 2 days per week (you can do cardio on this rest day if you prefer).
| Sport | Time/Reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stretch | 10-15 minutes | If you want, replace it with yoga or other sports that can train body flexibility. |
| Cardio warm-up | 5-10 minutes | Jogging, cycling, etc. very effective. Try to increase your heart rate to about 115 beats per minute to get stronger when lifting weights. |
| Barbell Curl | 10-15 times; 3-4 sets | |
| Hammer Curl | 10-15 times; 3-4 sets | |
| Tricep Extension | 10-15 times; 3-4 sets | |
| Dip | 5-12 times; 3-4 sets | |
| Core muscle training | 10-15 minutes; quantity varies | Crunch, sit ups, planks, or other sports that can train the core muscles. |
| Light cardio cooldown | 5 minutes | A brisk walk or leisurely bike ride is very effective. Try to slow down your heart rate gradually. |
| Sport | Time/Reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stretch | 10-15 minutes | Read the notes above. |
| Cardio warm-up | 5-10 minutes | Read the note above |
| Barbell Squat | A number you can safely do; 3-4 sets | If using a barbell, ask someone to be your spotter. |
| Lying Leg Curl | 10-15 times; 3-4 sets | |
| Leg Press | 10-15 times; 3-4 sets | |
| Calf Raise | Reps possible; 3-4 sets | |
| Light cardio cooldown | 5 minutes | Read the notes above. |
| Sport | Time/Reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stretch | 10-15 minutes | Read the notes above. |
| Cardio warm-up | 5-10 minutes | Read the notes above. |
| Pullup or Pulldown | A number you can safely do; 3-4 sets | Can use a pull-up machine with weights if unable to do pull-ups. |
| Seated Row | 10-15 times; 3-4 sets | |
| Dumbbell Row | A number you can safely do; 3-4 sets | |
| Barbell Wrist Curl | 1-2 minutes; 2-3 sets | A variation in the form of an inverted version is possible. |
| Light cardio cooldown | 5 minutes | Read the notes above. |
| Sport | Time/Reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stretch | 10-15 minutes | Read the notes above. |
| Cardio warm-up | 5-10 minutes | Read the notes above. |
| Deadlift | A number you can safely do; 3-4 sets | Ask the gym staff if you don't know how to do a deadlift - the wrong position can lead to injury. |
| Leg Press | 10-15 times; 3-4 sets | |
| Bench Press | A number you can safely do; 3-4 sets | Ask someone to be your spotter if using a barbell. |
| Chest Fly | 10-15 times; 3-4 sets | |
| Core muscle training | 10-15 minutes; quantity varies | Crunch, situp, plank, or other exercise that can train the core muscles. |
| Light cardio cooldown | 5 minutes | Read the notes above. |
Part 2 of 4: Build Muscle
Step 1. Try to exercise 4-5 times per week
There are no shortcuts – building muscle takes hard work! If you are not used to exercising regularly, try to exercise at least 4 times per week. If you want, you can exercise more than 4 times per week as long as you have time to rest and recuperate. The road to a big, muscular body starts with sticking to an exercise schedule-spend plenty of time trying to reach your goals and you'll definitely make progress.
- There is no one “best” exercise-what works for one person may not work for another. Many health experts recommend exercising for 30 minutes to 1 hour. As long as it's not lazy, the duration is enough even though some people prefer to do light exercise with a longer duration.
- The example exercise schedule above is effective for most people though it's not the only plan that works. There is a wide variety of free exercise plans on the internet – just a simple search with a search engine can find many great workout plans.
Step 2. Do strength training to build muscle
Gaining muscle takes a lot of time doing strength training. For many people, strength training is essentially "lifting weights." Lifting weights is a great exercise for building muscle, but it's not the only way. Bodyweight exercises (such as pushups, lunges, etc.) and exercise bands are two other exercises that can build muscle. Regardless of the specific type of exercise you choose, focusing your efforts on challenging strength training is likely to build muscle.
The traditional rule of lifting weights is to do heavy weight training, with a few repetitions tending to increase muscle size, while light weight training, with lots of repetitions, tends to improve muscle shape. However, recent research seems to show that as long as exercise is carried out to the point of exhaustion, muscle is bound to build, whichever strategy is chosen
Step 3. Do conservative cardio
Cardio sports, such as running, cycling, jogging, swimming, elliptical exercise, etc. not bad for your health. On the other hand, cardio is very good for both physical and mental health. However, when trying to build muscle, focusing too much on cardio can sometimes be like shooting yourself in the foot. Cardio takes a lot of time and effort and doesn't always produce the big, bulky muscles you'd like. So time spent doing cardio is often better spent doing strength training. Do cardio only 1 or 2 days per week.
One great way to control the amount of cardio you do is to do cardio only on “rest” days, which are days when you're scheduled to not do strength training. Thus, the time to train muscles will not be reduced due to cardio exercise
Step 4. Join an exercise group
Having trouble sticking to an exercise schedule? Keep motivated by joining a group of people who are dedicated to sticking to their respective workout schedules! Being a member of a group not only allows you to meet people you can talk to about the struggles, joys, and successes of sticking to an exercise plan, but it also makes it harder for you to be lazy because group members will demand your discipline!
- If you have a friend or family member you can work out with, that's great! If not, take an exercise class at a nearby gym-a great opportunity to make new friends!
- Alternatively, join an informal sports club (exercise meetup group). Such gatherings are organized by a group of people who coordinate via the internet to meet at the gym and exercise together. A simple search for “fitness meetup (name of your city)” in a search engine will return adequate results.
Step 5. Get enough rest
When it comes to building muscle, the time spent not exercising is as important as the time spent exercising. If not given the opportunity to rest, the body will not be able to build muscle effectively after the muscle is broken down due to exercise. Remember, you need patience to get big muscles. So, don't overdo it. Rest your muscles by not exercising at least 1 day per week.
Also, make sure to get a good night's sleep after each exercise session. Levels of human growth hormone (a chemical that helps the body build muscle) are at their highest while you sleep. So, not getting a good night's sleep after a workout is essentially depriving the body of the chance to build muscle
Part 3 of 4: Adopting a Healthy Diet
Step 1. Follow a diet that prioritizes lean protein
Protein is the key to building muscle. The body needs protein to build old muscle fibers into new, stronger muscle fibers. Therefore, anyone who wants to get a big muscular body should consume lean protein in sufficient quantities. Sports experts generally recommend eating 40-60 g of protein for most adult meals (more if you are very large).
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To get as many muscle-building gains as possible with as few calories as possible, prioritize lean protein sources, for example:
- White meat chicken
- Portions of pork and beef that contain less fat
- Nuts
- Lentils
- Tofu, soybeans, etc.
- Egg whites
- Low fat dairy products
Step 2. Get energy by eating carbohydrates that come from whole grains
Today, carbohydrates are often judged as bad, but they are actually a very important part of a healthy energy lifestyle. Whole-grain carbohydrates provide solid, long-lasting energy so you can keep up with your activities throughout the day, including exercise. Most sports experts recommend consuming 40-80 g of carbohydrates per meal.
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Carbohydrates obtained from whole grains are better than non-whole grains. Whole grain products include whole grains which contain more nutrients and protein than “white” bread and the like, which tend to be high in sugar. Examples of healthy carbohydrate sources include:
- Bread, pasta, crackers, etc. made from whole wheat
- Brown rice
- quinoa
- Steel-cut or old-fashioned oats
- Nuts and legumes
- In addition, most fruits and vegetables also contain healthy carbohydrates (especially green leafy vegetables) and are rich in vitamins and minerals.
Step 3. Eat some healthy fats
Contrary to popular belief, "fat" is not a bad thing in the world of fitness. In fact, eating a little fat each day is a great way to build up small reserves of healthy energy (which can be especially helpful during vigorous exercise). However, it is important to limit fat intake. Fat needed is only about 5-10 grams per meal.
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Some sources of fat are healthier than others. Don't eat processed fats, which are usually found in snacks and tend to be less nutritious. Instead, try one of these healthy fat sources:
- Dairy products
- Hard fruit (nuts)
- Avocado
- Most types of fish (also a good source of protein)
- Egg
Step 4. Take supplements
If you know someone who is serious about lifting weights, you've likely seen that person drink a solution that looks like chocolate milk to build muscle. The solution is usually a powdered protein supplement, such as whey, casein, or creatine. Although they usually have a higher protein content than the body needs under normal conditions, these products can be useful when extra protein is needed, for example:
- When starting a new sport training
- When doing strenuous exercise
- During the growth period (e.g. as a teenager)
- During the recovery phase after sustaining an injury
- When you can't get protein from other sources (e.g. if you're vegan)
- However, note that long-term consumption of higher levels of protein than necessary is not recommended because it can overload the liver.
Part 4 of 4: Knowing What to Avoid
Step 1. Don't get too tired
If you want to get a big muscular body, exercising should be a big part of your life, but not the only one. Pushing yourself too hard doesn't just make you tired, demotivated, and unhappy-if you don't get enough rest, it makes it harder for your body to build muscle. However, most important of all is the fact that several times exercising too hard can lead to dangerous health problems, such as:
- Pulled muscles, torn ligaments, etc.
- Joint pain
- Spinal disorders
- Very rare: heart attack, stroke, or aneurysm (if at risk for these conditions)
- Rhabdomyolysis (life threatening; if you have severe muscle pain and dark urine, see a doctor immediately)
Step 2. Don't let your eating habits get out of hand
When you start a muscle building plan, a sudden spike in energy can increase your appetite so you may be tempted to eat a large portion of anything. Don't give in to the temptation. You can increase your calorie intake slightly, but increasing it too high can cause you to get too many excess calories which your body converts into fat. In the long run, it makes the body “big”, but not the way you want it to be. So, control the natural urge to eat more.
- In general, you'll feel most full if you stick to a diet of lean protein, whole grain cereals, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats (as recommended above). On the other hand, processed snacks don't usually "fill" you for long. That means adhering to a healthy, natural diet prevents the habit of overeating (though you can also eat too much of healthy foods).
- To control your eating habits, try using a calorie counter app such as those available on MyFitnessPal.com.
Step 3. Do not use drugs or steroids
If you really want to have a big, muscular body, you may be tempted to use forbidden shortcuts to achieve your goals. Resist the temptation. Steroids and other substances that are illicit means of gaining muscle may appear to provide quick results, but are not really worth the health risks involved which, depending on the type of drug used, can be quite serious. For example, anabolic steroids are known to cause the following health problems:
- High blood pressure
- Increased risk of heart attack and stroke
- Liver disease
- Baldness
- Oily skin and acne
- (In men) reduced sperm count, infertility, smaller testicles, enlarged breasts
- (In women) body hair increases, the clitoris enlarges, the voice becomes heavier, the breasts shrink
