In my 20 years of performing Bodybuilding and Powerlifting routines. I have found that exercise is only a small fraction of the muscle mass equation. In order for you to keep your body in a state of muscle growth, these steps I will outline below must all work together to produce the results you want.

Step (1)

You must eat every 2.5 to 3 hours (this might mean 6-7 small meals per day)

Wake up 15 minutes early every day to eat breakfast (meal 1). This is the most important meal of the day. Your body has just spent hopefully 8-9 hours in a fasting state all night long. So you must feed your machine.

Eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight and more depending on how active you are. You must also have a healthy carbohydrate range between 1.5 and 2.5 grams per pound of bodyweight for muscle growth. Carbohydrates are meant to fuel our bodies not protein or fat. The best range I have found for healthy fats is 0.4 or 10 grams per meal.

This would mean if you were 180 pounds six meals would be divided like this: 45 grams of carbohydrates 30 grams of protein and 10 grams of fats split into six meals every 3 hrs. These numbers will increase or decrease depending on your activity level. Only you know your body and how it will react.

Step (2)

Sleep, Sleep and more Sleep.

If you are expecting to get the most out of your training routines in the gym, but only giving yourself 5-6 hours of sleep per night then you might not reach your full potential. Sleep is a key factor in the muscle building process.

This is when are bodies repair the damage and recover from muscle tearing we have done that day. A good example of this muscle tearing process would be weight training. Without 8-9 hrs. each night or 7-8 hrs and a small mid-day nap your muscle gains might suffer.

Step (3)

Mind Muscle Connection with Controlled Intensity

Next time you go to your local gym or fitness center try this little experiment. Watch some of the people train. Are they pushing or pulling the weights with a rhythm? Does it look like they are thinking about lifting the weight or is the weight controlling them? and YES there is a difference.

Now stop and look around again. This time for the people who look like there in a really good shape. I mean extreme condition. I bet there is a look of determination and concentration in every single rep they do. They are not just simply moving the weight. They are controlling the weight.

This is called Mind Muscle Connection. Without this you are just spinning your wheels. You can easily develop Mind Muscle Connection without weights. I want you to Flex your biceps muscle. Do it very slow and controlled feeling the muscle work through a full range of motion while concentrating on contracting your bicep at the top. That is Mind Muscle Connection.

Now it's time to put these tools in place and get you to the next level in your training.