Learning How To Build Muscle? Try These 11 Strategies

Muscle building takes time, dedication and patience. But it also involves a balance between protein synthesis, hormone activation and cellular growth. When you increase your muscle mass, you experience physical changes in size and shape — but you also experience deeper changes, like increased metabolism, higher energy levels and an increase in strength.

Whether you’re just getting started or you’re a long-time athlete looking to bulk up, you can build more muscle in a matter of months by focusing on consistent strength training, improving the quality and quantity of foods you eat, and supporting your body through short- and long-term recovery.

Proven methods to build muscle

To build muscle safely and effectively, you’ll need to focus on exercising specific muscle groups with moderate to heavy resistance for at least four to 12 weeks and beyond. You’ll also need to find ways to prepare your muscles for the work ahead and learn how to help them recover with the right foods and lifestyle changes.

1. Choose your weight and number of repetitions

In general, you want to fatigue the muscles you’re using by the end of the exercise and feel challenged throughout the entire process. Lifting even a moderate amount of weight for fewer reps will go a long way in building muscle and strength.

“I usually recommend three sets of an exercise with eight to 12 repetitions and increasing the weight by 5 pounds for the upper body and 10 pounds for the lower body as the exercises get easier,” says athletic trainer Tom Iannetta, ATC, CSCS.

As you ramp up the amount of weight you’re lifting, lower the number of reps until you find that sweet spot where you’re still challenged but able to complete the exercise. This process of gradually increasing your weight and resistance is known as progressive overloading.

2. Temper your expectations

Collectively, there’s plenty of interest around how to build muscle fast. But it’s not the speed that counts here. You don’t want to overload too much weight too quickly or push yourself through pain, as these behaviors could put you at more risk for injury.

“As long as you’re getting in there and moving your body, you’ll start to notice differences over time,” says Iannetta. “My No. 1 recommendation is to always do what you can do, not what everybody else is doing.”

3. Expect some soreness

Early on, you’ll likely experience some lingering soreness. When this happens, you may want to stop what you’re doing or call it quits. But if you’re doing exercises correctly, that soreness will only linger for a few hours (or days) and then, eventually go away with rest. If it does, that’s a sign of natural microtears in your muscles and you shouldn’t be concerned.

“If you’re doing any type of exercise, your muscle begins to break down, causing microtears within the muscle,” explains Iannetta. “When the muscle starts to rebuild, it produces stronger tissue by repairing those microtears with protein.”

If you experience new strong, sharp or persistent pain, don’t push through it. You may need to correct your form or technique, or be seen by a healthcare provider in case you have an injury or some other underlying condition that’s causing you pain.

4. Structure your routines

Speaking of injury, you want to try and shake up your routine every so often. If you progressively overload the same muscles over and over again in a short amount of time, you run the risk of injury from overusing those muscles.

“You can do upper body exercises twice a week and lower body exercises twice a week, with a day of rest in between focus areas,” suggests Iannetta. “Or you can do some cross-training like swimming, cardio or cycling. You don’t want to just lift weights seven days a week.”

5. Rest and recover

At a minimum, you should rest and recover for one or two days a week. On those days, you can avoid exercise entirely or try an active recovery routine that isn’t centered around weights and strength training.

“I like active recovery where you’re getting in a pool or getting on a stationary bike or going for a walk for no more than 20 minutes,” shares Iannetta. “It’s just nice and easy. You’re just making sure you’re moving in some small way to keep your body active as your muscles recover.”

When it comes to regular strength training, make sure you also build in time for a 10-minute warmup and cooldown at the start and end of your exercises. You also want to rest for a minute or two in between each set to give your muscles ample opportunity to recover.

6. Time your meals

Think of your body like a car: In order for a car to move, you need to give it energy. Food is energy for our bodies. The food you eat before, during and after exercising is just as important to building muscle as the exercises themselves.

“If we don’t have enough energy to get through the exercise, our body can pull from our muscles and use that as energy,” warns registered dietitian Carly Sedlacek, RD, LD. “If the goal is to build muscle, it can be beneficial to have something to eat before exercise, so we’re not pulling from those other stores, and right after exercise, to help those muscles recover.”

If you’re short on time, stick with foods that digest easily like yogurt, fruit or sports drinks packed with electrolytes. If you’re exercising later in the day, it can be helpful to make sure you’re having a healthy balanced meal before hitting the weights and that you’re having at least three meals a day with snacks in between each meal.

7. Eat enough protein

You need to consume more protein than your body is using in order to continue to build muscle. Protein is found in a variety of sources that include animal-, dairy- and plant-based foods. General dietary guidelines suggest consuming between 0.8 and 1 gram of protein for each kilogram of body weight every day. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, you should eat a minimum of 72 grams of protein daily if you’re trying to build muscle.

“Depending on the individual I’m working with, protein needs can differ,” clarifies Sedlacek. “High-level or elite athletes may need closer to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight versus those training at a much lower level.”

Consuming high amounts of protein can sound daunting. But you can include high sources of protein frequently throughout the day as an easier approach.

“It can be difficult for the body to absorb more than 40 grams of protein in one sitting without gastrointestinal issues,” she adds. “Focusing on 25 grams to 35 grams of protein at meals and including snacks that contain protein can help you reach your goals.”

8. Supplement protein powders sparingly

Protein powders are often used to supplement large amounts of protein between meals. There are plant-based protein powders and whey-based protein powders, both of which do a really good job of giving you a lot of protein in a hurry when you use them in shakes, yogurt, smoothies or even overnight oats.

Still, you don’t want to use these to replace an entire meal because you could end up missing out on all the other macronutrients and micronutrients that fuel your body in other ways.

“When it comes to protein, you want to try a food-first approach because the body is able to utilize those sources better than supplements, and they give you a wider range of benefits,” explains Sedlacek. “Protein shakes are also generally not recommended for people who are not on dialysis or have stage three or stage four kidney disease because these powders can create a lot of extra stress on the kidneys.”

9. Don’t forget about carbohydrates and healthy fats

With exercise and nutritional plans in general, you should try to strike a balance of carbohydrates, healthy fats and proteins. While healthy fats aren’t necessarily tied to muscle building, they’re a good source of energy, along with carbs.

“With exercises that require short bursts of energy, like weightlifting, carbs are more useful because those are used up faster for energy,” notes Sedlacek. “When we’re using a lot of oxygen, like when we’re running or cycling, healthy fats provide longer-lasting fuel for those lower intensity exercises.”

10. Get enough sleep

Sleep offers numerous benefits, but it’s also the time when your muscles have the largest opportunity to repair themselves and heal from all the work they’re doing during the day. Set yourself up for success by developing a bedtime routine and allowing yourself to get a full night’s sleep.

“To help with muscle building and recovery, before bed, I often recommend having some sort of whey-based protein or casein, which helps with fast-acting and slow-acting recovery,” shares Sedlacek. “If you want to have a glass of milk or Greek yogurt, those can be beneficial for recovery overnight.”

11. Questions? Meet with a dietitian and athletic trainer

Building muscle takes a lot of focus, intention, and time and dedication. If you’re overwhelmed by all the information and strategies before you, look to a dietitian and athletic trainer or sports medicine physician for some extra guidance. They’ll be able to tailor any exercise routine and healthy meal plans that work directly for you and your body based on your individual goals. They can also help you figure out calorie recommendations specifically for you.

“It’s really important that we’re getting each person that we’re seeing specialized and individualized nutrition and exercise plans,” states Sedlacek. “We can also help you create realistic goals and help you adjust your focus along the way based on how you feel and how things are working out for you.”