Can you really build muscle fast? That may sound like the start of an infomercial, but if you are someone who wants to pack on muscle, and haven't seen good results so far, it's a pretty valid question.
Bodybuilding, "getting huge," "getting massive," or whatever you want to call it, has been marketed so aggressively that, like the weight loss industry, the process has been made out to me mysterious; as if there is some secret formula, a key ingredient, or a scientific arrangement of sets and reps that you should be doing that will 'make your muscles grow like never before!' Even worse is the fact that many people simply give up from information overload and conflicting information.
Another common dismissal is the idea that 'all those guys are just using steroids.
' While a great majority of the truly freaky-muscular bodybuilders do use steroids (and one huge amount of work) to get to that point, the idea that you can't make significant gains without drugs is simply not true.
There are some hard and fast rules to gaining muscle, and each person will react a little differently, either slower or faster, to training.
What is needed is for the trainee to be able to follow a solid program that works, and believe in that program enough to stay with it.
This is why a lot of folks will hire a personal trainer and get results.
Everything is laid out for them and they have a plan, goal, and someone to hold them accountable.
Maybe you can hold yourself accountable, but if you aren't making the muscle gains you want, or find yourself packing on fat instead of muscle due to overeating, then maybe a comprehensive program is for you.
Even the most knowledgeable professional athletes have a strength coach that outlines their workouts and plans every detail, and these are coaches who know what they're doing.
They have to.
So ask yourself, have you really been diligent? Do you set goals and reach them on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis? Is your daily training log full of notes leading up to each goal day? Or is your workout getting stale, the discipline to follow through with your goals softening? It isn't just motivation that is letting you down.
Having a program that works, in your hands, that you can see results from every day in the mirror, is the missing link.
So can you build real muscle fast? Absolutely.
With dedication to the program you follow, and hard work, the results can be amazing.
But do not be afraid to learn.
I remember a quote from some famous poet, I'll paraphrase: "Humans are the only species that are capable of independent thinking, yet they refuse to learn from each other.
" That's pretty close I think.
The point is, learn from those who have already gone down the same road, and you can accelerate your progress in anything you do.