Muscle Building Checklist

Building muscle is simple. There are a few key things that you want to have in place in order to gain muscle.  I have organized them in no particular order into a convenient checklist that you can follow. Just remember that simple doesn’t mean easy.

• Lift weights 3-5x week 

• Focus on big exercises (Squat, push, pull)

• Perform 8-20 sets per muscle group per week

• Keep the reps between 6-12 reps per set

• Eat adequate amounts of protein ~ 1g/lb of bodyweight

• Eat above your daily energy requirement 

• Sleep a lot 8+ hrs/night 

Are there exceptions to the above checklist? Yes there are some.  For example, it is possible to build muscle with higher reps but, just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s efficient.  The above checklist is meant to help you put on muscle in the most efficient way possible.  

Most guys that struggle to gain muscle are ignoring one of these fundamentals.  They focus on 17 variations of bicep curl and ignore rows and chin-ups.  They skip squats and opt for leg extensions and leg curls because they heard squats are bad for the knees or worse they skip leg day all together.  They certainly don’t have the fortitude to put in the hard work that it takes to build appreciable amounts of muscle.  

The good news, if you’re reading this, you’re not most guys.  Maybe you’re checking most of these boxes but one of them isn’t quite dialed in yet.  Not to worry, if you stick to the checklist, you will put on muscle mass.  I guarantee it.  I’ve helped a lot of guys build muscle and strength by helping them check all the boxes. 

If you’ve been struggling to check all the boxes or feel like you’ve been focusing on all the wrong things then you may be a good fit for my Virtue Strength Coaching Program for busy guys.