For anybody looking to get in shape, they would be looking to not only rip away unsightly body fat but also to gain muscle mass in the process. That’s where many people tend to struggle. Gaining muscle mass is not an easy feat, and to combine it with losing fat is near impossible, or at least, is very, very difficult.

People have different goals and ideal physiques in mind when they want to gain muscle mass. For example, some people may look to simply shred up a little and increase their lean muscle mass slightly, whereas others want to blow up like the hulk and pack as much size and muscle onto their frames as they possibly can.

With regards to how to gain muscle mass fast, whether you’re looking to simply gain a pound or two of size, or to go all out and transform yourself into the next mass monster, one thing you have to remember is the fact that noticeable changes will not happen overnight, or even over the course of a few weeks.

Consistency and dedication are both valuable keys to success, and if you don’t possess either of those character traits and aren’t willing to change, truthfully you are probably wasting your time.

If, however, you have the right frame of mind and the willpower necessary, here’s a look at few tips on how to gain muscle mass fast.

Tips To Gain Muscle Mass

Choose The Right Routine

First and foremost, for people looking to gain muscle mass fast, obviously one of the most important things that they will need to do will be to exercise and lift weights.

The problem with this, however, is the fact that many people don’t actually have clear routines in mind, and instead choose to simply see how they feel on the day, with regards to which body part, or body parts, that they choose to train on that day.

This, however, is not good as it doesn’t drill the urgency of training into your head. You can’t wake up in a morning and think about whether or not you go to work, you either go to work or you lose your job unless you have a valid reason for being off, of course.

In the same respect, you can’t just decide what to train when you wake up in the morning, you need to follow a routine and stick to it. You may want to follow a full-body program, to follow a 5-day split, to pair up pushing muscles with pulling ones, or any other program for that matter. You must stick to it religiously.

Once You Hit A Plateau, Mix Things Around

Ok, it may seem pretty hypocritical, telling you to mix up your training routines when we’ve just told how important it is to stick to one routine, but you’ll notice that we’ve only told you to do so, once you hit a plateau.

When you begin following a new routine, to begin with, your strength will increase, you will receive greater muscle pumps, and, after a few days, you will notice subtle improvements.

After several weeks, or even months, however, your gains will begin to slow down, your strength will do the same, and you’ll find yourself stalling for progress.

When this occurs, find another routine you like the look of, and stick with that one for a while.

Alternatively, you may want to try changing things such as weights used, the number of sets, or the number of reps instead. The idea is to shock your muscles into new growth, which is why it’s so important to keep it guessing.

Nail The Post-Workout Nutrition

Studies have found that, with regards to supplements and muscle growth, the optimal time to make use of them to really gain muscle mass fast, is directly following your workout, yet sadly, this is where people tend to go wrong.¹

After your workout, your muscle glycogen stores are empty, which means that they need refueling. By consuming a whey protein shake, you are able to feed the muscles with the protein and the amino acids required for protein synthesis, which then leads to increased rates of recovery and growth.

You should also include a simple sugar source such as dextrose with your shake, as this will spike your insulin levels and will help shuttle more nutrients into your cells in your muscles.

For about one hour after you train, your cells actually swell and are primed for optimal absorption of the nutrients you put into your body, which basically means that they absorb more.

Spiking your insulin levels means that you shuttle more nutrients into them, so they do their job much quicker. Stick with whey protein, dextrose powder, and perhaps an amino acid such as L-glutamine.

Change Your Protein Sources

Anybody trying to gain muscle mass fast will already know about the importance of protein, as protein is literally essential for the growth and repair of muscle tissue.

One common mistake that many bodybuilders tend to do, however, is sticking with the same protein sources day in and day out. Whilst sticking with the same protein sources won’t harm your gains, what it will do is destroying your soul as you will quickly become sick of eating the same foods every day.

Instead of skinless chicken breast each day, try chicken one day, followed by turkey the next, fish the next, beef the next, and so on. By including red meat, you also benefit from the minerals, including iron and zinc, which can actually enhance athletic performance.