How I Built Muscle FAST (5 Science-Based Tips)

Summary

This video script details a fitness enthusiast's journey to gain 20 pounds of lean muscle in 16 months by implementing a combination of new research-backed techniques. The key strategies include utilizing stretch-mediated hypertrophy for muscle growth, focusing on exercises that challenge muscles in a stretched position, applying progressive overload with proper form, pushing close to failure in sets, prioritizing recovery, and adjusting diet for a lean bulk. The video emphasizes the importance of patience and consistency in achieving significant muscle gains.

Takeaways

• 💪 Stretch Mediated Hypertrophy: The speaker emphasizes the importance of exercises that challenge muscles in a stretched position for faster growth, such as preacher curls for biceps and overhead extensions for triceps.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Exercise Selection: The choice of exercises that maximize muscle stretch can lead to significant growth, with preacher curls showing 150% more growth than incline curls in a study.
• 📉 Progressive Overload Revisited: The speaker advises against solely focusing on lifting heavier weights and instead suggests prioritizing form and depth in exercises to effectively challenge muscles during the stretch.
• 🔽 Lighten the Load: To focus on muscle challenge during stretch, the speaker recommends lightening the weight by 10-20% and ensuring full depth with good form, including pauses in exercises like presses and squats.
• 🚀 Pushing to Failure: Maximizing muscle growth requires approaching failure within three reps in each set, which is a threshold that becomes more critical with experience.
• 🧠 Mindset Shift: The speaker shares personal strategies for embracing the discomfort of training close to failure, linking it with the anticipation of growth.
• 🛑 Prioritize Recovery: Adequate rest and recovery are crucial for muscle growth, with the speaker reducing training frequency to improve energy levels and muscle recovery.
• 🔄 Adjusting Training Frequency: The speaker moved from seven days a week to four, finding it more effective for recovery and muscle growth.
• 🍽️ Lean Bulking: The importance of a calorie surplus for muscle growth is highlighted, with the speaker recommending a lean bulk of 10-15% above maintenance calories.
• 📊 Caloric Intake and Growth: A lean bulk approach is favored over a fast bulk to minimize fat gain while maximizing muscle growth, supported by research findings.
• 🕰️ Patience and Consistency: The speaker stresses the long-term benefits of consistent training and nutrition, acknowledging that muscle growth is a slow process that requires patience.

Q & A

What is stretch mediated hypertrophy and how can it be utilized for muscle growth?

Stretch mediated hypertrophy is a new area of research suggesting that some muscles grow faster when they are challenged the most in a stretched position. To utilize this, one should select exercises that place the muscle in a stretch position, such as preacher curls for biceps, and ensure to maintain good form and depth in the movement.

What was the result of the 2022 study comparing preacher curls and incline curls for bicep growth?

The 2022 study found that preacher curls, which are most difficult when the biceps are almost fully stretched, led to approximately 150 percent more growth compared to incline curls after nine weeks of testing.

How does the overhead extension exercise for triceps compare to the standard triceps pushdown in terms of muscle growth?

The overhead extension exercise, which provides a greater stretch on the triceps, led to significantly more growth compared to the standard triceps pushdown, as per a study mentioned in the script.

Why is it important to focus on the stretch position during exercises?

Focusing on the stretch position during exercises is important because it increases the challenge to the muscles in that position, which has been shown to stimulate more growth, especially when combined with good form and depth in the movement.

What changes did the speaker make to their training routine to emphasize the stretch position and progressive overload?

The speaker lightened the weight by 10 to 20 percent on most movements, focused on going as deep as possible with good form, and added a half-second pause at the bottom of exercises like presses and squats to increase the challenge on the muscles during the deep stretch.

Why is getting close to failure during sets important for muscle growth?

Getting close to failure during sets is important because research suggests that being within three reps of failure is the threshold for maximizing growth. The more experienced you are, the more critical this becomes.

How did the speaker change their mindset towards the pain experienced during training?

The speaker changed their mindset by viewing pain as a sensation and linking it with growth. This mental shift made them look forward to and seek the pain because they knew it would result in future muscle growth.

What is the significance of recovery in muscle growth and how did the speaker adjust their training frequency?

Recovery is significant because it's when the actual muscle growth occurs. The speaker adjusted their training frequency by reducing it to four days a week with slightly longer workouts and occasional accessory days, which improved their energy levels and muscle recovery.

What is the recommended approach to bulking for muscle growth according to the script?

The recommended approach is a lean bulk, where you overfeed your body with a calorie surplus of about 10 to 15 percent above maintenance calories. This approach helps maximize muscle growth while minimizing fat gain.

How did the speaker's mindset change regarding the fat gained during the lean bulking process?

The speaker shifted their mindset to view the fat gain as a long-term investment, accepting that it's part of the process and focusing on the end goal of increased muscle size, knowing that they have many opportunities to get shredded in the future.

What is the importance of patience and consistency in the muscle building process as highlighted in the script?

Patience and consistency are important because muscle growth, especially for those past the beginner stage, can be a slow process. Small weekly gains can accumulate to significant changes over time, and trusting the process leads to noticeable improvements.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Maximizing Muscle Growth with Stretch Mediated Hypertrophy

This paragraph discusses the concept of stretch mediated hypertrophy, a new research area suggesting that muscles grow faster when challenged in a stretched position. The speaker shares their experience of gaining 20 pounds of lean muscle in 16 months by incorporating exercises that emphasize this principle, such as preacher curls for biceps and overhead extensions for triceps. The importance of proper exercise selection and maintaining good form, even when lifting lighter weights, is highlighted to ensure muscles are challenged during the deep stretch phase. The speaker also emphasizes the need to push close to failure in each set to maximize growth, changing their mindset to view pain as a signal for muscle development.

05:01

🏋️‍♂️ Balancing Training Intensity and Recovery for Optimal Muscle Growth

The second paragraph focuses on the importance of recovery in muscle growth, explaining that it's not just about rest days but also about managing workout frequency. The speaker shares their personal journey of reducing training days from seven to four per week to improve recovery and energy levels. They discuss the need for a balance between training hard and not overdoing it, as excessive training can lead to a lack of motivation and poor muscle recovery. The paragraph also touches on the role of diet in muscle growth, recommending a lean bulk approach with a calorie surplus of about 10-15% above maintenance levels to ensure muscle gains without excessive fat accumulation. The speaker advises patience and a long-term mindset, recognizing that muscle growth is a slow process compared to fat loss, and encourages viewers to trust the process for significant results.

Keywords

💡Muscle Growth

Muscle growth refers to the increase in muscle mass, which is a central theme of the video. It is the process of muscle fibers becoming larger and stronger through resistance training. In the script, the author discusses various techniques and research findings to accelerate this process, such as implementing stretch-mediated hypertrophy and progressive overload.

💡Stretch Mediated Hypertrophy

This is a concept in the field of exercise science that suggests muscles grow faster when they are challenged in a stretched position. The video script mentions that this principle has been shown to be effective for muscles like biceps, triceps, quads, and hamstrings, and the author has incorporated exercises that take advantage of this principle into their routine.

💡Exercise Selection

Exercise selection pertains to choosing the right exercises to target specific muscle groups effectively. The script provides examples, such as preacher curls for biceps and overhead extensions for triceps, which are chosen based on their ability to challenge the muscles in a stretched position, leading to greater hypertrophy.

💡Progressive Overload

Progressive overload is a training principle that involves gradually increasing the stress placed upon the muscles during exercise to stimulate growth. The video emphasizes the importance of not just lifting heavier weights but also maintaining good form and depth in exercises to ensure the muscles are challenged effectively during the stretch.

💡Failure

In the context of the video, failure refers to the point in a set where a person can no longer perform another repetition with proper form. The script highlights the importance of approaching failure in each set to maximize muscle growth, as research suggests that training within three reps of failure is crucial for experienced lifters.

💡Recovery

Recovery is the process of rest and restoration that allows muscles to repair and grow after a workout. The script discusses the importance of managing recovery, including adjusting workout frequency and ensuring adequate rest days, to support muscle growth and prevent overtraining.

💡Calorie Surplus

A calorie surplus is a state where a person consumes more calories than their body needs to maintain its current weight. The video script explains that a lean bulk, which is a moderate calorie surplus, is necessary for muscle growth, as it provides the energy and nutrients needed for muscle repair and growth.

💡Lean Bulk

A lean bulk is a controlled approach to gaining weight where the goal is to minimize fat gain while maximizing muscle growth. The script describes the author's personal experience with a lean bulk, consuming a moderate calorie surplus and adjusting their diet to support muscle growth without excessive fat accumulation.

💡Mentality

Mentality in the video refers to the mindset and attitude one has towards the process of muscle growth and the associated challenges, such as pushing through pain and accepting temporary fat gain. The script emphasizes the importance of a positive and patient mentality to stick to the process and achieve long-term goals.

💡Volume

In the context of weightlifting, volume refers to the total amount of work done in a workout, typically measured in sets and reps. The script mentions that while volume is important for muscle growth, excessive volume can lead to overtraining and hinder recovery, so it's crucial to find the right balance.

💡Nutrition

Nutrition is the study of the food and nutrients that are necessary for the body to function and grow. The video script discusses the role of nutrition in muscle growth, emphasizing the need for a balanced diet that supports a lean bulk and provides the necessary nutrients for muscle repair and growth.

Highlights

New research in 'stretch mediated hypertrophy' suggests that certain muscles grow faster when challenged in a stretched position.

Exercise selection is crucial for muscle growth, with preacher curls shown to be more effective for bicep growth than incline curls.

The importance of challenging muscles in a stretch position is also evident in triceps exercises, with overhead extensions leading to more growth.

Incorporating exercises that emphasize the stretch position, such as behind the body curls for biceps, can enhance muscle growth.

Progressive Overload should focus on challenging muscles during the stretch, not just increasing weight or reps at the expense of form.

Lightening the weight and focusing on deep stretches with good form can lead to better muscle response.

Approaching failure within three reps is key to maximizing muscle growth, as supported by recent research.

Mental preparation and changing the mindset towards pain can help in pushing closer to failure during workouts.

Recovery is essential for muscle growth, and reducing training frequency to allow for better recovery can be beneficial.

A lean bulk, with a calorie surplus of about 10-15% above maintenance, can support muscle growth without excessive fat gain.

Accepting some fat gain during a lean bulk is part of the long-term investment in muscle growth.

Patience and consistency in training and nutrition are vital for noticeable muscle gains over time.

The video provides a step-by-step training and nutrition plan for maximizing muscle growth.

The importance of not rushing the muscle gain process and trusting the long-term benefits of a lean bulk.

The impact of adding 10 to 15 pounds of muscle on body appearance and the motivation it provides.

The video offers a quiz at buildscience.com to find the best size and back plan tailored to individual needs.

The significance of the muscle stretch research and its application for accelerating muscle gains.

Transcripts

is it possible to build muscle fast it

took me years to gain some size and

eventually my gains thought altogether

instead of hopping on this I recently

implemented a handful of new research

back techniques and managed to gain a

lean 20 pounds in 16 months and there's

five things I did number one has to do

with my training there's a really

exciting new area of research called

stretch mediated hypertrophy this is

something I've covered in depth in the

past video but basically some muscles

seem to grow faster from exercises that

challenge them the most when they're in

a stretch position this has now been

shown with the biceps triceps quads and

hamstrings and to be honest it seems

like it will be true for most or even

all of our muscles to take advantage of

this there's two things I did first

exercise selection let's take the biceps

for example a recent 2022 study compared

two exercises preacher curls and incline

curls preacher curls are most difficult

right around here when the biceps are

almost fully stretched whereas incline

curls based on the incline angle used in

the study are most difficult a little

bit higher up when the biceps are almost

fully contracted after nine weeks of

testing the tube the preacher curl led

to around 150 percent more growth other

recent studies on the biceps have found

similar results but there seems to be a

similar effect with the triceps too one

study had subjects do overhead

extensions with one arm and your normal

triceps pushed down with the other arm

likely because of the greater stretch on

the triceps the overhead exercise led to

significantly more growth so to apply

this and my weekly routine I made sure I

was doing at least one exercise that

really challenged each muscle in a

stretch position and aside from the ones

I just shared with you I also did behind

the body curls for biceps behind the

body cable lateral raises for shoulders

seated leg curls for hamstrings and

Bulgarian split squats for glutes but

there's one more thing I did to focus on

the stretch position even more and

honestly I think this is what really

made the difference so I've always been

obsessed with Progressive Overload at

just lifting more weight and doing more

reps at every workout while important

it's easy to get carried away you start

lifting heavier but it comes at the

expense of form you don't go quite as

deep or you start using just a bit more

momentum these little compensations

decrease the challenge you put on your

muscles in that stretch position so

although I was lifting heavier over time

I wasn't actually seeing very good

results so I decided to First lighten

the weight on almost all my movements by

about 10 to 20 percent I then tried to

go as deep as I could with good form and

for some exercises like presses and

squats I even added a half second pause

at the bottom although I wasn't lifting

as heavy my muscles were chalice so much

more especially during that deep stretch

and they responded extremely well to

this your goal isn't to lift as much

weight as possible is to use that weight

to challenge your muscles as much as

possible knowing that will completely

change the way you train and save you

from a lot of injury down the road now

even if you do all the best exercises

and use the right form if you're not

applying this next step you're not going

to grow it wasn't until I fixed this

that I realized how much it was holding

me back so in order to maximize growth

you need to get close enough to failure

during each of your sets research

suggests that at least within three reps

of failure is the threshold the more

experience you get the more important

this becomes now even though I was aware

of this I'll be honest after I built up

a decent amount of muscle I just got

comfortable I wasn't training as hard as

I could have been I was just going

through the motions it wasn't until I

started really pushing myself close

enough to True failure that I started

really seeing my growth take off and let

me tell you it's very easy to think

you're pushing hard enough when in

reality you still have more to give a

recent meta-analysis released just last

year found that in weightlifting studies

subjects would on average stop their

sets almost 10 reps before they reach

failure and even well-trained lifters

have been shown to underestimate their

Max effort by around one to two reps on

average believe me the difference

between stopping a set three plus reps

short of failure compared to pushing

through to just one to two reps short of

failure is a whole other level of pain

this won't be comfortable and it never

gets easier but there are a few things

that did that help first I changed my

mindset towards the pain I simply view

it as a sensation and I now link that

feeling of pain with grow so now it's

almost like my brain is looking forward

to and seeking that pain because I know

it's going to result in future growth

and second I always take at least a few

seconds to just close my eyes and

mentally prepare myself in the next set

it's so easy to let your mind get

distracted when you're working out and

start scrolling through social media but

the push to the levels required to truly

force your muscles to grow you need to

get locked in and that happens before

you've even started your set and lastly

there's no way you're going to be able

to do a crazy amount of volume every

workout once you start training with

this level of effort that's why it's

essential that you implement Point

number three recovery so your workouts

or will provide the stimulus for your

muscles to grow but the actual growth

happens when they're resting they

recovering thing is most people think

that recovery only has to do with your

rest days but the most important part of

managing your recovery actually has to

do with your workout program you see for

years I would always train at least six

and sometimes even seven days a week

when I was younger I could do this no

problem but over time especially after

applying the last tip it just became too

much I stopped looking forward to my

workouts I had low energy and my muscles

just didn't recover very well so I cut

down my workouts to just five per week I

recently cut it down even more to just

four slightly longer workouts per week

with the occasional accessory date

almost instantly after making the switch

I felt much better day to day and a lot

more energized going into my workouts

and I definitely noticed my muscles

recovered and grew a lot better as a

result don't get me wrong you still need

to train hard and you still need to do

enough weekly volume to grow research

suggests at least eight to ten sets per

muscle per week but more isn't always

better and what someone else can recover

from might end up being too much for you

keep in mind that your workouts aren't

the only stress your body has to recover

from your work your life and your

relationships can all be added stressors

and your body and mind just may not have

the recovery capacity to commit to five

plus days a week in the gym so don't

force it and listen to the signs your

body has given you alright so far we've

talked a lot about training but all that

training wouldn't have done much if I

didn't modify my diet

PC to maximize growth research suggests

you probably need to be eating in a

calorie Surplus also commonly referred

to as a bulk but just like with workout

volume more calories isn't always better

one study compared the effects of a fast

bulk versus a slow bulk both grooves

were in a calorie Surplus but the fast

group ate on average about 600 calories

more than the slow Group after 10 weeks

the fast group gained more than twice as

much weight about five times as much fat

and only a tiny bit more muscle than the

slow Group which actually didn't reach

statistical significance so what I did

was a lean bulk this is when you

purposefully over feed your body with

just a bit more calories than it needs

typically around 10 to 15 percent above

your maintenance calories for me this

started at about 2 900 calories and

ended up at a little bit over 3000

calories by the end of the bowl and if

you need some help figuring out the

right amount of lean bulk calories for

you you can check out my calculator over

at buildtoothsize.com calculator however

even with a lean bulk you probably will

gain some fat the 20 pounds I gained

definitely was not all muscle and this

can be tough to accept it's hard seeing

your abs and muscle definition slowly

fade away especially during summertime

and in my case it was really hard

mentally especially with all the

pressure to constantly be shredded for

YouTube and social media in the past I'd

always go back to dieting whenever I saw

just a bit of fat game and so I never

really progressed this time I decided to

stick through it and I'm telling you it

paid off tremendously so shift your

mindset and think of it as a long-term

investment you have plenty of Summers to

get shredded in the future and your body

is only going to look even better with

more muscle on your friend so tip number

five was probably the hardest thing to

implement you see fat loss is a

relatively fast process you can easily

lose one to two pounds of pure fat per

week but in comparison once you're past

the beginner stage of training it can

take several months to gain even just

one pound of muscle I mean I gained 20

pounds but not all of that was muscle

and it took me almost a year and a half

to do but don't let this discourage you

the small gains you make week to week

will over time amount to Big noticeable

changes are built with size members here

are a perfect example of this and show

what's possible if you trust the process

I mean you can see the incredible

difference that adding even just 10 to

15 pounds of muscle to your body can

make so be patient don't try to rush it

and if you want a step-by-step training

and nutrition plan that takes care of

all the guesswork for you just head to

build science.com and take our quiz to

find the best size back plan for you and

your body give this video a watch thanks

to learn more about the muscle stretch

research I covered earlier and how to

use it to speed up your gains even more

thanks for watching and I'll see you

next time