build muscle

Confitdent men want to build muscle to match the strength they feel inside. Yet the journey to sculpt themselves can be long, difficult, and confusing: what exercises should you do? Aren’t you already eating a lot? Why aren’t you seeing the results you want?

For this roundtable, I gathered the ConFITdent team at a top-secret underground location (and bribed them with a lot of barbells and chalk) to discuss and debate some of the biggest issues with gaining mass and building an awesome body. 5 questions, 5 answers each.

If you want more advice, please comment because we’ll read and help you as soon as possible.

Here we go!

Fill In The Blank: The Biggest Mistake You See Men Doing To Build Muscle Is ________

Jordan Syatt (Syatt Fitness)

Not eating enough coupled with poor training habits. If you want to be big you need eat big and lift big. Stop performing endless isolation exercises and start lifting heavy with big compound movements. Once you’ve done that go home and eat. and eat. and eat. Then sleep, wake up, and repeat.

Kedric Kwan (KedricKwan.com)

Majoring in the minors. They look for the next best thing on the internet instead of putting in the work to train.

Which exercises activate the lateral head of my triceps or which exercise while help my pec minor pop? They focus on the wrong things instead of a well periodized program, with progressive overload and a solid nutritional base.

Raphael Konforti (Fit With Raph)

There are two things that drive me crazy with this. First, messing around with workouts you got from the latests fitness magazines. Just stick with big compound exercises focusing on building a foundation while continually improving those lifts. Second, don’t just eat everything in sight, a calorie is not a calorie. Quantity can only go so far without quality.

Will Owen (Travel Strong)

The biggest mistake I see guys making when trying to gain mass is focusing on isolation movements. I see it all the time. Walk into any commercial gym and you can guarantee that there will be more people using machines and performing single joint exercises than there will be squatting, deadlifting or pressing. The fact is compound movements allow you lift more weight and recruit more muscles, therefore leading to bigger gains.

Jimmy Girot III (JimmyGirot.com)

“The biggest mistake I’ve encountered for mass gainers is more about what they’re not doing. While I believe the concept of ‘overtraining’ is overstated in the fitness industry, recovery is essential for optimal gains. Guys don’t necessarily need to carry around foam rollers and lacrosse balls, but recovery days and unloading weeks are a must in building muscle.”

What Do You Say To Guys Who Claim, “I Already Eat A Lot!”?

Jordan Syatt (Syatt Fitness)

If you aren’t gaining weight then you aren’t eating enough. Period. Quit complaining and start eating. In the time it’s taken you to tell me you already eat a lot you could have been eating more.

Kedric Kwan (KedricKwan.com)

If you are already eating a lot and still not putting on weight, it simply means you are not eating enough. Keep increasing the amount of calories you eat and I will guarantee you will put on weight.

If all else fails, try getting a check up, you might have a thyroid problem, but that’s a rare case.

Patrick Thompson (PT_Fitness)

I usually get this question from hardgainers, so I will tell them to eat more. Most of the time my answer is simple, first try to increase the percentage of healthy fats into your diet. This will help with an increase in testosterone production and therefore add more muscle and decrease body fat.

Raphael Konforti (Fit With Raph)

What does a lot mean? Are you just eating a couple “big” meals or can you tell me what your macros are? Thinking you eat a lot and actually eating a lot are not the same thing. Chances are you can find a way to get more calories in without getting more full than you already are.

Will Owen (Travel Strong)

If you’re looking to bulk up, you should be having a battle in gym, and then a battle with your food. If you get enough rest, train hard, but still don’t get stronger/bigger then you know you’re not eating enough. The easiest way to rectify that is to use MyFitnessPal to track what you eat and drink, and then compare it to the diets of bodybuilders, athletes, or fitness models. No doubt you’ll be shocked.

Alon Shabo (ShaboFit)

“Nice bro. Fill out this food log for me.”

This claim usually comes with the BS 4-6 meals per day presumption and an overemphasis on carbs and protein, while neglecting the importance of fats and vegetables to create a better muscle building and fat burning hormonal environment in the body.

What’s Your Take: Is It Possible To Build Muscle Without Gaining Fat?

Jordan Syatt (Syatt Fitness)

It’s possible to gain muscle without getting fat but the inherent nature of mass gain (consuming more calories than you burn) will result in some fat gain as well. That being said, it’s important to remember that gaining fat and getting fat are not the same thing.

Raphael Konforti (Fit With Raph)

Yes, but it’s not easy. For that to happen your diet has to have the perfect amount and ratio of macronutrients for the appropriate days. Let’s not forget that people with very fast metabolisms such as ectomorphs tend to have such a difficult time gaining weight that when they do it’s usually all muscle.

Will Owen (Travel Strong)

It certainly can be done, but it isn’t easy. It takes time and unwavering dedication. I believe the best way to go about it is to get lean and stay lean by following an intermittent fasting protocol. Anthony put together a great guide to IF that I would urge anyone to read here: http://confitdent.com/intermittent-fasting-facts-how-to-info/. Once you’re lean you will have better insulin sensitivity and you can therefore eat more carbs to build muscle whilst gaining little to no excess body fat.

Patrick Thompson (PT_Fitness)

Most definitely! I have seen many people (including myself) add muscle while decreasing body fat. I see this a lot in ectomorph and mesomorph body types. When a person with a ectomorph body trains and eats correctly, they can easily add muscle, without the fat. As for mesomorphs, intermittent fasting is a great way to gain muscle without the fat.

Alon Shabo (ShaboFit)

Absolutely.

My biggest tips for this would be to:

  1. Practice some form of Intermittent Fasting
  2. Take BCAA’s and train fasted.
  3. Consume mostly Protein+Fat+Vegetable meals throughout the day
  4. Structure all of your carbs for after workouts
  5. Limit simple carbs to the 1-2 hours after your workout
  6. Keep workouts 45-60 minutes and intense (maximize tension, minimize rest times)

Your Biggest Pet Peeve When It Comes To Clients Looking To Build Muscle Is ______

Kedric Kwan (KedricKwan.com)

I don’t usually have a pet peeve since most clients have different problems. But what might tick me off a little is people wanting to look like Superman in the next 6 weeks.

Looking for a quick fix is a poor solution and the secret to getting stronger and bigger is to stay consistent with training and nutrition.

Chris Smith (Train Better Fitness)

Guys who don’t want to admit that what they’re doing isn’t working. When a skinny guy walks in and tells me he can’t possibly eat any more because he eats sooo much already but hasn’t put on an ounce of muscle in years that’s a huge red flag. If you were eating enough you’d be putting on weight in some way. Same goes for lifting. If your workouts of nothing but bicep curls, kickbacks and leg extensions were working you wouldn’t have to ask why you’re not seeing results.

Jimmy Girot III (JimmyGirot.com)

My biggest pet peeve for clients looking to pack on muscle is the avoidance of lower body training. Few things pain me more at the gym than watching a guy walk in and immediately load up the bench press. I don’t shy away from upper body training, even direct arm work, but I do educate clients on the importance of lower body training to gaining mass.

Alon Shabo (ShaboFit)

My biggest pet peeve would have to be clients that associate “the burn” with muscular hypertrophy. This is never a good indicator of an effective workout, and in some cases, detrimental to muscle gain. If you want to ‘feel the burn’ every workout and see mediocre results, I highly recommend CrossFit.

Is It Easier For Some Body Types To Build Muscle? Any Advice For Skinny Guys?

Jordan Syatt (Syatt Fitness)

Yes, genetics do play a large role and, consequently, some people can gain size easier than others. For the skinny guys, lift heavy and eat big. When you think you’ve eaten enough…keep eating. When you think you can’t eat anymore…keep eating. I know it sucks, but no one said it was going to be easy.

Kedric Kwan (KedricKwan.com)

Genetics are important in packing on muscle. Some people just have the ability to grow muscles just by sitting on the toilet. That doesn’t mean someone with poor genetics can’t pack on muscle.

My advice would be to stop comparing yourself with others and work hard on transforming yourself to the best you can.

A hard worker beats a lazy genetic freak.

Raphael Konforti (Fit With Raph)

Definitely. We don’t all build muscle or lose fat with the same ease. Work with what you’ve got and maximize that. We all want what we can’t have, but embracing a fast metabolism just means you won’t have to lose as much muscle to get to single digit body fat. Mass takes time, so long as you eat enough, eat right and stay consistent with your training results will come.

Chris Smith (Train Better Fitness)

Absolutely. Some guys are just genetically wired for building muscle. My best friend is one of those. This guy can do nothing but get up out of a chair, drink a glass of milk and put on muscle. Some of us just have to work harder. Things like your predominance of muscle fiber type and muscle leverages have a tremendous impact on how easily you build muscle or strength. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible like the wrist-measurers want you to believe; it just means you have to work a little harder.

So if you’re a skinny hardgainer the rules are pretty simple. Stick to compound barbell lifts. I’d say that 75% of your training should be made of compound movements with barbells and dumbbells. These recruit the greatest amount of muscle fibers and let you lift the heaviest weights safely – two crucial elements of building muscle. If you’ve got time and energy at the end of a session throw in one or two isolation movements for a pump. Just remember they’re not your money movements. Also, eat. Eat a lot. Eat a lot of protein and don’t fall into the carbophobic nonsense that is so popular now. If you’re skinny and you want to build muscle you need both protein AND carbs.

Patrick Thompson (PT_Fitness)

Typically, endomorphs have it the easiest when it comes to adding muscle. However, under the correct training and nutritional guidelines, any of the three body types can pack on lean muscle. For you skinny guys, adding muscle takes time! Be patient! If you are stuck in a rut, don’t be afraid to ask a buddy or even your friendly neighborhood ConFITdent experts to answer your questions!

By Daniel

0 thoughts on “Build Muscle: Expert Tips to Gain Mass”
  1. That was good stuff, won’t lie though, I am 23, 154lbs, 5 foot 2, and probably inbetween an ecto and mesomorph. This stuff is hard, having a metabolism that can consume a small country kinda sucks as a young dude, but I know it is gonna be great when I am 30.

    As far as eating goes, is there more specific things to be eating? because apart from a mass protein postworkout, I am eating alot of wholebread bread, and just about whatever is in arms reach, bar from really junky fatty foods.

    And your take on slamming down food before bedtime, yay or nay?

    1. Hi Chris, thanks for the kind words! 5’2″ 154lbs isn’t half bad. What’s your body composition like? Do you know your body fat percentage?

      It depends — if you’re looking to pack on a lot of mass (and don’t give two shits about fat), then a peanut butter sandwich before bedtime makes sense; if you’re looking to stay lean or get leaner, there are better alternatives. But let us know where you’re at right now and what you want to achieve, and we can give more specific advice. Cheers!

      1. Hi Anthony, not 100% sure of body fat percentage, I have only just lost visible sight of my six pack which is morbid, but I can survive.

        I have only recently gained wisdom and realised that doing isolation exercises, do not work as well as compound exercises, isolation workouts were about as productive as trying to smell the color 9…
        As of the past 3 weeks, I have been simply trying to do Chest, Back, Shoulder, and leg workouts, simple and easy.
        Would preferably like to stay nice and lean, but am realising that what I want and what I’m going to get are 2 different things.
        The plan is to Henry Cavill style bulk up, as per Confitdent’s man of steel workout, whilst still working in core work to keep the muscle workouts. Putting on muscle, but still keeping mobility.

      2. Hi Anthony, not sure of body fat %, I have just lost sick of my six pack which is morbid, but it comes with the territory.

        Currently the plan is to Henry Cavill bulk up, as per the confitdent man of steel workout. I have recently seen the light and realized that doing isolation exercises is about as productive as trying to smell the color 9…I have been just trying to do chest, back, shoulders, and leg compound workouts, simple and easy.

        Would preferably love to stay lean and keep a handsome figure, but what I want and what I am going to get doesn’t always pair up. Trying to bulk up now for the next 3-6 weeks and then cut back and repeat.

        1. Hi Chris,

          Great plan! If you stick to the script and do your heavy, compound exercises, you’ll see great results.

          For a bulk, you’re almost certainly going to gain some fat, but if you eat clean (lots of mean, veggies, fruits, and whole grains), you’ll curb an excessive gains. There are, however, other alternatives:

          If you remember from my previous article on Intermittent Fasting (http://confitdent.com/intermittent-fasting-facts-how-to-info/), there are ways to fast and gain muscle at the same time. Although the process will be slower, you’ll get the benefit of a cleaner bulk because of the better insulin sensitivity, post-workout metabolic rate, etc.

          1. Hi Anthony,

            turns about I don’t know how to measure myself, I know this is a perfect time for a penis related joke but please resist, and I’m more like 5″9 give or take.

            Curious if exercises that are 5 sets of 8 reps, is that overtraining? had a chest workout and afterwards was wondering if that was too much training for mass on a single muscle group.

          2. Hi Chris,

            [Insert penis-related joke here]

            Now that we got that out of the way, I wouldn’t say 5 x 8 is overtraining. It would only be overtraining if you were “maxing out” all the fucking time. If you’re doing that, however, for several exercises on just the chest, then yeah — that would be overkill. All we’re trying to do is stimulate your body to grow, not destroy it.

          3. Hi Anthony,

            You just couldn’t resist could you? But fair, I would’ve done the same.

            Lovely! thats exactly the type of news I want to hear. No I am not maxing out every time, but as I mentioned before, I;m sticking to the routine that was in the previous article and doing an average 4-5 sets of usually 8 reps.

            May I grab one final piece of wisdom from that gym infused brain? Also would like to grow my arms in size, i have been tossing and turning on whether doing those 4 compound workouts (chest, back, shoulders, legs) will stimulate the right type of growth that will increase arm size or whether I should also do a dedicated arm day. whats you take?

          4. Hi Chris,

            Those 4 compound workouts will stimulate muscle growth in your arms, but extra arm-work couldn’t hurt. One strength coach I know likes to call arm work, “dessert” — finish your main stuff first, then you can have a little.

            At Results Fitness, however, we had a rule: you had to do 8 chinups before you could do direct arm-work. Anything else would put the cart before the horse.

  2. Hi Anthony,

    Thats pretty fair, I get that.
    So is keeping the same formula, 5 x 8, a good formula to continue as far as when we get to an arms workout down the road?

    1. Hi Chris,

      That’s a tough question to answer because there are so many different possibilities. As a very general rule, if you’re targeting “the pump” for your arms – which I assume you kinda are – you probably want each set to last at least 30 seconds. If a slow 5×8 gets you there, so be it; but again, there are different ways to do it.

      4 x 15, 4 x 12, isometric holds, negatives, drop-sets, etc. For my online coaching and in-person training, I rarely target arms. When I do, however, I’ll just use 3×12 to keep it simple.

      1. Hi Anthony,

        Very true. I’ll trust your judgement, because you clearly know a hell of a lot more than me, and see how just doing these 4 compound exercises will build arms up gradually first, before going crazy for a dessert workout

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