Do you want to pack some real, noticeable, fat-free muscle onto your frame?

Are you tired of spinning your wheels with all of those Mr. Galaxy type workouts that the magazines churn out? Are you desperate to build your body without resorting to the danger of drugs? Then you, my friend, are in need of some good old common sense when it comes to the business of getting big. With so much misinformation out there it?s no surprise that people are left dazed and confused in a sea of body-building mediocrity as they try to figure out where they went wrong. Why haven?t the 20 inch biceps materialised yet? Where are the ripped abs and the bulging pecs? It?s time to forget about the unrealistic promises of those who are interested in nothing more than your wallet. What follows are the 5 key principles of real muscle building success that, when applied to a proper work-out program, will virtually guarantee the best muscle gain results of your life.

Principle #1

Nutrition ? What you eat is more important than how you train. If you are not taking in the nutrients your body needs to build muscle, it won?t happen ? no matter how many barbell curls you do. You should be taking in 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body-weight. This should be factored into a calorie ratio of 50-30-20 where 50% of calories come from carbohydrates, 30% from protein and 20% from unsaturated fats. Eat 5 to 6 small meals per day as opposed to 3 larger ones. This will provide your muscles with a constant stream of muscle building nutrition.

Principle #2

Progressive Resistance ? Your body will soon adapt to the stresses you place upon it through weight training. When that happens it stops growing. To keep your body in muscle building mode you must be constantly increasing the stress that you are putting upon it. This doesn?t mean that the weights should increase each and every workout. Over the period of a month, however, you should be lifting more weight.

Principle #3

Variation ? To further stave off the body?s ability to adapt to the stress of your workouts, you should avoid doing the same thing every workout. This means that you should constantly be changing the volume, frequency, intensity and effort of your workouts. Doing the same thing year in and year out will not bring the results you desire.

Principle #4

Recuperation ? You don?t grow when you?re working out. You grow when you?re resting, recuperating, even when you?re sleeping. The one factor that impedes more weight trainers progress than any other is overtraining. 2 to 3 hour work-outs will not work for most people. Sessions should be shorter ? 45 to 60 minutes ? and each muscle group should have at least 72 hours to recover before being worked again.

Principle #5

Training Intensity - If you want to get real results you need to put some real effort into your work-outs. Rather than lifting heavy weights, focus on the muscle group being worked and concentrate on working it to the max. You should cycle your intensity levels over a period of say 3 weeks, so that in the first week you are doing 8-10 reps with a moderate weight and by the third week you are doing 4-6 reps with your maximum weight. Make proper use of such techniques as partial reps, forced reps and temporary muscle failure.

These 5 principles can save you years of frustration in your iron pumping endeavours. There?s nothing new in them. Just some basic, sound, common sense. Isn?t it surprising, then, how many body-builders completely ignore them? Don?t be one of them. Use the 5 principles of muscle building success to your advantage and achieve the physique that you deserve.