How To Gain Pounds Of Muscle In 6 Weeks Without Adding Body Fat

I’ve had countless clients come to me over the years asking for my “secrets” to gain lean muscle mass. One in particular asked me to guide him to put on as much muscle as possible in 6 weeks.

Having a bodybuilding competition background myself, I know how to put on muscle with a time limit in mind.

Training Regiment:

The training program I put my client on consisted of a traditional bodybuilding split. I had him focus on one muscle group per day to isolate and exhaust every muscle fiber. This way of training focuses on every muscle group so they have no choice but to adapt and grow.

The training regiment looks like the following:

Monday: Chest

Tuesday: Back

Wednesday: Legs

Thursday: Arms (biceps & triceps)

Friday: Shoulders

Saturday: Legs

Sunday: Rest

The amount of exercises, sets, and reps, consists of the following for each day. 

• 4 – 5 different exercises.

• 5 – 8 sets per exercise.

• 6 – 12 reps per set.

I always recommend that legs are hit twice per week. The legs are the biggest muscles in the body. They are the most effective at producing the hormones needed to grow muscle, such as testosterone.

 

Once my client and I had his solid regiment set up, the next level was to focus on his weight lifting form — Always be in control of the weight.  Never let the weight control you.  Do not jerk the weight to create momentum just to feel like you are lifting heavier weight.  Stay controlled and focused on form.

Build that mind muscle connection, focusing on squeezing the muscles with a slight pause at the top. This will make the muscle work harder and recruit more muscle fibers to work instead of effort being dumped off via momentum.

Before my client had come to me he had only been lifting weights 3 times a week. Changing up your training frequency and volume can be the game changer for gaining new muscle.

There are different routines to initiate muscle confusion in order to make the muscle grow. Training 6 days a week with weights is going to get you great results and still allow one full day of rest to recover.

It is super important for you to add more training days while also adding more exercises and sets to your current routine.

 

Diet & Supplements

Eat to grow! My client was definitely not getting enough protein in his diet, even for the amount he was training before he worked with me. When trying to put on muscle safely, you need to be in a 500 calorie surplus each day.

I suggest getting your Body Mass Index measured so you know where you are with your skeletal muscle mass and body fat percentage. BMI will also show you what your basal metabolic rate is (the minimum number of calories needed to sustain life at a resting state).

Add 500 calories to your basal metabolic rate with a balanced percentage of protein, fats, and carbs. For building muscle you need at least 1 gram of protein for each pound of body weight. However, I would pump it up to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.

That is a lot of protein, but to put on that precious muscle you must give the muscles what they crave. Supplements play a key role and complement your diet when building muscle. It can be hard to get enough protein with regular food. This is where a good protein powder can really help with protein intake, especially after your workout.  I really like Optimum Nutrition protein powder, easy to find at bodybuilding.com.

I would suggest taking Creatine (go to a nutrition shop and ask what they recommend for Creatine) to maximize your muscle growth and recovery. Make sure to do some research or ask your nutrition shop expert for what lines up with your goals and nutrition plan for your supplement use.

 


 

By the end of the 6 weeks my client had put on a solid 5 pounds of lean muscle without putting on any body fat. Building muscle in 6 weeks is very possible, but make sure you take the proper steps to create that goal a reality.

Commit to adding more frequency and volume to your training each week, while implementing strict form. With an added calorie and protein supported diet, you can count on adding muscle to your frame in 6 weeks.

Stay disciplined, motivated, and dominate your goals!

 

 

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About the Author:

Luke Matthews

Born and raised in Idaho, Luke Matthews is a United States Marine Corps veteran and athlete. He played both baseball and basketball growing up, continuing his athletic career through college and in to the professional European league. After baseball, Luke entered the world of men’s physique bodybuilding where he competed for 5 years. This eventually led to a career in fitness & lifestyle modeling. Luke is a certified personal trainer.

Website: https://www.lukematthews.info/
Instagram: @lukematthews21