Use the Unified Fitness Map to build muscle fast and take your body to the next level.
In the world of health, countless strategies exist to improve our bodies.
Whether it’s for sport, profession, or a personal hobby, having a high-performing physique is the goal of many individuals.
However, the sheer amount of information can easily overwhelm anyone new to strength and muscle development.
That is why I gathered and organized the information. With it, I developed the Unified Fitness Map (UFM).
Though the UFM resembles a chart, I call it a map because, like a map, it will dramatically speed up your progress by orienting you in the correct direction.
In this guide, we will cover many critical topics of muscle development and add them to our UFM one at a time. Here are some materials you can expect to learn about:
- The strategic principles to building muscle.
- Conversion of these principles into a readable map
- Applications of the map for all disciplines of fitness
This map is a valuable tool for gym-goers of all experience levels, so if you’re a beginner, prepare to have a headstart. If you’re a seasoned athlete or pro-competitor, this map will become integral to your arsenal.
Let’s do this!
4 Strategic Principles To Build Muscle Fast
Before building our map, we have to lay some groundwork by examining the foundational principles of building muscle.
The functionality of this map depends on our ability to understand and apply these principles. Without them, the map is useless.
Think of them as a compass.
The foundational principles are as follows:
- Stimulus Via Muscle Tension
- Types of Hypertrophy
- Types of Muscle Stress
- Important Chemical Messengers
Though all principles are essential, I have listed their order above to signify their importance.
Stimulus Via Tension
Muscles don’t grow by themselves. They need training stimuli.
However, don’t confuse muscle tension with stimulation. The two concepts are related but not the same.
Stimulus occurs through tension of the muscle, not as a result of it.
Here’s a little analogy we can use.
Say we have a door, and muscle stimulus is on the other side. If you want to build muscle, you need to open the doorway to it.
But the door is weighted and swings shut if you’re not holding it open.
So muscle tension must be applied to hold that doorway open long enough to acquire the proper muscle stimulus.
Only there’s one more problem!
The door is spring-loaded. So, the faster you open the door, the harder it wants to slam shut.
Here is that example in chart form
As you can see, the faster you move the weight, the lower the tension on the muscle. We can blame the principles of inertia and momentum for this problem.
The bottom line:
Don’t swing the weights. If you can fling the weight, you may be lifting too light or lack the strength to control the weight.
Here is a quote that we can all learn from:
“I do not fear the one who can lift the world. I fear the one who can gently put it back down.”
Types of Hypertrophy
Hypertrophy, simplified, means muscle growth. There are four basic types—one of which we don’t need to focus on.
Hypertrophy We Don’t Need To Focus On
When it comes to muscle development, there are elements we can and can’t control. Here is the element that we cannot control.
Muscle Fiber Hyperplasia
This form of hypertrophy involves the muscle cells dividing, thereby increasing the total number of muscle fibers.
Cell hyperplasia is an event of homeostasis that occurs when the muscle fiber has grown enough to necessitate cell division to more readily maintain equilibrium.
In other words, this is an end product of training which means we cannot predict when it will occur. Think of it like the muscles leveling up.
Therefore, it is not necessary to focus on. Let the muscle fibers divide in their own time.
In the meantime, we’ll focus on the hypertrophy we can control.
Hypertrophy We Need To Focus On
We can’t control when the muscle cells divide, but we can influence what happens inside them. Conveniently, the other three forms of muscle development occur inside the cell.
Here are the three other types of muscle development:
- Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy
- Myofibrillar Hypertrophy
- Myofibrillar Division
Most scientific literature revolves around the first two forms of hypertrophy. Unfortunately, there is a woeful lack of study on the third.
However, with some knowledge of cell biology and simple logic, we can piece together how the third form works.
But first, let’s start with the basics.
Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy
We will divide the muscle cell into two distinct parts, the sarcoplasm and the myofibrils.
The sarcoplasm acts like a fuel tank for the muscle cell, storing and providing energy for the cell’s needs.
Undoubtedly, it’s easy to piece together what sarcoplasmic hypertrophy entails—building the fuel tank.
Here’s a quick illustration.
Unlike the fuel tanks of mechanical engines, our cellular fuel tank is cable of recognizing the need to adapt based on our environment.
This means that if you occasionally use the muscles for challenging movements, the sarcoplasm will be relatively small since it doesn’t require much fuel to complete the task.
However, if the muscle cell is undergoing frequent use and expending its resources through metabolic pathways, it will respond accordingly.
So, if you want the fuel tank to grow, you must fully exhaust it.
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is also highly responsive, so start here to build muscle fast. Beware, though. The size gained from enhancing the sarcoplasm is fleeting, so if you stop training, it will quickly disappear.
Myofibrillar Hypertrophy
Now that we’ve examined the fuel tank of the muscle cell, it’s time we looked at the engine.
When it comes to structure, muscles have a hierarchy that looks like this:
- Extracellular (I.e., muscle components we can’t influence)
- Muscle
- Fascicle
- Muscle Fibers or Cells (Myocyte)
- Fascicle
- Muscle
- Intracellular (I.e., muscle components we can influence)
- Myofibrils
- Sarcomeres
- Myofibrils
For this post, our focus will center on the myofibrils
We can think of myofibrils as the force-generating component of an engine.
However, they can grow and divide, unlike mechanical engines. In this case, the larger the myofibril, the more force it can generate.
Here’s q quick illustration of myofibrillar growth.
The myofibrils will remain relatively small if you stick with light resistance movements.
However, if you consistently move heavier weights closer to your maximum strength ability, the myofibrils will grow and adapt to the demands.
So how do you build a bigger engine?
If you want the engine to grow, pit it against an equal and opposite force.
Myofibrillar hypertrophy is the slowest form of growth but lasts the longest. If you want to build this muscle fast, then the next section is a game-changer
Myofibrillar Division
We’ve examined how myofibrils grow, but we’ve only alluded to their ability to divide up to this point.
Imagine an engine capable of separating into multiple smaller engines.
Myofibrillar Division (sometimes called myofibrillar packing) is an elusive concept in muscle growth. It speculates that myofibrils can divide, which will further facilitate their development.
There is little scientific literature on the subject, so we must speculate on its mechanism. Instead, we will examine the fundamentals of cell biology, namely:
- Homeostasis: The ability of an organism or cell to maintain a constant internal environment, adjusting physiological processes as needed.
- Equilibrium: A state where opposing forces are balanced. In chemistry, it refers to a condition where a forward and reverse reaction occurs at the same rate, keeping concentrations constant.
- Osmosis: A process where molecules of a solvent pass from a less concentrated solution to a more concentrated one through a semipermeable membrane, equalizing concentrations.
Here is how myofibrillar division should look hypothetically.
What is a common problem with engines that, unless addressed, could lead to its breakdown?
In this case, the problem is heat, either by the friction of moving parts or combustion heat. In either case, with too much heat, the engine could fail.
Our muscle cells behave similarly, except they react to acidity instead of heat.
Extreme Myofibrillar Acidosis Example
Exposing living tissue to an acidic environment for too long will eventually kill the tissue.
In the medical field, this concept is critical when applying tourniquets to wounds. Leaving a tourniquet on an injury for too long will result in limb death and, consequently, amputation.
Similarly, acidic environments can kill muscle cells.
How do we use this information to build muscle fast?
When a muscle flexes, the myofibrils produce acidic waste products. The more they fire without rest, the higher the acidity levels in the muscle cell rise.
*More specifically, the acidic products are trapped within the sarcoplasmic reticulum, the membrane-like structure encasing the myofibrils.
The levels rise because some of the byproducts aren’t readily filtered out. The result? Osmosis draws water into the myofibrils creating the “pump” lifters feel when exercising.
Myofibril Size Determines Acidosis Tolerance
A cell’s ability to filter out waste products is a ratio of its volume to its surface area. Therefore myofibrils of different sizes will behave uniquely. Here is a summary of each:
- Small Myofirbrils: These have a high surface area to volume ratio, so they efficiently filter out waste products.
- Medium Myofibrils: They have a moderate surface area to volume ratio, so they can endure a bit of acidity before requiring rest.
- Large Myofibrils: These have a low surface area to volume ratio, so these will quickly become overwhelmed with acidic products. The state of acidosis within these structures triggers the need for homeostatic change.
Temporarily destabilizing a cell causes it to adapt to the new environment via homeostasis to maintain equilibrium.
So what does all this mean in less scientific terms?
If you give the muscle a massive burn via lifting, the larger myofibrils in the cell will divide to prevent “cell death” from acidosis.
The broader world of muscle development misses this concept from beginners to high-level competitors. It is also the reason most lifters encounter plateaus.
Types of Stress to Build Muscle Fast
For a muscle to develop, it must undergo stress. Two types of stimuli can stress our muscles.
- Mechanical
- Chemical (often referred to as Metabolic)
Each type of stress has unique properties.
Mechanical Stress
Mechanical stress is reasonably straightforward. The weight is heavy, and the muscles struggle to control the movement.
A few characteristics accompany a workout that successfully applies mechanical stress.
- Muscle Shakes: As myofibrils tire out, others take over the job. This game of muscular hot potato is what causes the muscles to shake. The more fibers that are tired, the more pronounced the shaking.
- Minimal Pump: Heavily loaded movements require mechanical stimulus, so they naturally achieve few repetitions or reps. The result is minimal chemical stress, so we don’t experience muscular burn or a pump.
- Diffuse Soreness: Experienced lifters know that muscle soreness can be debilitating, but the soreness becomes less frequent after a few weeks of training. You will still get sore with proper mechanical stress, but it won’t be sharp. Instead, the soreness will feel “spread out” throughout the muscle.
Mechanical stress is most closely associated with myofibrillar hypertrophy, so if you’re trying to get bigger and stronger, keep an eye open for these characteristics.
Chemical Stress
The lesser-understood muscle stress is chemical. As mentioned before, lifters will refer to it as metabolic stress. However, it also includes non-energy-consuming principles (such as osmosis), so I will use the umbrella term “Chemical Stress.”
Attributes of Chemical Stress
Like mechanical stress, chemical stress has its characteristics when appropriately applied. Here are a few to look out for:
- Muscle Burn: As acidic products build, they hit our bloodstream. Lining the walls of the capillaries are nerve endings called nociceptors (pain receptors). When they come into contact with acidic byproducts, they send signals to the brain, which makes us feel muscle burn.
- Maximum Pump: Another result of the acidic buildup is a heightened osmotic pull within the muscle cells. However, this will only occur with large myofibrils since they will need more time to filter out the waste products.
- Postworkout Fatigue: These workouts utilize more extended sets, which consume more glycogen stores. After training, you may experience a “crash” if you don’t correctly refuel yourself. Your muscles will also feel tired or “raw” for the same reason.
- Minimal Soreness: Chemical stress doesn’t “damage” muscle fibers, so you typically won’t be sore. That is unless you have unconditioned muscle fibers, which means you have a mix of large and small fibers.
- Focused Soreness: On the flip side, if you have unconditioned myofibrils (cells with a mix of large and small fibrils), you will experience sharp, debilitating soreness. The large fibrils will deactivate early due to the acidic buildup, leaving the work to the small fibrils, which, in turn, receive lots of damage.
Most importantly, chemical stress is most closely associated with myofibrillar division, so if you’re trying to build endurance and speed, go for these workout traits.
Chemical Stress and Muscle Energy Systems
There is also more than one type of chemical stress, which involve the three energy systems our muscles use to perform movements. Here are the three systems:
- Phosphagen (ATP-CP) System: Provides quick, immediate energy for short, intense activities (less than 10 seconds). Anaerobic and recovers quickly during rest.
- Glycolytic System (Anaerobic Glycolysis): Generates energy by breaking down glucose without oxygen. It fuels high-intensity activities up to about 2 minutes and produces lactic acid.
- Oxidative System (Aerobic Respiration): Uses oxygen to break down carbs, fats, and proteins for energy. It’s the primary source of energy for prolonged, lower-intensity activities. It can supply ATP continuously for extended periods without producing lactic acid.
The phosphagen system is used chiefly for myofibrillar hypertrophy and division, whereas the glycolytic system is more closely associated with sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
The oxidative system deals more with extracellular systems, such as the cardiopulmonary and circulatory systems. Therefore, we will save those for another post.
Important Chemical Messengers to Build Muscle Fast
The chemical messenger system is the body’s method of communication. It governs everything from our sleep patterns and hunger habits to mood and neurocognitive development.
Our muscles are no exception. In this case, we need to understand two primary messenger components.
- Testosterone
- Androgen Receptors
There are other components, but understanding these two will give us the most bang for our buck.
Testosterone
Within the body, there is an array of steroid-based hormones. Testosterone is one of the most well-known. It has many functions. The most widely known is expressing male physical characteristics.
It also happens to be great at helping us build muscle fast.
The more testosterone in your system, the greater your ability to put on muscle.
Testosterone acts like a key to the muscle-building door. The more keys you have, the more readily you can unlock the door.
That is why men typically build muscle faster than women. They have about five times the testosterone production.
Enough with high school biology. How does it play a role in muscle development?
When you train, depending on how you perform your exercises, the body will signal the release of testosterone.
Here’s how it works:
- Resistance training releases testosterone.
- Testosterone gets into the muscle cell’s nucleus
- DNA fires up protein synthesis
- More muscle results.
Steroid Use and Effects
Some take this process to extremes by supplementing testosterone or introducing other androgen-based steroids.
They have LOTS of testosterone, so they build muscle very fast.
However, steroid use has many brutal consequences (beyond back acne, baldness, and anger). Here are some implications that aren’t as obvious
- Cardiovascular Issues: They can increase the risk of heart disease and cause changes to the cardiovascular system, including increased cholesterol levels, hypertension, heart attacks, and strokes.
- Liver Damage: Prolonged steroid use can lead to liver diseases like jaundice, liver tumors (both benign and malignant), and peliosis hepatis (blood-filled cysts on the liver).
- Kidney Problems: They can lead to kidney damage and kidney disease due to changes in blood pressure and fluid balance.
- Hormonal Imbalances: Steroids can decrease sperm production, shrink the testicles in men, and cause erectile dysfunction. In women, they can lead to a deeper voice, changes in the menstrual cycle, and increased body hair.
- Mental and Emotional Withdrawal Symptoms: Withdrawal can also have significant psychological symptoms, including depression, anxiety, irritability, and mood swings. In severe cases, individuals may experience suicidal thoughts.
In a nutshell, artificial steroid use leads to a lot of problems. The individual using them may have the body of a Greek God, but they will have the organs of an invalid.
The good news is the UFM makes steroid use unnecessary for most individuals.
Steroids and Fitness Plateaus
Some people experience fitness plateaus and aren’t satisfied with their results, so they take steroids. However, the UFM highlights an almost always overlooked idea.
Most plateaus occur due to training, not genetic limits.
Here’s a simplified example:
- Lifter gets into a routine and builds muscle.
- Barbell Chest Press: 3 sets of 12 reps at moderate intensity
- Muscle building stops, so the lifter trades exercise, expecting to continue progressing.
- Incline Dumbell Chest Press: 3 sets of 12 reps at moderate intensity
- Muscle building remains stalled.
What did the lifter do wrong?
Changing movements without changing the parameters (i.e., reps, sets, intensity, rest) will not break a plateau.
The UFM helps to immediately identify errors like this so the lifter can continue progressing.
However, before moving on, we must understand that testosterone is only half the equation for building muscle fast.
Androgen Receptors
If testosterone where the key, then androgen receptors are the lock. Think of them as landing pads for testosterone that surround our muscles.
Testosterone needs to bind to an androgen receptor to enter the muscle cell. Without the androgen receptors, muscle won’t grow quickly, regardless of how much testosterone is present.
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to put on muscle in their sleep while others can train and eat correctly without any results?
The fitness world attributes this disparity to a person’s body type. There are three kinds.
- Ectomorphs
- Mesomorphs
- Endomorphs.
Each body type has its own unique set of characteristics. Understanding your body type is essential because it will affect your training needs to develop your muscles.
Ectomorphs
People with an ectomorphic body type tend to have the most significant challenge when building muscle fast.
Here are a few characteristics that help us identify ectomorphs:
- Slender frame
- Small joints and muscle mass
- Fast metabolism
- Difficulty gaining weight and muscle
- Flat chest and small shoulders
People with these body types are more commonly known as hard gainers. Usually, you’ll find these types competing in high-endurance sports such as marathon running.
Mesomorphs
Next, we have our muscular mesomorphs. These individuals can put on muscle more readily than ectomorphs.
These are the characteristics that identify mesomorphs:
- Athletic and muscular build
- Well-defined muscles
- Rectangular shaped body
- Gains fat more easily than ectomorphs
- Moderate metabolism
Mesomorphs tend to be a jack-of-all-trades body type making them suited for many activities. We find these individuals, such as bodybuilders and sprinters, in all-around athletics competitions.
Endomorphs
Finally, we have our burly endomorphs. Individuals who are endomorphic put on muscle relatively quickly.
Here are their corresponding characteristics:
- Bigger frame, often round or pear-shaped
- Tends to store fat easily
- Slower metabolism
- Larger bone structure
- Difficulties in losing weight
Endomorphs, unlike ectomorphs, are built for durability. These are the types of individuals who excel in strongman competitions and powerlifting.
Morphology Comparison
What does a person’s body type have to do with androgen receptors?
One of the defining differences in each body type is the ability to build muscle.
Why do ectomorphs struggle when endomorphs excel? What is the difference?
Has anyone considered that all three body types have relatively similar testosterone levels?
If testosterone helps us build muscle, why is there such a difference in body types?
The answer is the androgen receptor count.
Endomorphs have a naturally higher androgen receptor count, while ectomorphs have a much lower amount to start. Mesomorphs are somewhere in between.
Therefore, each individual has a different set of training requirements.
Where Should Each Body Type Begin Their Training?
Here is the order of workout goals over a given period, say three months:
- Month 1: Upregulate Androgen Receptors
- Month 2: Upregulate Testosterone
- Month 3: Repeat
This schedule is a simplified example of periodization, but it will allow us to determine the start-point an individual should choose in their lifting journey.
- Ectomorphs: Low androgen receptor count. Therefore, their training should begin at month one.
- Mesomorphs: They have a balance between androgen receptors and testosterone. Thus, they can choose where to start their program.
- Endomorphs: They have a high receptor count. So, for best results, they should start with month two.
Remember, these are just the starting points of building muscle. A person’s needs can change with time. It is also possible to shift from body type to body type (Not including permanent structures such as bones).
However, shifting body types goes much deeper than training stimuli. We will discuss that later.
What’s important is that understanding your starting point will give you the best results to build muscle fast.
Also, that sums up the foundational training principles, which means it’s time to build our map.
Build Muscle Fast: Mapping The Principles
Using the UFM to identify your training needs is essential to build muscle fast.
But what is the UFM?
It is a chart detailing the types of training in a gym setting and their potential effects on muscle development.
Here is a list of characteristics the map will detail:
- Hypertrophy Types
- Types of stress
- Style of Repetitions or Reps
- Chemical Messenger Relationships to Training
- A Movement Classification System
- Movement Parameters
Rather than displaying the entire map at once, it is more beneficial to observe its construction. Doing so will help paint a more clear picture of its uses.
1. Hypertrophy
The first step is identifying what type of muscle growth we can target. Here’s a quick reminder of the three types of hypertrophy that we can control:
- Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy
- Myofibrillar Hypertrophy
- Myofibrillar Division
Let’s work our way through the list.
Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy
As mentioned before, to build muscle fast, the first place to consider is Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy
In this case, the utilization of our glycogen stores and anaerobic energy systems is apparent in most exercises. This makes it important when laying the groundwork for muscle growth.
However, note that the more intense the exercise, the less sarcoplasmic utilization is necessary. In other words, it only takes a little from our fuel tank to perform a single repetition at our maximum weight.
Also, conversely, it only takes a little from our sarcoplasmic fuel tank when performing endurance training, such as distance running. This similar lack of fuel consumption is because our body relies on aerobic energy systems.
So, instead of lifting heavy weights or training extended endurance, SH is most effective when it is somewhere in between. Think moderate weights with moderate exercise duration.
When we map SH on our chart, it will look like the image below.
Note that the Y-axis of our chart represents the Effectiveness of training for the targeted type of muscle development.
Myofibrillar Hypertrophy
Next up is MH. Here we are trying to grow the working structures of the muscle cell. Recall from the previous section that building our myofibrils requires an equal and opposite force.
What does this mean?
Put it this way. The weight is too light if you can apply momentum.
In other words, myofibrillar training is very heavy. Theoretically, the heavier the exercise load, our MH training becomes more effective.
For now, we will plot it starting from the left side of the map. Here’s what it looks like.
Note that the further you progress to the right, the less effective the myofibrillar hypertrophy becomes.
Myofibrillar Division
Recall that MD is a result of introducing our myofibrils to a highly acidic environment.
That means a high amount of repeated use within the myofibrils.
A critical note. This acidosis must occur before the body can fully utilize either the glycolytic or aerobic energy systems.
As a quick reminder, the sarcoplasm (fuel tank) does not fully connect to the myofibrils (engines). The sarcoplasmic reticulum surrounds them.
The acidosis style training capitalizes on this detail to flood the myofibrils with acidic waste products, which in turn causes MD.
Creating this environment doesn’t require heavy weights. In fact, it requires almost no resistance. However, it does need speed or explosiveness.
Here is what it will look like when plotted on the chart.
Note that the further right, the more effective it becomes and that MH and MD do not coincide.
Understanding the plotting of these types of muscle development shows us how Type I and Type II muscle fibers can readily transition from one to the other.
The left side of the map supports Type II or Fast Twitch Fibers, and the right supports Type I or Slow Twitch fibers. However, transitioning from one type to another requires repeated stimuli over time. Think weeks to months.
2. Types of Stress/Muscle Failure
Now that we’ve plotted the types of hypertrophy, it’s time to list the parameters that control them. In this case, the number one governing factor is the type of stress.
When plotted on our map, you can see that mechanical stress dominates half the map while the other half favors chemical stress.
Think of it this way. Heavy weights require more mechanical effort, while sustained explosiveness or speed requires chemical stress.
It’s also important to note that either form of stress can train sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
3. Style of Repetitions or Reps
We’ve mapped the forms of hypertrophy and the stress type required. Now it’s time to define how to perform the repetitions.
In this case, there are two fundamental ways to perform a movement.
- Explosive Reps: These repetitions are associated with aggressive muscle contraction or a rep’s concentric period. This kind of training is associated with heavy loads or speed.
- Controlled Reps: Repetitions of this variety emphasize the lengthening of the muscle or the rep’s eccentric period. This training is associated with time under tension and slower movements.
With these reps in mind, plotting them on our map is straightforward.
Logically, these movement styles should match the corresponding types of hypertrophy too.
Note that the closer to the center of the map, the more controlled the reps become. The closer to the edges, the more explosive the movements become.
4. Chemical Messenger Components
With the rep styles mapped, we can also map the effects of training on the components of our chemical messengers.
Here’s a quick reminder of the components to consider.
- Testosterone
- Androgen Receptors
We will refer to the scientific literature when mapping these components. In a nutshell, here is what the literature currently shows.
- Eccentric-focused training boosts testosterone output.
- Concentric-focused training upregulates androgen receptor count.
When plotted on our map, it will match the type of repetitions.
We can now emphasize the chemical messenger components through training, similar to the movement types.
The closer to the center, the more we emphasize testosterone, and the closer to the edges, the more we upregulate our androgen receptors.
Remember, we all have body types better suited to these chemical messengers, so if you want to build muscle fast, consider that first when starting.
5. Movement Classification System
With the principal axes of the chart plotted, we can see a lifting classification system emerging.
This system shows us there are five major training types. We can plot them based on the kind of stress and the manner of performance for each rep.
Here is a summary of each:
- Mechanical Explosive: This type of training emphasizes heavily loaded movements requiring explosiveness.
- Mechanical Controlled: The moments are still relatively heavy in this category but are light enough to maintain directional control.
- Mechano-Chemical Controlled: These movements are purely about our level of control. Many bodyweight exercises fall into this category.
- Chemical Controlled: The weights are light, and the movements are slow. These sets emphasize a significant time under tension.
- Chemical Explosive: These movements emphasize speed of execution and repetition, which generates a large backup of acidic elements within the muscle.
Here is how they look on our map.
Now it’s time to go into more specific details about the five primary training types.
6. Movement Parameters
Next up are the parameters surrounding our movements. The parameters determine the setup of a workout.
Here is a list of parameters that we will address:
- Number of Sets Per Movement
- Number of Reps Per Movement
- Rest Period Between Sets
- Intensity of Weight
- Desired Outcomes
The parameters are unique to each primary training type. The table below details how they correspond.
Think of the table as a legend on our map.
The Complete Design To Build Muscle Fast
Now, we have all the pieces of the map assembled. Here is the complete design.
It’s not complicated at face value since we examined it one step at a time.
The next step is learning how to use the map to our advantage.
Applying The Design To Build Muscle Fast
Using the Unified Fitness Map is easy.
This section will break the map’s uses into different categories.
- Lifting Disciplines and Sports
- Muscle Mapping
- Plateau Breaking
- Injury Prevention
- Center Map Function
Finally, we will use the map to plan a basic workout.
Lifting Disciplines and Sports
There are many lifting methods and countless sports, but they all fall somewhere on this map.
To highlight this idea, we will use various examples to see how the map allows us to quickly determine a custom workout program, regardless of the sport or discipline.
We will cover the following examples:
- Powerlifters
- Natural Body Builders
- MMA Fighters
- Military/LEOs/Emergency Responders
- Endurance Athletes
Each example will begin by examining the athlete’s needs and translating them to a location on the map, which will build the muscle fastest for the athlete’s needs.
Powerlifters
Powerlifting is a popular and respected sport that finds home in gyms everywhere.
It involves lifting extremely heavy weights and pushing the body to its mechanical limits.
Here are the fundamental traits required to become proficient in this discipline:
- Heavy Weights
- Explosive Strength
- Well-Developed Accessory Muscles
Using this list, we can plot a powerlifter’s starting needs on the map. Here is where what they look like.
Here we see that the most significant portion of their training leans heavily on the mechanical stress side of the chart and favors explosive-style reps.
However, there is also another minor emphasis on the mechanically controlled portion. This emphasis supports the development of accessory muscles.
Natural Bodybuilders
Bodybuilding is just as popular as powerlifting in the gym setting.
However, rather than focusing on heavy weights, bodybuilders emphasize muscle size and aesthetic balance.
Thus, their practices are slightly different. Here is a quick list of key traits we can expect:
- Moderate Weights
- Controlled Movements.
- A Balanced Emphasis on Chemical Messengers.
- Overall muscular development
Now let’s plot this information on our map
Here we see a more considerable emphasis on controlled reps and a minor focus on explosive reps.
There is also a balance between mechanical and chemical stresses because natural bodybuilders need a broad range of muscular development to excel in their craft.
*Note that I’ve specified a “natural” bodybuilder. There is also a large population of competitive bodybuilders that use anabolic enhancements to build their muscle fast. Their needs on the map are different.
MMA Fighters
Mixed Martial Arts may not be apparent in standard gym settings, but these athletes use resistance training to enhance their craft like any other sport.
Their needs are fascinating too. Here are a few traits:
- Explosive Power
- High Muscular Endurance
- Speed
- Fast Recovery
When plotted out, their training needs will look something like this:
Here we can see a significant emphasis on chemical explosive training. Imagine performing a high amount of explosive reps with relatively light resistance.
However, many fighters also require a minor emphasis on the mechanical explosive category, which is essential when pitted against an opponent’s weight.
Last, we can see an emphasis on the center of the map. These athletes require a good balance between mechanical and chemical endurance.
Endurance Athletes
Next, we have endurance athletes. Imagine the type of individual that loves to run Tough Mudders, Spartan Races, or Iron Man competitions.
These competitions demand their own set of traits.
- Stamina and Muscular Endurance
- Bodyweight Based Control
- Strength Endurance
Let’s plot out their needs.
Here you can see a significant emphasis across the center of the map.
These athletes don’t need to lift extreme weights, nor do they need highly explosive speed.
They do need massive endurance and general strength. These athletes may not have huge muscles, but they are built to last.
Military/LEOs/Emergency Responders
Now let’s take a step back from lifting disciplines and sports and look at professions that require a high degree of physicality.
These individuals need to prepare for anything that can happen while on duty, so their traits will look like this:
- Situation Explosive Strength
- Situation Endurance
- Situational Speed
These workouts tend to be the most fun too. Here is how to map them.
Think circuit training, Olympic lifts, agility drills, and bag training.
Our responders need it all. You never know when you must call on all your strength to move a heavy object. Nor do you know how long an emergency can last.
It’s also impossible to determine if you need to move with speed against an environment or threat.
Mapping Muscles
Now that we’ve looked at various sports and disciplines, it’s time to move on to the muscles themselves.
Maybe someone wants to focus on their arms or glutes. How does each muscle respond to training? Why can’t we build some muscles as fast as others?
Each major body area has slight differences that make them more responsive to specific training.
We’ll also include an example of difficult-to-grow muscles. Here’s a quick list:
- Upper Body
- Lower Body
- Core
- Calves and Forearms
In this case, using the map is a game of opposites.
Let’s dive in!
Upper
We will keep things simple by classifying all muscles from the rib cage and up as part of the upper body.
Now it’s time to examine how we typically use our upper body.
Under normal circumstances, we don’t use our upper body except for a few specialized tasks. However, when performing difficult work, the upper body moves objects proportionately large or heavy to our muscles.
In other words, the upper body tends to be mechanically inclined
So, where do you begin if you want to build your upper body muscle as fast as possible? Here are a couple of tips.
- If you haven’t been to a gym in a long time, start by training the upper body to fulfill its intended function, mechanical-based stress.
- Conversely, if you are a regular lifter and have reached a plateau, it’s time to stress the upper body chemically.
Here’s what these two situations look like on the map.
Lower
Now, it’s time to examine our lower body.
Let’s classify all the muscles from our hip bones and down as the lower body.
Our legs constantly carry us wherever we go daily, yet they never start to burn from regular use. Imagine the burn in your arms trying to even stand on your hands for one minute.
The lower body is chemically robust.
So we train it opposite the upper body.
- If you haven’t worked out in a while, give the legs hefty doses of chemical stress.
- Switch to mechanical stress if you’ve regularly trained and reached a plateau.
These are plotted similarly to the upper body, only opposite.
One more note. Plotting the upper and lower body muscles does not consider their natural androgen receptor count nor a person’s dominant body type (I.e., endomorph, ectomorph, mesomorph).
Core
Abs, obliques, lower back. For this post, our core is everything between the ribcage and hip bones.
How do we use core? In this case, we use the core to balance our upper body in response to what our lower body is doing. So we use it frequently, but the similarity ends there.
Our core can also move our upper body if called to do so. For example, sitting up to get out of bed first thing in the morning.
In other words, our core is mechano-chemically balanced.
So let’s see how to train it.
- If you’re new, focus on slow, controlled reps. This focus puts us at the center of the map.
- If your core has training experience, it’s time to test the waters at the edges of the map.
Here is how it appears on our map.
One note to consider, the core can be a highly specialized area, so training for size may not be necessary.
Also, Heavy Mechanical Reps for the core are typically body weight with slight weight. Think of hanging leg raises with ankle weights.
Calves and Forearms
Now, it’s time to look at a couple of difficult examples.
Typically, many people write the calves and forearms off as genetically dependent, but the problem is we cannot test that theory. Which part of muscular development in our DNA is specific to either of these muscle groups?
Simply put, muscle is muscle.
So why are these particular muscles so notoriously difficult to develop?
It all boils down to habits and their location.
Habits
These muscles are highly specialized. Calves are in constant use, but they get to support our entire body weight. Why don’t calves burn like crazy or get extremely shaky after a long walk?
Here’s why:
Calves are the most chemically robust skeletal muscle in the human body. The only more chemically sound muscles are the diaphragm and the heart itself.
*Note: Interestingly, due to how the calve is structured, it acts as a secondary heart by pushing blood back up through our body with each step.
Forearms are the diametric opposite.
We typically use them for high-level control or grip strength. Neither of which we do very often, but when we do it, it places a tremendous mechanical demand on the muscle.
The result: Forearms are the most mechanically robust skeletal muscle.
Imagine a deadlift. It takes multiple large muscle groups to move potentially hundreds of pounds of weight, yet our comparatively tiny forearms can lock onto the bar like a pair of steel hooks.
Here’s the real question:
Why do our habits make these muscles hard to develop?
Whether mechanical or chemical, the more specialized the muscle is in terms of stimulus, the harder it is to “unspecialize.”
Imagine performing a task your whole life in a particular manner, and then suddenly, you’re asked to use a foreign technique. Do you think you’re going to be proficient?
Would learning something entirely at odds with your nature take a little longer?
Location
The next consideration is the location of the muscles. This concept is more straightforward than our habits.
The calves and forearms are at the furthest points of our body away from the heart.
How does that affect development?
In this case, the answer is a simple matter of blood flow.
Since these muscles are at the furthest points of our extremities, they don’t receive as much blood flow as our other muscles.
Less blood flow means less nutrients, oxygen, and chemical messengers.
So with a lifetime of habits working against us and a suboptimal location, how do we train these areas efficiently?
You need two ingredients:
- The Opposite Stimulus: Give these muscles precisely the opposite of what they are used to. Try some heavy lifting with calves. Put your forearms through some burnouts.
- Time and Diligence: Because of the habits and location, these muscles will take much longer to develop. It’s also important to realize we must intentionally develop these muscles because it won’t happen accidentally. Work them often.
Remember, it is possible to build these muscles fast, but, in this case, fast is a relative term.
Injury Prevention And Treatment
Sometimes, injuries happen as a result of training. It could be anything from a pulled muscle to dehydration.
Interestingly, the Unified Fitness Map is also useful for injury prevention and treatment.
Granted, it can’t fix broken bones or muscle tears, but it can help prevent them.
In this case, we can divide fitness-related injuries into two broad categories:
- Mechanical Injuries
- Chemical Injuries
See where this is going?
Mechanical Injuries
Mechanical injuries are easy to classify.
In a nutshell, a mechanical injury is when a physical structure undergoes stress exceeding its tolerable limits.
Here’s a list of examples:
- Sprains and Strains: These are injuries to ligaments (sprains) or muscles and tendons (strains) due to overstretching or tearing.
- Tendonitis: This is inflammation or irritation of a tendon, often caused by repetitive strain or sudden, more serious injury.
- Muscle Tears or Ruptures: These can happen when a muscle is overstretched or overloaded, often during heavy lifting.
- Joint Injuries: Overloading the muscles can lead to injuries in their connected joints, like the shoulder, knee, or elbow.
- Stress Fractures: Tiny cracks in a bone caused by repetitive force or overuse, which could result from heavy lifting.
Some of these injuries are readily treatable. Others, such as stress fractures, require rest and recovery.
However, the principle for all of the injuries is the same.
There was an overemphasis on mechanical training.
So how do you treat it? Here are the steps
- Rest and Proper Health Provider Examination: It’s important to remember that injuries don’t magically vanish. They take time to heal, and it’s important to have a qualified medical provider give appropriate guidance.
Chemical Rehabilitation: Take a break from the heavy lifting and go for a simple burn with relatively light weights. Not only will this give the muscle mechanical rest, but it will also prime it for future growth.
Notice that the game of opposites is still effective regarding mechanical injuries.
Chemical Injuries
Unlike mechanical injuries, chemical injuries are a little more complicated and sometimes difficult to recognize.
Chemical injuries occur when a muscle exceeds its metabolic limits through training.
Types of Chemical Injuries
Here are a few examples:
- Rhabdomyolysis: This serious syndrome can occur from intense exercise, leading to muscle breakdown and potential kidney damage.
- Hyponatremia or Hypernatremia: Abnormal sodium levels due to improper hydration practices.
- Hypokalemia or Hyperkalemia: Abnormal potassium levels can affect muscle function and cause weakness, fatigue, or cramps.
- Overtraining Syndrome: This can occur from excessive exercise without adequate rest, leading to various problems such as hormonal, nutritional, and immunological issues.
- Chronic Metabolic Diseases: Long-term lack of physical activity and poor diet can lead to chronic conditions such as osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Chemical injuries can be challenging to identify, especially for new lifters. Moreover, some of them take many years to manifest.
However, despite the seriousness of chemical injuries, they seldom occur and are readily preventable.
The major difference is that these injuries can occur with excessive chemical emphasis OR a lack of training altogether.
Prevention Techniques
Here are the steps to preventing chemical injury:
- Short-Term Prevention: Properly prepare for your workouts. If you know the activity includes chemically stressful factors, address them. For example, bring a water source, wear proper attire, and keep a healthy snack on hand.
- Long-Term Prevention: The long term injuries are the most insidious. No one suspects osteoporosis until it’s too late. In these cases, adopt an active lifestyle that includes mechanical stimulus. A daily walk around the block is not adequate prevention.
Training Environment: Lifting outdoors is okay if you focus on mechanical training. Planning a chemically taxing workout in a chemically stressful environment (such as a hot and humid day) is generally a bad idea.
If you can’t avoid it, take extra precautions, like bringing additional fluids with electrolytes, fast-acting snack gels, and plan breaks beforehand.
In the case of chemical injuries, mechanically focused workouts are helpful, but mainly as a preventative measure for long-term problems.
Unique Functions Of The Map’s Center
There is one more interesting use of the UFM. In this case, it deals with the center of our map.
At the center, we have controlled reps and a balance between mechanical and chemical stress. Utilizing the center of our map serves two valuable functions.
- Body Balancing
- Metabolic Resensitization
The first function is easily noticeable, whereas the second is more subtle.
Body Balancing
People aren’t perfect. Over time, it is common to develop imbalances in the body. For example, we may have one arm or leg that is stronger than the other.
However, rather than thinking one limb is stronger, we can look at the imbalance differently. Instead, one limb is more mechanically oriented than the other.
This point of view also gives us a greater understanding because if one limb is more mechanically sound, the opposing limb is more chemically sound.
Remember how the center of the map stresses both mechanical and chemical stimuli?
We can create a balancing protocol with this information. Here’s what it would look like:
- Perform an exercise that forces the imbalanced muscles to perform separately. For example, if the legs are imbalanced, do body-weight split squats.
- Perform the exercise until the muscle fails mechanically or chemically, and keep track of the reps. Then do the same amount of repetitions for the opposite.
- If separately working the muscles isn’t an option, such as the erectors in the back, then do two exercises for the muscle group. The first exercise should mechanically fatigue the muscles to their limits, and the second should chemically deplete them.
Here’s how the effect will look on our map.
You may notice that the “strong” muscle tends to burn much earlier in a set than its nondominant counterpart. Vice versa, the weak side will start shaking earlier too.
Metabolic Resensitization
Whenever we work out, if done correctly, we stimulate a metabolic pathway that builds muscle. In the case of standard resistance training, our androgen receptors and testosterone serve to activate one of these pathways.
*Note: Knowing how these pathways work is unnecessary for this post.
However, these pathways can tire, and if you want to continuously build muscle as fast as possible, you’ll need to give them a break so they can reset.
What are we to do while they rest? Use a different pathway, of course!
It’s possible to use the center of our map to build a workout that activates an entirely different route of hypertrophy called the Beta-Adrenergic Pathway.
Here’s how to do it:
- Select 3-4 movements and perform them in series.
- The movements should cover the whole body (I.e., legs, push, pull, core).
- Perform all the exercises with controlled reps.
- After reaching either mechanical or chemical failure, switch to the next movement. (Gotta balance those muscles)
- Finish the round with a short burst cardio exercise, such as high-intensity rowing for one minute.
- Repeat for 3-4 rounds, rest as needed, and don’t rush.
A full-body resistance circuit like this stimulates our adrenal glands, which triggers this pathway.
Interestingly, many bodybuilders use a similar technique called “giant sets.” However, they typically don’t include cardio or incorporate the whole body.
Also, since we planned one example workout, why should we stop there?
Planning A Workout Plus Example
Let’s use our map to design an optimal workout to build muscle fast.
There are a few assumptions and steps with this process.
- First, we’re assuming the lifter uses safe training techniques and adheres to the four principles mentioned at the beginning of the post.
- The lifter hasn’t been to the gym in a while or hasn’t plateaued.
- The lifter is honest with themself in terms of body type and strength.
Note that regular lifters with experience will have different workout needs.
Now it’s time to go through the steps. Here’s a quick list before we go into detail
- Determine Your Dominant Body Type
- Determine which muscle groups to work
- Plan the movement parameters
- Plan your movements.
Let’s dig in!
Step 1: Determine Your Dominant Body Type
First, look in the mirror and ask with as much honesty as possible, “What body type am I?”
For this example, let’s say we see a tall, narrower build with relatively low body fat.
Classic ectomorph.
This body type means we need to favor a workout that upregulates our androgen receptors, so we have two possible choices:
- Highly mechanical explosive reps
- Highly chemical explosive reps
Which do we choose? That’s a matter of which muscle groups we desire to improve.
Step 2: Determine Which Muscle Groups To Work
The next step is to choose the muscles. For simplicity, we’ll exclude a core workout.
That leaves either upper or lower.
In this case, our lifter decides to work on their upper body, namely their chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Also, as mentioned above, it’s been a while since we set foot in a gym.
Therefore, we should start training for the upper body’s intended design, mechanical stress.
So now, we can determine the desired outcome of the workout.
Since it needs to be mechanical, we’re looking for muscle shakes as our outcome. Don’t worry if you don’t get any burn or pump from the first exercises.
Step 3: Plan The Movement Parameters
We know roughly what our workout should entail, but how does that translate into reps, sets, etc.?
Consider one final detail before planning the movement parameters.
Read the map from left to right.
Exhausting ourselves with lighter weights before attempting a heavy lift is risky.
Here is a rough draft of a workout.
- Movement 1-2: Mechanical Explosive (Compound Movements)
- Outcome: Muscle shakes and non-burn exhaustion
- Movements 3-5: Mechanical Controlled (Iso Movements)
- Outcome: Muscle shakes with slight burn exhaustion
In this basic outline, we oriented our first two movements to upregulating androgen receptors. They should be compound movements to give us the most bang for our buck.
However, we don’t want all the movements to be mechanically explosive. That could lead to injury.
Thus, we aim the last three movements at mechanically exhausting the muscles in a safe manner. It’s best to do these as iso movements since they are easier to control.
Here is a quick summary of our logical flow:
- First movements favor androgen receptors due to our ectomorphic body type
- The last movements favor mechanical stress since we’ve chosen to work our upper body, which is mechanically oriented, and we haven’t been to the gym in a while.
One final task in building the workout plan is selecting the movements themselves.
Step 4: Plan The Movements
We want to cover as much ground as possible in this initial workout because we haven’t trained for a while, so starting with the compound exercises is essential.
Now let’s determine where to start.
Say we wanted a bigger chest. Our workout would look something like this:
Ectomorph Beginner Chest Workout Parameters
1. Barbell Chest Press | 4 Sets | 4-8 Reps | 2-3 Minute Rest | Heavy Weight
2. Incline Smith Machine Press | 4 Sets | 4-8 Reps | 2-3 Minute Rest | Heavy Weight
3. Machine Flyes | 3 Sets | 8-12 Reps | 60-90 second Rest | Moderate Weight
4. Dumbell Lateral Raise | 3 Sets | 8-12 Reps | 60-90 second Rest | Moderate Weight
5. Cable Tricep Extensions | 3 Sets | 8-12 Reps | 60-90 second Rest | Moderate Weight
We derived this workout from our map reading from left to right. The specific reps/sets/rest details are from the parameter table we constructed previously.
This example would be an adequate Chest/Shoulder/Tricep workout for 3-4 weeks for a new ectomorphic lifter. We also assume the lifter executes the sets close to muscle failure with proper form and technique.
With this one example, we can see how the UFM works. To build muscle fast, anyone can use the map if they use this process:
- Determine your goal.
- Determine where you are currently.
- Identify any plateaus you are experiencing.
- Translate the previous questions to the map.
- Plan accordingly.
Build Muscle Fast: FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
This guide is pretty comprehensive, but we have a whole world of information to cover in detail to cover. We’ll save most of the information for future posts, but here are a few questions we can answer quickly.
1. How Fast Can I Build Muscle?
Your ability to build muscle fast depends on where you are with your training and genetic factors.
To avoid confusion, we will keep the information general and base it on experience and gender.
- New LIfters: A novice lifter just starting strength training can expect significant gains in a relatively short time due to the body responding to the new stimulus.
- Men: 1.3 – 1.8 pounds per month
- Women: 0.5 – 1 pound per month
- Experience Lifters: As a lifter becomes more experienced, the rate of muscle gain typically slows. This reduction is due to the body becoming more adapted to the resistance training stimulus.
- Men: 0.5 – 1 pounds per month
- Women: 0.25 – .5 pounds per month
Remembering that muscle growth is affected by numerous variables is crucial, so maintaining sensible and achievable expectations is vital.
2. Why aren’t I Building Muscle?
A wide variety of factors can influence whether we build muscle fast or slow. It can also depend on whether or not you can physically detect the muscle.
For example, if you are overweight, seeing results may be difficult. In addition, the more obese the individual, the less accurate body composition measuring techniques become.
If you lose weight, your body could appear to “shrink,” yet you’re still building muscle.
If you know that you’re not building muscle, some other factors could get in the way:
- Lack of Resources: Building muscle requires a few key elements, namely protein and amino acids, energy from either food or fat, and water. Muscle growth will slow down if you aren’t getting enough of these.
- Lack of Recovery: Whether it’s rest between sets or workouts, we must give our body enough time to build muscle. Overtraining can cause this, but usually, the culprit is a lack of quality sleep. If that’s the case, check out the sleep guide.
- Lack of Stimulus: Training must occur at a high enough frequency to take effect. If you’re only training once or twice per week, you may not see much in terms of results. Furthermore, if your weight selections aren’t adequate, your body won’t feel the need to adapt.
Building muscle may not be apparent, but as long as you cover all your bases, you can rest assured that your body is doing everything possible to meet the demands.
3. How Do I Know If I’m Building Muscle?
Knowing whether or not you’re building muscle can be tricky. Most information sources point to an increase in strength as evidence.
Muscle growth does result in more strength. However, neural adaptation has a similar effect.
If your goal is strictly muscle size, here is a simple process to check your progress:
- Reduce body fat: The first step is to get the most accurate read on where your body is regarding actual muscle size. Therefore, you need to get rid of excess fat. Body fat doesn’t need to be extremely low, just enough to see a little muscle separation.
- Physically measure: After adequately managing excess weight, the next step is to get a measuring tool like a tape measure and track the circumferences of your body. Think arms, shoulders, chest, waist, hips, thighs.
- Track weight increase with controlled composition: With an accurate picture of where we are, the next step is to train for a few weeks or months, periodically remeasuring while keeping body composition under control. Some lifters call this “main-gaining.”
The last step is the most difficult, not because it’s hard to do but because it’s easy for us to ignore the objective mirror.
Don’t trap yourself in the cycle of more. Sometimes, less is more.
Many people also prefer a “bulk and cut” cycle to build muscle, which works but isn’t as necessary as popular opinion leads us to believe.
4. Should I Lose Weight First?
If you are overweight, the answer is unequivocally yes if you want to build muscle fast.
Here’s a list of reasons:
- Priorities: Building muscle is nice, but overall health should come first. It’s ok to have a moderate training program to maintain muscle but focus on losing excess weight first.
- Increased Muscle Visibility: Lower body fat makes your muscle definition more visible, making you appear more muscular even if you haven’t gained additional muscle mass. This can give the impression of easier muscle gain.
- Improved Insulin Sensitivity: Lower body fat is often associated with improved insulin sensitivity, which means your body can more effectively use the nutrients you consume, including carbohydrates and proteins. Efficient nutrient utilization can enhance muscle protein synthesis and promote muscle growth.
- Hormonal Environment: There is a link between lower body fat levels and better hormonal balance, including reduced levels of certain hormones like estrogen in men and testosterone in women. An optimal hormonal environment can support muscle development.
- Protein Synthesis: Lower body fat may be associated with less inflammation and better protein synthesis. These factors can contribute to improved recovery and muscle-building processes.
Lower body fat will help build muscle fast but don’t go overboard. If you don’t have enough body fat, then building muscle will screech to a halt for many other reasons.
5. Why Do I Get Sore After A Workout?
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS, is common throughout the fitness world. It’s not bad to be sore. In fact, you can use it as a subtle clue to success.
It means that the membranous tissues within our muscle cells (namely the sarcoplasmic reticulum) have undergone damage and ruptured.
The damage occurs due to myofibril contraction that is more forceful than the membrane can readily accommodate. The smaller the myofibril, the more pronounced this effect becomes.
The result is that every time the local myofibrils contract or stretch, acidic waste products quickly spill out into the muscle cell, which promptly filters them into the bloodstream.
There, as described before, our neurons (nociceptors) immediately react, causing the soreness.
6. Why Don’t I Get Sore Anymore?
When we first train, we get very sore, but as time the soreness occurs less and less often.
When we no longer feel training-related soreness, our muscle fibers have adapted mechanically to our training.
Our myofibrils have become thicker along with the sarcoplasmic reticulum surrounding them. The result is that they no longer undergo damage or rupture.
What a great clue!
If you are no longer getting sore, it’s time to ramp up your chemical stress and feel the burn.
Do this for a few weeks with a de-load protocol in mechanical work.
This change of pace will reprime the muscle for growth while giving our neurons the precious time they need to rest and resensitize.
7. Why Can’t I Get a Pump Anymore?
Opposite of muscle soreness is getting the beloved lifting pump. Many like to feel the pump while lifting since it indicates solid work. It also makes the muscles appear more prominent for a while.
So why do pumps go away like muscle soreness?
Similar to how reduced muscle soreness relates to a mechanical adaptation, a reduction in muscle pump indicates a chemical adaptation.
Our muscle fibers have undergone enough myofibrillar division to filter waste products effectively.
Fewer waste products mean less osmotic pull of water into the muscle. Thus, our pump gets reduced.
A missing pump serves as another great clue.
If you are no longer getting a pump, it’s time to ramp up your mechanical stress and feel the shakes and soreness.
Like our soreness protocol, this is an excellent chance to build muscle fast over the next several weeks.
8. Why Do I Get Sleepy After A Workout?
Excluding factors such as a lack of sleep, post-workout drowsiness is a question of blood sugar. Namely, we’ve pushed our muscles, and they’re trying to recover. They do this by uptaking the sugar that is present in our bloodstream.
However, when this draw on blood sugar supply occurs at a high rate, our overall blood sugar levels will drop enough to cause sleepiness.
Conversely, if we have a carbohydrate-heavy meal after a workout, our insulin will spike, which can have a similar effect.
In this case, the solution is to give yourself slightly longer rest periods between sets or exercises.
Another solution is an appropriate post-nutrition protocol involving a small serving of fast-acting sugars and a small to moderate serving of medium-speed carbohydrates.
Examples are a tablespoon of honey with a banana or a cup of berries.
These would pair nicely with an adequate protein and fat source.
9. Should I Do Cardio Before or After A Workout?
Whether or not to start with a round of cardio depends on your goals.
If you’re not as concerned with muscle development and more concerned with weight loss, then starting with cardio is beneficial. This is mainly to check the box and ensure you burn excess calories.
On the other hand, if you’re trying to build muscle fast, then cardio should come after the workout is finished.
This is because the more efficient your muscle output during the workout, the more effectively muscle gets built.
Your lifting output relies on sufficient blood sugar and glycogen stores. If you use them up beforehand with cardio, your workouts will be suboptimal.
10. What Else Should I Do To Build Muscle Fast?
You can speed up the muscle-building process in many ways besides working out.
Here are some of the more obvious methods:
- Proper Nutrition: This is the most critical factor besides training in building muscle. If you’re not meeting your nutritional needs, no amount of exercise will result in muscle development.
- Hydration: Optimal hydration means optimal metabolism, which makes for fast recovery and efficient hypertrophy. Proper hydration is also critical for solid workouts.
- Sleep: A lot of our recovery occurs when we’re asleep.
There are other ways to help the hypertrophy process. Some of which involve maximizing hormonal efficiency.
For example, try taking a cold shower if you’re looking for a testosterone boost after a workout. Studies have shown that cold showers can increase testosterone substantially for a short period.
It could be a useful way to jumpstart the recovery process.
Build Muscle Fast: Summary
One of the most rewarding uses of our time is the development of our bodies.
Sometimes it comes easily. Sometimes, not so much.
However, with the right tools, anyone can build muscle fast.
Try using the Unified Fitness Map if any of these situations apply to you:
- New to Lifting
- Hit a Plateau
- Need to Recover an Injury
- Figuring Out How to Train for a Sport.
Our map has many other uses, but these will be a good start.
For additional health management systems, check out my other guides.
The Simple Formula to Get Better Sleep
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