In this post, I’ll be covering everything you need to know to get started—
Not All Approaches Are Built Equal
Covering The Basics
Training is the most simple part of the 3-part muscle-building equation.
But, it’s often the most confusing and tiresome part of it.
Everyone seems to have their twist to splits and exercises.
Why is that? Because the basics are already sold.
People won’t buy a program that says “Lift consistently, lift heavy.”
The market craves novel things, but the science of training is already out.
You don’t need “Primal Man body transformation by climbing trees and eating dog liver” to build muscle.
Let alone from guys that are juiced up more than the vegan soy boys on liquid diets.
You don’t need fancy ass workout routines to build muscle.
You don’t have to change it up every 3 weeks to ‘shock your muscle’
When you first walk into the gym, you’re introduced to a traditional bro-split.
Surprise surprise, but you don't need a whole day for arms.
But, that may not be the most efficient way to train at the gym.
Less is more, both for building actual muscle and building a habit of consistently showing up.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you should be hitting a Push-Pull-Legs split.
Because that might not be ideal for you.
I am going to give you a buffet of options that you can cherry-pick from to best suit your needs and goals.
Training for an aesthetic body is very different from strength training.
I like to train as efficiently as possible with as little time taken for my workouts as possible.
If 20% of exercises give me 80% returns on my time investment, you bet your mother’s purity I’m sticking to that 20%.
Workouts don’t have to be 2 hours long.
Workouts don’t need to have 10 different exercises in a session.
Workouts should be simple. Because simple works.
With that said, let’s get into it.
Not All Approaches Are Built Equal
Compare the two pictures below
Do you think they train the same way?
Do you think that they both are on the same training regime?
No. Of course not.
Your body responds to different stimuli.
Chances are if you’re an average dude, you don’t want to train like a powerlifter or a full-on bodybuilder.
Packing on strength can be a good side effect of packing on muscle.
If you want to build strength, this is not the source I’d be reading from.
If you want a Chris Evans, Dorito-looking body that is attractive to girls, keep reading on.
For an aesthetic body that is attractive to girls, you need a few things.
And, if you’re wondering if there is a body type that grabs women’s attention, yes, there is.
It works the same way that a woman with an hourglass figure is attractive to us.
For an aesthetic body, that attracts girls, you need the classic V-taper.
Wide shoulders, sitting on top of a wide back, and a thin waist.
This is the Greek God's build.
Training like a powerlifter won’t give you that.
So, set aside some time to consider what you want your body to look like.
Do you want a strong bulky frame?
Do you want a huge, buff bodybuilder look?
Or do you want an aesthetic V-taper?
Because the priorities for all three of them are very different.
I don’t know what it’s like to be a bodybuilder or a powerlifter, but if you aspire to have a V-taper look, keep reading.
Covering The Basics
I’m covering a lot of ground here and simplifying all this.
So, if I miss anything, apologies.
Find a gym
A lot of beginners shoot themselves in the foot here.
Pointless home workouts and CrossFit circuits stunt your progress.
Just grab your balls by your hand and walk into a traditional meat-head gym.
If you don’t see at least 2 roided motherfuckers walking around, that’s not the gym for you.
Avoid conventional gyms that hot girls go to. (Trust me, you’ll save yourself the distraction and the insecurities)
“But, don’t you think I should work up to it?”
No? You can build strength at the gym at such a high pace that home workouts seem like fun cardio sessions.
If you want to pack on strength and muscle, home workouts are a copout.
The choice is yours.
Understand that you’re going to look and feel stupid
The first week at the gym is super fucking awkward if you don’t know what you are doing.
But, that’s alright. If you have picked a meathead gym, nobody is going to judge you for it.
All the big-roided motherfuckers? They were once you before they started cycling PEDs.
So, consider this a win for the first week—
If you go to the gym and just move weights around in the first week, that’s a win.
You’re going to get better, no matter how stupid you look or feel now.
Your form is going to improve.
You’re going to pack 2x the weight you have on in a couple of weeks.
For a month, your goal is to only show up to the gym.
If you go 30 days without any excuses, congratulations. You’ve passed Level 1.
ALWAYS warm up before you train
If you’re not moving your body and getting the blood flowing before you lift heavy, guess what happens?
You, my friend, have a fast-lane ticket to Snapcity.
If you’re not warming up sufficiently, you’re going to get injured.
And, there is nothing more frustrating than not being able to train because of an injury.
It doesn’t take much to prime your body for heavy lifts.
For simplicity’s sake, watch this video to get started.
Ego at the door
At the gym, safety is your number 1 priority in the initial stages.
Before every session, leave your fucking ego at the door.
Don’t try to compete with others. You’re going to hurt yourself.
If the weight you’re using comes at the expense of good technique, drop the fucking weights.
The only person you’re up against in there is you from yesterday.
For the first 3 months, you should only be thinking about perfecting your form.
Correcting and having good form act as the roots of a strong tree.
It takes time to build before you can push yourself with an ungodly amount of weight on a bar.
If you want to do this for a long time and get gains, think of nothing but perfecting the technique for the first 3 months.
Great sources for technique would be Jeff Nippard’s and Sean Nalewany’s YouTube channels.
Rocks, Gravel, and Sand, not the opposite
Here’s a fun thought experiment—
Imagine you have a jar. Your task is to fill the jar to the brim without overflowing.
The jar needs to have 3 components filling it—
Rocks, gravel, and sand.
Which items go first, second and third?
If you put the sand first, the gravel barely fits in, and there is no space for the rocks at all.
The right way to go about filling it is by adding rocks first, gravel second, and topping it up with sand.
A full jar in this case is a good, optimal workout.
Rocks are compound exercises (Bench presses, squats, pullups, etc)
Compound exercises are ones that use many joints and muscle groups.
They are your best friend.
They suck. But, they're going to give you the best bang for your buck.
They need to be prioritized first, always.
The gravel is isolation exercises (Lateral raises, Shrugs, leg curls)
They are important to round out your physique and give you those beautiful curves and cuts.
But, they come behind the rocks, stacking on top of them, not replacing them.
Last comes the sand, or the vanity exercises (Forearm curls, neck curls, etc)
These act as the finishing touches to your body.
They don’t make a huge difference, but it’s the final 5% that sets you apart from the crowd.
These are always your last priority.
How many days should you train?
A hypertrophy-focused training plan should include 4-6 days at the gym.
It comes down to your preference.
If you hate working out and want to get away with the least effort, 4 days will get the job done.
If you are a maniac with no life, 6 is perfect.
What exercises do I do? How many reps? How many sets?
We’ve finally reached the juicy bit.
This is a vast topic, which is why I’ll cover this in the next post.
I’ll also be covering the ONLY 2 THINGS THAT MATTER for building muscle when training.