Here I will share with you six ‘hints’ that can lead to more hypertrophy. Why? Because you deserve to get the most out of the time you spend in the gym.
In my 10 years of coaching/personal training and my 8 years of bodybuilding/competing, I have managed to put together not so much a “rulebook,” but a set of guidelines that seem to work for everyone.

Hint #1
Base the majority of your training on compound movements, these will do more to develop your physique than any “isolation” or machine/cable movement ever could on its own.
Here are some examples:

• - Bench presses
• - Squats
• - Military presses
• - Deadlifts
• - Dips
• - Upright rows
• - Leg presses
• - Stiff-legged deadlifts, etc.

Hint #2
Train intensely, but briefly, keep to the range of 60-90min max. It takes our bodies a limited amount of time to recover after exercise, as well as a limited amount of time to build up new muscle tissue. For building muscle, the best stimulus is intense weight training in which each set is taken close to, or fully to, the point of “failure, ” or the point beyond which another strict repetition cannot be performed. Something to keep in mind always: Since we recover first, and grow second, we must make sure to never “overtax” our systems’ ability to recover.

Hint #3
Do not train the same muscle groups more than 2 days in a row without taking a full day off from the gym, especially if you are a natural trainee. This hint is related to # 2 in that it is again concerned with our recovery ability. In my many years of training I have tried every training program imaginable. Three on one off, five on two off, four on one off, etc. Personally I train with a 4 day on and 3 days off schedule due to my lifestyle and business needs and also allowing my body to fully recover from my training sessions. Growth does not happen in the gym, growth happens when you are resting.

Hint #4
Eat your protein! This is perhaps the most important of all the advice I can offer. Muscle is protein. Protein is required to build and repair muscle tissue. If you don’t eat enough, no matter how hard you train, you will not gain muscle. How much protein is enough? For most people looking to add muscle, at least 1 gram of protein per lb. of bodyweight should be consumed daily. The sources of protein you choose to consume will depend on individual taste, your budget, and what is readily available to you. Some of the best protein sources include:

• - Chicken
• - Red meat
• - Cottage cheese
• - Eggs
• - Fish
• - Venison
• - Ostrich
• - Milk
• - Whey

Hint #5
Take advantage of the post-workout “anabolic window!” This time period is such a wonderful opportunity for aiding in your mission for larger and stronger muscles at this time, that I don’t know why anyone would not take full advantage! Right after you complete a workout your muscles are starving for protein and carbohydrates from being depleted during your training session and they need to be fed… One of the best things you can do directly post training is drink up a whey protein shake, even add some carbohydrates if you could and you have a powerful combination to fuel your gains which you are working so hard to accomplish. Great Carbohydrate add ons to your shake include Maltodextrin/ Dextrose powder to spike insulin and get the nutrients delivered into the muscles.

Hint #6
Use the right supplements. While it is not 100% necessary to use supplements in order to make progress, they certainly can hasten results. The world of supplements are vast and can be quite confusing. To make things easier for you I will mention 3 items that should be on everyone’s “must use” list when training. Protein Powder: Although there are various types, I would like to focus on 2 for this segment… Whey protein which is your fast absorbing protein and Casein protein which is slow release. Whey protein to use as mentioned in hint #5 post workout to replenish stores and get nutrients to the muscle quickly. Casein protein to be used before bed to have a sustained release of protein in your system during the night while sleeping and aiding in recovery ( very important to get a good night’s sleep ).

Creatine:
This is perhaps the most well researched and studied of all supplements currently on the market. It has proven itself time and again in both the lab and the gym and something you can never go wrong with!
Benefits of adding creating in your regime:

• - Increased strength
• - Enhanced nitrogen retention
• - Cell volumization
• - Lactic acid buffering

Glutamine:
Something I always add to my training stacks for the benefits it provides and help in my journey.

• - Enhanced immune function
• - Increased glycogen storage
• - Increased production of glutathione (one of our bodies’ most powerful antioxidants)
• - Enhanced gut health
• - Cell volumization
• - Natural growth hormone release.

Conclusion
That brings us to the end of my 6 tips for hypertrophy. I love helping others on their personal journey to better living and hence sharing this with you today! Myself and my clients have benefited from these simple principles and you can start seeing the same results if you apply yourself and invest to become the best version physically possible! See you in the gym!