Exercise creates micro-tears in your muscles, which require adequate time to heal, especially in the window immediately after a workout. The workouts below include 3-5 exercises for each major body part; larger muscle groups like legs, chest, and back are on the higher end.

You can gain lean hard muscle naturally by eating healthy and working out. You don’t have to run to the nearest GNC to stock up on supplements to get big. If your goal is to add about pounds of lean muscle without using steroids or other supplements, you must follow a few muscle building tips. And remember, never take light warm-up sets to muscle failure because you’ll fatigue the muscle with a weight that isn’t ideal for maximizing growth and sap strength that you need later in the workout. If you are an active individual trying to gain muscle, 0.5–0.9 grams of protein per pound (1.2–2.0 grams per kg) of body weight may be best .