Many companies promise that they can send you that one magic product that will build your muscles in record time. The truth, though, is that there are no easy ways to add muscle mass to your body. Muscles only grow when they’re worked, and that means exercising regularly and eating healthy, nutritious meals.

Fortunately, the secrets to building muscle are actually common knowledge. And anyone who follows these secrets will succeed in growing their muscles. Only those who don’t want to put in the effort or are constantly looking for shortcuts will fail.

Here are five ways to build muscle naturally. Follow these steps and you’ll find a new you staring back from the mirror each morning.

1. Eat a healthy, nutrient-rich diet. We tend not to think too much about our diets when we’re concentrating on building muscle mass. But by eating the right food, you’ll actually boost the positive benefits you’ll receive from your workouts. It’s difficult to build muscles when you’re eating a diet based on trips to the local fast-food restaurant. You won’t get enough energy from these foods. Instead, eat a diet that is high in fish, poultry, lean ground beef, vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes. And keep the sweets and sugary drinks to a minimum.
2. Set up a reasonable workout schedule. You may think that you’ll achieve faster results the longer and more frequently you work out. Actually, this isn’t true. Muscles need periods of rest to grow. If you’re always working out, they’ll never get the rest that they need. It’s best to workout three to four times a week in 45-minute bursts. Anything longer or more frequent and you’ll start to see diminishing returns.
3. Take on the right exercises. When you’re focusing on building muscle naturally, you should concentrate on strength-building exercises with free weights. These generally produce the best results. Make sure, too, to fill your workout routines with compound exercises. These exercises, such as push-ups, squats, bench presses and military presses, exercise more than one muscle at a time. Isolation exercises, though, only target one muscle at a time.
4. Don’t rush back from an injury. Nothing’s more frustrating than a nagging injury. You’ve finally gotten in your workout routine only to have a shoulder, foot or leg injury throw off your schedule. As aggravating as it may be, you must take the proper time to recuperate from your injury. If you don’t, you risk turning the injury into one that’s far more serious. To stay in shape, try some low-stress exercises that will get your heart pumping without aggravating your injury.
5. Stick with your program. Once you’ve fallen into a fitness routine, stick with it. Don’t expect to see instant results. Building muscle naturally takes time. There’s no way to transform your body without putting in this time. The biggest reason most people fail to achieve their muscle-building goals is that they grow impatient. Don’t fall into this trap.

Related posts:

1. How to Build Muscle Naturally
2. Ways to Build Muscle Fast
3. How to Gain Weight Naturally