Guest post by Dan Blumenstock

What does it really take to build muscle? If you have spent any time at all learning how to build muscle, you might be confused about what it really takes. You might have seen a dozen different training courses from various bodybuilding gurus and muscle building experts that tell you that they have the secret – that magic bullet that will give you the exact results you want in your muscle building efforts.

They claim to have discovered the keys to performing the exact exercises and bodybuilding nutrition you need to develop a muscular physique that you really want. But sometimes, it’s more about inspiration and motivation to work hard instead of finding a magic bullet.

Now, I would never tell you not to look for a mentor in this process. After all, there are others who have already achieved the muscle building success you’re looking for, and you can certainly benefit by learning from their experiences (both their successes and failures) and save yourself quite a bit of time and frustration in the process.

What you have to understand, however, is that the real key to success is YOU.

In other words, you need to have the discipline to consistently apply the principles that you learn for weeks and even months in order to achieve the desired results. Without this discipline, the most expensive and sophisticated bodybuilding training program will be useless to you because you simply have not applied the instructions over time.

What does it really take to build muscle?

You have to use the principle of progressive resistance, which simply means that you gradually challenge your muscles more and more in order to force them to grow. You see, your body will simply not produce the muscle on its own because the process requires lots of energy and the new muscle is difficult for your body to maintain.

So in order to grow muscle in any part of the body, you have to challenge the muscle. When you lift a weight that is heavier than what you're used to, what is actually happening at the cellular level is that the muscle fibers are breaking down. If you give your body some rest and adequate nutrition (including getting enough calories and protein), your body will rebuild the muscle tissue stronger than it was before.

If you apply this principle consistently, then your muscles get stronger and stronger. That's really what it comes down to. You have to challenge your muscles more and more over time, you have to give your body enough rest in between sessions so the muscle can rebuild, and you have to feed your body enough quality food to rebuild the muscle tissue.

Is it really this easy, or is there something more beneath the surface? Well, let's make it clear — I never said this process was easy. It is simple to understand, but applying discipline in any area of your life is not going to be easy. You're going to have to make the time and sacrifices and experience some discomfort during workout sessions (while being careful to avoid injury at the same time).

I hope I’ve provided some inspiration for you to get started on your muscle building quest. By all means, take advantage of a solid training course, but make sure you are ready mentally as well.

Dan Blumenstock
www.TheMuscleBuildingCrusader.com
Raising Money for The Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey

• Whey Protein as Part of a Healthy Diet Everyone knows getting an ample amount of protein is important to the health of the average person. If you are looking to build muscle, though, you will want to make sure that you add in more protein so that your body has the resources it needs when it comes to......
• 5 Supplements for Building Muscle In my last post, I reminded you that it's Gold Card Week at GNC and I briefly mentioned that you would really want to read my next post (this one) because I was going to reveal to you the 5 supplements you need for building muscle. I've been in this......
• Mass Building Tip For Skinny Hardgainers! By The Muscle Nerd, Jeff Anderson Don't be a victim to "weak genetics"! Here's a simple way to defeat the "hardgainer" curse! Are you a "hardgainer"? You know...someone who is reeeeeally skinny and has a hard time putting on muscle mass? If so, then this hardgainer bodybuilding tip is just......
• How to Build Muscle Using Body Weight Exercises This is a recently-answered question on Yahoo! Answers by a young man who wanted to build muscle with body weight exercises. Here's my winning reply: I think you asked a bunch of questions there! I'll try to give a brief answer. From your question, I gather that you want to......
• Train Like a Viking When I was a kid, my favorite movie was Conan the Barbarian, starring bodybuilding legend, Arnold Schwarzenegger (multiple Mr Olympia winner, movie star, and now Governor of California). I loved how he didn't take crap from anyone and if you got in his way, he ceremoniously lopped off your head!......

• A Shoulder Injury Can Often Be Easily Cured Having suffered a fairly serious shoulder injury at the start of this year I know how worrying and frustrating it can be.  You may or may not be able to think of something that you did but suddenly your shoulder has gone from working perfectly to giving constant pain almost......
• Festival Center and Island Global Yachting Hosts Dubai Boating Festival on October 24 and 25, 2008 This last weekend, Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th of October, Festival Center teamed up with the Island Global Yachting (IGY) to host the first annual Dubai Boating Festival in the Festival Marina. The Festival offered a two day schedule full of action for all ages and levels of......
• Building Monster Legs or The Definitive Guide to Unleashing Massiveness in Your Tree Trunk Thighs An Often Neglected Bodypart When you begin bodybuilding, what do you perceive as the most impressive body parts? That's right: arms and chest. Those are the two body parts most of us get caught up in, because they're the bodyparts that signal to the world that we are bodybuilders.......
• Stem cell breakthrough: Monitoring the on switch that turns stem cells into muscle Image via Wikipedia In a genetic engineering breakthrough that could help everyone from bed-ridden patients to elite athletes, a team of American researchers—including 2007 Nobel Prize winner Mario R. Capecchi—have created a "switch" that allows mutations or light signals to be turned on in muscle stem cells to monitor......
• Anaerobic Exercise Anaerobic Exercise Our bodies work on a couple of separate kinds of metabolism. First, is aerobic metabolism from which energy is produced by the burning of carbohydrates when the lungs do not create sufficient oxygen to the bloodstream and fuel is provided in order to sustain work. Anaerobic exercises are......