How do I put on more muscle?

This question typically comes for one of two reasons. The first reason is purely aesthetic – trying to put on more muscle just to look a certain way. The second is perhaps more functional – trying to put on more muscle with the assumption that more muscle is needed to perform better in a sport or other life activity, or perhaps with the assumption that more muscle will improve general physical fitness or longevity.

If it’s the first reason, purely aesthetic, then maybe ask yourself why there is this need in the first place. Is this what you really want for yourself or are you copying what you see somewhere?

Do you somehow think that bigger muscles will make you a bigger person? This shallow and short-sighted thinking is very limited. There’s nothing wrong, per se, with being limited, but will hold you back and will not lead you to becoming the fullest life that you’re capable of. We recommend you at least take an honest look at why you think you need to put on muscle just for the look of it. Why limit yourself to such a small and surface level pursuit when the life that you are is much deeper and capable of much more than that. 

If it’s the second reason, then the question is perhaps just a bit misguided. Maybe you do need more muscle in order to perform better physically at something, but the pursuit of muscle is not the right approach. How much muscle you need and how much you have should be a natural consequence of how you use your body. No animal in the jungle is trying to build bigger muscles in certain areas to hunt better, to run better, to climb better, or to do anything better. Instead, if you take up a proper movement development approach and natural strength development approach, you will naturally build the right amount of muscle and it will be balanced to support your movement properly. Trying to build up isolated muscle groups is like reverse-engineering the body – it doesn’t work well in terms of enhancing performance and capability. 

For a deeper, more inclusive, skill-building, life-enhancing approach to fitness, strength, and movement development that will help you put on the right amount and type of muscle (there isn’t just one type!), in the right places, come and see how you can move and train with us. We offer private and group options. More people are starting to realize the limitations of mainstream ways of exercising and working out. And that’s a very good thing. Break the status quo. Don’t settle for less than what you are. Move. Play. Grow. Learn from nature. Live better.

To submit a question to be answered, email hello@athleticengineering.online