Do you see something about yourself that you do not like? Do you dwell on your ugly appearance when you see yourself in the mirror before going to sleep? If so, it’s time to make a change and work on your confidence – starting with your body. Read on for many great ideas on how you can build muscle rapidly.

Bench presses, deadlifts and squats are your best exercises. These three main exercises are the best for building a good body. These exercises build strength, while increasing bulk and overall conditioning. Try to utilize these sorts of exercises in each workout.

If you are looking to gain muscle, you will need to eat a lot more. You ideally want to consume what it takes to increase your weight by a weekly pound. Research different methods to increase you caloric intake. If you don’t see any changes in your weight within two weeks, you may want to think about ingesting even more calories.

Vegetarians are seldom successful in building muscle! Try to eat about 1 gram of protein packed meat for every pound that is on your body. This allows your body to store protein, giving your muscles the ability to develop more fully.

Include the “big three” exercises in your exercise regimen. The “big three” muscle building exercises are: bench presses, dead lifts and squats. These exercises not only add bulk to your muscles, but they improve your strength and condition your body as well. Include variations of them in your regular workout routines.

Make sure you are eating enough carbs to support your muscle-building program. Carbohydrates provide the energy required to complete your weight-training exercises; if you don’t consume enough of them, your body will turn to protein for its energy needs, slowing down your progress. Eating sufficient carbohydrates will not only increase your workout endurance, but give you the energy you need to get through the day.

If you plan on using any type of creatine supplement to help build your muscles, be very cautious, especially if you are using them for a long period of time. You should stay away from creatine if you have any kind of kidney problems. They have been shown to cause heart arrhythmia, muscle compartment syndrome, and muscle cramps. Adolescents using this supplement are at the highest risk. Be sure you keep your creatine intake at or below suggested safety levels.

Recognize that the requirements of serious weight training and intense cardiovascular exercise (such as marathon training) are not compatible. If you engage in too much cardio, it may hurt your ability to gain muscle. For building muscle, focus on your strength-training efforts.

Ramp up your food intake on days when you will be doing your muscle-building workouts. Consume a large amount of nutritionally dense calories about one hour before starting your exercise regimen. A sufficient calorie intake does not mean eating to excess. You just need to consume enough additional calories on the days you exercise to provide your muscles with nutrition.

Make sure that you are consuming the right amount of calories each day. You can find caloric calculators online which can help you plan out a diet which will meet your needs depending on how much muscle you’re trying to build. When you know this number, increase the protein and carbs in your diet to reach your daily caloric intake goal.

After applying the helpful hints you’ve learned here, you’ll have a new positive outlook for yourself. You will love the look of your body and your increased health and self esteem. What better time than now to implement positive changes to your life?