How to build the most muscle - in the least amount of time

See these 3 wires?

Intuitively, which one of these is hardest to break??

Likely option #1. Isn’t it?

Because it has the biggest surface area. It can deal with the most load.

Let me explain: We tend to use big things to stabilize big things.

We use BIG wires or cables to stabilize bridges. We use shoestrings, to tie our shoes.

Now these are obviously two different materials, but let’s say you’d need to use shoestrings to hold a bridge where cars should drive over:

You’d make sure that you’d get the biggest shoe string there is to stabilize that bridge. Wouldn’t you?

Because you intuitively know that the bigger the surface area is of a material, the better it can deal with load.

Now why do muscles grow and get bigger? Because of ‘protein’, ‘genetics’ or a ‘great mind muscle connection’??

Or to better deal with the load?

Muscle growth is a mechanism muscle cells have adapted to not get torn apart by the load. Because the bigger their surface area becomes, the better they can deal with the stress.

You noticed I used a new word here: ‘stress’. Stress is the load over surface area in physics. It’s measured in pascals.

Pascals are the main thing for muscle growth and no one in the fitness industry talks about it – or are they? Last time I checked, well, they didn’t. In fact, I know only a handful of people that even know of its importance.

So what’s the solution Florian? How can I gain a substantial amount of muscle mass?

First of all you have to realize that everyone is capable of building a good amount of muscle. Yes, we can’t all be the next Schwarzenegger – but almost anybody can develop a body that will be heads and shoulders above the crowd.

Most of us don’t make as much money as Elon Musk, either – but that doesn’t prevent us from trying to earn a living, does it?

Next, you have to guarantee in your workouts that you have sufficient stress to make your muscles adapt.?

A key here is exercise selection:

There are 3,119 exercises to choose from. Trust me, I might just be crazy enough to count things like that..

3,047 out of the 3,119 are not good. Their biomechanics are crap. They will create or aggravate back issues and will not lead to maximum muscle growth.

Only 72 of the 3,119 exercises mentioned are even desirable. And only a handful of these 72 exercises will be just right for you and your situation.?

Any sort of jumping movements in general are not good for muscle growth.?

Yes, they make you sweaty. Yes, they might be ‘super intense’. Yes, they might make you feel awesome after the workout.?

But they do not add enough stress to the actual muscle cell, so your muscles won’t adapt. Makes sense??

Most kettlebell movements also do not grow a significant amount of muscle..

Or at least, no more than dumbbell movements.?

Because your muscles simply do. not. care.?

You can have a kettlebell or dumbbell in your hand, or you can do bodyweight exercises - it doesn’t matter.?

Because all your muscles care about is the actual stress applied and if it’s above threshold - or not. Follow me?

Most workouts on youtube will not help you grow any muscle..?

Yes, your muscles might be burning. Yes, you’re doing 100s of reps. Yes, you dance to a playful tune. Yes, the instructor is super fun..?

No, your muscles do not care.?

Your muscles do not care whether 10 repetitions or 100s of repetitions are applied on the actual muscle. All they do care, again, is whether the applied temporary stress is above threshold.

Think about marathon runners: Technically, they do a lot of repetitions with their legs. Right??

They push themselves forward over and over again. And in the end, they’re exhausted, sweaty - and did 1,000s of repetitions.

Yet they don’t grow a significant amount of muscle, correct? Yep.?

Because even though 1,000s of repetitions might have been done - all of those 1,000s have never been above the threshold required to facilitate muscle growth.