5 science-backed tips for more muscle growth

Author

Ricky Goodrich
September 30, 2024

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Here’s what's on tap today:

  • 5 muscle-building hacks backed by science

  • The ultimate guide to bulking

  • Creatine’s impact on your brain’s health

Training 

The Power of Science

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Hacking into the mainframe of your muscle may seem like something you’d only see in a mashup of The Magic School Bus and a Neal Stephenson novel, but using the science-backed tips and tricks in the article below to substantially increase your muscle development is substantially easier than that.

In fact, these five muscle-building hacks, verified by raw, undiluted research, can ramp up your gains without the vein-popping effort you usually need to exert to eke out extra development.

These hacks include the “everything old is new again” approach of using blood flow restriction and inter-set stretching (remember Arnold doing this in Pumping Iron?) You can also shake up your tired exercise selection with new movements to maximize fiber recruitment. You don’t need to be the villain in a 2000s action film to use these hacks — you just need to have a desire to get bigger using a smarter approach.

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Workout Tips

Throw Your Bulk Around

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Going through a prolonged bulking phase is one of life’s greatest joys when you become initiated as a disciple in iron. While a cutting phase may leave you looking prettier, nobody ever grabbed a barbell and thought, “I really hope I can use this to get smaller.”

This bulking handbook will make sure you add the right kind of mass to your frame, and by following the manifesto, you will be able to take as much pleasure in the journey as was always intended.

The first thing to accept is the concept of calories (units of energy). Surplus energy means your body can store more of it (as muscle, ideally), while a negative energy balance will result in you not being part of the Bulking Club. Once you understand that, you can worry about training ideas like volume, cardio, rest, and everything else that goes into the production of muscle. Welcome to the wonderful world of bulking; you won’t regret your decision.

Supplements

Ode to Creatine

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Creatine has been a staple in the supplement aisle for over 20 years for a good reason — it actually works (and is relatively cheap compared to other compounds). Dr. Layne Norton is now exploring the possible relationship between higher creatine dosing and improvements in brain function in subjects with poor sleep habits. 

In the study that Dr. Norton breaks down below, 15 test subjects were given a single high dose [0.35 grams/kilogram] of creatine monohydrate and a non-creatine placebo on separate occasions. Volunteers were awake for 21 hours in a lab where researchers used scans and cognitive tasks to compare the results. 

According to the study, creatine reversed some metabolic changes from not sleeping while improving cognitive function and reaction time. But is creatine really going to help your brain shake loose from your poor sleep habits? Read the story below for more.

Everything Else

Return of the Flyes

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