For maximum muscle gain, start with a plan

Well, youve decided to start a new muscle building program, and youre extremely enthusiastic and want to get started as soon as possible. Youve already decided what gym youre going to join, and perhaps youve even begun buying protein shakes and other foods that will turn your cupboards into muscle building machines. However, it would be a wise move to take a moment (or several hours) to plan out your new muscle building program. Dont get me wrong - enthusiasm is a good thing, but you have to realize that this kind of project will take time, and you must be fully committed for the long-term. If you take some time now to set your goals and discover exactly what youre trying to accomplish and why, you'll have a much easier time sticking to your goals later on. A little time invested in planning now can save you many headaches later on.

You need to think about what you're trying to accomplish even before you head to the gym or to the grocery store. Do you know exactly how many pounds you would like to gain? Perhaps you should ask your doctor how much weight you can gain and how quickly you can do so without harming your health. With this in mind, you can plan out a safe and effective timetable. Divide your goal into more manageable pieces and tackle them one by one. Remember the old adage - inch by inch.

Knowing what you want to accomplish before you start your weight gain program is very important for your success. You can visualize what you will look like at the end of your program and how long it'll take to get there. The other pillar of success, however, is proper motivation. There always comes a time in your journey when you begin to doubt your plans, and this is when your initial soul searching will help you get through these tough times. Even if you set your goal properly, you'll wonder if you really are capable of achieving your objectives or if you even want to achieve them.

When this happens, you must return to the original reason that you wanted to gain muscle. Did you want to look more attractive? Do you want to be more physically fit so you could participate in sports? This is where you have to decide for yourself what exactly your motivation is. By the way, intrinsic motivation is far superior to extrinsic motivation. What does this mean? It just means that you need to have your own reasons for wanting to achieve something along with a deep desire to overcome obstacles. You are far more likely to succeed in achieving your goal if it is truly your goal and not just the result of peer pressure or some other outside motivation. If you keep these things in mind, you are well on your way to muscle gain success.