The Fastest Way to Build Muscle Naturally (Without Steroids)

Building muscle without steroids can be extremely challenging.

The harsh truth is that most fitness models, bodybuilders, and movie stars supplement their training with drugs. And this makes it very easy for them to pack on mass.

You see, anabolic steroids manipulate your hormone levels and interact directly with your muscle cells to increase muscle protein synthesis – and this radically enhances your rates of muscle growth.

However, there are a lot of negative side effects to taking steroids, from short-term aggression and acne to long-term brain damage and crippled testosterone production.

1: Get Lean BEFORE You Bulk Up

The first step is to cut down and get lean (before you gain weight and bulk up).

While steroids allow you to efficiently pack on mass and shred fat regardless of your body fat percentage, it’s a different story as a natural lifter.

Why? Getting Lean Naturally Boosts Testosterone Studies show that higher levels of body fat are linked with lower levels of testosterone and decreased insulin sensitivity. They also confirm that it’s possible to increase your testosterone (and your insulin sensitivity) simply by lowering your body fat percentage.

This is significant because both of these things play a large role in the muscle building process.

You see, higher levels of testosterone (and increased insulin sensitivity) both lead to higher rates of muscle protein synthesis. And this means that you get to build more muscle.

2: Once Lean, Gain Weight SLOWLY

Once you’ve reached the aforementioned level of around 12-15% body fat, it’s time to build some muscle!

However, you must be careful here. Traditional bodybuilding-style bulking (where you aim to gain as much as 1-2 pounds per week) only works well for steroid users…

Why? Gaining Weight Too Fast Leads to Fat Gain As I mentioned above, your body is only naturally capable of synthesizing about half a pound of muscle per week… and that’s only if you’re brand new to lifting! This means that any weight you gain beyond this point will be strictly fat.

Just like anything in life, there are diminishing marginal returns. The more training experience you have, and the more muscle you build, the harder it becomes to gain additional mass.

With steroids, this limit does not exist. You can stuff your face, gain 1-2 pounds per week, and almost all of it will be muscle. And this is why a lot of bodybuilding advice tells you to “eat big” and gain weight fast.

However, if you’re a natural lifter, gaining weight too fast will just make you fat!