#3 - Rest
There really is not much to say about this except don’t overlook it. Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night and don’t train muscle groups if they are sore. Be careful not to over train and listen to your body. The only time that your muscles grow is when you are asleep, so give your body a chance to do this.
# 4 - Supplements
This is perhaps the most insignificant part of building muscle, yet it is often looked at as the prime reason for making gains. Why? People are always looking for a reason to point a finger at someone else for doing what they aren’t, and they are always looking for a way to get results faster. My opinion is that far more effort should be spent into the first three steps before this last one. However, if you must indulge in supplements, at least make it useful by sticking to the basics:
Vitamins – Your macronutrients fill in the gaps that your diet leaves. Keep these bad boys up to par and you will definitely put your body in muscle-build mode.
Protein Powder – This serves as a convenient way to make sure that you are getting in proper amounts of protein. However, don’t let it take the place of whole foods. It is ideal for post workout. Remember, food > supplements.
Creatine – A lot of people have a bad connotation attached to creatine. However, with over 20 years of studies to back up its results and safety, it isn’t very sapient to not utilize this product. It is great for adding more energy to workouts, helping to get over plateaus, and offers some positive muscle building effects.
Ok so there you have it, a short run down of what millions of people need to know to get into shape. This is a basic list, but always make sure that you are constantly working to improve these categories. Much like a chain depends on its supporting links; make sure that you do not neglect these important elements of building muscle. It is now pretty late at night so I must dart off to bed and catch up on #3.
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