ERINPPEARSON

Building muscle isn't just about hitting the gym hard - it's kind of a mix of science and good old discipline. I've been looking into this stuff for a while, and whether you're just starting out or you've been lifting for years, getting bigger muscles (what the pros call "hypertrophy") really comes down to some basic principles that work for most people. Here's what I think are the 10 most important rules for muscle building based on what scientists and experienced lifters generally agree on. 1. Progressive Overload Is Pretty Much Essential Look, if there's one thing I've learned about building muscle, it's that you need to keep challenging yourself over time. This idea of "progressive overload" basically means your muscles need new challenges to grow - they're kind of lazy that way! Some research by this Schoenfeld guy and his team in 2017 showed that gradually increasing the stress on your muscles really does lead to more mu...

  Let's be honest, wanting to look better isn't just about vanity - it's also about feeling healthier, moving better, and yeah, having a bit more confidence when you look in the mirror. I've been looking into what science actually says about improving your physique, and there seems to be some pretty useful stuff out there that goes beyond the usual "eat less, move more" advice. So here are ten tips that science apparently backs up - though I'm not an expert, just someone who's done some reading on this stuff! 1. Resistance Training Is Kind of a Big Deal From what I understand, lifting weights or even just doing bodyweight exercises is super important if you want to change how your body looks. This makes sense, right? You need to stress your muscles to make them grow. Some researchers (I think their name was Schoenfeld or something like that) found that working each muscle group about twice a week gives the best results for muscle growth. I'm not en...