How to build your body's muscles efficiently?
American magazine GQ published an extensive report outlining tips for building muscle as quickly as possible, based on the views of experts in sports performance science and training. The report notes that the fundamental mechanisms underlying muscle mass building through training, nutrition, and recovery have been scientifically established for decades and have not changed fundamentally despite continuous marketing rebranding.
Physiological performance expert Dr. Mark Kovacs emphasized that most people are not limited by their genetic ceiling, but rather hindered by inconsistent training, inadequate nutrition, poor recovery, or a training program lacking progressive overload. He added that the fastest natural path to building muscle is the consistent combination of effective training, proper nutrition, and good recovery, and that these basics determine the vast majority of results.
The report focused on the necessity of lifting weights close to muscular failure, where effective repetitions occur that stimulate muscle growth through mechanical tension. However, Dr. Kovacs warns that reaching complete muscular failure in every set may lead to greater muscle soreness and fewer training days. Therefore, he recommends that the final repetitions be noticeably difficult and slow, while maintaining full control and correct form.
The report recommends choosing heavier weights that allow reaching effective repetitions earlier in the set, specifically in the range of 3 to 8 repetitions, where mechanical tension is at its highest. Performance coach Luka Husevar noted that most people do not lift heavy enough weights, and when they begin training with heavier loads, they unlock many unfulfilled potentialities in muscle building.
• Mechanical tension: This is the primary driver of muscle growth, achieved by lifting heavy weights in the 3–8 repetition range, with a focus on slow and difficult repetitions at the end of each set.
• Progressive overload: As strength increases, weight, repetitions, or sets should be gradually increased to continue stimulating muscle growth.
