Many people want to build muscle fast at home. Not many have the luxury or time to go to the gym, they prefer to exercise at the comfort of their home. Reaching this goal is definitely possible but you need to become disciplined, consistent and patient. It's easy to get distracted at home and lost track of your routine. As a matter of fact, you'll need to have the qualities of a body builder. Living this type of lifestyle will certainly give you the mental discipline and focus to build muscle fast at home. You have 2 ways to exercise at home, either with free weights or with your own bodyweight or both. Either one is good, but get started with your own bodyweight. This also enables you to build strength. Then once your progress reaches a plateau, you can incorporate some weight training. This is how I got started. My only exercises were using my own bodyweight initially like push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups and dips. This gave me a whole upper body workout. They were highly effective in sculpting an impressive physique provided you do them intensely enough. There are many variations of push-ups like:

Normal push-ups - targets mostly middle chest and to some extent the lower chest.

Decline push-ups - targets mostly upper chest(feet elevated on a chair).

Diamond push-ups - targets inner chest and triceps.

Push-ups between 2 chairs - targets outer chest.

Push-ups is actually a compound exercise and apart the main muscle group which it targets ie the chest or pectorals, it also works the triceps and shoulders. You don't need to perform push-ups everyday, this can result in overtraining. Instead do them at least 2-3 times per week. Just have a whole chest session and try to incorporate 2-4 chest exercises per workout. You can set your own repeats but usually 8-15 per set is recommended. Go for 2-4 sets per exercise. Don't forget to rest in between sets like 30-45 seconds.

If you want to build a muscular back, pull-ups will be your next challenge. This can be an extremely daunting exercise for beginners as it requires strength to be able to pull yourself up to the bar. Yes you'll need a pull-up bar at home. These are sold in fitness shops and can be easily fixed at home usually close to a door. If you're barely able to perform one single repeat, try negative pull-ups. Just hang yourself from the bar and try to raise your body up to the bar a bit, then slowly lower it in a controlled fashion. You can use a chair to assist you if you can't raise your body initially. The goal of this technique is to build arm strength, once you're able to do that, you can start pumping some pull-ups easier. Pull-ups same like push-ups are compound movement exercises and target notably the upper lats and to some extent the biceps, forearms and shoulders. Pull-ups are usually performed using a pronated grip meaning palms facing away from you and using a wide grip.

Chin-ups on the other hand use a supinated grip meaning palms facing you and a close grip. They are usually a good biceps builder and works the lower lats and middle back too. You should gradually increase your repeats and with time include sets. Once you can get 3-4 sets of 6-10 pull-ups and chin-ups, you are strong and this will also reflect on your muscle gains. You can also perform some dips which is a great triceps builder. Place your hands behind your back on a solid square chair and feet on another chair, it's a bit like a reversed push-up. Then slowly lower your body till your elbows are inclined 90 degrees, then return to starting position. Try 3-4 sets of 8-15 repeats and your triceps will be on fire. Dips also work the shoulders and if you lean your body a bit forward, you'll lay more emphasis on lower chest.

What is impressive is these 4 exercises ie push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups and dips can give you a total upper body workout due to their compound movement benefits. To target lower body, try some bodyweight squats and calf raises. As you can see, you can freely build muscle fast at home without any major upfront investment. If you're looking for a complete and in-depth resource on bodyweight training, I highly recommend Workout Without Weights by Eddie Lomax.

With time, if you want to take your training to the next level or spice it up to prevent boredom, buy some free weights and a bench. You can also get some adjustable dumbbell weights like the Bowflex SelectTech 1090 Dumbbells if you don't want to encumber your house with a rack of weights. With just these tools, you can perform an impressive number of exercises. You can isolate your muscle groups much better with free weights for example the biceps, triceps and shoulders.


While training is important to build muscle, you won't go far if you don't provide your body with the required nutrition. So coming to this aspect of your lifestyle, nutrition is of utmost importance. Making the correct food choices will make you build muscle fast. Skipping meals is simply a No-No. Here are some ideas:

Complex carbohydrates - sweet potatoes, wholegrain oats, brown rice, wholewheat pasta, wholegrain bread, kidney beans, garbanzo beans. Avoid anything processed like white bread and white rice. You'll get more energy and make better gains with complex carbs.

Lean protein - skinless chicken breast/turkey breast, lean beef, white fish, tuna, eggs, skim milk, cottage cheese, greek yogurt. You'll need adequate amount of protein and amino acids to repair and rebuild muscle fast and also to sustain your muscle mass.

Healthy fats - omega-3 essential fatty acids found in monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Derived sources include fish oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil, flax seeds, salmon, herring, sardines, anchovies, avocados, walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, pistachio, natural peanut butter and macadamia nuts. You'll need healthy fats for boosting muscle growth as they help in protein synthesis. Also, they stimulate faster muscle recovery and also help to grease your joints which is beneficial for your exercise movements.

Dietary fiber & vitamins - rich in vegetables and fruits. Derived sources include asparagus, green beans, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, blueberries, strawberries and bananas. You definitely need vitamins and dietary fiber in your diet to prevent constipation and to promote effective bowel activity as well as boosting your immune system.

Water - don't forget to drink at least half a gallon of water everyday as you'll sweat a lot during exercise. Drinking adequate water is essential to hydrate your body and also to flush out toxins and impurities.

Protein shakes - protein shakes can play a crucial role in your nutrition notably post-workout whereby you need a fast-digesting meal preferably a liquid meal. I recommend some whey protein shakes as they are really effective in replenishing your depleted muscle tissues fast and this is what you need at this critical point in time. Some people call it the "window of opportunity" meaning if you don't feed your body properly a few minutes after your workout, it's like you just wasted your workout in terms of future muscle gains. Here is what I recommend. Mix your whey protein with some dextrose(fast-digesting carbs) so as to replenish your depleted glycogen stores fast and get your energy levels back up again. For your whey protein needs, I recommend a pure whey protein isolate like Integrated Supplements 100% Whey Protein Isolate which works very well and is free from artificial sweeteners. Only 1 scoop gives a whopping 32 grams of high-quality protein. A blender will be useful for your protein shakes.

Now that you have a brief idea what kind of foods you need, you'll need to take an active role in your own grocery shopping and get used to cooking too. Check out Anabolic Cooking to get access to 200+ muscle-building and fat-burning recipes, solid nutrition advice and much more. This is the ultimate cookbook and complete nutrition guide for bodybuilding and fitness.


Last but not least, you need to get adequate rest for your muscles to grow. Getting at least 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night is best as your muscles grow during rest and not when you train. Sleep before midnight preferably to be fitter tomorrow. Sleep early and rise early.


By following these 3 building blocks of body building, building muscle fast at home can become a reality for you starting today. Get your butt off the couch and take action by performing bodyweight training, pumping those weights and eating like a champ. Practicing the body building lifestyle not only helps you physically but mentally as well because it builds self-confidence and self-esteem, makes you more disciplined and helps you achieve your goals in life.