The fitness industry makes the most money when it is able to create a perceived information gap between what the "experts" know and what the hapless clients know. Personal trainers need to keep clients reliant on them. The easiest way to do that is to make things sound more complicated than they are--if you can convince someone they could not possibly succeed on their own, they will always return to you. So much the better if you are selling "miracle" supplements, products, or pieces of equipment...

There is a better way. I have experienced it. If you are trying to pack on muscle, there is no substitute for running your own experiments and tuning out the noise for a while. Quit reading the magazines, quit buying the supplements, and quit hopping from program to program hoping for faster and easier progress. Consistency, along with proper nutrition and rest, is the key.

Do you want to know the best way to build muscle? Here it is, although I warn you, it is not sexy. It isn't going to blow your mind.

Step one is to lift heavy. Try to lift more weight. Try to get stronger. If you build strength, you will build muscle. That's a fact. Once you are done lifting, you need to eat. You need to eat a lot. Healthy foods will always be best, but you don't have to weigh everything and be neurotic about your food. If you are growing muscle, you can be sure that you are eating enough. If you are lifting heavy and losing weight, check your nutrition first. Get more calories.

Then, when all that is over, get enough sleep. It is so simple that we always screw it up. Lift, eat, rest. Repeat until strong and muscular. Just focus on the task at hand and put together a few consistent months. If it doesn't work, you can always go back to the magazines!