Most people make building muscle way too complicated.

First, you have to train to stimulate muscle growth.

Then you need to eat the right things to support that growth.

Then there’s supplementation to help support muscle growth and give things a little bit of a boost.

And last but not least, you HAVE to allow recuperation to take place. And that happens with rest, time away from training… and the most important part of recuperation… SLEEP!

If you’re short-changing yourself in the sleep department, you’re not gonna gain like you should.

How much sleep do you need for maximum growth and recovery? You might be surprised.

In my humble opinion, 8 hours a night is the minimum if you’re really training hard and trying to put on muscle mass. 10 hours is better.

I have heard that some of the pros, while bulking in the off-season, sleep 12 hours per day. Of course, that’s a little easier to do when your profession is bodybuilding and you don’t have to hold down a job like us regular folks.

But if you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re going to pay for it in the gym.

And forget about “making it up the next night” like some people say. If you’re depriving yourself of just 1 hour sleep per night that you need for recuperation and growth… that’s 30 hours of sleep you’ll miss in a month. When, pray tell, are you going to “make up” 30 hours of missed sleep?

Bodybuilding is not rocket science, but you have to give equal importance, time and attention to all parts (training, nutrition & recuperation) in order to maximize your gains.

So don’t neglect the importance of sleep. If you haven’t been getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night, try sleeping 8 to 10 hours a night for a month and see if your gains don’t improve.

I bet they will.

Sincerely,

Doberman Dan