Building muscle is brutally tough work. Some dudes might even say it’s impossible.

Like most of my clients you probably want a strong, high-performance body that’s ripped, muscular, and by all accounts, capable of handling anything the world throws at you. You already train smart, are dedicated to high-performance training, and you eat a decent diet. Still, you aren’t getting jacked.

It sucks; I’ve been there too.

I missed the boat in my own training for a long time. Suffice to say, I spun my wheels with every training tool, program, and diet imaginable. Before I dive into your diet I have to tell you the truth: No matter what you’re looking to accomplish you must first define it. Define your goal qualitatively and quantitatively.

Qauntitative: I want to build ten pounds of muscle and weight 170 lbs

Qualitative: I want to build confidence to ask Jessica Alba on a date. Good luck by the way.

The point is, no goal will ever feel complete without an ending in sight. Without a definitive stop point you’ll lose aim of what you really want to accomplish and in turn, fizzle out. Definable paint a vivid picture of what success really means to you. Once you’ve taken this step, the real fun begins–like taking specific actions on a consistent basis to build a new habit and new behavior.

Truth be told, people don’t miss their goals because they don’t care, they miss there goals because they a.) Never define success, and/or b.) Never take small steps to adopt a new behavior.

The number one biggest problem guys trying to build muscle make… 

Is still not eating enough to gain calories. Despite how much you’re eating the hard truth is if you’re not gaining weight you’re still not eating enough. If you’re building a wall it doesn’t matter how many bricklayers you have, if you don’t have enough bricks the wall won’t get built.

Some days you run out of time or room in your stomach. Tough– you’ll have to push through. You either make time to get your goals accomplished or you don’t. If your not willing to make sacrifices and get out of your comfort zone then you’re just being lazy.

in the words of Sweet Brown, we ain’t got time for that. Fast forward to 24 seconds.

I’m not here to harp on you and call you out for a lack of effort. Instead, I’m here to help you carve your path out of hard-gainer hell with this one sure-fire solution– adding one Supershake to your diet each day. Uno. One. One measly protein shake each day will change your body and start a new muscle-building habit.

Not Chalky Weight-Gainers, Just High Performance Nutrition

Health is the first wealth and must be priority. Skip the classic gainers like MEGA-MASS 3000 filled with 90 grams of sugar, heavy metals, and sub-par protein. Instead, opt for high quality whey protein, all natural ingredients, and a high-performance blender for meals on the go.

Nutrient packed, tasty, and convenient these simple shakes will add 500+ calories per day without taking up time or room in your stomach.  These my top four muscle-building protein shakes to support your high performance training and muscle building diet.

These are all Precision Nutrition inspired and Bach Performance tweaked to based on self-experimentation and feedback from Bach Performance Clients. They all taste dank as hell, are filled with high quality ingredients, and will impress all those new dates you’ll be bringing home with your chiseled physique.

P.S. I highly recommend you check out Gourmet Nutrition for dozens of delicious and healthy meal options to support both muscle gain and fat loss.

What you need:

-Blender because well, you need to blend the damn thing

–Fruit for flavor, high quality nutrients, and carbohydrates for energy

-Spinach or Greens, you wont even taste it and the added veggies are vital to balance a high-protein diet

– Protein to support muscle growth and tissue repair

–Topper/Texture adder for additional nutrients and to bring the whole recipe together

– Optional: Creatine monohydrate to support high performance training, or a greens supplement to fill nutritional gaps

It’s much easier to make a few shakes at a time, throw your shaker in the fridge, and grab it as you run out the door. Here are my top-four favorite Super shakes to help you pack on the pounds.

High Protein Piña Colada:

This is an awesome post-workout shake, especially when the weather gets warm. This shake is packed with protein and high-performance super foods like coconut, green tea, and pineapple. I’ve found its best to play around with fluid amounts until you determine how thick’n chunky you like your shakes.

Ingredients

• 1 frozen banana
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 cups ice
• 50 grams protein (1-2 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 2 tablespoons of shredded, unsweetened coconut (texture and flavor overload added flavor)
• 1 cup green tea Or 1 cup water (pick one, one)

Mixed Berry Blast:

The Berry Blast is my go-to when I’m in a rush with 5 a.m. clients. I’ll whip up a batch and fill up two shakers. Generally, I’ll down one as I wake up and throw the other back post-workout. To maximize post workout efficiency and restoration of glycogen stores  drop out the Virgin Unrefined coconut oil to minimize fat intake.

Ingredients

–       1 cup frozen mixed berries

–       2 scoops vanilla protein

–       2 tablespoons milled flax

–       1 cup spinach

–       1tablespoon raw, unrefined coconut oil

–       1 cup green tea or water (pick one)

Nutty Buddy:

This a high calorie shake with a decent amount of fat. I use this a lower-carb snack option and its best used sparingly. That said, you might roll over and pass out with a smile on your face after downing this nutty beast.

Ingredients

–       2 scoops protein (I prefer vanilla, but chocolate works here too)

–       1 cup spinach

–       2 tablespoons milled flax

–       2 tablespoons peanut butter

–       ¼ cup pecans (cashews also work)

–       1 cup water or Green tea (pick one)

Raspberry Chocolate Goodness:

This shake works best as a post-workout shake, a quick breakfast, or a healthy desert. If you are looking for fat loss keep this decadent treat for a post-workout treat due to the carbohydrate count.

Ingredients

-1 Cup Raspberries (frozen)

-2 Scoops Chocolate Whey Protein

-1.5 Cups Raw Spinach

-1 Cup Coconut Milk

– ½ cup water, ½ cup ice.

Directions: Yes, these are all the Same.

1. Place all ingredients into the blender in this order. Seriously, this order works best:

• Ice first
• Frozen fruit over fresh
• Throw in veggies- spinachor Onnit powdered greens wont even be tasted but provide a huge influx of awesome phytonutrients for those lacking in the Veggie department.
• Protein powder—gainz bro. I recommend Bio Trust.
• Nuts, Seeds, and Toppers– I add nuts and seeds to most shakes for flavor, high quality nutrients, and fiber. Nut butters work well, although the name still disturbs me. Nut. Butters. Weird.
• Liquid—I prefer water or green tea between ½-1 cup. This is highly variable as more liquid means a thinner shake. Play around with your preference.

2. Blend for 30 seconds or until desired consistency.
3. Drink and enjoy, a finish with push-ups to increase anabolism and muscle gainzzz by 500% bro. I’m kidding. Seriously. But really, do the push-ups anyways.

How to Implement It:

Building muscle isn’t impossible, you need a clear picture or where you’re going and what success looks like. After that, it’s all about making small changes that have a long lasting impact.

Start by drinking one shake everyday and watch the your shirt sleeves stretch and your our strength to skyrocket. Then, after a few weeks drop by and comment below on your favorite shake and we’ll chat from there.
Yes, building muscle is really that simple.

For You:
Looking for more muscle gaining tips? Join the Bach Performance Community for Free Updates and your Free E-book 101 Tips to Jacked and Shredded here.

Want to expedite the process?

Stop by and fill out a brief Online Training Application for one of my last three Online Personal Training Slots! Hurry though, they will be gone in the next three days!

Other Great Articles and References:

Gourmet Nutrition Cookbook

Busy Mans Carb Cycling

Ultimate Guide for Lean Gains: Carb Cycling

Scrawny to Brawny: Paul Valiuis