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If you want to get 100% better at something, how would you approach it? I can think of two primary approaches. The approach you select will be somewhere along this continuum: performing one activity twice as well (or 100 percent better), or performing 100 activities 1 percent better. I think that most people attempt the first approach, but the latter is much easier to implement.

If you want to get 100% better at something, how would you approach it? I can think of two primary approaches. The approach you select will be somewhere along this continuum: performing one activity twice as well (or 100 percent better), or performing 100 activities 1 percent better. I think that most people attempt the first approach, but the latter is much easier to implement.

Taken a step further, to make each of these 1 percent building blocks more effective, you could also focus on things that occur outside of your workouts. So you focus on changing your habits and making fractional improvements in many areas that will stack on top of one another to give you huge benefits.

So here are 5 simple lifestyle changes you can make to help you build muscle up.

1) Replace Traditional Cardio with Interval Training

Traditional aerobic exercise has a negative impact on muscle gaining because it burns branched chain amino acids (BCAA) and glycogen. Rather, focus on interval training for fat burning, for example a 400-meter sprint followed by a 400-meter recovery jog, repeated 3 more times.

2) Increase Total Time Under Load (TTL)

Instead of focusing on the number of reps, concentrate on the total time your muscles are under load. Try spending 2 seconds on the negative contraction, 1 second at a neutral contraction (bottom of the exercise), and 1 second on the positive contraction. Lengthening the negative is an easy method to overload muscles and promote muscle weight gain.

3) Eat More Fish

Sodium increases amino acid absorption and carbohydrate storage while also improving the muscle's sensitivity to insulin. Just do in it moderation!

4) Mix up your Total Time Under Load

One really easy way to add variety to a workout, confuse your muscles, and build muscle up is to switch up your repetition tempo by adding an explosive day once per week, or an explosive set once per workout. It looks like this: 2-second negative contraction, 1-second neutral, explode as fast as you can on the positive contraction and repeat.

5) Cheat on your Diet

If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. Commit to yourself to read a new (as in current and scientifically backed) exercise book every six months. You'll pick up new approaches and new tips to add to your workouts.