Lift Freely

• Experts agree that the use of free weights is best for true muscle growth, as machines can sometimes do the work for you. So instead of using a bench-press machine, grab a barbell or set of dumbbells. The same is true of every exercise, from shoulders to back to arms and legs.
  
  

Monitor Your Form

• When starting out, using lighter weights with proper form is said to help maximize muscle growth more than lifting heavy. In other words, get the proper motion down before increasing the weight.
  
  

Mess With Your Reps

• After you've mastered form and technique, you can gradually increase the repetitions for each exercise. For instance, if you're exercising your biceps with barbell curls, you may want to perform 12 repetitions on the first set, then increase the weight for the second set and do 10 reps. Finish with a third set of eight reps. For quicker muscle growth, you could do a set of 10, followed by eight, followed by six.
  
  

Make It Burn

• You've heard the saying, "No pain, no gain." When it comes to lifting weights, it couldn't be more accurate. So whether you're doing 12 repetitions or four, you should feel a burning sensation in the body part you are exercising on the last rep, if not the next-to-last. This is what bodybuilders sometimes call performing an exercise "until failure," or until you can't do another rep.
  
  

Take It to the Max

• Once you've gotten down the form and have lifted heavy for a few weeks, it might not be a bad idea to test your mettle by "maxing out" with just one repetition of a particular exercise. Or as Ian Lee of AskMen.com suggested, "When trying your maximum bench press weight, start with a realistic weight and gradually increase until you can no longer add on more weight."
  
  

Eat Right: A Lot

• Protein is what enables your muscles to grow, and you can find it in chicken, seafood and lean meats. But take care not to eat fried foods high in fat. Five or six small meals throughout the day would be your best bet. Perhaps start with a breakfast of egg whites and a piece of toast or fruit, followed by a protein shake, followed by a tuna fish sandwich (light on the mayo) and small salad for lunch. Dinner could be baked chicken, a small side of pasta and a salad. Another protein snack or fat-free yogurt would be a fitting snack later in the evening. Mostly, stick with healthy proteins and fruit and vegetables and you will be OK. And as always, drinks lots of water (6 to 8 8 oz. glasses per day).