There will be some element of pain. Whether it’s muscle soreness from a session at the gym or a burning feeling in the muscles during a heavy lift.

Be prepared to make sacrifices in your day-to-day life to make way for your muscle-gain goal.

Consult a qualified dietitian if you are having difficulties with your muscle-gain goals, or would like a supervised program. Expert advice is recommended for those who are struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating behavior.

Focus on your goals at all times. Remind yourself everyday why you are training and what you are achieving

Get over being lean! If you are after muscle gains then you have to expect an increase in body-fat levels, due to the higher food/energy intake each day.

Taking a 5-7day rest between exercise programs is a great way to allow the muscles to fully recover and prepare yourself for the next step in your programming.

Do not just exercise your favourite muscles (i.e. chest and biceps). Aside from looking disproportionate, you will have limited muscle gain due to the lower anabolic hormone secretion. By exercising all your muscle groups you will take full advantage of the various anabolic hormones your body produces which aid in muscle development.

Do not over-train. This can spell disaster for anyone trying to gain muscle as it results in fatigue, loss of strength and muscle. So DO NOT workout everyday and ensure you are getting at least 1-2 days rest between workouts.

Remember, with weight-training your sessions should reflect quality not quantity. It is not necessary to have a weight training program that has heaps of exercises and takes you over 1hour to finish.

Be patient and consistent