People think that there’s some kind of crazy secret to getting a buff body that fitness professionals just aren’t telling people. The thing is, athletes and pros are telling people all the time, but they just aren’t listening! If you’re serious about getting a buff body, you really need to use the tips in this guide.

Know Your Body Type – There are a few different body types. Different body types respond to different training methods, so it’s important you know yours! There are different shapes, but we’re not talking shapes. We’re talking endos, mesos, and ectos. An ectomorph is somebody with a slight frame, little fat and muscle. An endo has a decent amount of muscle but fat too. A meso is somebody with a naturally athletic shape. Mesos gain muscle easily and won’t need much cardio. Endos need a good mix of both to lean down and shape up. Ectos will need lots of weight training and little cardio.

Train for Your Body Type – Train for your body type and make sure you track your progress. Take pictures and make notes. Weigh and measure yourself. Take your body fat. Make sure you’re getting an overall picture of how well you’re doing!

Eat to Support Your Training – Not only do you need to train for your body type, you need to eat to support that training too. Ectos can get away with eating pretty much anything as they struggle to put on weight. That being said, the mix of macros should be higher protein, so that it’s mostly muscle and not fat. Endos need to be careful with fat and carbs, as they easily gain fat. Mesos gain muscle easily, so they should have no problems eating a nice balanced diet. A clean diet is always recommended, but you can sometimes fit treats into your macros to help keep you going. The odd treat can also speed your metabolism! Sometimes it’s hard to hit your macros with food alone, explains Gnarly. This is where supplements come in. Most athletes use supplements to help their physique and performance to improve!

Limit Treats – Keep treats limited, as they can affect progress and make you sluggish. I recommend having one cheat meal per week. Not a cheat day like so many people have, or even a cheat weekend!

Be Patient and Consistent – You can’t expect to get the results you want in a few weeks or a few months. It might even take longer than a year. You’ll make progress, but it’ll be slow. Each day you give 100% effort to make 1% progress. Then, eventually, you’ll have a buff body. But don’t be fooled. You’ll likely still want to improve on that! The key is to always challenge yourself and aim for improvement. Your body is an ongoing project, not a one-off thing. You need to be willing to put the work in, to see the smallest of changes. Do what others don’t to get what others won’t! Enjoy the journey!