How to build muscle
What actually works, in the order it matters: food, protein, creatine, sleep. The powder is step three.
Start with the food
Muscle is built from a calorie surplus and enough protein. For most people that is 250 to 500 calories above maintenance and 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you are not eating that, no supplement fixes it. Track for two weeks before you buy anything.
Protein powder: the top-up
A whey blend is the right buy for most. Isolate if whey bloats you or you are counting every calorie. One scoop is 22 to 27 g of protein; use it to close the gap on the days food falls short, not to replace meals.
Creatine monohydrate: the one that works
3 to 5 g a day, every day, with anything. It raises the fuel your muscles use for short hard efforts, so you do an extra rep or two, and those reps add up. Loading (20 g a day for five days) only speeds up the first week. Cheap, safe, boring, effective.
What to skip
Test boosters, "anabolic" blends, BCAAs if you already hit your protein, and anything with a proprietary blend that hides the doses. Mass gainers only if you genuinely cannot eat enough.
Timing
Protein within a few hours of training is fine; the daily total matters more than the window. Creatine any time. Sleep 7 to 9 hours; that is where the actual building happens.
Ready to put it on the counter?
We built a stack for this goal from what is on the shelf today. See the stack → Or ask the Coach on the shop page, in English or Spanish.
None of this is medical advice. If you are pregnant, under 18, or on medication, talk to a doctor before adding supplements.