Most dads dabble in fitness, reading the occasional article on their news feed. But how much time does it take in practice to learn how to get super-jacked, with bristling muscles from head to toe?
That’s the question we answer in this post. We look at how much time you realistically need to spend studying things like fitness, nutrition, rest, exercise techniques, and sports to get your body to where you want it to be.
Foundations – 20 to 40 Hours
Any decent personal training course you complete will require you to dedicate at least 20 to 40 hours studying various fitness-related topics, including nutrition basics and exercise approaches. Most trainees spend three to four hours a day over several months learning the essentials to make it easier to expand their understanding later on.
These days, the scope of resources available to the average dad is enormous. You can learn about fitness by:
- Reading books
- Browsing fitness websites
- Watching YouTube channels
However, the best approach is to enrol in an introductory course that teaches everything in a logical sequence. Relying on social media can leave gaps in your understanding or even leave you with completely the wrong ideas.
Practical Application
Once you have the basics covered, the next step is to learn more about getting super jacked. This part of the process is often more time-consuming and requires further research into what works.
Often, you learn by training, meaning you will discover what works for you by trying new things. Previously, research indicated that five sets of ten was the best approach and training to failure. However, new science suggests going heavy on more sets and leaving some energy in the tank could be the best option.
After six months or so in the gym, you will notice your body changing significantly. However, these incremental improvements will inevitably slow down as you plateau. The key to successful training is knowing when these points arrive and finding new strategies to bust through them and make new ground.
Most people at this stage spend a couple of hours weekly researching the latest science and looking for insights into what might work. Advanced topics in fitness include things like:
- Progressive overload training
- Working the negative part of the life (instead of just the contraction)
- Building longer sets into exercise formats
- Engaging in activities that stress different muscle fibre types
Gaining Advanced Muscle-Building Knowledge – 10 to 20 Hours
Advanced muscle-building knowledge often requires a further ten to twenty hours of study. Topics often include things like:
- Timing your macros to boost your body’s muscle-building potential
- Exploring foods that increase insulin release and circulating IGF-1 for maximum impact
- When to train, eat, rest and sleep
- When myostatin might be preventing muscle growth and what to do about it
- Your body type and the training intensity that suits it best
- Which muscles you are strong in already, and which you need to develop to build symmetry
Usually, this step takes several months. However, you can go on condensed courses that package everything up into an easy-to-digest format.
Supplements are the largest area worth exploring at this stage in your bodybuilding career. These can transform impressive gains into something remarkable.
The first port of call is usually protein powders and the type you should take for best results. Most bodybuilders consume them around workouts and use isolates for fast absorption and casein powders for slow absorption.
Then, bodybuilders usually move onto creatine, a powerful supplement that enhances strength and power by boosting ATP production. It is among the most researched products on the market, which is why it is so popular.
Some bodybuilders are also interested in:
- Beta-alanine to buffer lactic acid
- Pre-workout supplements, usually containing pump-up ingredients like citrulline and caffeine
- Glutamine for additional muscle support and recovery
- Omega-3 oils for direct DHA
- Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) for additional bulking and IGF-1 activation
- HMB, a supplement believed to reduce muscle breakdown
Wrapping Up
Learning about fitness is essential because the field is constantly advancing. A sufficient understanding of how to build muscle effectively usually takes most people between 30 and 60 hours. However, you can shorten this by getting your information in a pre-packaged format you can simply follow.
With that said, getting super jacked isn’t just about learning; it’s also about getting in the gym and training consistently. If you can test your body’s limits for several months on end, you can banish the “dad bod” for good.
