It gets to be that time of year again, the weather is warming up and pretty women seem to be popping up everywhere. It’s also the time of year when most guys start thinking about getting in shape before the summer fun begins. If you’re like me, you should try to get to the beach at least a couple of times during the summer and when you do, you like to look good. Well today is your lucky day because I’ll help you get big muscles before it’s time to take off your bathing suit.

Now if you are saying to yourself “I don’t want to grow up, I want to lose weight”, I suggest you read on because what I’m going to teach you is just as effective for losing weight (and adding some muscle) as it is to increase its volume. The only thing that will be different is how much you eat. If you want to lose weight, reduce your food intake a little. If your goal is to bulk up and build muscle, you should add an additional healthy meal to your daily diet. Personally, I recommend eating some low-fat cottage cheese before bed because it’s loaded with slow-digesting proteins that will keep you full and ensure you gain muscle throughout the night. But ultimately, the decision is up to you.

I just have so much space for this article and I can’t design a complete exercise routine, but I can guarantee that when you finish reading, you will know everything you need to know to build an important muscle. Your friends may start calling you “Matthew McConaughey” this summer because they can’t remember the last time they saw you with a shirt on (that guy NEVER wears a shirt …)

The best way to build large muscles is to do a combination of bodyweight exercises and compound lifts. Bodyweight exercises such as push-ups and pull-ups are extremely effective for building muscle. Go to any military base and you will see a group of guys with big breasts, huge arms and broad shoulders. This is because these guys are literally paid to do push-ups, push-ups, and other bodyweight exercises several times a week.

In addition to bodyweight exercises, you should start doing compound lifts. Compound lifts are the ones that make use of multiple groups and are some of the most effective for building muscle quickly. The lifts I suggest you focus on are the bench press, squats, and deadlifts. This is where most guys say “hey, I’m not really interested in strengthening my legs” and just skip the squats and deadlifts.

This is a big mistake. If you are like me and want to make the most of your time in the gym, then you should do these exercises. These exercises exercise the larger muscles (legs), causing your body to increase its production of testosterone and growth hormone, which in turn builds new muscles throughout the body and not just in the legs. The easiest way to add inches to the arms is to try adding them to the legs first.

Well there you have it, start doing these exercises a couple of times a week and I guarantee you will look great at the beach this summer. Have fun!