So, you've probably tried just about every technique imaginable to build lean muscle mass - hours in the gym, different workout regimes, dietary supplements and a lot of hard-earned cash!

Over the years I also struggled to gain any significant muscle mass, a victim of poor workout routines, poor diet and nutrition and a stubborn approach to training - thinking I knew what I was doing but without taking the time to actually learn about the relationship between metabolism, exercise, diet and nutrition. However, recently I have experimented with a different approach towards exercise and nutrition (having finally bothered to educate myself about what really works) and have discovered some fundamental truths about what really works which have helped me to make significant muscle gains.

I want to share with you the three most important techniques that I now know really work so that you too can start to gain lean muscle faster and easier than you thought possible:

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Step 1. Whatever your goal, whether it is fat loss, getting the best ab workout or simply muscle building, you should adopt an approach to training based predominantly on multi-joint compound exercises (compound exercises are movements that require more than one joint and more than one muscle group) within your workout routine. This will give you the foundation on which to build a lean, ripped and powerful physique. I strongly advise at least 90% of your routine is based on this compound approach.

So for example, you should plan at least 90% of your workouts based on typical major body movements. Choose from the following workout routines:

Upper body:

Vertical press (overhead barbell and/or dumb-bell press, barbell or kettlebell clean & press);
Vertical pull (lat pull-downs, pull-ups, chin-ups);
Horizontal press (bench-press, push-ups, dips);
Horizontal rows (one-arm dumbbell rows, seated cable rows, bent over barbell rows).
Lower body:

Single leg (step-ups, lunges);
Squatting (front / back squats, overhead squats, bodyweight squats);
Deadlifts (regular / sumo / Romanian)
Abdominal/Core:

Abdominal and core exercises are still very important but are my second priority after all of the main upper and lower body multi-joint exercises. This is because the majority of the multi-joint exercises I have recommended will also give you a great ab workout and a great core workout - these are the secondary benefits of this approach which still yield great results.

The remaining 10% or so of your routine can focus on single-joint exercises (known as isolation exercises), typical isolation exercises you should consider are bicep curls, tricep press, shoulder shrugs, shoulder lateral raises etc. However, please bear in mind that these exercises are only 'secondary' exercises to incorporate into your routine to complete the workout - the main focus has got to be the multi-jointexercises.

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Step 2. Your training regime should be no more than 3 to 4 days per week for 45-60 minutes per weight training workout. These sessions should be hard and intense, lasting no longer than sixty minutes. Training too much beyond this point can trigger excess catabolism (catabolism is effectively the 'breaking down' of molecules based on a series of chemical reactions). Your aim is to stay anabolic, though you still need to train your body to a sufficient level of intensity to trigger muscle growth (anabolism is the opposite of catabolism - it is the 'building effect'. Anabolism allows the body to grow new cellsand tissue - hence muscle growth).

You should consider trying a super-set workout program which will maximize the intensity of your training regime. I recommend combinations of opposing upper and lower body exercises that complement one another, for example, squats and pull-ups as a super-set or bench press and deadlifts.

Super-sets are a highly effective training technique - the combination of upper and lower body exercises performed with heavy weights at a high intensity can be awesome. Use them as the bedrock of your workout program - consider adjusting your calorie intake based on your training goals; decrease for fat burning or increase for growing muscle mass.

The reality is that super-sets really made a difference for me, for the first time I noticed significant gains of lean muscle which were a result of doing these combinations regularly (though I still maintain some variety in my training routines to avoid hitting the 'plateau').

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Step 3. Sensible Eating. Well, you've heard it all before - and that's because it's true! Eat quality 'whole' foods instead of highly processed food and/ or supplements.

The best sources of protein (and additional nutrition from vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants) are those absorbed by the body from real whole foods such as fruit and vegetables, nuts, eggs, meat and dairy.

There is so much hype and over-publicised advertising everywhere you look, whether online or in the fitness magazines promoting the latest fat-busting, ab ripping techniques as well as every supplement product imaginable. My approach is about getting back to basics with what really works. Why not take a balanced approach using the tips in this article as part of your lifestyle in support of achieving your long-term goals? You will see muscle gains and a leaner, toned body that you never thought possible.