[Q]  What are the things you have learned that made the biggest impact on your ability to build muscle?

[A]  There are four things that really stand out in my mind.  Those four things are:

1)  Highly intense workouts.  The first workout I had the was truly highly intense made me throw up in the bathroom!  Most people just aren't working hard enough to force their muscles to grow.  The workouts are not intense enough, and the body has no reason to grow.

2)  Determining the right amount of rest between workouts.  Remember, the more intensely you train, the longer it will take for your body to recover.  Determining the optimal number of rest days your body needs is the key to explosive growth.  

3)  Progressive overload.  You've probably heard this philosophy a few times by now.  Once I started to progressively overload my muscles a little more every workout, I really started to see results.  The best way to measure your progress is to take a look at your strength.  If it isn't increasing each workout, something has to change.