There have been a lot of posts recently here and/or general discussion where it seems people are looking for some magic exercise, magic routine, or something to give them results.

Talking specifically about muscle gain rank what you think is most important...

1)  Work hard consistently with some sort of progressive overload.
2)  Sleep well and long enough
3)  Eat the correct number of calories for your goal and be in the ballpark on your macros.  
4)  IDGAF
5)  IDGAF
6)  IDGAF

...etc...

If you have a family, job, other hobbies, etc. those top 3 done for a long period of time consistently will put you in the top 3%.

Do the things that matter most and stop wasting time doing shit that makes only minor barely measurable differences while missing on the things that matter.

Feel free to completely disagree, add things, or just call me names if you want...LOL

1 - Dianabol
2 - Trenbolone
3 - HGH
4 - lift some shit
5 - sleep a little
6 - eat something

What do I win?

EDIT:  Do I need to throw in one of these too;

Damn it after all of these years I was doing it wrong.

1. Telling everyone on the internet what I do for fitness.  

2. Telling everyone on the internet that they need to do the same thing that I do.  

3. Shirtless selfies

4. Amish style mini-beard

You need three things to build muscle - work, fuel, rest.  Asking which is most important is a bogus question. They're all equal.  Remove any of the three and you won't build muscle. That being said, my guess is fuel is the one that's most neglected.

1. Sleep
2. Do the work
3. Don't eat like an unsupervised child

You're only wrong about #2.  Not one time have I ever told anyone to do the same thing that I do.  For example, here is my last chest day.  I wouldn't recommend this to anyone else.  Not everyone is a 50 year old 165 pounder that has been lifting for years.  

Flat bench press:

75 lbs for 10 reps
95 lbs for 8 reps
115 lbs for 6 reps
135 lbs for 6 reps
155 lbs for 6 reps
175 lbs for 6 reps
195 lbs for 6 reps
215 lbs for 6 reps
235 lbs for 2 reps
255 lbs for 2 reps
275 lbs for 1 rep
295 lbs for 1 rep
305 lbs for 1 rep
175 lbs to failure
175 lbs to failure

Decline dumb bell press
45 lbs to failure
45 lbs to failure

Incline fly
3 sets to failure

I wouldn't recommend that to any other 165 lbs 50 year old.  



Unless they have a mini Amish beard

Food

Sleep

Program

I'm picturing a bar with one plate, eight 10's and a 5 on each side.  Total disrespect for the loading of 305.  

Consistency, nutrition, sleep

Last one is my downfall

So I'd of course say you need all 3. Rest, nutrition,  work.

I will say that at 40 I currently have the worst sleep of my life I'm just a few pounds away from being as strong as I have ever been.

LOL...I'm still using "standard" plates some of which were part of my original set I started with in my teens.  I have two (50 lbs) plates and a bunch of 25's, 10's, 5's, even some 3's and 2.5's for those small incremental increases.  Since I have so many plates, I never upgraded to olympic weights.  Over the years I've upgraded my bench, rack, and bought several bars because it's hard to find a 1" bar that doesn't bend.  

oh and I always bench and squat without a spotter...I don't recommend that either so don't copy me.