What are your tips & tricks for muscle growth?

The biggest influences for me are:

1) Being consistent. This is the bedrock of everything else, and what I come back to when I'm stuck. I go to the gym no matter what. If it's a workout day and I feel like shit, I still get to the gym, even if I turn around the minute I walk rthrough the front door. The thing about this step is its the hardest to get going but once you've been to the gym 3-4 times a week for 6 months (I'm going on 3 years), it gets a million times easier. But don't even think about the 6 months...think about -today-. If today is a gym day, go to the gym (or workout or whatever).

2) Getting a trainer. I lost 20lbs of fat on my own over a year. I lost 20lbs of fat with a trainer in 4 months. Everybody is different, so there is no way to know what workout routine will work, but if you can find a trainer or coach who is ready to invest their time in your development, and who cares about your success, you will be amazed. I've been working with my trainer for just over a year. He's a powerlifter but is excited to see me grow into a bodybuilder, and has helped me improve my lifts and keep my routines in line.

Those are my big "tips".