Every single day as a Personal Trainer I am asked how to build muscle by guys looking to pack on some additional size. Some have struggled for years, others are just starting out. Either way, this is an issue which has the vast majority of gym users confused.
Now we're going to end this nonsense and nail down the basic, proven rules.
Before you start you need to work out your overall goal. Do you want to lose body fat or do you want to focus on size and strength? Most guys want to have both benefits but we'll explain today why you need to make a choice so you don't get stuck in that awful middle ground where you don't fully commit to either and, as a result, don't get the results of either.
If you have had long history of gym training already you will know it's very hard to get both weight loss and strength results simultaneously, which is why you need to set this goal at the start. Those beginning on their fitness journey will be able to enjoy perhaps 2-3 weeks with the results of both fat loss and tissue building, but once the body gets used to your new training lifestyle you too need to make the choice.
Why? Because you cannot do both at the same time long-term. The general rule is that in order to build you need to work at a calorie surplus, whereas to cut you need to operate at a calorie deficit. So doing both becomes somewhat impossible, you see?
Of course, if you are an athlete with a quality sports nutrition program and a lifetime devoted purely to your fitness you can structure a plan to achieve both simultaneously. But for most of us, who go to the gym to get fit and also have busy jobs and family lives, that is unrealistic.
Decide what you wish to focus on, set your diet to that goal accordingly and then you are truly ready to begin. Net we need to structure your workout program. We will show you:
* What exercises will allow you to get the quickest results?
* How many days per week should you use the gym?
* Are you doing too many or too few reps?
Put the focus of your workouts on big, compound movements. These multi-joint movements require the most muscle fibres to perform, therefore resulting in greater size and strength gains, too. Bench press, squats and other compound movements are simple yet ideal. Don't spend too long working small muscle groups by themselves, i.e. there is little point in performing five sets of an isolation exercise for your forearms...
Furthermore, understand the importance of rest. When training for size your body does not grow while your are in the gym. On the contrary, it grows while you are at rest. Try not to perform more than 4 sessions per week and you will see a great return in gains. It's hard to stay away when you get into training, but it is very important.
People get lost, however, when it comes to the number of reps. For hypertrophy (muscle growth) the optimal number of repetitions is 8-12. Once you can push beyond twelve reps you need to increase the resistance. If you fall below eight reps it's too heavy. That easy system, combine with it's focus on progression, will keep you on the straight and narrow.
So there you have it. You wanted to know how to build muscle and now you have the facts. Take your time, set your goals and follow our easy list of workout strategies. You will see huge gains with the laws of size and strength training at the foundation of your workout routine!
Now we're going to end this nonsense and nail down the basic, proven rules.
Before you start you need to work out your overall goal. Do you want to lose body fat or do you want to focus on size and strength? Most guys want to have both benefits but we'll explain today why you need to make a choice so you don't get stuck in that awful middle ground where you don't fully commit to either and, as a result, don't get the results of either.
If you have had long history of gym training already you will know it's very hard to get both weight loss and strength results simultaneously, which is why you need to set this goal at the start. Those beginning on their fitness journey will be able to enjoy perhaps 2-3 weeks with the results of both fat loss and tissue building, but once the body gets used to your new training lifestyle you too need to make the choice.
Why? Because you cannot do both at the same time long-term. The general rule is that in order to build you need to work at a calorie surplus, whereas to cut you need to operate at a calorie deficit. So doing both becomes somewhat impossible, you see?
Of course, if you are an athlete with a quality sports nutrition program and a lifetime devoted purely to your fitness you can structure a plan to achieve both simultaneously. But for most of us, who go to the gym to get fit and also have busy jobs and family lives, that is unrealistic.
Decide what you wish to focus on, set your diet to that goal accordingly and then you are truly ready to begin. Net we need to structure your workout program. We will show you:
* What exercises will allow you to get the quickest results?
* How many days per week should you use the gym?
* Are you doing too many or too few reps?
Put the focus of your workouts on big, compound movements. These multi-joint movements require the most muscle fibres to perform, therefore resulting in greater size and strength gains, too. Bench press, squats and other compound movements are simple yet ideal. Don't spend too long working small muscle groups by themselves, i.e. there is little point in performing five sets of an isolation exercise for your forearms...
Furthermore, understand the importance of rest. When training for size your body does not grow while your are in the gym. On the contrary, it grows while you are at rest. Try not to perform more than 4 sessions per week and you will see a great return in gains. It's hard to stay away when you get into training, but it is very important.
People get lost, however, when it comes to the number of reps. For hypertrophy (muscle growth) the optimal number of repetitions is 8-12. Once you can push beyond twelve reps you need to increase the resistance. If you fall below eight reps it's too heavy. That easy system, combine with it's focus on progression, will keep you on the straight and narrow.
So there you have it. You wanted to know how to build muscle and now you have the facts. Take your time, set your goals and follow our easy list of workout strategies. You will see huge gains with the laws of size and strength training at the foundation of your workout routine!
About the Author:
Creator: Russ Howe PTI is a popular fitness coach. Learn how to build muscle with our free video guide showing the five principles to a more muscular physique and the best shoulder building exercises.
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