As a Personal Trainer I am asked how to build muscle on a daily basis by guys who have been confused by the amount of different advice from individual trainers or fellow gym members over the years. Whether you're just starting out on your journey in fitness or you've been trying to get fit for years, this issue has probably affected you at some stage.
Today we answer this question for you. Right here, right now.
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.
The fact is this goal makes it harder for you to succeed. If you're not used to training you may find that you get the best of both worlds for the first month or so but after your body adapts to your new training lifestyle those results slow down. You need to make a 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?
Most people try to fit a workout in after a hard day at our jobs or when our family life permits us a break, so we are not able to construct a complex workout routine or the nutritional plan of a top athlete, therefore we need to decide what we want to do and stick with it.
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:
* Which exercises are best?
* How often should you train?
* How many reps and sets are optimal?
The best way to add size is to go back to basics with the iron. When you hit the weights keep the focus on big, proven, compound exercises such as deadlifts, squats and pull ups. These movements are proven to help you pack on the most size and strength in the quickest possible time. Don't spend needless hours working tiny muscle groups.
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!
Today we answer this question for you. Right here, right now.
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.
The fact is this goal makes it harder for you to succeed. If you're not used to training you may find that you get the best of both worlds for the first month or so but after your body adapts to your new training lifestyle those results slow down. You need to make a 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?
Most people try to fit a workout in after a hard day at our jobs or when our family life permits us a break, so we are not able to construct a complex workout routine or the nutritional plan of a top athlete, therefore we need to decide what we want to do and stick with it.
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:
* Which exercises are best?
* How often should you train?
* How many reps and sets are optimal?
The best way to add size is to go back to basics with the iron. When you hit the weights keep the focus on big, proven, compound exercises such as deadlifts, squats and pull ups. These movements are proven to help you pack on the most size and strength in the quickest possible time. Don't spend needless hours working tiny muscle groups.
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:
About the Coach: Russ Howe PTI is a trusted personal trainer. Learn how to build muscle with our free video guide giving the 5 steps to a more muscular physique and the best shoulder building exercises.