Three Rules Helping Hard Gainers Build Muscle Quickly

By Russ Howe

As a fitness instructor, people regularly ask me how to build muscle quickly. Today's article will give you a quick overview on the simple things you need to focus on if your goal is to build a bigger body over the next couple of months.

That's right, I said a couple of months. Not a year.

For most people the main obstacle which has held them back over the years is not lack of potential but rather lack of solid advice. Everywhere they turn they see somebody telling them they need to do something different or buy the next big supplement.

The rules to building a more powerful physique are very simple. Too simple, perhaps, for many people to believe them. Instead they spend years looking for the over complicated version.

#1 Go with compound movements for maximum results.

#2 Use your rep range to keep progressing the resistance.

#3 Don't forget you also need to have a good diet.

Within the three easy to follow rules you see above lie the secrets to a great muscular physique. Furthermore, I have been doing this for over seven years and in the course of that time I've seen countless people get results with these three little steps.

First let's take a look at point number one, which asks you to use compound movements in the gym. It has been shown time and time again that big compound exercises like shoulder press and bench press force more muscular growth than small isolation movements.

During your next workout session take a quick look at the free weights section and you'll see the common problem we speak about. Guys love doing endless sets of bicep curls but hate doing big movements like pull ups or squats. They're holding themselves back.

Of course, there is more to this than just knowing which exercises will get you the results. You also need to know how many repetitions to aim for and have a system in place to consistently progress you to new levels.

For muscular hypertrophy you should be achieving around 8-12 repetitions in every set. Use this as a guide and it will also help you to progress at a very consistent rate. Each time you are able to push out over twelve reps with a certain weight you should be looking to increase the resistance, pushing yourself back down towards the 8 rep mark and working with that weight until your strength increases.

Of course, we wouldn't be very much help to you if we didn't cover the third point which is diet. Try not to make the common mistake of assuming just because you want to get bigger you can eat anything you want. You don't just want to add size, you want it to be the right kind of size.

All calories are not creating on an equal playing field. It's important to realize that two people eating the same number of calories could get totally different results, as one could be feasting on junk food whereas the other is quite healthy. A split of 30%, 50% and 20% between protein, carbs and fats respectively will be a good start.

If you've had a certain body part which has proved difficult to get results with, you will find that the three steps will help you to bring it back up to speed. So before you spend hours pouring over the best shoulder building exercises or top chest workouts we recommend getting on top of the basics first.

Too many people are endlessly trying to figure out how to build muscle that they miss the obvious answer by over complicating it. Once you know the three simple rules you are ready to go.

Solid Advice For Building A More Muscular Physique

By Kate Woods

Do you always feel tired all day long? Do you struggle to do things that others have no problem with? Are you trying to lose weight? The key to solving these issues is to start a weight training routine, so continue reading to find out how to begin.

Make sure you understand the best exercises for increasing muscle mass. Different exercises work on different results; some are better for toning while others are better for bulk.

Focus your weight-training regimen on squats, the deadlift, and bench press. These three main exercises are the foundation of a good body. They are proven exercises that increase bulk, increase muscle mass, and improve your overall conditioning. Try to work these crucial exercises in each workout.

Don't work out for longer than sixty minutes. After an hour of working out, your body starts to produce a stress hormone called cortisol.Cortisol may block testosterone and puts to waste any of your muscle-building efforts.Making sure that workouts are less than an hour is the perfect way to optimize your fitness plan.

Many people make the mistake of increasing their protein intake right after they start a muscle building regimen.

A problem that can hamper muscle building is that some muscle groups grow as others. Fill sets are an effective means of targeting those difficult muscle group necessary. A small set of 25 to 30 repetitions should be performed on the muscle groups about three days after another group was worked will do the trick.

Carbohydrates are needed to see success in muscle building success. If you plan on training extensively, you must be sure to consume about two to three grams of carbs for each pound of body weight, on a daily basis.

Many people start upping their protein consumption as soon as they start a bodybuilding program.

Make your goals realistic and reasonable. You will notice better results over hundreds of workout sessions. Trying to speed up the process with steroids, steroids or other potentially harmful substances can damage your body, and in some cases actually lead to serious health risks and consequences.

Creatine might prove a good solution for you. This supplement increases your endurance and harder when taken in combination with a protein- and carb-rich diet.

Mix up the grip to build back muscles. Use a mixed or staggered grip for doing deadlifts and rack pulls, so that you can build strength more easily. This keeps the weight bar when it starts to roll on your hands.

It can be hard to build muscle. You need to work out on a regular basis, and the intensity of the workouts can be unforgiving. You also need to watch what you eat. Considering the amount of effort that you have to put into this goal, it can be quite disheartening if you are not capable of reaching it. Don't lose hope! Follow the tips that have been provided here and you will be on your way to seeing those goals become a reality.

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Get the body you want and have been working for with these few simple techniques.

What Should You Take Alongside Whey Protein To Build More Muscle?

By Howe Russ

If supplements confuse you then don't worry, you are certainly not alone. Despite the many people at your gym who you may think are miles ahead of you in terms of their fitness knowledge, recent studies show that most people who train at gyms have no idea which supplements to use in order to reach their physical goals. Learning how to build muscle is an often needlessly over-complicated affair.

Most folks are able to pick up a whey protein product, but when they look to add other supplements alongside it to increase their results they come unstuck in a sea of misinformation and sales pitches from companies vying for their hard earned money.

Today is about learning the foundations. You'll discover what works best alongside whey when it comes to building lean tissue.

There are countless products out there which will undoubtedly tell you that you need them in order to get more from each workout. This applies to those looking to lose weight as well as those trying to build mass. However, while many of them are quick to give bold statements, few of them are quite as fast to back up their claims with real, scientific evidence. Today's lit comprises only of items which have stood the test of time.

1. The Monohydrate form of Creatine.

2. Glutamine.

3. Amino Acids.

If you were able to increase your body's ability to perform high intensity, explosive activities would you do it? That's exactly what products such as Creatine are designed to help you do. That's right, despite the huge hype and many myths surrounding this substance, that is literally the bottom line of what it is designed to help you achieve.

While creatine itself won't make you grow bigger or get stronger, the effect it will have on your training sessions will have those results. By increasing your ability to perform explosive movements beyond what your body is capable of on it's own you will unlock previously untapped potential within yourself. This could mean pushing out an extra rep here or two extra sets there. Over time all this extra intensity in the gym begins to pay off in a big way.

However, with so many different blends and formulas of creatine out today it can be just as confusing choosing one as it can be to learn about the effects of the substance in the first place. This may shock you a little bit in a world where new is considered better, but the formula which has by far the most research behind it is the cheapest and oldest form. We are talking about Creatine Monohydrate.

If you have been training in the gym regularly you will already understand the importance of the recovery period following every workout. Your muscles do not grow while you lift weights, it happens while you let them rest and sleep. The best product on the market to take advantage of this period is glutamine.

There are multiple benefits to this one, most notably it's ability to help the body to improve it's release of natural growth hormone. You will also increase the functionality of your immune system, improving your resistance to minor illnesses and colds.

The final item today is Branched Chain Amino Acids. There are over twenty in total and your body will use these to create more lean tissue during the recovery phase following a tough session with your barbell. While you will get a good serving in your whey protein, science suggests that results can be improved drastically by taking a branched chain amino acid product on top.

The three items under the microscope today have been the secret weapons of countless bodybuilding routines and nutrition plans for many years now. Now that you have a good idea of what each of them actually does for your body and your progress, you will find it far easier to determine which supplements to use.

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Next: Discover which supplements to take to build a ripped physique with the UK's most followed fitness instructor, Russ Howe PTI. Discovering how to build muscle doesn't need to be hard, as you have seen today.

How To Build Maximum Muscle In Minimum Time

By Howe Russ

Most folks at the gym would like to discover how to build muscle as quickly and effectively as possible. Today's post will teach you how to get a six pack in 3 minutes per day and also how to apply the same rules to build other areas of the body in double quick time.

Thanks to the discovery of HIIT, the days where people used to spend over 2 hours per day in the gym should be long gone. However, many are still stuck in that mentality. If that's you, then you are about to open a door to a whole new world of training. []

The levels of variety and intensity are the two most important factors within any solid training program. Variety simply means challenging the body in ways it's not used to. You could simply swap low reps for high reps, or perform exercises in a different order than usual.

Your body's main job is to keep you alive. To do this, it will learn how to adapt to the challenges you throw at it. It doesn't want to build more lean tissue, it needs to be forced into it. If you have been training with the exact same plan for three months then it is no surprise your body has adapted to it and no further progress is being made.

You don't need to completely overhaul a program which may have worked well for you in the past. Simply throw in a few curve balls, try to keep every workout slightly different. Keep the body guessing and you'll keep it improving.

A lot of people misunderstand the meaning of the word intensity. They often presume it means working out really quickly, sacrificing form and technique for speed. This is not the case. Intensity means keeping your heart rate elevated. There are numerous fat loss benefits to doing this, as well as other benefits too. Your actual exercise is still performed slowly and controlled throughout, getting the absolute most out of each contraction you do. Intensity comes into play when you drop the weights at the end of each set. Rather than sitting there talking to other gym users while you wait for your next set to begin, watch the clock. After just thirty seconds, begin the next set.

The shock factor of hitting the body with new, unfamiliar exercises and also keeping rest times down is enough to spur new growth in even the hardest of gainers.

The following sample workout focuses on toning the midsection in as little time as possible. It is simple, but it is very intense: []

* Sit Up

* Bicycle Crunch

* Exercise Ball Leg Raise

Each exercise should be done for 30 seconds, with no rest between exercises. When you reach the end of the circuit simply rest for a minute and then go again. Three rounds would take less than 10 minutes. That may seem like nothing at all, given the hours people often spend doing crunches and leg raises in the gym, but the high intensity levels here are something most people cannot cope with.

It is true that the simple session above can effectively help you to learn how to get a six pack in 3 minutes or slightly longer. The important thing to remember after you have tried it, of course, is that you can also apply this method to training any body part you wish. Incorporate it into your next chest workout and watch how much more difficult it becomes. The key to learning how to build muscle on a regular basis lies in your ability to adapt and configure your training to suit your goals.

About the Author:

Writer: The new video from Russ Howe PTI uncovers how to get a six pack in 3 minutes each day without going to the gym. If you want to learn how to build muscle quickly , be sure to check out his free guide next.

How To Build More Muscle In The Next Three Months

By Russ Howe

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!

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.

Will HIIT Help You To Build Muscle?

By Russ Howe

There is so much conflicting advice in the gym that most people find it almost impossible to learn how to build muscle effectively. One of the biggest areas of concern surrounds HIIT.

Many people who perform this type of exercise are going for weight loss, however there is also a major use here for those looking to improve size and strength.

If most men were honest, they'd happily admit that they don't do enough cardiovascular exercise. It's often seen as the boring alternative to resistance training and they don't have the same level of drive for it.

Naturally, this behavior stems from a largely untrue stereotype that cardio is for women and weights are for men. This age old belief is something which has held countless gym members back for years and it's built upon lies.

Believe it or not, if your main target in the gym is to build more lean muscle then cardiovascular exercise will indeed play a huge role in your accomplishments. There are several effective forms of cardio which improve fitness and hypertrophy, most notably high intensity interval training.

That's right. Even though it's cardio, you will still be able to get bigger. This is largely because of the intensity of the work. Although you might be using a treadmill or an exercise bike, your workout isn't going to be a dull, slow paced, aerobic affair.

Interval training is very simple when you get down to the finer details of it. Basically your aim is to switch from a moderate level to a high level every so often, causing your body to be unable to adapt. This will have similar effects on your muscles to a resistance workout.

While performing a resistance exercise your body is tapping into it's anaerobic exercise. This is the same system you'll use while performing any high intensity cardio workouts, too.

Due to the fact that our body uses the same energy system during interval training as we do for resistance workouts, we actually burn calories in the same way. You may have already heard that a resistance workout causes your body to continue burning calories at an increased rate for hours after you leave the gym. This also happens with interval training, whereas regular cardio doesn't have these 'afterburn' benefits.

As you can see, learning how to build muscle isn't necessarily all about hitting the weights. HIIT is a great way to increase lean tissue, with the added benefit of stripping away unwanted body fat at an increased rate.

About the Author:

Author: Russ Howe PTI is a successful fitness instructor who shows people how to build muscle at his gym. His complete guide to hiit will help you to increase fat loss quickly.

Ectomorphs Workout: What You Need To Know To Build Muscle As A Hardgainer

By Jeff Kappel

As an ectomorph, you might see many different ectomorph training programs and tips, but the bottom line is to remember that you need to identify the goals you want to achieve not the ones other people have gotten. If you are new to strength training the right way, then this may seem a little bit confusing and you will have to overcome some obstacles that the ectomorph body type may present.

Here are a few things you should expect in the ectomorph bodybuilders program that is going to be better suited to meet your weight gain and muscle building needs.

I know goal setting might sound a little silly, but it's the first thing that you will want to do when beginning an ectomorph workout plan. Keep in mind the law of specificity, which means the more targeted your goals are and the more specific they are, they easier they will be to obtain.

You will want to set yourself short term goals like increasing your muscle definition if you are just starting out on an ectomorphs workout routine. The long term goals you will set for yourself will involve things like really packing on and building that extra muscle bulk once you have the definition.

It's recommended that you set it up that way because most ectomorphs are what fitness professionals will refer to as a hard gainer. This simply means that getting ripped pecs, massive arms, and a huge back aren't likely during the first few days or even weeks of your program. Don't get discouraged when looking in the mirror, keep the long term goal in mind.

Be specific and be aggressive with your goal setting. Give yourself a few small victories along the way to celebrate and help you maintain your motivation.

You'll never have to go back to the drawing board, or experience a plateau if you actually make note to take note of how your results are progressing. This is the second tip that compliments goal setting. You will stay more on track and focused to get to your goals if you actually chart your progress along the way.

Measuring tapes and scales are often the tools of the trade when it comes to measuring the progress of ectomorph bodybuilding especially in the beginning when progress is slow. Over time you'll begin to see visible results in the mirror. You might just shock yourself at some of the gains you see when you stick with your workouts.

Most workouts for ectomorphs will give you the appropriate tools and strategies to get you where you need to go. Just like anything in life, it's likely you will run into some hiccups along the way but those will all be temporary if you keep in mind your long term and short term goals. Make sure that you remember to track what is progressing to stay motivated.

Even though you are a hard gainer and it's a little more challenging to gain weight and pack on the muscle, it's not completely impossible. They key is to find some ectomorphs workout that actually have been proven to get the results that you are personally looking to achieve yourself. You will progress differently than anyone else along the way, just remember to stick with it.

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If you are looking to find the bestskinny guy workout, then make sure to click the link in this description and watch the YouTube video.