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.
Firstly we need to establish your goal. Believe it or not, this is the area where men first lose their way. Whereas women are forthcoming in their desire to lose body fat, men tend to want the best of both worlds. How many times have we heard that somebody wishes to lose fat but also get bigger and stronger? Too many.
Having two very different goals makes your task more difficult in every way. Sure, if you are just starting out in the gym or have had a long lay off you may enjoy both fat loss and hypertrophy within the first few weeks but only up to a point. then you need to decide.
Most people assume what they do in the gym will determine whether they get bigger or lose fat. This is incorrect. This mainly comes down to diet. In order to get bigger you must eat more than you do now each day, whereas to cut you'll need to eat less. So this is why we must make a choice, depending on our individual goals.
If your fitness program is that of an athlete, you have great genetics and your nutrition plan is so good that your quest to get fit is literally dominating your life, it is possible to structure a plan of course but for the overwhelming majority of people who simply want to train after they go to work or around their family life, it's not feasible.
Once you have set your goal, in this case to get bigger otherwise you wouldn't be reading this article, we can get your diet in place and begin looking at the following aspects of your gym routine:
* What type of exercises should you do?
* How many times per week should you train?
* Are you doing too many or too few reps?
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.
Another common mistake is to train too often. When you're trying to build there is a great need for rest. Training no more than four days per week is best, and you should also be splitting each day to hit a different muscle group than the one before. You may wish to train every day once you begin enjoying the buzz from working out, but this leads nowhere. Rest days are in fact growth days.
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.
Now you know the basic rules of how to build muscle in the gym, we recommend you take some time to apply the tips to your own individual routine and you will be amazed at the results you can achieve!
Now we're going to end this nonsense and nail down the basic, proven rules.
Firstly we need to establish your goal. Believe it or not, this is the area where men first lose their way. Whereas women are forthcoming in their desire to lose body fat, men tend to want the best of both worlds. How many times have we heard that somebody wishes to lose fat but also get bigger and stronger? Too many.
Having two very different goals makes your task more difficult in every way. Sure, if you are just starting out in the gym or have had a long lay off you may enjoy both fat loss and hypertrophy within the first few weeks but only up to a point. then you need to decide.
Most people assume what they do in the gym will determine whether they get bigger or lose fat. This is incorrect. This mainly comes down to diet. In order to get bigger you must eat more than you do now each day, whereas to cut you'll need to eat less. So this is why we must make a choice, depending on our individual goals.
If your fitness program is that of an athlete, you have great genetics and your nutrition plan is so good that your quest to get fit is literally dominating your life, it is possible to structure a plan of course but for the overwhelming majority of people who simply want to train after they go to work or around their family life, it's not feasible.
Once you have set your goal, in this case to get bigger otherwise you wouldn't be reading this article, we can get your diet in place and begin looking at the following aspects of your gym routine:
* What type of exercises should you do?
* How many times per week should you train?
* Are you doing too many or too few reps?
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.
Another common mistake is to train too often. When you're trying to build there is a great need for rest. Training no more than four days per week is best, and you should also be splitting each day to hit a different muscle group than the one before. You may wish to train every day once you begin enjoying the buzz from working out, but this leads nowhere. Rest days are in fact growth days.
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.
Now you know the basic rules of how to build muscle in the gym, we recommend you take some time to apply the tips to your own individual routine and you will be amazed at the results you can achieve!
About the Author:
Creator: Russ Howe PTI is a popular fitness coach. See how to build muscle with our free video guide showing the five steps to a more muscular physique and the best shoulder building exercises.
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