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.
Indeed, you read that correctly. We said a couple of months, not the rest of your life.
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.
If you want to get bigger and stronger, you need to know just a few proven rules.
#1 Go with compound movements for maximum results.
#2 Your range of repetitions will help you target hypertrophy.
#3 Make sure you get the basics of your diet in place.
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.
Building your workout routine around one or two compound exercises is a great way to start. Usually, people perform way too many isolation movements and way too few compounds. If you're unsure what they are, think bench press and deadlift. These large multiple joint exercises will force far more hypertrophy than exercises which try to isolate only one muscle.
Don't spend hours working smaller muscles. For example, there will be countless guys at your local gym doing endless sets of bicep curls or triceps pushdowns. You will notice far better results if you focus your time on the big movements which recruit more muscle fibers to perform.
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.
Diet is where most folks go wrong in the gym. Your ideal physique, in particular your abs, are going to be carved in the kitchen rather than in the gym. Remember that. People often forget the importance of dieting and believe it's only for people who are trying to lose weight.
Instead of looking at how many calories you eat per day try looking at what those calories are made up with. You may find that you are already eating enough food, but the sources of the food could be changed to increase your results. Try aiming to split your calories between 30% protein, 50% carbohydrates and 20% fats.
Finally, most of us have a 'problem area' with our body. We have an area we find harder to build than others. Rather than spending ages looking for the best shoulder building exercises you will notice that by going back to basics with your lifts you will make it easier to see progress.
As you can see, it becomes far easier to learn how to build muscle when you begin to break things down and set out this easy three point strategy.
Indeed, you read that correctly. We said a couple of months, not the rest of your life.
Here are the five fundamental rules which reveal how to build muscle in a short period of time.
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.
If you want to get bigger and stronger, you need to know just a few proven rules.
#1 Go with compound movements for maximum results.
#2 Your range of repetitions will help you target hypertrophy.
#3 Make sure you get the basics of your diet in place.
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.
Building your workout routine around one or two compound exercises is a great way to start. Usually, people perform way too many isolation movements and way too few compounds. If you're unsure what they are, think bench press and deadlift. These large multiple joint exercises will force far more hypertrophy than exercises which try to isolate only one muscle.
Don't spend hours working smaller muscles. For example, there will be countless guys at your local gym doing endless sets of bicep curls or triceps pushdowns. You will notice far better results if you focus your time on the big movements which recruit more muscle fibers to perform.
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.
Diet is where most folks go wrong in the gym. Your ideal physique, in particular your abs, are going to be carved in the kitchen rather than in the gym. Remember that. People often forget the importance of dieting and believe it's only for people who are trying to lose weight.
Instead of looking at how many calories you eat per day try looking at what those calories are made up with. You may find that you are already eating enough food, but the sources of the food could be changed to increase your results. Try aiming to split your calories between 30% protein, 50% carbohydrates and 20% fats.
Finally, most of us have a 'problem area' with our body. We have an area we find harder to build than others. Rather than spending ages looking for the best shoulder building exercises you will notice that by going back to basics with your lifts you will make it easier to see progress.
As you can see, it becomes far easier to learn how to build muscle when you begin to break things down and set out this easy three point strategy.
About the Author:
Coach: Russ Howe PTI is a popular personal trainer. See how to build muscle with our new video guide showing the five principles to a more powerful physique and the best shoulder building exercises.