If you were able to ask one fitness based question and get a straight answer, most men would ask for advice on how to build muscle as easily as possible. Sadly, getting a straight answer on any topic in fitness is something which most men deem to be impossible. Simple techniques such as high intensity interval training and power-based explosive training have been over complicated beyond the point where most people can hold their interest.
This may come as a little shock, but the foundations of building lean tissue are primarily the same as they were thirty or forty years ago. Things have got more advanced in certain areas, but the overall principles still stand tall.
They are:
1. Lift with compound moves as a priority.
Despite the array of new equipment in gyms these days, you still cannot defeat squats, deadlifts and military press for fast results.
This is because they recruit more fibers in the muscles, which will in turn cause a greater impetus on the body to grow bigger and stronger for future workouts.
2. Aim for the hypertrophy zone.
While high rep training has it's own benefits, you should be aiming for the 8-12 range if your goal is muscular hypertrophy. This is backed up by years of key studies from medical research studies carried out on the subject.
This weight will change on each exercise, of course, but use this rep zone as a guide to tell you if you are lifting heavy enough to see progress.
3. Adapt your program to your new strength gains.
While consistently attending the gym is a great thing, consistency can also be a bad thing, as you're about to see.
The number one way to keep building new gains is to hit your body with a resistance which it cannot handle comfortably. Yet, for some bizarre reason, many men do the same program for years and stick largely to the same weights on their biggest exercises. Variety and progression are the keys to success.
4. Don't forget to sleep.
Muscles are broken down and torn in the gym. They don't start rebuilding until you recover after your workout has ended.
The majority of this recovery phase takes place while you sleep, so be sure to register at least 8 hours whenever possible. If you have consistently neglected your sleeping patterns over a prolonged period, you should expect to see very little return for your sweat in the gym.
Imagine trying to build on a plot where the foundations were not yet set. Your construction would be constantly falling down again, that's exactly what you're doing to your body by not allowing rest.
If your quest to discover how to build muscle has so far led you down an unsuccessful route, or you have got lost in the jargon which surrounds techniques such as high intensity interval training and strength training, you are not alone. Most people are in the same boat. You can begin getting on the right track by applying the four rules you have learnt today.
This may come as a little shock, but the foundations of building lean tissue are primarily the same as they were thirty or forty years ago. Things have got more advanced in certain areas, but the overall principles still stand tall.
They are:
1. Lift with compound moves as a priority.
Despite the array of new equipment in gyms these days, you still cannot defeat squats, deadlifts and military press for fast results.
This is because they recruit more fibers in the muscles, which will in turn cause a greater impetus on the body to grow bigger and stronger for future workouts.
2. Aim for the hypertrophy zone.
While high rep training has it's own benefits, you should be aiming for the 8-12 range if your goal is muscular hypertrophy. This is backed up by years of key studies from medical research studies carried out on the subject.
This weight will change on each exercise, of course, but use this rep zone as a guide to tell you if you are lifting heavy enough to see progress.
3. Adapt your program to your new strength gains.
While consistently attending the gym is a great thing, consistency can also be a bad thing, as you're about to see.
The number one way to keep building new gains is to hit your body with a resistance which it cannot handle comfortably. Yet, for some bizarre reason, many men do the same program for years and stick largely to the same weights on their biggest exercises. Variety and progression are the keys to success.
4. Don't forget to sleep.
Muscles are broken down and torn in the gym. They don't start rebuilding until you recover after your workout has ended.
The majority of this recovery phase takes place while you sleep, so be sure to register at least 8 hours whenever possible. If you have consistently neglected your sleeping patterns over a prolonged period, you should expect to see very little return for your sweat in the gym.
Imagine trying to build on a plot where the foundations were not yet set. Your construction would be constantly falling down again, that's exactly what you're doing to your body by not allowing rest.
The importance of diet is just one of the five rules touched upon in the video guide on how to build muscle accompanying today's article.
If your quest to discover how to build muscle has so far led you down an unsuccessful route, or you have got lost in the jargon which surrounds techniques such as high intensity interval training and strength training, you are not alone. Most people are in the same boat. You can begin getting on the right track by applying the four rules you have learnt today.
About the Author:
About the author: Pick up more proven rules teaching you how to build muscle and how to implement high intensity interval training properly for maximum results via the free fitness blog from top online strength coach Russ Howe PTI.
