If you consider yourself a hard gainer then you have probably read tips on how to build muscle and wondered why they never seem to work for you. Today we are going back to basics to give you the gym proven, science backed step by step guide to packing on more lean tissue over the next couple of months.
Indeed, you read that correctly. We said a couple of months, not the rest of your life.
If you have been training for a while you will have already noticed that the biggest issue holding people back in the gym is the volume of contradicting advice out there. People can't seem to stick to anything for long enough to get results because they have outside influences telling them that they need to purchase the latest product or try to next big thing in workouts...
You can turn anything into a rocket science if you analyze it enough, but the fact remains that the principles of improving muscular strength and size remain the same as they were twenty years ago and they are very, very simple.
#1 Compound exercises out perform isolation exercises.
#2 Your range of repetitions will help you target hypertrophy.
#3 Diet is important even when it comes to adding size.
It might seem quite simple, given the number of next big thing plans out there which promise to give the the 'secrets' of building a better body, but those three rules are dynamite in your pocket. If you can take advantage of those three steps you will not have any issues building the body you desire.
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.
Remember, you are not at the gym to train your ego. Take a glance at the dumbbell section the next time you go to the gym and I'm sure you will notice many people training their 'ego muscles', i.e. tons of bicep curls and tricep pushdowns but zero squats or wide grip pull ups. The ironic thing is those guys are clearly striving to increase their size but are unwittingly holding their own progress back by avoiding the proven exercises in favor of what gives them a better temporary pump.
Finding out which exercises yield maximum results is a good start, but you'll also need to know how many reps you should be doing, too. Furthermore, you'll need a way to keep your lifts from hitting a plateau.
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.
It's also worth mentioning the important role your diet plays in the results you achieve. You can't expect to build a great body if you are feeding it junk, after all. Many guys believe that diets are just for girls, but if you don't look after your nutrition you are writing off most of your results before you even get to the gym.
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.
The three rules in this article will answer most of the issues affecting people who can't get results with their existing exercise program. So before looking for the best shoulder building exercises or trying to figure out why you can't add size to your calves, try going back to basics and the results should take care of themselves.
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.
If you have been training for a while you will have already noticed that the biggest issue holding people back in the gym is the volume of contradicting advice out there. People can't seem to stick to anything for long enough to get results because they have outside influences telling them that they need to purchase the latest product or try to next big thing in workouts...
You can turn anything into a rocket science if you analyze it enough, but the fact remains that the principles of improving muscular strength and size remain the same as they were twenty years ago and they are very, very simple.
#1 Compound exercises out perform isolation exercises.
#2 Your range of repetitions will help you target hypertrophy.
#3 Diet is important even when it comes to adding size.
It might seem quite simple, given the number of next big thing plans out there which promise to give the the 'secrets' of building a better body, but those three rules are dynamite in your pocket. If you can take advantage of those three steps you will not have any issues building the body you desire.
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.
Remember, you are not at the gym to train your ego. Take a glance at the dumbbell section the next time you go to the gym and I'm sure you will notice many people training their 'ego muscles', i.e. tons of bicep curls and tricep pushdowns but zero squats or wide grip pull ups. The ironic thing is those guys are clearly striving to increase their size but are unwittingly holding their own progress back by avoiding the proven exercises in favor of what gives them a better temporary pump.
Finding out which exercises yield maximum results is a good start, but you'll also need to know how many reps you should be doing, too. Furthermore, you'll need a way to keep your lifts from hitting a plateau.
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.
It's also worth mentioning the important role your diet plays in the results you achieve. You can't expect to build a great body if you are feeding it junk, after all. Many guys believe that diets are just for girls, but if you don't look after your nutrition you are writing off most of your results before you even get to the gym.
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.
The three rules in this article will answer most of the issues affecting people who can't get results with their existing exercise program. So before looking for the best shoulder building exercises or trying to figure out why you can't add size to your calves, try going back to basics and the results should take care of themselves.
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:
About the Writer: Russ Howe PTI is a popular personal trainer. Learn how to build muscle with our new video guide showing the five principles to a more muscular body and the best shoulder building exercises.
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