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.
You may be scrambling back to re-read what we just said but don't worry we did not make a mistake. We will show you how to get results within a couple of months, not a couple of years.
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 Know your compound exercises and use them.
#2 Use your rep range to keep progressing the resistance.
#3 Diet is important even when it comes to adding size.
While many people struggle to learn how to get results from their exercise routine, those who do achieve success learn that the important factors lie in getting the basics right. The three point system you see above gives you the key to reaching your goal.
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.
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.
After asking what exercises work best, the second most popular question is undoubtedly how much weight should be lifted on each exercise. Obviously, everybody has different capabilities here and what is light for one person might be too heavy for the next. This is why you need to learn how to optimize your rep range to suit your overall goal.
The ideal rep range for size and strength is anywhere between 8 and 12. You can use this as a system to monitor your progress and learn when to increase the resistance, too. Once you can comfortably perform twelve reps you need to increase the resistance, trying to stay within that 8-12 zone the entire time.
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.
You need to make the most of your daily calories and that means getting a good split of carbs, proteins and fats into the food you choose to eat. Whether it's through supplements or actual food, try to ensure around 50% of your daily intake comes from carbohydrate sources with the focus on complex carbs rather than sugary simple carbs. Follow that up with around 30% from protein and 20% from healthy fats and you have yourself a great diet platform to operate from.
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.
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.
You may be scrambling back to re-read what we just said but don't worry we did not make a mistake. We will show you how to get results within a couple of months, not a couple of years.
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 Know your compound exercises and use them.
#2 Use your rep range to keep progressing the resistance.
#3 Diet is important even when it comes to adding size.
While many people struggle to learn how to get results from their exercise routine, those who do achieve success learn that the important factors lie in getting the basics right. The three point system you see above gives you the key to reaching your goal.
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.
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.
After asking what exercises work best, the second most popular question is undoubtedly how much weight should be lifted on each exercise. Obviously, everybody has different capabilities here and what is light for one person might be too heavy for the next. This is why you need to learn how to optimize your rep range to suit your overall goal.
The ideal rep range for size and strength is anywhere between 8 and 12. You can use this as a system to monitor your progress and learn when to increase the resistance, too. Once you can comfortably perform twelve reps you need to increase the resistance, trying to stay within that 8-12 zone the entire time.
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.
You need to make the most of your daily calories and that means getting a good split of carbs, proteins and fats into the food you choose to eat. Whether it's through supplements or actual food, try to ensure around 50% of your daily intake comes from carbohydrate sources with the focus on complex carbs rather than sugary simple carbs. Follow that up with around 30% from protein and 20% from healthy fats and you have yourself a great diet platform to operate from.
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.
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 author: Russ Howe PTI is a popular fitness coach. See how to build muscle with our new video guide giving the 5 steps to a more powerful physique and the best shoulder building exercises.
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