Archive for the ‘Bodybuilding’ Category
How to Keep Building Muscle
Steve Robbins asked:
Many factors go into whether or not you are actually building muscle or not. Things like rep count, workout frequency, routine type, nutrition, supplements amount of rest and so forth. Everyone is different but the right combination of the variables exists for everybody. But only ONE thing and one thing only keeps everybody building muscle once they find their way.
Since we are all unique, what works for some will not necessarily work for someone else. The way that I have managed to build mass over the years took many years for me to discover and may not work for you. I tried what I thought was all the text book ways of lifting for upwards of 5 years before I found the right “mix” for me. For the record, it turns out that low rep (4-6), very heavy weight, 90 seconds rest between sets, 5 pyramided sets, 2 body parts per workout, training 5 days a week was the way I finally started adding mass. Not to mention very little cardio work and heavy protein and creatine supplementation. I have many friends that have tried following my routine and it doesn’t work for them, but they eventually found their way. But the same thing keeps everybody growing once they start.
Set a Personal Best ONCE in every workout.
Fine. How do I do that? Here’s how and why it works.
Let’s say today’s chest day and you do 6 different exercises for your chest. If you are like most people you probably do the six lifts in the same order each workout and chart your progress. Hence the term “chest routine”. Once you start getting stronger you will grow but eventually plateau. Frustration sets in, you change your routine and maybe progress continues for a while. But when you go back to the original routine, you might actually be weaker, because you haven’t done these moves in a while. A common occurrence.
What works is this: Keep doing the same six moves in your original routine (they were working, right?), but change the order. You will obviously be strongest on either the first or second exercise because you are freshest at this point in your workout. So make that lift a different lift each session and during one of the sets of this exercise set a personal best for either most weight or more reps at your previous high weight. The trick is that you must perform at that level every workout thereafter. So now when you do this exercise next time, you are trying to match what was a personal best at a point in your workout when you are not at your freshest and strongest, as well as setting a new PB on a different exercise when you are, and so on and on and on.
If you do six exercises with 3 sets for each one, and follow this pattern, at the end of 18 chest workouts, every single set will be at weights higher than when you started 18 workouts ago. Which means if you hit your chest twice a week, in 2 months every set you do would be one that 9 weeks ago you couldn’t. So, how big do you want to be?
The Truth About Abs
Many factors go into whether or not you are actually building muscle or not. Things like rep count, workout frequency, routine type, nutrition, supplements amount of rest and so forth. Everyone is different but the right combination of the variables exists for everybody. But only ONE thing and one thing only keeps everybody building muscle once they find their way.
Since we are all unique, what works for some will not necessarily work for someone else. The way that I have managed to build mass over the years took many years for me to discover and may not work for you. I tried what I thought was all the text book ways of lifting for upwards of 5 years before I found the right “mix” for me. For the record, it turns out that low rep (4-6), very heavy weight, 90 seconds rest between sets, 5 pyramided sets, 2 body parts per workout, training 5 days a week was the way I finally started adding mass. Not to mention very little cardio work and heavy protein and creatine supplementation. I have many friends that have tried following my routine and it doesn’t work for them, but they eventually found their way. But the same thing keeps everybody growing once they start.
Set a Personal Best ONCE in every workout.
Fine. How do I do that? Here’s how and why it works.
Let’s say today’s chest day and you do 6 different exercises for your chest. If you are like most people you probably do the six lifts in the same order each workout and chart your progress. Hence the term “chest routine”. Once you start getting stronger you will grow but eventually plateau. Frustration sets in, you change your routine and maybe progress continues for a while. But when you go back to the original routine, you might actually be weaker, because you haven’t done these moves in a while. A common occurrence.
What works is this: Keep doing the same six moves in your original routine (they were working, right?), but change the order. You will obviously be strongest on either the first or second exercise because you are freshest at this point in your workout. So make that lift a different lift each session and during one of the sets of this exercise set a personal best for either most weight or more reps at your previous high weight. The trick is that you must perform at that level every workout thereafter. So now when you do this exercise next time, you are trying to match what was a personal best at a point in your workout when you are not at your freshest and strongest, as well as setting a new PB on a different exercise when you are, and so on and on and on.
If you do six exercises with 3 sets for each one, and follow this pattern, at the end of 18 chest workouts, every single set will be at weights higher than when you started 18 workouts ago. Which means if you hit your chest twice a week, in 2 months every set you do would be one that 9 weeks ago you couldn’t. So, how big do you want to be?
The Truth About Abs
How to Build Muscle Weight
Rando Meresmaa asked:
I think the biggest problem for a lot of people is that they can´t build muscle continually. Progress is the fastest when you are just starting out. But it is difficult for most people to make progress month after month, year after year. There comes a time when nothing happens. Some are so dissapointed that they give up, others start using steroids hoping that this will solve the problem.
But actually it is very easy to make build muscle weight continually. Every time you go to the gym you have to make some kind of a Personal Record. You can do more reps with the same weight, put on more weight to the bar, add another set or just make your workout more intense. Doing the same thing that you have done in a previous workout will not help you to build muscle. If you apply new stress to the body with more weight or extra reps, then the body will adapt by building itself up bigger and stronger. But if you don´t apply new stress then your body has no reason to adapt. That is why a PR is so important.
You don´t have to set a sinle rep PR. You can set a 3 rep, 5 re or 10 rep record. If you want to build muscle weight all the time, then you have to break records all the time. Of course it is impossible to keep track of every record without a training journal. Having a training journal is very important because you get detailed records of everything you do in a training journal and you can always look back at it so you have a goal to shoot for at every workout and on every set you do.
Having a PR will also give you more motivation and makes the workout more interesting. It is like you are combeating with yourself all the time. If you finish your workout and you have made a PR or more, then you also build muscle weight. If you follow that simple tip, then you will be surprised how much progress you will make.
The Truth About Abs
I think the biggest problem for a lot of people is that they can´t build muscle continually. Progress is the fastest when you are just starting out. But it is difficult for most people to make progress month after month, year after year. There comes a time when nothing happens. Some are so dissapointed that they give up, others start using steroids hoping that this will solve the problem.
But actually it is very easy to make build muscle weight continually. Every time you go to the gym you have to make some kind of a Personal Record. You can do more reps with the same weight, put on more weight to the bar, add another set or just make your workout more intense. Doing the same thing that you have done in a previous workout will not help you to build muscle. If you apply new stress to the body with more weight or extra reps, then the body will adapt by building itself up bigger and stronger. But if you don´t apply new stress then your body has no reason to adapt. That is why a PR is so important.
You don´t have to set a sinle rep PR. You can set a 3 rep, 5 re or 10 rep record. If you want to build muscle weight all the time, then you have to break records all the time. Of course it is impossible to keep track of every record without a training journal. Having a training journal is very important because you get detailed records of everything you do in a training journal and you can always look back at it so you have a goal to shoot for at every workout and on every set you do.
Having a PR will also give you more motivation and makes the workout more interesting. It is like you are combeating with yourself all the time. If you finish your workout and you have made a PR or more, then you also build muscle weight. If you follow that simple tip, then you will be surprised how much progress you will make.
The Truth About Abs
Build Muscle Quick- 5 Ways to Build Muscle Quick
Rory Wilkinson asked:
I don’t think there’s a muscle builder out there who doesn’t want to know how to build muscle quick. The problem is however that most people don’t know how to do it. The good news is that these 5 tips will help anyone build muscles quick (even if you are a skinny hard gainer) safely and effectively. Furthermore they don’t require spending hours upon hours in the gym.
Ok, so let’s get started building muscle.
1. Never complete more than 10 reps per set. More than that and you are not emphasising the muscle fibers which allow for maximum muscle growth. Increase the size of the weight and perform less than 10 reps on each and every exercise.
2. Actually reduce your workout time. Perform more work in less time. Some people believe if they stay in the gym for hours then they must be building muscle, however if you are having large breaks in between each set then there is no point. Move away from your comfort zone and don’t be surprised if you start feeling a bit out of shape, this just means that you are working. Your fitness levels will improve and you will start to build muscle quick.
3. Perform one exercise per muscle group instead at hammering away at one muscle group and destroying it. Your goal is to improve on your workout each time and then allow the muscle to rest and grow.
4. No more than 3-5 sets. Except if you are using anabolic steroids or have very good muscle building genes. However If you are a hardgainer and are performing more than this then your intensity is lower than it should be. Only by improving on your last workout are you sparking your muscles into growth.
5. Every 2 weeks increase your strength by 5% at least. Too many people simply continue the same workout program each and every week without the concept of progress. If you are not putting any stress or strain on your muscles in the way of increasing the weights or reps, how are you supposed to gain any muscle? Focus on about a 5 % increase every 2 months. That way in 6 months you should be twice as strong as you are now. E.g. – If you are benching 140 lbs now aim for 280 lbs within a few months. This is one of the key ways to build muscles quick.
Ok, so now you know these 5 tips on how to build muscle quickly. Will you apply them and start to reap the benefits or will you follow what everyone else is doing and not see any results. The choice is up to you.
Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle
I don’t think there’s a muscle builder out there who doesn’t want to know how to build muscle quick. The problem is however that most people don’t know how to do it. The good news is that these 5 tips will help anyone build muscles quick (even if you are a skinny hard gainer) safely and effectively. Furthermore they don’t require spending hours upon hours in the gym.
Ok, so let’s get started building muscle.
1. Never complete more than 10 reps per set. More than that and you are not emphasising the muscle fibers which allow for maximum muscle growth. Increase the size of the weight and perform less than 10 reps on each and every exercise.
2. Actually reduce your workout time. Perform more work in less time. Some people believe if they stay in the gym for hours then they must be building muscle, however if you are having large breaks in between each set then there is no point. Move away from your comfort zone and don’t be surprised if you start feeling a bit out of shape, this just means that you are working. Your fitness levels will improve and you will start to build muscle quick.
3. Perform one exercise per muscle group instead at hammering away at one muscle group and destroying it. Your goal is to improve on your workout each time and then allow the muscle to rest and grow.
4. No more than 3-5 sets. Except if you are using anabolic steroids or have very good muscle building genes. However If you are a hardgainer and are performing more than this then your intensity is lower than it should be. Only by improving on your last workout are you sparking your muscles into growth.
5. Every 2 weeks increase your strength by 5% at least. Too many people simply continue the same workout program each and every week without the concept of progress. If you are not putting any stress or strain on your muscles in the way of increasing the weights or reps, how are you supposed to gain any muscle? Focus on about a 5 % increase every 2 months. That way in 6 months you should be twice as strong as you are now. E.g. – If you are benching 140 lbs now aim for 280 lbs within a few months. This is one of the key ways to build muscles quick.
Ok, so now you know these 5 tips on how to build muscle quickly. Will you apply them and start to reap the benefits or will you follow what everyone else is doing and not see any results. The choice is up to you.
Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle
