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 apply these tips correctly you'll notice results are easy to come by. The main problem in the fitness business is that there is so much confusion and this is what leads to many people wasting years looking for over complicated, and often very expensive, solutions to a simple problem.
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 Go with compound movements for maximum results.
#2 Your range of repetitions will help you target hypertrophy.
#3 Don't forget you also need to have a good diet.
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.
Compound movements are multiple joint exercises which force your body to recruit more muscle fibers and therefore work harder. Exercises such as bench press and squats are perfect examples of great compound movements.
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.
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.
Of course, we wouldn't be very much help to you if we didn't cover the third point which is diet. Try not to make the common mistake of assuming just because you want to get bigger you can eat anything you want. You don't just want to add size, you want it to be the right kind of size.
All calories are not creating on an equal playing field. It's important to realize that two people eating the same number of calories could get totally different results, as one could be feasting on junk food whereas the other is quite healthy. A split of 30%, 50% and 20% between protein, carbs and fats respectively will be a good start.
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.
If you previously felt a little lost and confused with all of the information out there giving you contradicting advice on how to build muscle you should now notice a new-found self confidence. Knowing the proven principles of size and strength training puts you on a fantastic platform to build from.
Indeed, you read that correctly. We said a couple of months, not the rest of your life.
If you don't know how to build muscle today's interview will assist you a lot.
If you apply these tips correctly you'll notice results are easy to come by. The main problem in the fitness business is that there is so much confusion and this is what leads to many people wasting years looking for over complicated, and often very expensive, solutions to a simple problem.
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 Go with compound movements for maximum results.
#2 Your range of repetitions will help you target hypertrophy.
#3 Don't forget you also need to have a good diet.
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.
Compound movements are multiple joint exercises which force your body to recruit more muscle fibers and therefore work harder. Exercises such as bench press and squats are perfect examples of great compound movements.
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.
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.
Of course, we wouldn't be very much help to you if we didn't cover the third point which is diet. Try not to make the common mistake of assuming just because you want to get bigger you can eat anything you want. You don't just want to add size, you want it to be the right kind of size.
All calories are not creating on an equal playing field. It's important to realize that two people eating the same number of calories could get totally different results, as one could be feasting on junk food whereas the other is quite healthy. A split of 30%, 50% and 20% between protein, carbs and fats respectively will be a good start.
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.
If you previously felt a little lost and confused with all of the information out there giving you contradicting advice on how to build muscle you should now notice a new-found self confidence. Knowing the proven principles of size and strength training puts you on a fantastic platform to build from.
About the Author:
About the author: Russ Howe PTI is a trusted fitness coach. Learn how to build muscle with our new video guide showing the five principles to a more powerful physique and the best shoulder building exercises.
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