Learning how to build muscle is a rocky road which most people find difficult to navigate. While science has shown us great advancements in training like high intensity interval training it isn't all good news - there has been countless nonsense over the years, and the majority of people get lost.
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. Multi-joint exercises outperform isolation exercise every day.
Despite the array of new equipment in gyms these days, you still cannot defeat squats, deadlifts and military press for fast results.
The body is forced to grow at an advanced rate with these particular exercise because it needs to recruit far more muscle fibers to get you through the exercises.
2. Know your rep range.
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.
You'll be stronger on some exercises, naturally, but you can begin using your rep range as a guide to tell you if you are going too light or too heavy.
3. Change your program as you progress.
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. Sleep is hugely important to increasing muscle size.
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.
Disallowing sleep is comparable to building a wall one day and then returning the next day to knock it all down and build it again. Overall, you may have a nice new wall but it is not any bigger than it was yesterday.
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. Multi-joint exercises outperform isolation exercise every day.
Despite the array of new equipment in gyms these days, you still cannot defeat squats, deadlifts and military press for fast results.
The body is forced to grow at an advanced rate with these particular exercise because it needs to recruit far more muscle fibers to get you through the exercises.
2. Know your rep range.
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.
You'll be stronger on some exercises, naturally, but you can begin using your rep range as a guide to tell you if you are going too light or too heavy.
3. Change your program as you progress.
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. Sleep is hugely important to increasing muscle size.
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.
Disallowing sleep is comparable to building a wall one day and then returning the next day to knock it all down and build it again. Overall, you may have a nice new wall but it is not any bigger than it was yesterday.
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:
Written by: Discover key tips teaching you how to build muscle and how to perform high intensity interval training effectively for maximum results on the exclusive training website from top online strength coach Russ Howe PTI.