As a fitness instructor, people regularly ask me how to build muscle quickly. Today's article will give you a quick overview on the simple things you need to focus on if your goal is to build a bigger body over the next couple of months.
That's right, I said a couple of months. Not a year.
For most people the main obstacle which has held them back over the years is not lack of potential but rather lack of solid advice. Everywhere they turn they see somebody telling them they need to do something different or buy the next big supplement.
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 The rep range you aim for will help to determine what type of results you get.
#3 Make sure you get the basics of your diet in place.
Within the three easy to follow rules you see above lie the secrets to a great muscular physique. Furthermore, I have been doing this for over seven years and in the course of that time I've seen countless people get results with these three little steps.
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.
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.
Studies show that optimum strength gains are achieved when we try to hit the hypertrophy zone, which means pushing for 8-12 reps with your main resistance exercises. If you're smart you can also use that as a system to tell you when you need to increase the weight. Think about it for a second, when you can get more than 12 reps out you are no longer in the ideal zone for building, therefore you should think about increasing the weights.
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.
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.
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.
That's right, I said a couple of months. Not a year.
For most people the main obstacle which has held them back over the years is not lack of potential but rather lack of solid advice. Everywhere they turn they see somebody telling them they need to do something different or buy the next big supplement.
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 The rep range you aim for will help to determine what type of results you get.
#3 Make sure you get the basics of your diet in place.
Within the three easy to follow rules you see above lie the secrets to a great muscular physique. Furthermore, I have been doing this for over seven years and in the course of that time I've seen countless people get results with these three little steps.
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.
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.
Studies show that optimum strength gains are achieved when we try to hit the hypertrophy zone, which means pushing for 8-12 reps with your main resistance exercises. If you're smart you can also use that as a system to tell you when you need to increase the weight. Think about it for a second, when you can get more than 12 reps out you are no longer in the ideal zone for building, therefore you should think about increasing the weights.
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.
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.
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:
Bio: Russ Howe PTI is a trusted personal trainer. Learn how to build muscle with our new video guide giving the 5 steps to a more muscular physique and the best shoulder building exercises.
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