Muscle Building FAQ-5
Muscle Building FAQ – 5
Body Muscle FAQ
Which is better free weights or machines?
Both are good but free weights are better for overall body mass and strength conditioning. More muscles are involved using free weights, this is a good thing. Machines are good to isolate a muscle group and can be used to preexhaust the muscle before the heavy basic free weight exercise.
How much sleep do I need for optimum muscle growth?
You need 8 to 10 hours of sleep for optimum muscle growth. If you’re serious about gaining muscle mass then you should ensure that you are getting at least 8 hours every night.
How can I increase testosterone naturally?
You could try zinc and magnesium taken last thing at night or try a product called ZMA. You could also try limiting your rep range to 5 reps but the weight should reflect these 5 rep sets. You will need someone there to help with a true 5-rep range.
Should I workout with sore muscles?
No. Absolutely not. Sore muscles are a clear indicator that you have not recovered from your last session. You need another day or two off. It doesn’t matter if your chest muscles are sore and you are training legs – your overall body system has not fully recovered. You could ignore it and go anyway but you will be wasting your time or make things worst on a cellular and nervous system level, then you will need double the time off to fully recover. Your muscles will refuse to grow if you continue to train while not fully recovered from previous sessions. The gym will always be there so take that day or 2 extra off to fully recover and grow. You will then come back to the gym 100% recovered and ready to go to work on another muscle group or 2.
What’s the best way to build muscle?
The best way to build muscle is to purchase a muscle-building program from a person that you know, knows what they’re talking about. Don’t try and guess it yourself, get the information from an expert. You will also need highly nutritious foods and some supplementation. You need to set clear goals and work very hard to achieve them. You could also try and reduce your time spent in the gym by limiting your training sessions to 1 hour only, when the hour is up you need to get out, go home, recover and grow. Discipline and commitment is also required.
I’m over 40, is it too late for me to build muscle?
It’s never too late to build muscle. If you have a decent training routine and sound nutritional practices and the commitment to improve then it doesn’t matter what age you are. You can build muscle at 70 but just don’t expect to be Mr Olympia.
Should I use a full range of motion or not?
95% of the time you should use a strict full range of motion with a weight that will just about give you your rep range. You will be able to lift more with sloppy 3/4 reps but it’s not as effective as a full range of motion. You could get away with 3/4 reps on your last rep sometimes but a full range of motion is recommended most of the time.
How do I build massive strength without getting too big?
You need to lift weights that are extremely heavy and do the basic exercises like squat, presses and dead lifts. Rep range should be 2 to 5. You will need 1 or 2 people there to help you while to pump out those very heavy sets. You also need to be experience in weight training to effectively tackle this type of training. Find yourself a good strength or power lifting routine and execute that safely. Read more
Muscle Building FAQ – 1
Muscle Building FAQ – 1
Muscle Building
How many reps do I need?
How many reps you need to do depends on your goals. As a guideline try and stay within 2 to 6 reps for strength and power, 8 to 12 reps for muscle size and 15 to 20 reps for endurance. If our goal is to build muscle then your reps range should be around 8 to 12 reps i.e. the weight should be heavy enough to allow only 8 reps, actually you should only be able to get 6 reps with great difficulty on the 6th, but you need to continue on to fight for those last 2 reps, it should be an absolute struggle to get those last two reps. That’s where the muscle growth is. You always need someone there to watch over you when you are performing reps like these. On your next visit you should aim for 9 reps, then 10, 11 and 12, these reps should also be a struggle. When the time comes that you can force out 12 reps with great difficulty, it’s time to up the weight.
How many sets for muscle growth?
Not counting warm ups, 1 good heavy set is enough to induce muscle growth, if done correctly to total muscular failure, however, very few people can or know how to use the 1 set principle correctly so 2 to 3 heavy sets is usually better to ensure muscle growth stimulation. Anything above 3 sets per exercise is usually a waste of time and recovery energy.
How many days a week should I workout?
You should workout 2 to 4 days a week and no more. You simply cannot fully recover and grow when you are working out 5 and six days a week. It usually takes 48 to 72 hours for a muscle group to recover from an intense weight training session. Only until after full body recovery will muscle growth happen. An every other day routine is good.
What exercises should I be doing for muscle mass?
You should be doing the heavy basic exercises like squats, dead lifts, and basic presses. These are the exercises when done correctly and safely will produce the best results for muscle mass. The “simple” isolation exercises can be added on later when you have gained a respectable amount of muscle from the basics. Don’t waste your energy doing isolations if your goal is muscle mass fast.
How much rest between sets?
As much as you need. You should allow your body to recover between sets and let your breathing return too normal. Usually 1 to 2 minutes sometimes you’ll need 3 or more minutes to recover, it depends on the exercise and how hard you pushed yourself.
Should I warm up?
Yes you should warm up, it is very important that you do, but just don’t spend half the day doing so. A few light muscle stretches followed by a couple of light sets of the first exercise you are going to do that day. Then stretch again in between those light sets.
Should I stretch between sets?
You should stretch between sets on your first exercise only. Don’t over do the stretching, the idea is to loosen up muscle for heavy lifts, not burn out muscle before you execute heavy lifts.
Should I workout at home or join a gym?
It’s a matter of personal preference really. Do you like the gym atmosphere or would you rather the privacy of your own home. 3 questions to consider: Can you really concentrate at home to lift really heavy? have you someone there to help? Have you got enough weights and equipment? If you’ve answered yes then maybe you could train at home for a while and see how you get on, otherwise I think the gym would be a better option for you.
Do I need a fitness trainer?
You could consider a fitness trainer if you find that no matter what you try to do, you are not getting the results you desire. If you find that you cannot concentrate on your workouts then you could consider hiring a personal trainer for a time. Read more
