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
Building Muscle
The Complete Guide How To Build Muscle
bodybuilding muscle
Most people believe that the correct way to train is to follow one of the training programs in the hardcore bodybuilding magazines or to imitate some Pro Bodybuilders training routine.
Unfortunately ALL of the Pros and some of the amateur bodybuilders are genetically gifted and/or are taking steroids. The methods they use and what they have learned about how to build muscle does not apply.
For the rest of us who want to increase our muscle size, reduce our body fat percentages and build more strength naturally… doing their routines will get us no where or worse yet… injured!
Why The Need To Train Differently?
We need train much differently then they do. Why? Our bodies… without the aid of steroids will not recover as quickly.
So that you can understand how to build muscle… I have put together these tips to help you build muscle fast!
Bear in mind that the 4 most powerful ingredients in building muscle are…
- Progressive Resistance: Whatever exercise equipment or method of training you use… you must ALWAYS strive to add more resistance. The human body adapts too quickly and needs to be “shocked” into growth. This is key part of how to build muscle!
- Nutrition: It is almost impossible to build muscle and lose fat. The two goals are at opposite ends. To grow we must “feed” our muscles… to burn fat we need to reduce calories and increase our metabolic rate so that we burn more fat. There is a proven way of achieving this goal and on this site you will find the answers. The truth is that nutrition is the key element on how to build muscle!
- Motivation: This is were everyone loses it! How many people have spent thousands of dollars on home gyms that just become expensive clothes hangers? Well rest easy I will share with you time-tested and proven motivational techniques that when applied will keep your motivational fires burning!
- Proper Rest: Muscles don’t grow while exercising… they grow while you are sleeping! There are certain foods that you can eat and specific supplements that will aid you in recovery and faster muscle growth.
Here are a collection of tips to guide you along the way… HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE TIPS:
1. Build More Strength: Have you ever seen a power lifter? Franco Colombo who was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s training partner was one of the most densely muscled bodybuilders of his day.
Even Arnold admitted once that if Franco was taller he might have beaten him. Why is this important? Well strength is a major component of building muscle. More strength is more muscle. I recommend that you get get into strength training.
There are many different pieces of equipment you can use from expensive home gyms to simple and inexpensive exercise equipment. I don’t believe that free weights or weight lifting is a MUST! There have been too many case studies and scientific research done.
NASA and others have recently revealed that simple resistance bands or similar equipment yields excellent results… but if you have the money and the room in your house then by all means check out our home gym reviews.
For now I will recommend simple body weight exercises and inexpensive exercise devices.
Here are some methods that will help you build muscle:
- Exercise Equipment: Resistance bands, adjustable dumbbells, chin up bars and Isometric exercise equipment are all great choices.
- Weight Lifting: Free weights are good at building strength and muscle size although not necessary in the beginning. Do learn proper breathing and exercise procedure. Always remember the most important component of building muscle size is “progressive resistance”… so remember to add more resistance or weight each time you workout.
- Calisthenics: Pull-ups, Push-ups, Dips, squat thrusts, Reverse Crunches, etc. remember to increase the difficulty of the exercise or add weight consistently to guarantee maximum muscle growth.
2. If you have the room/gym membership… Use Free Weights: Using a barbell you can lift the heaviest weight. More resistance = more muscle building stress. Dumbbells are effective in building the stabilizer muscles and are a great aid in shaping and defining a muscle… but for sheer mass and size use as many barbell exercises as possible. Please don’t use machines if you can help it.
Here are the main benefits of free weights…
- Safety. Free weights use your bodies own alignment unlike machines that force you into their “groove.”
- Effectiveness: Free weights allow you to control and balance the weight. This builds more muscle than machines
- Versatility: You can perform many different exercises with one barbell. Although for some exercises you will need someone to aid you as well as needing a flat bench.
3. Train Your Legs: Doing Squats, properly works your entire body… they’re one of the most important exercise. Your muscles will become thicker and more dense once you can squat one and a half times your body weight. You can do many different types of squats without free weights such as… “Hindu Squats” or “Wall Squats.”
Remember to squat no further than a 90 degree angle… to go any deeper puts unneeded strain on your knees! Also squatting past a 90 degree angle with free weights will tend to increase your hip size and as a result give you an unattractive bigger and wider looking butt. Most people don’t exercise their legs enough favoring their chest, arms and shoulders.
In this HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE GUIDE… I want to stress the importance of leg training, if only to make you aware of the huge release of testosterone and growth hormone that occurs from a heavy leg workout. Two ingredients that are necessary to build muscle fast!
4. Train your complete body:. How to build muscle research has revealed that natural bodybuilders should work each body part at least 2 times per week. So forget the split routines. Get a complete body workout at least twice each week.
5. Eat REAL Food: By eating whole foods you will consume more muscle building nutrients than eating processed food. You’ll lower your body fat as well from taking in less junk. Here are the recommended food groups
- Protein- Red meat, chicken, fish, whey protein supplements, eggs, milk is a great muscle builder
- Carb’s- Brown rice, wheat oats, whole grain pasta
- Vegetables, broccoli, tomato, salad, carrot
- Fruit- Apples, bananas, pears etc…
- Fats- Fish oils, flax seed oil (can be purchased at a local health food store) olive oil, nuts
