If you walk into any gym and ask somebody how to build muscle the chances are you will hear a different answer for every person you ask. There is such confusion surrounding the muscle building process. As any trainer will know, there are three fundamental rules to building a more powerful physique.
Make no mistakes about it, though, you will not be able to get results if you don't have any kind of structure to you workout routine. The three principles laid out below will teach you this.
* Build your workout around the big, multiple joint movements.
* Understand the importance of rest days to growth.
* Do not, under any circumstances, neglect your diet.
If you are due to hit the gym tomorrow, we want you to do it with a new-found confidence in your ability. You're going to learn exactly how to get the results you want to achieve with these three basic rules. The first of which discusses how to focus your workouts around the exercises which will encourage your body to grow.
If you are unsure what a compound movement is just think about how many joints are involved in a movement. If it's more than one then it is a compound exercise. A good example of this is a barbell squat. Any exercise which only involves one joint is called an isolation exercise and while it is designed to specifically make that muscle stronger it will not give you the double benefits associated with compounds. A good example of an isolation movement is a wrist curl.
That's not to say you should not perform isolation exercises, of course, they are still very useful. Just be sure to build your workout routine around your biggest lifts. By that we mean don't exhaust your chest before you have performed your bench press and don't wipe out your quadriceps before you attempt squats.
Even those who have spent years struggling to put on size find that the task becomes easier when you have a well structured workout laid out ahead of you which allows you to hit the big moves while at full strength and rack up some new personal best records. Be sure not to get carried away with your success though, you don't want to train every single day otherwise you'll only make it more difficult for yourself.
Rest is incredibly important. Think of it as a day of growth. Your body isn't actually building when you are inside the gym, remember that. You may look pumped up in the mirror but that will fade. The real job of building begins when you are at home resting. If you want to get the most from a certain body part you cannot train it every single day.
Finally we need to speak about your overall diet plan. Try not to make the common mistake of presuming diets are only for those trying to figure out how to lose weight. The food you eat consists of your diet, so regardless of your overall goal, you still have a diet.
Working out the number of calories per day you need is simple, for those who don't know simply multiply your weight in kilograms by 25 and then add another 50% to the total answer.
However, it's one thing eating the right number of calories in a day. You also have to ensure you are getting a good balance of the 3 main macro nutrients. That's protein, carbohydrates and fat to you and I. A split of 30%, 50% and 20% is enough to make the most of those calories.
You now know how to build muscle effectively in the gym. There is also an awful lot of confusion surrounding how to lose weight, the misinformation in that area is just as bad so don't worry if you have felt a little lost, most folks are. In the meantime, though, it's time for you to pack your training bag and head off for a productive session.
Make no mistakes about it, though, you will not be able to get results if you don't have any kind of structure to you workout routine. The three principles laid out below will teach you this.
* Build your workout around the big, multiple joint movements.
* Understand the importance of rest days to growth.
* Do not, under any circumstances, neglect your diet.
If you are due to hit the gym tomorrow, we want you to do it with a new-found confidence in your ability. You're going to learn exactly how to get the results you want to achieve with these three basic rules. The first of which discusses how to focus your workouts around the exercises which will encourage your body to grow.
If you are unsure what a compound movement is just think about how many joints are involved in a movement. If it's more than one then it is a compound exercise. A good example of this is a barbell squat. Any exercise which only involves one joint is called an isolation exercise and while it is designed to specifically make that muscle stronger it will not give you the double benefits associated with compounds. A good example of an isolation movement is a wrist curl.
That's not to say you should not perform isolation exercises, of course, they are still very useful. Just be sure to build your workout routine around your biggest lifts. By that we mean don't exhaust your chest before you have performed your bench press and don't wipe out your quadriceps before you attempt squats.
Even those who have spent years struggling to put on size find that the task becomes easier when you have a well structured workout laid out ahead of you which allows you to hit the big moves while at full strength and rack up some new personal best records. Be sure not to get carried away with your success though, you don't want to train every single day otherwise you'll only make it more difficult for yourself.
Rest is incredibly important. Think of it as a day of growth. Your body isn't actually building when you are inside the gym, remember that. You may look pumped up in the mirror but that will fade. The real job of building begins when you are at home resting. If you want to get the most from a certain body part you cannot train it every single day.
Finally we need to speak about your overall diet plan. Try not to make the common mistake of presuming diets are only for those trying to figure out how to lose weight. The food you eat consists of your diet, so regardless of your overall goal, you still have a diet.
Working out the number of calories per day you need is simple, for those who don't know simply multiply your weight in kilograms by 25 and then add another 50% to the total answer.
However, it's one thing eating the right number of calories in a day. You also have to ensure you are getting a good balance of the 3 main macro nutrients. That's protein, carbohydrates and fat to you and I. A split of 30%, 50% and 20% is enough to make the most of those calories.
You now know how to build muscle effectively in the gym. There is also an awful lot of confusion surrounding how to lose weight, the misinformation in that area is just as bad so don't worry if you have felt a little lost, most folks are. In the meantime, though, it's time for you to pack your training bag and head off for a productive session.
About the Author:
Bio: Russ Howe PTI is the UK's most followed fitness instructor. If you want to know how to build muscle or how to lose weight our free proven guides will help you achieve more in the gym.
