Most guys look at other men and wonder how to build muscle quickly like others seem to be able to do. You could even categorize yourself as a hard gainer, somebody who naturally finds it hard to get results, or perhaps you just find yourself toiling away in the gym to no avail. Today we'll give you three ground breaking tips which will enable you to build some excellent lean mass over the following one to two months.
That's right, I said a couple of months. Not a year.
If you apply these tips correctly you'll notice results are easy to come by. The main problem in the fitness business is that there is so much confusion and this is what leads to many people wasting years looking for over complicated, and often very expensive, solutions to a simple problem.
The rules to building a more powerful physique are very simple. Too simple, perhaps, for many people to believe them. Instead they spend years looking for the over complicated version.
#1 Go with compound movements for maximum results.
#2 The rep range you aim for will help to determine what type of results you get.
#3 Diet is important even when it comes to adding size.
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.
Compound movements are multiple joint exercises which force your body to recruit more muscle fibers and therefore work harder. Exercises such as bench press and squats are perfect examples of great compound movements.
During your next workout session take a quick look at the free weights section and you'll see the common problem we speak about. Guys love doing endless sets of bicep curls but hate doing big movements like pull ups or squats. They're holding themselves back.
After asking what exercises work best, the second most popular question is undoubtedly how much weight should be lifted on each exercise. Obviously, everybody has different capabilities here and what is light for one person might be too heavy for the next. This is why you need to learn how to optimize your rep range to suit your overall goal.
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.
It's also worth mentioning the important role your diet plays in the results you achieve. You can't expect to build a great body if you are feeding it junk, after all. Many guys believe that diets are just for girls, but if you don't look after your nutrition you are writing off most of your results before you even get to the gym.
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.
Finally, most of us have a 'problem area' with our body. We have an area we find harder to build than others. Rather than spending ages looking for the best shoulder building exercises you will notice that by going back to basics with your lifts you will make it easier to see progress.
Too many people are endlessly trying to figure out how to build muscle that they miss the obvious answer by over complicating it. Once you know the three simple rules you are ready to go.
That's right, I said a couple of months. Not a year.
If you apply these tips correctly you'll notice results are easy to come by. The main problem in the fitness business is that there is so much confusion and this is what leads to many people wasting years looking for over complicated, and often very expensive, solutions to a simple problem.
The rules to building a more powerful physique are very simple. Too simple, perhaps, for many people to believe them. Instead they spend years looking for the over complicated version.
#1 Go with compound movements for maximum results.
#2 The rep range you aim for will help to determine what type of results you get.
#3 Diet is important even when it comes to adding size.
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.
Compound movements are multiple joint exercises which force your body to recruit more muscle fibers and therefore work harder. Exercises such as bench press and squats are perfect examples of great compound movements.
During your next workout session take a quick look at the free weights section and you'll see the common problem we speak about. Guys love doing endless sets of bicep curls but hate doing big movements like pull ups or squats. They're holding themselves back.
After asking what exercises work best, the second most popular question is undoubtedly how much weight should be lifted on each exercise. Obviously, everybody has different capabilities here and what is light for one person might be too heavy for the next. This is why you need to learn how to optimize your rep range to suit your overall goal.
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.
It's also worth mentioning the important role your diet plays in the results you achieve. You can't expect to build a great body if you are feeding it junk, after all. Many guys believe that diets are just for girls, but if you don't look after your nutrition you are writing off most of your results before you even get to the gym.
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.
Finally, most of us have a 'problem area' with our body. We have an area we find harder to build than others. Rather than spending ages looking for the best shoulder building exercises you will notice that by going back to basics with your lifts you will make it easier to see progress.
Too many people are endlessly trying to figure out how to build muscle that they miss the obvious answer by over complicating it. Once you know the three simple rules you are ready to go.
About the Author:
Creator: Russ Howe PTI is a trusted fitness coach. Learn how to build muscle with our new video guide giving the 5 principles to a more powerful body and the best shoulder building exercises.
