Calling all body builders
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I asked Google, but believe it or not, the first two pages of results for a self-improvement topic all stank of scams, so I'm giving up on Google and throwing this out to you guys. I know I've seen some of you post a thing or two about this before, so let's see what you know...
Anybody know of any good resources for building muscle mass? I've been working out fairly regularly for about a year now, and I'm not seeing the bulk I want. When I do gain, I seem to plateau pretty quickly. I know part of the problem is that I had to very gradually increase my intensity, but for the past few months I've been able to attack workouts at full throttle, and I am doing better, but I figure I should also do this as smart and efficiently as possible.
So what do ya'll know about strategies and techniques? I've been going by what I learned as a teenager, but that was a while ago and who knows what space-age advancements I'm missing out on, and I never did pay much attention to diet which I'm willing to do now. Recommendation of specific exercises probably won't do me much good, as I am limited by the types of things I can do.
I found this, but I'm not sure if it's what you're looking for.
I'm thinking about getting that book myself...
I'm thinking about getting that book myself...
Always interesing watching the overlap here between game development and physical fitness.
In any case, I understand a lot of people experience this. It's very difficult to gain mass without also increasing caloric intake. Your body probably just isn't getting enough daily extra fuel to sustain more weight. Protein supplements of some kind are a very common way, but ramp up carefully. It's easy to gain unwanted weight this way as well.
What many pros do is bulk up with the help of a big dietary increase and then diet to "lean up".
In any case, I understand a lot of people experience this. It's very difficult to gain mass without also increasing caloric intake. Your body probably just isn't getting enough daily extra fuel to sustain more weight. Protein supplements of some kind are a very common way, but ramp up carefully. It's easy to gain unwanted weight this way as well.
What many pros do is bulk up with the help of a big dietary increase and then diet to "lean up".
These are the resources I used:
exrx - Go to the beginners page and read the articles
T-Nation - Good articles
I do a full body exercise 3 days a week. I use the last set: here
exrx - Go to the beginners page and read the articles
T-Nation - Good articles
I do a full body exercise 3 days a week. I use the last set: here
I play college baseball, and we lift almost year round. Right now we lift three days a week, MWF. I think there is a better approach. Here's what I do when I lift on my own, and I've personally seen drastic results in this approach. Lift one day Upper body and arms, next day lift lower body and back, next day rest, then repeat. On a three day cycle like this you can really lift hard on your large muscle groups. It's been shown that large muscle groups, legs, chest, even biscep and tricep need two full days of rest the fully recover. One day isn't good enough. However, for smaller groups like forearms you can lift them everyday without much trouble, if you really wanted to.
A lot of people try to do as much weight as they can for 4 reps or something stupid like that. Maximum muscle growth will occur after breaking down the muscle for 8-12 reps for 3-4 sets.
It's also important to eat a lot of lean foods, but make sure to get a well balanced diet. I take two protein shakes per day when I work out along with three square meals a day and healthy snacks in between.
A lot of people try to do as much weight as they can for 4 reps or something stupid like that. Maximum muscle growth will occur after breaking down the muscle for 8-12 reps for 3-4 sets.
It's also important to eat a lot of lean foods, but make sure to get a well balanced diet. I take two protein shakes per day when I work out along with three square meals a day and healthy snacks in between.
Author
Quote:Original post by Julio
Maximum muscle growth will occur after breaking down the muscle for 8-12 reps for 3-4 sets.
This is what I was taught and what I've been doing, with a half-minute to full minute break between sets. While I can't complain about the strength gains I've made (it's a nice ego boost to have to keep making trips to Play It Again Sports because my dumbells keep getting too light), it seems like I should be seeing a bigger mass gain.
How many different kinds of exercises do you do for the big groups? For example, do you think that just four sets of benches is enough for the chest? If you're also doing flies or something else, as I think people often do, wouldn't it be more accurate to recommend 6 to 8 sets divided among two different exercises? Or do you think the redundancy is wasteful?
The rule of thumb for athletes' daily protein intake is 1 gram of protein for every kilo of body weight. This may be taken as far as 1.5 grs per kilo during periods of intense training.
Protein supplements are a necessary part of achieving this goal but one should never forget why they are called "supplements". Key to a compiling a diet that will allow your muscles to grow is getting as much protein as you can from normal food (meat, milk, cheese, eggs, corn, beans) and bridging the gap with the supplement. The actual point of this is that you cannot eat too much meat or eggs without damaging your health. This is where protein isolates rush to the rescue.
Regarding the actual training, I was recently let in on a technique which aims for muscle growth. It is as follows:
1) Warm up the muscle that will be trained
2) Do a set of 5 reps with intermediate weight (weight which you have no problem lifting but still get a kick from)
3) Rest for 1.5 minutes
4) do a 1 rep set with the maximum load you can possibly lift. It is entirely understandable that you might not know what that load is (I sure didn't) and you can expect to be very surprised at your actual strength! For the first few training sessions, you might pick limit-weight which you will actually be able to lift more than once, so work on finding the real limit.
5) Rest for 2 minutes
6) Do a final set with 80% of the limit-weight trying to pump out as many reps as you can up to a maximum of six.
The point of this strategy is to phychologically drive you into doing heavy weights on the last set with the knowledge that just a while ago you lifted more. This way you can push your limits upwards and gain muscle mass in the process.
The above technique is meant to drag you out of a rut and should not be employeed constantly. I suggest you do it until you observe the result and then revert to a more rep-oriented programm - with the added strength and confidence of course :). Variance in your training scheme is key.
Just as a reminder, ask for help when doing the blast (second) set. The mere knowledge that somenone is there can aid you.
Good luck!
Protein supplements are a necessary part of achieving this goal but one should never forget why they are called "supplements". Key to a compiling a diet that will allow your muscles to grow is getting as much protein as you can from normal food (meat, milk, cheese, eggs, corn, beans) and bridging the gap with the supplement. The actual point of this is that you cannot eat too much meat or eggs without damaging your health. This is where protein isolates rush to the rescue.
Regarding the actual training, I was recently let in on a technique which aims for muscle growth. It is as follows:
1) Warm up the muscle that will be trained
2) Do a set of 5 reps with intermediate weight (weight which you have no problem lifting but still get a kick from)
3) Rest for 1.5 minutes
4) do a 1 rep set with the maximum load you can possibly lift. It is entirely understandable that you might not know what that load is (I sure didn't) and you can expect to be very surprised at your actual strength! For the first few training sessions, you might pick limit-weight which you will actually be able to lift more than once, so work on finding the real limit.
5) Rest for 2 minutes
6) Do a final set with 80% of the limit-weight trying to pump out as many reps as you can up to a maximum of six.
The point of this strategy is to phychologically drive you into doing heavy weights on the last set with the knowledge that just a while ago you lifted more. This way you can push your limits upwards and gain muscle mass in the process.
The above technique is meant to drag you out of a rut and should not be employeed constantly. I suggest you do it until you observe the result and then revert to a more rep-oriented programm - with the added strength and confidence of course :). Variance in your training scheme is key.
Just as a reminder, ask for help when doing the blast (second) set. The mere knowledge that somenone is there can aid you.
Good luck!
ive been weightlifting for about 15 years (though my aim to get as strong as possible, not to get the bodybuilder look, which i hate)
but anyways the key the getting 'big' is to not lift a great deal, but about 50-60% of what u can possibly lift and then lift it 20 times, once u get to rep 17 u should be really struggling (if u dont then u need to increase the weight) also u need to do the reps 17-20 as these are the ones that actually will grow your muscles, the first 16 reps are only useful so u can achieve the benifit of the last 4.
i've met a lot of ppl complaining they dont get big + yet they workout often, usually when i watch them i see why, the reason being they stop when it starts getting to hard.
dont overdo it to start off with though or youll tear something
but anyways the key the getting 'big' is to not lift a great deal, but about 50-60% of what u can possibly lift and then lift it 20 times, once u get to rep 17 u should be really struggling (if u dont then u need to increase the weight) also u need to do the reps 17-20 as these are the ones that actually will grow your muscles, the first 16 reps are only useful so u can achieve the benifit of the last 4.
i've met a lot of ppl complaining they dont get big + yet they workout often, usually when i watch them i see why, the reason being they stop when it starts getting to hard.
dont overdo it to start off with though or youll tear something
You aren't going to gain muscle unless you eat like a horse. Body needs protein to repair and build new muscle, if you only eat once or twice a day then your body isn't even getting enough for normal body functions. You are supposed to eat six or seven times a day, but at smaller meals, beleive it or not but it keeps the metabolism high. Of course you will probably gain some fat this way but it is possible to bulk cleanly and it is hard. But it is winter now so nobody would notice if you gain some fat along with your muscle. When spring time rolls around drop the junk food and start doing some cardio and that fat will melt right off.
For exercises, if you want to gain mass then compounds are your friends: incline bench, military press, dead lifts, squats, pullups (real ones not the machine). If you aren't doing squats then you need to look at your program again. Squats are probably about the most taxing excerise you can do, the stress it causes to the central neverous system promotes muscle growth through the entire body. You got to throw in isolation exercises too, but the cornersone should be heavy compounds.
For frequency, you need to figure that one out for yourself. Some people respond well to the upper/lower body days and people like me do well with one group a day. I do Monday-chest, Tuesday-back, Wednesday-shoulders, Thursday-arms, and Friday-legs. Some people will also double up days like chest/bis or tris and back/bis or tris or throw in shoulders on another day so they only go three days a week. I like going five days a week because its my 45 minute daily vaction from the world, its only me and the iron nothing else matters. You also need to switch things up from time to time. Your body gets used to a certain thing after awhile and won't respond. I imagine you have probably been doing the same workout day after day for the past year.
I will disagree with the rep range comment, it depends on your goal where you go. If you are wanting to build size then yes 8-12 is good. But if you want to build strength then heavy at 4-6. Size does not equal strength, look at powerlifters they have lumpy fat bodies but for the most part they would wipe the floor with bodybuilders in terms of strength. Here a few months ago a guy set a new world record deadlift of like 1004 pounds, doesn't really look buff at all just a short fat guy.
Try the fourm here, not a bunch of juiced up freaks but mostly real guys just slugging away at it.
For exercises, if you want to gain mass then compounds are your friends: incline bench, military press, dead lifts, squats, pullups (real ones not the machine). If you aren't doing squats then you need to look at your program again. Squats are probably about the most taxing excerise you can do, the stress it causes to the central neverous system promotes muscle growth through the entire body. You got to throw in isolation exercises too, but the cornersone should be heavy compounds.
For frequency, you need to figure that one out for yourself. Some people respond well to the upper/lower body days and people like me do well with one group a day. I do Monday-chest, Tuesday-back, Wednesday-shoulders, Thursday-arms, and Friday-legs. Some people will also double up days like chest/bis or tris and back/bis or tris or throw in shoulders on another day so they only go three days a week. I like going five days a week because its my 45 minute daily vaction from the world, its only me and the iron nothing else matters. You also need to switch things up from time to time. Your body gets used to a certain thing after awhile and won't respond. I imagine you have probably been doing the same workout day after day for the past year.
I will disagree with the rep range comment, it depends on your goal where you go. If you are wanting to build size then yes 8-12 is good. But if you want to build strength then heavy at 4-6. Size does not equal strength, look at powerlifters they have lumpy fat bodies but for the most part they would wipe the floor with bodybuilders in terms of strength. Here a few months ago a guy set a new world record deadlift of like 1004 pounds, doesn't really look buff at all just a short fat guy.
Try the fourm here, not a bunch of juiced up freaks but mostly real guys just slugging away at it.
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