One of the questions you will be asked on a consistent basis as a Fitness Instructor is how to build muscle quickly and effectively. It is one of those areas which, no matter how many scientific advancements are made in fitness, the majority of gym members never truly get to grips with.
If you're one of the many who feel lost on this topic we're going to help you right now.
One of the main problems in the health and fitness industry is that there is so much conflicting information out there it becomes impossible to commit to anything. There is not one way to build a better body, there are numerous ways, and if you listen to everything you are told at your local gym you'll probably end up more lost than when you started in the first place!
So don't be fooled. There are a number of ways to build a better body, there is not just one right way of training and a million wrong ways. Realizing that fact will help you get past the first stumbling block you'll encounter on your path to building a better body, erasing the self doubt in what you are doing and why you are doing it.
So how about we dismiss all of the typical hype and nonsense you usually get when you try to get some fitness tips, we'll cut to the proven facts on how to get results. Quite frankly, it doesn't matter whether you are experienced or inexperienced, these tips will provide the backbone of your training from this day forward and they simply work.
The first step takes place not in the gym but at home before you go to your next workout. We're talking about your diet plan, of course.
By the time you next visit the gym you should have your diet completely sorted out so that you can begin getting immediate results. We will teach you how to do it. One of the biggest misunderstandings in fitness is people believe their diet is something they cannot work out for themselves. They get sucked into celebrity diet fads which don't work. The truth is it's easy to get this sorted out.
If you write down your body weight, i.e. the weight you wish to be, in pounds and then multiply the number by fifteen you will get a great ballpark figure for your total calorific intake. This figure is to be used as a rough guide, try to hit around this mark each day and you will be firmly on the right track. If you'd like to add size but don't want to grow too big too quickly then swap out the fifteen for a twelve in the first step.
Now that you have that target you are ahead of most other trainers at your local gym. That's right. The number one issue in getting more muscular is done with a calculator, not a dumbbell. Most people never take the time to do it and therefore no matter how regularly they hit the weights they never seem to look any different. I am sure you know a few faces from your local gym who fit this category.
You also need to look at your training program. It needs to be designed to include the exercises which are best for building size and strength and the repetition range needs to hit your hypertrophy zone. This means compound exercises are going to become your best friend and trying to fall into the eight-to-twelve repetition range with each set.
You are now coming along swimmingly and should be feeling very confident in yourself here. The next two steps cover less obvious points which are often overlooked.
Rest is just as important as training when you are trying to build. Probably less than 5% of the members at your local gym get their rest right and that's one of the main factors in their lack of real results.
Make it your goal to go to the gym no more than three days each week if you are new to training. If you have already been training for over two months you can increase that to four sessions. You could train with weights up to six days per week by splitting each day to avoid ever training the same muscle group twice in succession, but most people are happy with a four day split routine. Those other three days are very important to your rest and recovery.
Sleep also plays an important role in your potential progress. We have all surely heard the doctor's recommendation that we need eight hours of sleep each night but how many of us pay attention to it? Not very many. Again, as with rest days, sleep is where your body unlocks extra results so neglecting it is silly.
While you sleep your body releases natural growth hormone which forces your muscles to recover bigger and stronger than they were before. Don't be tricked into believing your body grows while you are in the gym, it does not, it builds while you are resting and recovering. Neglect this rest period and you are essentially hitting the gym hard again while still not recovered from the last session and therefore very little further progress can be made.
How are things going so far? Have you managed to stay with us as we've got through the steps? Well here is the good news, you're actually finished. Easier than you thought it was going to be, wasn't it? If you have been asking how to build muscle for years and not getting anywhere you are now firmly in a position from which you can build the body you have always aspired to own. You didn't even need to hire a personal trainer to do it.
If you're one of the many who feel lost on this topic we're going to help you right now.
One of the main problems in the health and fitness industry is that there is so much conflicting information out there it becomes impossible to commit to anything. There is not one way to build a better body, there are numerous ways, and if you listen to everything you are told at your local gym you'll probably end up more lost than when you started in the first place!
So don't be fooled. There are a number of ways to build a better body, there is not just one right way of training and a million wrong ways. Realizing that fact will help you get past the first stumbling block you'll encounter on your path to building a better body, erasing the self doubt in what you are doing and why you are doing it.
So how about we dismiss all of the typical hype and nonsense you usually get when you try to get some fitness tips, we'll cut to the proven facts on how to get results. Quite frankly, it doesn't matter whether you are experienced or inexperienced, these tips will provide the backbone of your training from this day forward and they simply work.
The first step takes place not in the gym but at home before you go to your next workout. We're talking about your diet plan, of course.
By the time you next visit the gym you should have your diet completely sorted out so that you can begin getting immediate results. We will teach you how to do it. One of the biggest misunderstandings in fitness is people believe their diet is something they cannot work out for themselves. They get sucked into celebrity diet fads which don't work. The truth is it's easy to get this sorted out.
If you write down your body weight, i.e. the weight you wish to be, in pounds and then multiply the number by fifteen you will get a great ballpark figure for your total calorific intake. This figure is to be used as a rough guide, try to hit around this mark each day and you will be firmly on the right track. If you'd like to add size but don't want to grow too big too quickly then swap out the fifteen for a twelve in the first step.
Now that you have that target you are ahead of most other trainers at your local gym. That's right. The number one issue in getting more muscular is done with a calculator, not a dumbbell. Most people never take the time to do it and therefore no matter how regularly they hit the weights they never seem to look any different. I am sure you know a few faces from your local gym who fit this category.
You also need to look at your training program. It needs to be designed to include the exercises which are best for building size and strength and the repetition range needs to hit your hypertrophy zone. This means compound exercises are going to become your best friend and trying to fall into the eight-to-twelve repetition range with each set.
You are now coming along swimmingly and should be feeling very confident in yourself here. The next two steps cover less obvious points which are often overlooked.
Rest is just as important as training when you are trying to build. Probably less than 5% of the members at your local gym get their rest right and that's one of the main factors in their lack of real results.
Make it your goal to go to the gym no more than three days each week if you are new to training. If you have already been training for over two months you can increase that to four sessions. You could train with weights up to six days per week by splitting each day to avoid ever training the same muscle group twice in succession, but most people are happy with a four day split routine. Those other three days are very important to your rest and recovery.
Sleep also plays an important role in your potential progress. We have all surely heard the doctor's recommendation that we need eight hours of sleep each night but how many of us pay attention to it? Not very many. Again, as with rest days, sleep is where your body unlocks extra results so neglecting it is silly.
While you sleep your body releases natural growth hormone which forces your muscles to recover bigger and stronger than they were before. Don't be tricked into believing your body grows while you are in the gym, it does not, it builds while you are resting and recovering. Neglect this rest period and you are essentially hitting the gym hard again while still not recovered from the last session and therefore very little further progress can be made.
How are things going so far? Have you managed to stay with us as we've got through the steps? Well here is the good news, you're actually finished. Easier than you thought it was going to be, wasn't it? If you have been asking how to build muscle for years and not getting anywhere you are now firmly in a position from which you can build the body you have always aspired to own. You didn't even need to hire a personal trainer to do it.
About the Author:
About the Writer: Russ Howe PTI is a trusted personal trainer. See how to build muscle with our new video guide showing the five principles to a more muscular body and the best shoulder building exercises.