So you want to bulk up and stop looking like girly man? Keep working out but you don't notice any gains? Finish this article and you'll find what you were missing!
Repetition and Sets
The proper number of reps to increase volume is 8~12. Around 4 or below focuses on strength training and more than 12 focuses on endurance. Focus on completing at least 3 sets per exercise per muscle group. Begin with the larger muscle groups before working out the smaller muscles. You must work your muscles hard, to tear them for future repair.
When you tear your muscles, your muscles get bigger during the healing process. Breathe hard. In the end, you should always reach the point where you want to give up. In the end, you must always grind out 1~3 more reps. This is what makes your muscles go past the plateau and actually gain size. Even if you have to take 3 deep breathes between each rep, do it!
If you can do more than 12 reps, get a heavier weight and repeat the formula.
Exercising the upper body isn't too complex. Let's talk about the core and legs.
Core and Legs
Chances are you want to look ripped: You want to have those cut arms, deep chest, and those wide, triangular lats. You want boulders for shoulders and a wash board six pack abs. This image is what most people consider "ripped." But unfortunately, this image makes you want to work out your upper body and sometimes abs. But if you haven't seen gains in a while, chances are you haven't been working out your core and legs.
There are two main core exercises in my book - the dead lift and the squat. Because your core is your foundation, the stronger your core, the stronger your other muscles become too. Your muscles are all interconnected and rely on your core.
While you can isolate muscles in the upper body, you want to do compound exercises like the dead lift for your core and legs. This is especially true since you want your upper body to look more ripped than your lower body.
Your core and legs limit how strong and big your upper body can get. This is why it is important to work your core and legs - by doing compound exercises, you are allowing your entire body frame to grow bigger, and thus gain more upper body muscle.
Let's now discuss nutrition.
Diet and Nutrition
Nutrition is a complex topic, but here are some guidelines and tips:
1. Avoid high fructose corn syrup because it causes insulin spikes that specifically promote fat storage.
2. Ideally, you should eat lean protein with a complex carbohydrate every 3 hours, except when you sleep. Your muscles are in a constant state of creation or destruction. This is why it's important to maintain a protein supply, which depletes after about 3 hours.
3. Avoid saturated and trans fat. Get your essential fatty acids from sources like natural peanut butter.
4. Ice cream has both saturated fat and simple carb, which is a specific formula for gaining fat. Avoid it at all cost.
5. Eat more food by 20%. Separate your meals into smaller more frequent meals that you should eat every 3~4 hours.
6. By calorie, make your meal around 50% carbs, 30% protein, 20% fats.
To summarize this basic guideline for muscle gain, it's work out for volume, use compound exercises for the core and legs (dead lift and squats), and get your protein every 3 hours.
What Do I Do Now? - 15343
Repetition and Sets
The proper number of reps to increase volume is 8~12. Around 4 or below focuses on strength training and more than 12 focuses on endurance. Focus on completing at least 3 sets per exercise per muscle group. Begin with the larger muscle groups before working out the smaller muscles. You must work your muscles hard, to tear them for future repair.
When you tear your muscles, your muscles get bigger during the healing process. Breathe hard. In the end, you should always reach the point where you want to give up. In the end, you must always grind out 1~3 more reps. This is what makes your muscles go past the plateau and actually gain size. Even if you have to take 3 deep breathes between each rep, do it!
If you can do more than 12 reps, get a heavier weight and repeat the formula.
Exercising the upper body isn't too complex. Let's talk about the core and legs.
Core and Legs
Chances are you want to look ripped: You want to have those cut arms, deep chest, and those wide, triangular lats. You want boulders for shoulders and a wash board six pack abs. This image is what most people consider "ripped." But unfortunately, this image makes you want to work out your upper body and sometimes abs. But if you haven't seen gains in a while, chances are you haven't been working out your core and legs.
There are two main core exercises in my book - the dead lift and the squat. Because your core is your foundation, the stronger your core, the stronger your other muscles become too. Your muscles are all interconnected and rely on your core.
While you can isolate muscles in the upper body, you want to do compound exercises like the dead lift for your core and legs. This is especially true since you want your upper body to look more ripped than your lower body.
Your core and legs limit how strong and big your upper body can get. This is why it is important to work your core and legs - by doing compound exercises, you are allowing your entire body frame to grow bigger, and thus gain more upper body muscle.
Let's now discuss nutrition.
Diet and Nutrition
Nutrition is a complex topic, but here are some guidelines and tips:
1. Avoid high fructose corn syrup because it causes insulin spikes that specifically promote fat storage.
2. Ideally, you should eat lean protein with a complex carbohydrate every 3 hours, except when you sleep. Your muscles are in a constant state of creation or destruction. This is why it's important to maintain a protein supply, which depletes after about 3 hours.
3. Avoid saturated and trans fat. Get your essential fatty acids from sources like natural peanut butter.
4. Ice cream has both saturated fat and simple carb, which is a specific formula for gaining fat. Avoid it at all cost.
5. Eat more food by 20%. Separate your meals into smaller more frequent meals that you should eat every 3~4 hours.
6. By calorie, make your meal around 50% carbs, 30% protein, 20% fats.
To summarize this basic guideline for muscle gain, it's work out for volume, use compound exercises for the core and legs (dead lift and squats), and get your protein every 3 hours.
What Do I Do Now? - 15343
About the Author:
Now you know the basics. But you'll eventually need a more structured program. You'll also need to know how to lower your body fat into the 5~9% range where your six pack will show. Check out this 52-week body transformation program. Browse through other programs as well! Start today!