Arnold Schwarzenegger
Muscle hypertrophy is created by training with moderate to heavy weight in multiple rep/set combinations.
You will also achieve strength gains with the right routines. And why would you not want to be as strong as you look?
Bodybuilding Routines-The Basics
1. Play it safe- Consult your physician before starting any exercise program.
2. Eat, Eat, Eat- To gain muscle mass you must consume the extra calories your body needs to build muscle. Eat 1-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight.
3. Lift the Basics- The bench press, squats and dead lift are time tested mass builders.
4. Sleep- Getting plenty of sleep lets your body rebuild your damaged muscle tissue.
5. Use Good Form- End the set if you can't maintain clean technique.
Bonus Article by Sean Nalewanyj
Natural Bodybuilding Routines Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
MuscleGainTruth
4 Fatal Muscle-Building Myths Revealed
If you’re serious about making a solid commitment to a muscle-building program, you need to be very careful of who you take advice from. Bodybuilding and fitness is literally a multi-billion dollar industry with new websites popping up every single day.
Many of the so-called “experts” out there really don’t have a clue of what they’re talking about and are only motivated by pushing expensive pills, powders and “miracle programs” on you that you don’t really need.
If you don’t watch your step you may end up falling for some fatal muscle-building pitfalls that will literally destroy your gains.
In this article I’m going to expose 4 very common muscle-building myths in order to keep you on the proper path to the mind-blowing muscle and strength gains you deserve.
Myth #1: In order to build muscle, you must achieve a "pump" during your workout. The greater the pump you achieve, the more muscle you will build.
For those of you who are just starting out, a “pump” is the feeling that you get as blood becomes trapped inside the muscle tissue when you train with weights. The muscles will swell up and leave your body feeling bigger, tighter, stronger and more powerful.
While a pump does feel fantastic, it has very little, if anything to do with properly stimulating your muscles to grow.
A pump is simply the result of increased blood flow to the muscle tissue and is certainly not indicative of a successful workout. A successful workout should only be gauged by the concept of progression. If you were able to lift more weight or perform more reps than you did in the previous week, then you did your job.
Myth #2: Building muscle will cause you to become slower and less flexible.
Contrary to what you may think, building a significant amount of lean muscle mass will actually speed you up rather than slow you down.
Muscles are responsible for every movement that your body makes, from running to jumping to throwing. The bottom line is that the stronger a muscle is, the more force it can apply.
Having stronger, more muscular legs means increased foot speed, just as having stronger and more muscular shoulders means the ability to throw farther.
Myth #3: You must always use perfect, textbook form on all exercises.
While using good form in the gym is always important, obsessing over perfect form is an entirely different matter. If you are always attempting to perform every exercise using flawless, textbook form, you will actually increase your chances of injury and simultaneously decrease the total amount of muscle stimulation you can achieve.
It’s very important that you always move naturally when you exercise. This could mean adding a very slight sway in your back when you perform bicep curls, or using a tiny bit of body momentum when executing barbell rows.
Myth #4: If you want your muscles to grow you must “feel the burn!”
This is another huge misconception in the gym. The “burning” sensation that results from intense weight training is simply the result of lactic acid (a metabolic waste product) that is secreted inside the muscle tissue as you exercise.
Increased levels of lactic acid have nothing to do with muscle growth and may actually slow down your gains rather than speed them up. You can limit lactic acid production by training in a lower rep range of 5-7, rather than the traditional range of 12 and above.
If you want to clear up your confusion and learn the truth behind many other popular muscle-building myths, go ahead and visit
www.MuscleGainTruth.com.
I'll reveal why 95% of people in the gym fail miserably and will teach you how to get on the proper path toward muscle-building success once and for all.
Recommended Bodybuilding Routines-
Basic 5X5 Bodybuilding Routine for Size and Strength
The 5x5 routine was a favorite of 1950's bodybuilding icon Reg Park. Reg was a hero of
bodybuilding icon Arnold Schwarzenegger.
This is an effective, time tested program that will produce size and strength gains.
This program calls for five sets of five reps in each exercise. When you can do all 25 reps add 5-10 pounds to the bar.
5X5 Split Routine
Monday & Thursday - Bench Press 5X5*
- Bent Over Rows 5X5*
- Barbell Curls 5X5
*Alternate exercises with 90 seconds rest in between sets. Continue until all sets are completed.
Tuesday & Friday- Barbell Squat 5X5*
- Barbell Deadlift 5X5*
- Hanging Leg Raises 3X5
5X5 Full Body Routine
Monday- Bench Press
- Bent Over Rows
- Squat
- Deadlift
Wednesday- Weighted Dips
- Weighted Chin Ups
- Deadlift
- Hanging Leg Raise (2x5)