Author Unknown: Muscle Bulletin Article Host: A muscle building guide for beginners 1. Pick Up Some Weights. Before we even get to the heavy part of lifting weights, you have to get started lifting weights. In order to get bigger, you must work, stimulate, and put stress upon the muscle. The most effective way to do this is through weight training. It is next to impossible to build muscle without lifting weights. So, should you use machines or free weights? 2. Use Free Weights When Possible. Free weights (barbells and dumbbells) cause you to balance and control the weight, which in turn stimulates more muscle fibers. This does not mean that you cannot incorporate machines into your weight training routines, but they should not be the focus of your workout. Caveat: If you do not have a spotter, or free weights are not available, then machines are your next best option. So what types of weight training exercises should you do? 3. Do Compound Movement Exercises. To build the most muscle in the shortest time, you should use movements that work more than one muscle group and use more than one joint to lift the weight. Compound movements are: # Efficient – They allow you to use more muscles, but also the biggest muscles in the body (chest, legs, back/lats, shoulders) which allows you to build muscle faster. # Effective – You can lift heavier weights with these types of exercises, meaning you recruit more muscle fibers to complete the lift, which leads to more muscle building. The most popular compound movement is the bench press. The primary muscle involved in the bench press is the chest; however, the movement uses the shoulders and triceps to a large extent as well. It also includes two joints, the shoulder and the elbow to lift the weight. There are many more compound movements that are efficient and effective for building muscle fast. Once you have a good command of the compound movements, you should… 4. Lift Heavier Weights. As you start weight training and become comfortable with the compound movements, start to increase the weights. Increasing the weight puts more stress on the muscles, causing you to use more and more muscle fibers to move the weights. The more muscle fibers we use, the more there are to repair and grow. So how heavy is heavy? 5. Use Sets of 4 to 8 Reps. Ask the average person in the gym how many reps they do, and more often than not, you are going to hear them say somewhere between 10 and 15 repetitions. For building muscle, this would mean that the weight you are using is too light. You should use a weight where you can do at least 4 repetitions, but not more than 8 reps. Heavier weights at lower reps will stimulate more muscle fibers than lighter weights at higher repetitions, which results in building more muscle. Many of our free workout plans recommend 6 reps to build muscle. Now that you have lifted heavy weights in your weight training session, you are ready to go home, right? Well, maybe not… 6. Do Not Overlook Your Legs. This is one of the most over looked aspects of beginners. In fact, if we had to guess, 75% of beginners fail to adequately train the lower 50% of their bodies, and this is a huge mistake. Granted, the legs are not as flashy as the chest and arms; however, what many do not realize is that if you want a bigger chest and popping biceps, you must train your legs. Why you ask? To build muscle, you need growth promoting hormones like testosterone. Your body’s response to lifting heavy weights is to produce testosterone to assist in the repair and growth of your muscles. To lift the heaviest weights, you have to use the biggest and strongest muscles. Where are those muscles, you ask? Why, in your legs (are rear) of course! If you only had time to do one exercise, we would recommend the squat, followed closely by the deadlift. Heavy squats and deadlifts will cause every muscle in your body to grow. Cardiovascularly they are amazing also. 7. Eat Enough. There is an old saying that goes something like this: You have to eat big, to be big. There is a lot of truth to this statement. In order to build muscle, you simply must eat enough calories. By enough, you have to eat more calories than you burn throughout the day. Heavy weight training burns a substantial amount of calories. Additionally, as your body repairs and builds muscle after your weight training sessions, you body also needs those calories and macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats). Most people who call themselves “hardgainers” are simply not eating enough calories! You have to eat enough to keep up with your natural metabolism and your muscle building routines. Fail to eat enough and you will not build muscle. Therefore, it is important for you to know how many calories you need to build muscle. You should be getting roughly 19 times your lean bodyweight in calories to build muscle. For a person with 200 pounds of lean body mass, that is roughly 200 x 19 = 3,800 calories. So, does that mean you can eat anything and build muscle? Calorie Calculator 8. Eat Healthy. Eat sensibly. The ‘bodybuilder’ should get about 50% of your calories from carbohydrates, 20% of you calories from good fats (essential fatty acids), and 30% from protein. Each gram of fat has 9 calories, while each gram of carbohydrates and protein contains 4 calories. Speaking of which, to build muscle, you absolutely must… 9. Eat Enough Fat. Not just any fat, but good fats, or essential fatty acids (EFAs). Fat plays an extremely important role in hormone production, in particular testosterone. Testosterone is a key ingredient in repairing and building muscle. EFAs are unsaturated fats that are necessary to keep the body running properly. They not only promote production of muscle building testosterone, but they are also anti-catabolic (reduce/prevents muscle breakdown) and they promote and increase in your HDL, (good cholesterol). Good sources of EFA’s are salmon, mackeral, anchovies and tuna, both of which are on the high protein foods list… 10. Eat Enough Protein. Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of your muscles. To build muscle fast, you are going to need at least 1 gram of protein per pound of your bodyweight (some people go as high as 1.5 to 2 grams per pound). So, if you weigh 200 pounds, you should get at least about 200 grams of protein per day. Protein makes up 25% of your lean muscle tissue, so it is essential for muscle growth. The other 75% of your muscle is made up of water; therefore, to build muscle, you must… 11. Drink Water. You absolutely cannot build muscle unless you drink plenty of water. Water is essential for many reasons. Dehydration can set in rather easily if you train sufficiently hard. If you fail to drink enough water, not only will you be weaker if you do not stay sufficiently hydrated (you will not be able to lift heavy weights), but your muscles will not be as large. Part of the reason that Creatine has been successful as a muscle builder is because it causes the muscle cells to hold more water, and as muscles contain 75% water, it’s important. 12. Rest. Now Rest Some More. This is probably the most overlooked section in any muscle building guide. Many people believe that their muscles grow during an intense workout. This misconception actually comes from something called “the pump” when blood rushes to the muscle being worked. However, what really happens during an intense muscle building workout is that your muscles suffer micro tears and are broken down. The repair process actually begins once you leave the gym. As you rest your muscles, your body uses your nutrients from your muscle building diet to not only repair the muscle but to make them stronger by making them bigger. If you do not get enough rest, you will be over training, and not allowing your body sufficient time to repair and grow your muscles before hitting them again in the weight room. In fact, those people that work the same muscles every day often see a decrease in muscle size over time. Therefore, rest is absolutely necessary to build muscle fast. To build muscle, you need at least 48 hours of rest between training sessions for a given muscle group for beginners. Advance trainers may need up to 5 days recovery. You also need to get 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep per night.
Thought this was pretty good... the only thing I disagree with is number 5... What I've allways read and put into practice myself is to shoot for 8-10 reps for every excersize. Rule of thumb from what I've read is 4-6 reps for strength, 11-15 reps for tone/endurance and 7-10 for the best combonation of both......... To be honest though, I don't recommend higher than 12 reps for anyone. To me, anymore than 12 and your doing cardio, if I want to burn fat I'll get on the eliptical...... (an exception to this being supersets, dropsets etc...)
My best and oldest friend was the overall winner at the Coastal USA Championships last year. Here is the workout he gave me. He did this for the first year of muscle building. I gained over 20lbs of muscle in 8 months using this plan. Week A MONDAY QUADS Squats (Pyramid Sets) 4 (10-5) Leg Press 3 (12) Lunges 3 (12) Extension 3 (15) HAMS Curls 4 (12) Stiff-Leg Deadlifts 2 (15) CALVES Calf Raises 3 (20) Seated Calf Raises 3 (20) Calf Press 3 (20) TUESDAY CHEST Bench Press 3 (10-12) Smith Incline Press 3 (6-8) Dumbell Flyes 3 (6-8) Dips 3 (6-8) TRICEPS Lying Extensions 3 (6-8) Triceps Pushdown 3 (6-8) 1-Arm dumbell ext. 3 (6-8) THURSDAY SHOULDERS Military Press (Pyramid Sets) 4 (10-5) Side Laterals 3 (12) Rear Laterals 3 (12) Front Raises 1 (15) Upright Rows 3 (12) BICEPS Dumbell Curls 3 (12) Preacher Curls 3 (12) Cable Curls 3 (12) FRIDAY BACK Deadlifts 3 (10-12) Barbell Rows 3 (6-8) Chins 3 (6-8) Dumbell Rows 3 (6-8) Pulldowns 3 (6-8) Week B MONDAY QUADS Squats 4 (10-12) Leg Press 3 (6-8) Hack Squats 3 (6-8) Extension 3 (6-8) HAMS Curls 4 (6-8) Seated Leg Curls 2 (6-8) CALVES Calf Raises 3 (10) Seated Calf Raises 3 (10) Calf Press 3 (10) TUESDAY CHEST Bench Press (Pyramid Sets) 4 (10-5) Smith Incline Press 3 (10-12) Dumbell Flyes 3 (10-12) Dips 3 (10-12) TRICEPS Lying Extensions 3 (10-12) Triceps Pushdown 3 (10-12) 1-Arm dumbell ext. 3 (10-12) THURSDAY SHOULDERS Military Press 3 (10-12) Side Laterals 3 (6-8) Rear Laterals 3 (6-8) Front Raises 1 (6-8) Shrugs 3 (6-8) BICEPS Barbell Curls 3 (6-8) Dumbell Curls 3 (6-8) Preacher Curls 3 (6-8) FRIDAY BACK Deadlifts (Pyramid Sets) 4 (10-5) Pulldowns 3 (10-12) Low Cable Rows 3 (10-12) Dumbell Rows 3 (10-12) Machine Pullovers 2 (10-12)
I had to alter it though, because back on Friday right after shoulders and biceps was killing me because so many back exercises require biceps and shoulders. I made mondays back, tuesday chest and triceps, thursday shoulders and biceps, and friday legs. Oh, and I wanted more chest so I added an extra set to all 4 chest exercises.
There were some pretty big things not discussed in that article if you are true beginner. I absolutely recommend you start on machines, although this doesn't help your stabilization muscles. It does teach you good form which is the most important thing before you start lifting free weights, especially lifting heavy free weights.
I have a bad back but b/c of this I am in the gym regular. One thing I know is awesome and makes you look like a bad ass if you can do well is pullups, not the underhand pullups either, the real pullups. Try to do 5 sets of 6 in between your other sets. It will take some time to work up to this but you will see the benefits.
I agree to a point... if you have no one showing you how to lift properly when you start, giving you the how-to's and pointing out where your form sucks.. then yeah, use machines... But.. using machines, while making you use good form, does not show you how to do the excercise (it takes the guesswork out by making you go along the path it was designed for). You also see people that don't have the machine adjusted correctly (seat hight, handle adjustment) and could be doing more harm than good. And then there's some machines that are just plain crappy, not good for any size person at any level of experience. There's a whole bunch of these at Ballys, and there highly used.. And, you can also still cheat with machines (half reps, partial reps etc..) So, I think... more important than machine vs. free weights is having someone show you how to work out properly, at least for a few weeks... I had one of my best friends, who used to play football for Temple show me the ropes, and then everything else I learned from Flex, Muscular Develpment, Muscle & Fitness etc... Plus just plain asking more experienced people at your gym for help, I find that most are more than happy to help when asked.......
+2 for wide grip pullups... they are rated among the top excercises for Lat developement. They are very hard for me to do at this point, but I try every week. Being 6 4' 245lbs with at least 15lbs of flab left, unassisted pullups are very difficult.. I think this is the case for most people who are 200lbs+... I'm working to one day be able to do them with that belt you can hang free weights from..
Sorry, I have to disagree about using machines to get form. I say this because the first time I went from a machine bench press to an actual bench press, I actually did the bench at an angle that wasn't 100% straight up because the muscle memory from bench pressing on the machine wasn't exactly straight out. I almost bench pressed the bar into my lap. hnoes: +1 on getting someone to show you form the first time you use free weights.
Grip doesn't matter with pullups unless you start using rope or wide grip(bad for your rotator cuffs IMO), the movement/work output is the same. Oh and with weighted ones, start with a 5lb dumbbell and hold it with your feet...work up to a quarter of your bodyweight. I've seen a 1/2 bodyweight net w/115 lb pullup done so yea, it's hardcore.
^^ Have you had bad experiences with wide grip hurting your rotators? I ask because mine are bad (in the rear anyways, I think there are 4 going around your shoulder)... and can you expand on your theory that hand position doesn't matter? Obviously with your palms facing you, its all biceps.. and palms away with a narrow grip aren't nearly as hard and your still using majority arms. When you go wide, ur still using arms but a big portion is your lats which is what I'm trying to hit with them anyways. As far as the weighted pullups, my fat ass is enough weight.. even when I lose the rest of the fat its still gonna be rough.. I hear you about working up though, thats the plan!
i'd like to point out muscle size is not a complete indicator of muscle strength. If strength is your goal, you need to change some of the tasks in here listed. Also, don't forget to have a discussion on flexibility to help prevent injury.
Spring and summer is coming up, which means bathing suits... :rofl: Another thing I wanted to add was that when you first start lifting free weights, PLEASE take it easy on yourself for about a month just to build up the support muscles. I'm sure you can curl a 40lb dumbell with your left bicep, but you are going to shred your forearm/wrist. Start small then after a month step it up a little. I went through this personally because no one told me to step up slowly. I went from 30lb dumbell curls to 40lb in a week. after two weeks I managed to pull the "bone shield" from my forearm. According to the sports doc I saw, the bone shield is the material that is attached between tendons and bones. I had to stop all upper body workouts for 6 months.
ok looking at the above regime, I see no mention of crunches or some way to target the abs specifically. What's the best way to work on abs and your sides?
^^^ Abs are pretty basic.. you can get all crazy with the exercise ball and mess with different angles for crunches(decline at various degrees), hooks you hang from pull-up bars.... but I stick with crunches(using a crunch device - no weight) for upper abs and leg lifts for lower abs. You can do these lying on your back with your hands under your butt or they have standing leg raise benches which basically allow you to support your upper body with your legs hanging to do your lifts. For your sides I take a barbell, or use a padded fitness pole thingy and put it on your shoulders like you are going to squat.. then with your feet shoulder width apart twist back and forth slowly and really feel your sides stretch.. this should get you started.
^^^ yeah, I forgot to mention that... No weighted abs exercises (machine or free weight) unless your really lean or getting close. No point in having large abs if theres a layer of blubber over them. As yerrow stated, get your diet right and do normal crunches/lifts.....
the good ole fitness band wagon....maybe I'll jump back on soon.... Especially since the summer time is close!! Car cant be the only one looking good..haha
Hey, another trick I picked up: Drink a cup of coffee about 5-10 minutes before the workout. It really helps makes that last set finish strong. I chose coffee over energy drinks and the like because good ol coffee is natural, whereas some/most of those energy drinks are chemical in nature and your body is a sum of what you put in it.
Unfortunately, with my schedule... I have to try to sleep about an hour after I get home from the gym, so stimulants of any kind are not an option. But I know several people who use the coffee idea, with a few others using something like redline for preworkout..
Good read. And remember, "Eat big to be big"...been saying it for years. All you skinny guys out there who say, "i eat alot!"...horse shit, your not eating enough period.(.<-redundant?)
hells ya, here was my 4000 cal diet 6 eggs scrambled morning snack: cashews and sliced turkey workout 1500 cal protein shake w'peanut butter & ice cream dinner: 2 chicken breasts .... night...booze, hahaha