SIZE MATTERS:BEST TIPS FOR BUILDING MUSCLE

Davey WaveyCertified Personal Trainer, AFPA

TIPS FOR BUILDING MUSCLE

PAGE 1Size Matters: Best Tips for Building Muscle

2012 Davey Wavey, Inc. All rights reserved.

If youre looking to boost your workoutand

get bigger muscle building results even

soonerthen Ive got a handful of powerful

tips for you to incorporate into your fitness

and nutrition regimens.

Following these tips will put you on the fast

track for success.

Focus On Compound Movements

Isolation exercises are great for targeting

specific muscles, but compound exercises

offer a number of important benefitsand too

many individuals neglect including compound

exercises in their workouts. Compound exer-

cises work multiple muscle groups at once,

and include such exercises as deadlifts,

squats and bench presses.

If your workout is primarily composed of isola-

tion exercises, kick things up a notch by in-

creasing the number of compound exercises

in your routine. They cant be beat!

Set One Goal For Each Workout

While you likely have a number of long-term

fitness goalslike increasing your bodys

muscle massits a good idea to make mini,

short-term goals that are related to each

workout you perform.

For example, I might try to complete a series

of sprints at a certain pace, lift a new amount

of weight or complete a specific number of

repetitions. Whatever the goal, have it push

you and your limits. You might not always

reach your goal, but it can help you stay moti-

vated and focused. And as you eventually

move past the goals, it will boost your self-

confidence.

Evaluate Progress Regularly

Not everything you try is going to yield the re-

sults that you want. And so if you just keep

going about your workout without ever stop-

ping to evaluate your progress, youre going

to be selling yourself short.

On a weekly or monthly basis, check in on

your workout. See where you stand against

your long-term goals. Track your muscle

measurements. Are certain muscles growing?

How quickly are they growing? Are some not

growing?

Then, ask yourself if anything needs to be

modified to enhance your progress. Trou-

bleshoot your workout often and early to pre-

vent wasted time at the gym.

Try New Exercise Often

Dont get stuck in a rut. So many exercisers

get caught up in the exact same workout

and perform it day in and day out for years on

end.

Not only are old, stale routines a recipe for

boredom, but youre body can become overly

accustomed to performing the specific exer-

cises in the same specific order. It starts to

lose its challenge.

Switch things up. Try something new. Change

the base of stability. Opt for an incline bench

press rather than the flat bench press. Try a

front squat rather than a back squat. There

are millions of exercise possibilitiesso give

yourself permission to explore them.

PAGE 2Size Matters: Best Tips for Building Muscle

2012 Davey Wavey, Inc. All rights reserved.

Over time, adding variations to your workout

can make a significant difference.

Get A Workout Buddy

Need help pushing through a plateau? Enlist

the help of a workout buddy!

Not only does a workout buddy help motivate

you, but he or she will be able to spot and as-

sist you when you want to get in that extra

repetition.

Having a spotter is important for safety rea-

sonsand if you dont feel safe when lifting,

you wont be able to push your body to the

limit.

Giving yourself a support system is a great

way to enhance your progress.

Remember To Add Extended Rest

Dont be afraid to take a little time off. It can

be a good thing.

It seems counter-intuitive to think that a week

of down time could be good for building mus-

cle, but extended down time gives your body

the chance to recover, repair and rebuild. And

while having rest days off in between work-

outs help, nothing beats a week or two away

from the gym. Extended rest periods help

guard against overtraining and injury.

If youre already going on vacation and wont

have easy access to a gym, this can be the

perfect opportunity to take some time off.

Build it right into your vacation.

When you go back to the gym, youll feel

stronger and more energized than ever!

Look After Pre And Post Workout Nutri-

tion

Its crucial that you pay attention to your pre

and post workout nutrition. After all, its during

this time that the body is most receptive to

building muscle mass.

Think of your pre and post workout nutrition

like an extension of your workout. It cant be

overlooked if youre going to see optimal lev-

els of success.

Ensure that youre getting carbohydrates and

protein prior to hitting the gymand allow

yourself enough time to digest (so that you

dont feel nauseous while working out). Im-

mediately after your workout, consume addi-

tional protein and carbohydrates as soon as

possible. These carbohydrates should be

simplelike those found in sugary drinks and

juiceso that they can be absorbed as

quickly as possible.

Maximize your results by giving your body the

ingredients for success!