How To Build Muscle: Workouts, Diet

Plans & Supplements

The Muscle Building expert guide teaches you how to build muscle using an effective muscle

building workout, eating plan and supplementation program.

1. 1. Introduction

1. 1.1. Definitions and Common Terms

2. 1.2. Body Types and Bone Size Factors

3. 1.3. Are You a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced Lifter?

2. 2. Workout Diet and Nutrition

1. 2.1. How Many Calories Do You Need?

2. 2.2. How to Eat If You’re Overweight

3. 2.3. How Much Protein Do You Need?

4. 2.4. So, How Much Protein DO You Need?

5. 2.5. Determining Fat Intake

6. 2.6. Determining Carbohydrate Intake

7. 2.7. Why Bulks Fail and Turn Into Fat Gain

8. 2.8. Why Bulks Fail and Result in No Muscle Gain

9. 2.9. A Note About Aggressive Bulks

10. 2.10. Healthy Foods That Can Add Calories

11. 2.11. Structuring a Meal Plan

12. 2.12. Alternative Eating Approaches

13. 2.13. Sample Quick and Easy Meals

3. 3. Natural Muscle Building Expectations And Goals

4. 4. Common Factors That Lead To Success

1. 4.1. What Elite Physiques Teach Us

5. 5. Build A Workout

1. 5.1. A Look At Muscle Groups

2. 5.2. Exercise Types

3. 5.3. Common Workout Structures

4. 5.4. How To Structure Fullbody Workouts And Training Splits

5. 5.5. “Rules” to Help Structure a Training Split

6. 5.6. Factors That Impact Training Frequency

7. 5.7. Training Volume Considerations

8. 5.8. Weekly Sets Per Bodypart

9. 5.9. A Look at Rep Ranges

10. 5.10. The Importance of Progression

11. 5.11. Rest Between Sets

6. 6. The Best Exercises by Bodypart

1. 6.1. 5 Most Effective Chest Building Exercises

2. 6.2. 5 Most Effective Back Building Exercises

3. 6.3. 5 Most Effective Shoulder Building Exercises

4. 6.4. 5 Most Effective Leg Building Exercises

5. 6.5. 5 Most Effective Arm Building Exercises

6. 6.6. Honorable Mention

7. 7. Training Longevity – Remaining Injury Free

1. 7.1. Listening To Your Body

2. 7.2. The Role of The Central Nervous System

3. 7.3. The Importance of Proper Form

4. 7.4. What Is A Deload, and When to Deload

5. 7.5. Should You Train While Sick?

6. 7.6. How to Avoid Training Injuries

8. 8. Muscle Building Supplements

1. 8.1. Top Selling Muscle Building Supplements

2. 8.2. How to Use Creatine For Maximum Results

3. 8.3. Taking Creatine with Carbs/High Glycemic Carbs

4. 8.4. When to take Creatine Supplements

5. 8.5. What Can I Expect from a Pre-Workout Formula?

6. 8.6. Pre, Intra and Post Workout Nutrition and Supplementation

9. 9. Advanced Training Techniques and Principles

1. 9.1. Common Advanced Training Techniques

2. 9.2. When to Use Advanced Training Techniques

10. 10. Popular Muscle Building Workouts on Muscle & Strength

1. 10.1. Beginner Muscle Building Workouts

2. 10.2. Muscle Building Workouts

How to build muscle quickly using the best exercises and workouts.

What the different body types are, and the unique challenges each face when building

muscle.

How to determine if you're a beginning, intermediate or advanced lifter.

How many calories you need while bulking.

What to do if you are overweight and want to build muscle.

How to determine what amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats you need.

Why bulks fail and no muscle is built, and why some bulks result in only fat gains

How to structure a meal plan.

What natural muscle building expecations are, and what factors lead to success.

How to build a workout, choose exercises and optimize a split.

About the various types of exercises, and which should be a big priority when

building muscle.

What amount or training volume, sets and reps to use per muscle group.

Which 5 exercises are the best muscle builders by body part.

How to train for longevity and remain injury free.

Which muscle building supplements are best sellers, and how to use them to

maximize your gains.

About advanced training techniques, from drop sets to rest-pause training.

Introduction

The following guide will provide you with all the tools you need to build muscle as quickly

as possible. You will learn how to properly structure your weekly workouts, which exercises

are the best choices, how to set up an eating plan so that you maximize your time in the gym,

and much more.

If you need help or clarifications, please feel free to post a question or comment at the end of

this guide. You may also post questions in the Muscle & Strength forum.

Definitions and Common Terms

The following is a list of common terms found in most muscle building articles and workouts,

along with definitions.

Hypertrophy – Hypertrophy is the process of increasing the size of muscle cells

through the use of resistance training. There are two different types of muscular

hypertrophy: sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar.

Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy – Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy involves and increase in a

cell’s sarcoplasmic fluid without an accompanying increase in strength.

Myofibrillar Hypertrophy - Myofibrillar hypertrophy involves a cellular increase in

the contractile proteins actin and myosin, which is accompanied by strength increases

as well as small increases in muscle size. It should be stated that sarcoplasmic and

myofibrillar hypertrophy rarely occur independently, meaning one without the other.

Split Workout – A split, or training split, is a workout that targets specific areas of

the body rather than working the entire body in one training session. A split workout

is usually constructed based on bodyparts, but can also be structured according to

movement planes, or in an upper body/lower body type manner. Splits generally range

anywhere from a 3 day push, pull, legs split to a 6 day bodypart split.

Fullbody Workout – A fullbody workout is a training approach that targets the entire

body in each session. Fullbody training is generally performed 3 times per week with

at least one day off in between sessions. Some fullbody workouts are performed only

twice per week.

Progression – Progression is the act of making a workout more difficult over time via

the addition of additional weight, volume, or through the inclusion of high intensity or

advanced training techniques.

Rep – A rep, or repetition, is the act of performing an exercise a single time. Each

repetition is comprised of two separate actions: a concentric and eccentric movement.

The concentric portion of an exercise involves pulling, pushing or squatting a weight,

while the eccentric movement involves lowering or raising the bar back to it’s initial

point so that another repetition can be performed.

Set - A set is a group or repetitions performed with limited rest in between reps,

generally in a near continuous manner.

Body Types and Bone Size Factors

There are three primary bodytypes: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph.

Ectomorph. An ectomorph is a typical skinny guy. Ecto’s have a light build with small joints

and lean muscle. Usually ectomorph’s have long thin limbs with stringy muscles. Shoulders

tend to be thin with little width. Typical traits of an ectomorph:

Small “delicate” frame and bone structure

Classic “hardgainer”

Flat chest

Small shoulders

Thin

Lean muscle mass

Finds it hard to gain weight

Fast metabolism

Mesosmorph. A mesomorph has a large bone structure, large muscles and a naturally athletic

physique. Mesomorphs are the best body type for bodybuilding. They find it quite easy to

gain and lose weight. They are naturally strong which is the perfect platform for building

muscle. Typical traits on a Mesomorph:

Athletic

Hard body with well defined muscles

Rectangular shaped body

Strong

Gains muscle easily

Gains fat more easily than ectomorphs

Endomorph. The endomorph body type is solid and generally soft. Endomorphs gain fat

very easily. Endo’s are usually of a shorter build with thick arms and legs. Muscles are

strong, especially the upper legs. Endomorphs find they are naturally strong in leg exercises

like the squat. Typical traits of an Endomorph:

Soft and round body

Gains muscle and fat very easily

Is generally short and “stocky”

Round physique

Finds it hard to lose fat

Slow metabolism

Bodytype Combinations. Bodytypes are not set in stone. Most of us are a combination of

bodytypes with ectomorph/mesomorph or mesomorph/endomorph being fairly common.

Are You a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced Lifter?

The muscle building workouts on Muscle & Strength fall into 3 categories: beginner,

intermediate and advanced workouts. Use the following guidelines when trying to decide

which workouts are best for you.

Beginner. A beginner, or novice, has yet to make a substantial amount of muscle mass gains.

They are still trying to figure out proper training and nutrition, or may simply be missing too

many gym sessions to make any progress at all.

Intermediate. An intermediate has experienced "beginner gains", and has generally added a

minimum of at least 10-15 pounds of muscle. Intermediate lifters know how to eat and train

to maximize results in the gym.

Advanced. An advanced lifter has reached the point where yearly muscle gains have

substantially diminished. They may require more creative training approaches and/or

periodization. An advanced lifter looks muscular and impressive in a t-shirt. People will

know upon seeing them that they “work out.”

Workout Diet and Nutrition

If you’re not eating properly, you won’t build much muscle. Many lifters focus all their

attention on planning a workout split and training ferociously in the gym, but have no clue

how many calories or grams of protein they are eating per day. This won’t cut it.

To build muscle you need to monitor your diet just as much, if not more so, than your

training. It is not good enough to “just eat healthy.” While healthy eating is a good thing, a

muscle building eating plan has specific requirements that must be met:

1. Calories. You must be eating a consistent amount of daily calories. This intake

should be substantial enough to allow the body to build muscle. Undereating is one of

the major contributers to lack of gains.

2. Protein. You must be monitoring your protein intake. Increasing your daily protein

intake while on a resistance training program helps to increase lean muscle mass. The

human body is in a constant state of “protein turnover.” Muscle tissue is continuously

being repaired and replaced. To maximize this repair, you must maintain a protein

positive nitrogen balance.

3. Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates play two key roles in muscle building. The first is

energy. Your body needs maximum energy to perform at maximum level. Second,

insulin spike post workout. Insulin is the most anabolic hormone in the human body

and drives nutrients from the bloodstream into muscle cells. When you finish your

workout your muscles are desperately trying to repair and rebuild and are crying out

for energy and nutrients. This is the only time when simple carbohydrates will benefit

you for muscle building.

4. Healthy Fats. A low fat diet is not always a healthy diet. The body requires healthy

fats for a myriad of reasons. Undereating healthy fats can compromise sleep, lower

cardiovascular function, slow recovery and increase the likelihood of overtraining.

You must be monitoring your fat intake to some degree so that you are certain it is at

a productive level.

How Many Calories do You Need?

To help you determine your daily calorie requirement, you will first need to calculate your

BMR, or basal metabolic rate. The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is a excellent tool for working

out how many calories your body needs on a daily basis depending on the amount and

intensity of the exercise you do. This tool works on a proven formula and is very accurate.

The calculator uses two formulas to calculate your body's daily calorie requirements.

Figure out your BMR BMR => BMR Calculator

Tight Bulk. A tight bulk is generally recommended for individuals who consider themselves

to be at an average, or healthy weight. Use the following formula to determine your daily

calorie needs for a tight bulk:

BMR + 300 calories

Aggressive Bulk. If you consider yourself underweight, or a hardgainer, it will be beneficial

to eat more aggressively. Use the following formula to determine your daily calorie needs for

an aggressive bulk:

BMR + 500 calories

Underweight individuals may need to add more than 500 calories to their BMR calculation if

they find they are not gaining weight. If this is the case, add an additional 300 calories per

day and monitor your weight for the next month.

Remember that all calculations are only starting points. If you are training hard and aren’t

seeing results, add more calories to your daily eating plan. It is best to bump caloric intake by

no more than 300 calories at a time.

For more great information on muscle building nutrition check out the following articles:

How to Create a Bodybuilding Diet

Next Level Nutrition: How to Supercharge Muscle Growth with Workout Nutrition

Post-Workout Nutrition: The Window of Opportunity

Get Big, Not Fat: A Better Approach to Bulk and Build Muscle

Meal Timing: Set Your watch to More Growth!

Your Go-To-Guide to Gaining Muscle while Minimizing Fat Gains

How to Eat if You’re Overweight

Building muscle while losing fat is very difficult. In fact, it can be near impossible for most

individuals. If you are overweight, the reality is this:

Either way you will need to train hard and use a precise eating plan.

For most overweight individuals it is recommend that they focus on losing fat while

following a muscle building workout. This will maximize the opportunity to build muscle

while losing weight and reclaiming their health. If you are moderately overweight, a good

place to start is:

BMR minus 500 calories

Set a goal to lose 1.5 to 2 pounds of fat per week. This rate is generally considered optimal

for retaining, or possibly increasing muscle mass while losing weight.

If you are losing weight more rapidly than this, there is a good chance you might also be

sacrificing muscle tissue. In this case, add 200-300 more calories to your daily eating plan

and monitor the scale for several weeks.

If on the other hand you are not dropping any weight at all, drop calories by 300 per day and

monitor the scale for several weeks.

How Much Protein do You Need?

Daily protein intake is a hotly debated topic. Ask exactly how much protein is required to

build muscle and you will receive one of the following responses:

150 grams. You never need more than 150 grams.

1 gram/pound. You need one gram per pound of bodyweight.

30/50/20. Your protein intake should always comprise 30% of your daily calories.

Which method is right? Let’s take a closer look.

150 grams per day. While eating 150 grams of protein per day is a sound approach, the

major problem with setting 150 grams as a maximum limit is that it forces hardgainers with

fast metabolisms into eating a disproportionately huge amount of carbohydrates.

For example, if you have need 4000 calories per day just to gain weight, using the 150 grams

of protein standard you would be required to eat somewhere in the neighborhood of 600

grams of carbohydrates per day.

It goes without saying that limiting protein intake to a maximum of 150 grams per day can be

somewhat unbalanced for individuals with fast metabolisms.

One gram per pound of bodyweight. Calculation methods like this are extremely popular,

but can be highly flawed. Let's explain why by looking at 3 different individuals:

Lifter A – Weighs 135 pounds at a height of 5’10″.

Lifter B – Weighs 165 pounds at a height of 5’10″.

Lifter C – Weighs 260 pounds at a height of 5’10″.

Using this recommendation Lifter A, the skinniest member of the bunch, is advised to eat the

smallest amount of protein – only 135 grams per day. In reality, this lifters probably requires

the most daily protein because his body is underweight and has the potential to grow more

rapidly as his weight normalizes.

Lifter B is advised to eat about 165 grams of protein per day, which is fairly reasonable. One

caveat – if he is a beginner, Lifter B has the potential to gain muscle at an accelerated pace

and it may be beneficial to eat somewhere in the neighborhood of 180-200+ grams of protein

per day as an insurance policy.

Lastly, Lifter C is advised to eat 260 grams of protein per day. It goes without saying that

Lifter C is overweight. He should be eating no more protein than Lifter B, yet we are asking

him to over-consume protein.

30/50/20 Protein, Carb And Fat Ratio. The use of protein, carb and fat ratios can fail in the

same way that the gram per pound of bodyweight recommendations did. But before we

explore why, let’s explain what this ratio means.

30 – 30% of your daily calories from protein. Each gram of protein contains 4

calories.

50 – 50% of your daily calories from carbs. Each gram of carbohydrate contains 4

calories.

20 – 20% of your daily calories from fat. Each gram of at contains 9 calories.

The 30/50/20 ratio recommendation breaks down at the low and high end of the calorie

spectrum. Here are 2 examples:

1800 calories. In this example, our lifter either has a slow metabolism or is on a

cutting diet. Using the 30% rule, he would be limited to 135 grams of protein per day.

This is an extremely minimal amount of protein, especially for someone who is trying

to hold on to muscle mass during a calorie deficit.

4000 calories. This is a bulking scenario, most likely for a very young lifter with a

fast metabolism. Using the suggested ratios he would be required to eat 300 grams of

protein per day (not to mention 500 grams of carbs). This is a gut-stuffing amount of

food. Our lifter would be better off relying slightly more heavily on fats, which are

calorie dense but tend not to fill the stomach as much as carbs or protein.

So, How Much Protein DO You Need?

There are many other protein recommendations and formulas used in the muscle building

realm. Instead of relying on ratios or on grams per pound of bodyweight, it is easier to use

this simple guideline:

Eat 30 to 40 grams of protein every 2.5 to 3 hours.

Using this method, the least amount of protein you would eat on a daily basis would be 150

grams, and the most 240 grams. In general, 180 to 200 grams is sufficient for most natural

lifters – unless you are 6’6″ and pencil thin.

Please don’t panic at the site of 240 grams of protein. It is at the high end of the spectrum,

and may only be required by hardgainers with a fast metabolism. But it is surely not needed

for most of us.

Determining Fat Intake

Fat intake should comprise about 20-30% of your daily calories. The more daily calories you

need, the closer this percentage should be to 30. Again, fat contains 9 calories per gram,

compared to protein and carbohydrates which contain 4 calories per gram, making fats more

calorie dense.

If you need more daily calories, the easiest way to eat more is by increasing your daily fat

intake.

Determining Carbohydrate Intake

Determining daily carbohydrate intake is rather simple. Since you have already calculated

your BMR, you only need to subtract the calories derived from fat and protein intake to arrive

at how many calories you need from carbohydrates.

Divide this number by 4 to arrive at the number of carbohydrate grams you need per day. For

example:

Step 1 – BMR. You calculate that your daily calorie requirement to build muscle is

3000 calories.

Step 2 – Protein. You structure an eating plan based around 180 grams of protein,

which works out to a total of 720 calories.

Step 3 – Fat. You structure an eating plan with 25% of your daily calories coming

from healthy fats. This is 750 calories, or 83.33 grams of fat.

Step 4 – Carbohydrates. Subtract the 750 calories from fat and 720 calories from

protein to arrive at 1530 calories needed from carbohydrates. This works out to 382.5

grams per day.

Why Bulks Fail and Turn into Fat Gain

It is not uncommon to see lifters spending months on end bulking, only to find out that most

of the weight gain was fat. What happened? There are 2 possible reasons:

1. They did not train hard enough. Most individuals underestimate just how hard they

are training. They rarely make progress on strength gains, nor make any attempt to

push themselves as hard as possible on every set.

2. They ate too much. You do not need to gain 30 pounds in 4 months while bulking.

This is not necessary at all. Weight gain should be controlled and precise. A beginner

(who is not underweight) should average no more than a 2 pound gain per month

during their first year, and an intermediate lifter should average about a pound gain

per month.

Why Bulks Fail and Result in No Muscle Gain

On the other end of the spectrum, it is quite common to see trainees working hard in the gym

but not gaining any muscle (and bodyweight) at all. The reason for this is simple…they are

not eating enough food.

Undereating can stem from a fear that a bulk will lead to an excessive amount of fat gain.

This is rarely the case. Even an aggressive bulk will not add an unusual amount of fat if the

lifter is training properly. Yes, some fat will be gained, but it will be pounds and not dozens

of pounds.

A Note about Aggressive Bulks

Muscle building for the natural lifter is like a glass of water. The more you gain, or pour out

of the glass, the less you have to gain in the future. Because of this, it makes more sense to

bulk more aggressively as a novice, and to bulk less aggressively after you have already built

a substantial amount of muscle mass.

An aggressive bulk for someone who already has a lot of quality muscle will only result in a

substantial amount of fat gain. On the other hand, a very tight bulk for someone new to the

muscle building process may slow gains.

Beginning lifters experience what is known as "beginner gains". If you are training correctly,

you will add muscle very rapidly. Gains will continue to slow over time, but will generally

follow this pattern if the lifter began the muscle building process at an average, or normalized

weight:

Year 1 – 16 pounds of muscle.

Year 2 – 8 pounds of muscle.

Year 3 – 4 pounds of muscle.

Year 4 – 2 pounds of muscle.

Year 5 – 1 pound of muscle.

The above chart is not presented to create hard and fast limits on muscle gain, but rather to

provide realistic muscle building expectations. It is obvious that if you have a limited

potential to build muscle in a given year, aggressive bulks won’t make sense.

Healthy Foods that Can Add Calories

It can be hard for some to reach their daily calorie requirements while bulking. The following

foods are healthy and calorie dense, allowing you to eat more without feeling as full.

Wheat Pasta

Whole Grain/Wheat Cereal

Whole Milk

Cheese

Sour Cream

Almonds & Nuts

Natural Peanut & Almond Butter

Avocados

Bananas

Beef

Butter

Olive Oil

Honey

Dark Chocolate

How to Structure a Meal Plan

A muscle building meal plan does not have to be complicated. The easiest way to approach

daily eating is to structure your eating around breakfast, lunch and dinner. In between meals,

or later in the evening, you can add snacks. These snacks will allow you to intake more

protein and nutrients, helping you to recover and grow. All meals and snacks should be based

around proper protein intake, as detailed below.

An effective meal plan will look something like this:

Breakfast

Snack

Lunch

Snack

Dinner

Snack

Here are some “rules” to better help you structure your meal plan:

Frequent Protein – You want to eat a minimum of 30 grams of protein every 2.5 to 3

hours. For snack meals, protein feedings can be as simple as a whey shake, string

cheese, eggs or a tin of tuna.

Carbohydrate Timing – While it is ok to have carbs at every meal, focus on eating a

larger amount of carbohydrates for breakfast, and during your post-workout meal.

Healthy Fats – Don’t forget your healthy fats. Milk, cheese, nuts, almonds, butter and

olive oil are great choices.

Fruits & Veggies - Eat your fruits and veggies. A banana or apple along with a

protein shake makes for a very convenient snack. You can also increase your veggie

intake with a nice spinach salad, adding in veggies of choice. (Peppers, onions and

more!)

Variety - Eat a variety of protein foods, grain-based carbs, fruits, veggies and foods

containing healthy fats. Everything you eat has a different amino acid and vitamin and

mineral profile, so eating a variety of foods will help you to cover all nutritional

bases.

Post-Workout Nutrition. Your post-workout meal is your most important feeding of the

day. After a heavy and intense weight training session, your body is depleted of many vital

nutrients including protein, glycogen (sugars used for energy), amino acids, and important

vitamins and minerals. It’s absolutely essential that you replace these nutrients as soon as

possible to prevent catabolism (muscle breakdown) and promote anabolism (muscle repair

and re-growth) and protein synthesis.

Additionally, to replace lost muscle glycogen and spike insulin, you can add fast digesting

carbohydrates. Good examples of these are dextrose and waxy maize starch. Around 70g of

carbohydrates is need for an adequate insulin spike.

Meals Per Day. How many meals per day is optimal for muscle growth? This can be a hotly

debated topic. Here are some points to remember when structuring your meal plan:

Frequent feeding works. While eating more infrequently might work for you, eating

every 2.5 to 3 hours has been a staple in the muscle building realm for decades, and

for a good reason…it works and works well.

Less frequent feeding. If you are only able to eat 3 to 4 meals per day, space these

meals apart as much as possible, and make sure you are reaching a calorie and

macronutrient intake level that can help you add muscle. It may also be beneficial to

supplement with BCAAs in between meals.

Addressing criticism of frequent feeding. Occasionally someone will claim that frequent

meal feedings is not needed. It is important to note that very few of us eat only 2-3 times per

day. Most of us graze in between meals – even critics of frequent feeding. In fact, it is rare to

find anyone who doesn’t snack or graze a couple times per day.

The point is this – when you do snack in between meals (and if you’re like most of us you

will), it is better to land on the side of caution and ingest only nutritious foods – including

protein.

A Look at Alternative Eating Approaches

The following diet approaches are considered nonconventional. The term nonconventional is

not used to imply ineffective, or that these eating approaches are fads. Each of these

approaches have been embraced and used successfully by members of the fitness and body

recomposition community.

It is highly recommended that you do further research before trying any of these approaches.

Many of them are intended to be used as lifestyles, and not temporary solutions.

For more information on these eating approaches please read:

Nonconventional Diet Approaches

The Paleo Diet. The Paleo Diet focuses on the consumption of foods that were prevalent

prior to the first agricultural revolution - the Neolithic Revolution. It was during this time

(approx. 10,000 years ago) that man moved from a hunter gatherer lifestyle to a settlement-

based agricultural lifestyle. The Paleo Diet emphasizes that for most of human history, man

did not consume foods such as refined sugars and grains and high glycemic carbohydrates.

The Warrior Diet. The Warrior Diet involves eating only one major meal per day, and

consuming the bulk of your food during a dinner window that lasts up until 2 hours before

bedtime. The idea behind the Warrior Diet is that during the day, while fasting, your survival

mechanisms will kick in and you will burn fat. During this period, you will also feel more

alert and less sluggish, as your body is said to be in a heightened, animal on the prowl

searching for a kill type state.

Intermittent Fasting. Intermittent Fasting and the Warrior Diet are very similar in nature.

Intermittent Fasting calls for a 16 hour fasting window in which you eat nothing. During the

8 hours of "feasting", you consume your daily calories. This can include a pre-workout meal,

and generally focuses on a very large post-workout meal.

Sample Quick and Easy Meals

The meals found in this section are quick and easy to make. They focus on ingredients that

are tasty, and easy to find. The lunch/dinner meals can be prepared in about one hour on a

Sunday afternoon. The breakfast meals should take less then 10 minutes to prepare. Also

included are easy snack meals.

Quick and Easy Breakfast Meals

Meal 1 - Oatmeal, banana and protein powder. While you are heating your oatmeal or

water, slice a banana. Add the sliced banana and a scoop of protein powder to your

oatmeal, and mix.

Meal 2 - Whole wheat bagel with natural peanut butter, large glass of milk and a

piece of fruit.

Meal 3 - Whole grain cereal with milk and a scoop of protein powder, blueberries and

a glass of orange juice.

Meal 4 - 3 egg omelet with spinach and cheese and a glass of cranberry juice.

Purchase frozen, chopped spinach. Place a 1/2 cup spinach in a frying pan with 1/2

cup cheddar or pepper jack cheese.

Meal 5 - Chicken and egg burrito. Place 2 eggs in a frying pan, add in desired amount

of canned chicken, cheese and green chiles. Scramble eggs, and place in 1-2 whole

wheat tortillas. Top with salsa.

Meal 6 - Lumberjack breakfast - pancakes and sausage. On Sunday, spend an hour

preparing 5-10 whole wheat pancakes, and some turkey bacon and/or sausage. Reheat

for breakfast during the week. Top pancakes with natural apple sauce, and chase with

a large glass of milk.

Meal 7 - Blender breakfast. Place 2 scoops of protein powder in a blender. Add 1/2 to

3/4 cup oats, 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter, ice and water. Blend, fill your shaker

and go!

Quick And Easy Lunch & Dinner Meals. These meals can be prepared on a Sunday in one

hour or less, and will make 5 total meals.

Meal 1 - Salsa chicken quinoa. Add 2 cups uncooked quinoa to 4 cups water. Boil and

reduce heat until very little water remains. Pull off the stove and let quinoa sit for 5

minutes. Add 2 large cans of cooked chicken, and 2 cups salsa. Mix, and place in 5

Tupperware containers.

Meal 2 - Tuna and pasta. Boil your favorite healthy pasta. Drain, and add 4-5 cans of

tuna in water. Next, add in low fat mayo, cheddar cheese and black pepper to taste,

and one can of peas. Place in 5 Tupperware containers.

Meal 3 - Beef and potatoes. Cube 5 large potatoes or sweet potatoes. Lightly toss in

olive oil and your favorite seasoning. Place on baking pan, and cook until tender.

While potatoes are cooking, place 1-2 pounds of ground beef (or turkey) in a skillet,

season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook. Combine cubed potatoes and ground

beef and place into 5 Tupperware bowls. Don't forget to season - add in salsa, sour

cream or low cal gravy.

Meal 4 - Salmon burger and rice. Combine three 7.5 ounce cans of salmon in a

mixing bowl with 5 egg whites. Form into patties, and cook in a frying pan (using

non-stick spray). Please on a whole wheat bun, and top with onions. At the same time

you start cooking your salmon burgers, cook 2-3 packages of boxed, flavored

wild/brown rice mix. Add 2-3 cups frozen broccoli into rice as it cooks. Place both the

salmon burger and rice into separate Tupperware containers.

Meal 5 - Peanut butter and banana sandwich. Spread natural peanut butter on whole

wheat bread. Add banana slices, and cover with a second piece of bread forming a

sandwich. Place sandwiches into sandwich bags. Eat along side a protein shake (or

milk), and a container of Greek yogurt.

You can also easily add some canned veggies, or make a quick and healthy salad to being

along with each of these meals.

Quick And Easy Snacks. The following snacks are pack and go, meaning they require very

little preparation. Remember, snacks exist primarily to help you reach your daily protein

intake goals. A snack without protein is a wasted snack. Protein is vital for muscle repair and

rebuilding, and helps to fend off muscle loss while cutting fat.

Snack 1 - String cheese and a banana. Each piece of string cheese has approximately

6-7 grams of protein, and only 60 to 70 calories (low fat string cheese is often 60

calories).

Snack 2 - Protein bars, or meal replacements. Keep a stash of protein bars at work, in

your car, or in your gym bag or purse. You never know when life will interrupt, and

force you to eat on the go.

Snack 3 - Greek yogurt and almonds. Toss in your cooler, and go! One container of

Greek yogurt contains 15 grams of protein, and one ounce of almonds contains 6

grams of protein.

Snack 4 - Call this snack the convenience store special. Grad a pack of beef jerky,

and chase it with a can of fresh fruit or tomato juice.

Snack 5 - Cottage cheese and strawberries or blueberries. 4 ounces of cottage cheese

has 13 grams of protein and only 111 calories. Combine 8 ounces of cottage cheese

with a handful of strawberries or blueberries, and you have a high protein and low

calorie snack.

Natural Muscle Building Expectations and Goals

Muscle building drugs like steroids have made it very difficult for the natural lifter to

understand what results to expect. Fortunately, there have been several in-depth studies over

the years that can provide the natural lifter with reasonable goals and expectations.

The most detailed of these studies was performed by Dr. Casey Butt. Dr. Butt studied the

bodyweight and measurements of approximately 300 winning drug-free strength training

athletes and bodybuilders from 1947-2007, and arrived at the following formula for

determining potential bodyweight for a given bodyfat percentage:

...where,

H = Height in inches.

A = Ankle circumference at the smallest point.

W = Wrist circumference measured on the hand side of the styloid process. (The

styloid process is the bony lump on the outside of your wrist.)

%bf = The body fat percentage at which you want to predict your maximum lean

body mass.

Using the above formula, and inserting 7.5 wrist inches and 9.5 ankle inches (which would be

considered large boned), we derive the following natural bodyweight potentials for 12%

bodyfat percentage.

The reduced formula with wrist and ankle circumferences and a 6% bodyfat percentage is:

H^1.5 (0.318194186).

Height, 66 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 193.8 pounds

Height, 67 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 198.3 pounds

Height, 68 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 202.8 pounds

Height, 69 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 207.2 pounds

Height, 70 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 211.8 pounds

Height, 71 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 216.3 pounds

Height, 72 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 220.9 pounds

Height, 73 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 225.5 pounds

Height, 74 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 230.2 pounds

Height, 75 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 234.9 pounds

Height, 76 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 239.6 pounds

Muscle Maturity/Muscle Density. As a lifter matures they will gain the advantage of muscle

maturity. A 23 year old bodybuilder will rarely look as dense as a seasoned 40 year old

bodybuilder. Research indicates that muscle fibers have a tendency to become hard and tough

due to repeated use. Also, over time collagen becomes tougher and more difficult to break

down. Collagen is the substance that bundles muscle fibers together. These two factors

combined can lead to a more impressive muscularity.

Muscle Measurement Expectations. From his study, Dr. Casey Butt was also able to

provide a set of muscle measurement guidelines for the natural muscle builder. Insert your

current height, ankle and/or wrist size in inches into the following equations to find

reasonable muscle size goals:

Chest = 1.6817W + 1.3759A + 0.3314H

Biceps = 1.2033W + 0.1236H

Forearms = 0.9626W + 0.0989H

Neck = 1.1424W + 0.1236H

Thighs = 1.3868A + 0.1805H

Calves = 0.9298A + 0.1210H

Here are the procedures Dr. Butt recommends for each bodypart. “Measurement Procedure:

Chest - measured relaxed (not expanded), arms at sides, tape under armpits

Biceps - flexed, at largest point

Forearms - fist clenched, hand out straight, measured at largest point

Neck - below Adam's apple at smallest point

Thighs - standing relaxed, midway between hip and knee

Calves - standing relaxed, at largest point

For all measurements tape should be snug but not compressing the flesh.”

Building the ideal body. What are the ideal proportions for the male physique? Is there such

thing as "ideal" proportions? Bodybuilding legend Steve "Hercules" Reeves thought so. In his

book "Classic Physique", Steve wrote about his ideal muscle to bone ratios. These ratios were

used to work out your ideal shape based on some of body measurements.

Muscle & Strength features a calculator based on these ideal proportions. Click here to use

the calculator.

Working all Body Parts. The body prefers to grow as a whole unit. Training one part of the

body can stimulate growth in other areas. For this reason it is so important to work the entire

body. If you are seeking maximum size, or as is the case for many individuals maximum

upper body size, it is important not to neglect leg training.

Common Factors that Lead to Success

The muscle building process often seems like a complicated puzzle that can only solved by a

limited number of lucky individuals. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are

several common factors that lead to success.

Persistence. Persistence means getting to the gym week in and week out, year in and year

out. You can’t make quality gains if you continue to miss workouts each week. If you aren’t

persistent with your workouts, nothing else will matter.

Exercise Selection. To build the best body you will need to use the best tools. Exercises are

your tools. The most effective exercises are compound and bodyweight movements.

Proper Nutrition. You can train like a beast but if you aren’t eating properly you won’t

build muscle. Bodybuilding nutrition isn’t simply about “eating clean.” You must also be

aware of how any calories, and grams of protein you are taking in each day.

Progression. If you don’t challenge yourself in the gym, your body has no reason to build

muscle. You must find a way to push yourself to new levels. The easiest and most efficient

way of doing this for the beginning to early intermediate lifter is through progression of

weight. Progression is simply pushing yourself on every set for as many reps as possible (it is

not necessary to train to failure), and adding weight to the bar when it makes sense.

The body responds to very specific demands, and is capable of adapting very quickly. If you

continue to use the same reps/weight week in and week out, progress will grind to a halt very

quickly.

Balance. To succeed you must balance your training. For example, if you overwork your

chest but underwork your back, you create a muscular imbalance which can lead to injury.

The same can be said for overworking the chest and underworking shoulders, or overworking

the arms.

A good workout plan is balanced, and features a near-equal amount of work for opposing

muscle groups and a reasonable amount of training volume. Over time training imbalances

often create shoulder issues, elbow tendonitis and other common training injuries that force

you to take time away from training. It goes without saying that missed workouts will slow

your progress.

What We Can Learn from the Best Natural Physiques in the World

Muscle & Strength has amassed a huge collection of natural athlete profiles and interviews. If

you take a detailed look at the collective training and diet information in these articles, you

will find the following trends:

1. Hard Work. To be successful you will need to work hard. There are no short cuts,

and no easy paths. There are no magic workouts or magic diets.

2. Perform Difficult Exercises. To be successful you must be willing to perform the

most challenging exercises. Most natural bodybuilders list squats, deadlift and a

bench press variation as their 3 top muscle building lifts.

3. Learn Proper Form. To be successful you must take time and learn good exercise

form. Form is a work in progress. As the weight gets heavier, it becomes more and

more critical that you refine your exercise form.

4. No Excuses. To be successful you must stop making excuses and get to the gym.

Aches, pains and strains happen. Life happens. Those that succeed set aside excuses

and do the work required to achieve their goals.

5. Master Your Body. To be successful you must master your body. Learn what works

for you and what doesn’t. This applies to both training and diet.

6. Stop Jumping Around. To be successful you must learn that hard work and a good

eating plan are the keys to progress. There are no magical programs. If you train hard

and eat properly you should be able to build muscle on nearly any program.

7. Know What You’re Eating. To be successful you must know what’s going into your

body. This requires at least a minimal understanding of your daily calorie and protein

intake. “Guessing” or “trying to eat healthy” are imprecise nutritional methods. Take

control and develop an eating plan.

8. Be Willing To Learn. To be successful you must be willing to keep an open mind.

Read a new article each week, or take time to study the habits of those that are

successful.

Build a Workout

This section will help you build a workout from the ground up. You will learn about:

The major muscle groups and how to combine them into an effective fullbody or split

muscle building program.

The various types of exercises, including information on which are considered the

most effective choices.

Common workout structures – fullbody workouts, upper/lower splits, bodypart splits

and more.

Training volume: how many sets to use per bodypart, and how and when to add more

volume over time.

Different rep ranges and how to use them to maximize hypertrophy.

Methods of progression: how and when to add weight to the bar, and when to use

advanced training techniques such as supersets, etc.

How much rest you need between sets, and how to alter rest periods to assist the

muscle building process.

A Look at Muscle Groups

Most muscle building workouts focus on the following 12 primary muscle groups:

1. Abs

2. Back

3. Biceps

4. Calves

5. Chest

6. Forearms

7. Hamstrings

8. Lower Back

9. Quadriceps

10. Shoulders

11. Traps

12. Triceps

Occasionally you will see a training program include exercises for the glutes, but direct glute

work is generally considered the exception and not the norm.

Major Muscle Groups. Of the 12 primary muscle groups 4 are considered major, and most

training approaches are structured around them. These 4 major muscle groups are:

Back, often includes lower back work.

Chest.

Shoulders, often including traps exercises.

Quads, often grouped together with hamstrings.

Antagonist muscle groups. Antagonist muscle groups are two muscle groups that work in

opposition to one another. Major examples are:

Biceps and Triceps

Chest and Back

Quads and Hamstrings

Forearms, Traps and Lower Back. It is not uncommon to see workouts that do not include

direct forearm, traps or lower back exercises.

Forearms. The forearms receive quite a bit on natural stimulation from the constant action of

holding/gripping barbells, dumbbells and machine handles.

Traps. The traps, or trapezius muscles, receive quite a bit of stimulation from deadlifts, stiff

leg deadlifts, overhead pressing and to a certain degree, rows.

Lower Back. A training program heavy in compound movements such as squats and

deadlifts will do a good job of taxing the lower back. Because of this, direct lower back work

might actually be counterproductive (overtraining). Much of this will depend on the lower

back strength of the trainee.

Exercise Types

There are 2 types of exercise mechanics:

Compound Exercises. A compound exercise involves the movement of two joints

more than one muscle group.

Isolation Exercises. Isolation exercises only involve one joint and one muscle group.

There are 7 primary exercise types:

Barbell

Bodyweight

Cables

Dumbbells

Exercise Ball

Machines

Other

In general, the most productive exercises are barbell and dumbbell compound lifts, but

bodyweight and machine compound exercises can be very potent as well.

The most effective exercises. The following 7 lifts are arguably the best muscle building

exercises.

Squats. Squats are the king of all muscle and strength building exercises. No workout

should be without deep squats. They are performed with a barbell, generally in a squat

rack. Squats not only build massive legs, but also stress most of the upper body. They

are like hormonal gamma radiation – taxing the entire body, forcing it to get bigger

and stronger with ever rep.

Deadlifts. Second only to squats in effectiveness (and a very close second at that),

deadlifts are another manmaker that will pack on slabs of muscle mass while helping

you become as strong as a bear. Like squats, deadlifts are a barbell only exercise.

Dips. Dips are often called the upper body squat, and for good reason. Dips work the

shoulders, chest and triceps very hard, and are a great overall exercises for building a

beefy upper body. Dips should be performed at a parallel bar dipping station.

Pull Ups. It seems that even the strongest and most fit lifters can barely squeak out

more than a few pull ups. The pull up is an excellent exercise for building the back

and biceps, and should be used instead of exercises such as the lat pull down when

possible.

Bench Press. The bench press is an upper body staple. There are several highly

effective variations including the flat bench barbell press, flat bench dumbbell bench

press, incline bench barbell press and incline dumbbell bench press.

Overhead Press. As with the bench press, there are numerous quality variations of

the overhead press that can be used. Nearly all seated and standing dumbbell and

barbell overhead presses are solid choices. You may also use the Arnold dumbbell

press, and behind the neck overhead presses. Another popular press variation is the

standing push press.

Rows. Both barbell and dumbbell rows are tremendous upper back exercises. Old

school barbell T-bar rows are also a solid choice. While cable and machine lifts are

generally sub-par back exercises, seated cable rows can be very challenging and

effective.

Training Planes. Exercises can also be viewed by antagonistic training planes. Examples

include:

Horizontal Plane. Pushing away from the chest, pulling towards the chest.

Vertical Plane. Pressing overhead, or pulling down from overhead.

Common Workout Structures

There are 3 primary workout structures:

Fullbody Workouts. A fullbody workout is performed 2-3 times per week on non-

consecutive training days and focuses on training the entire body through the use of

complimentary movements.

Prior to the steroid era, fullbody workouts were the norm. They have been used successfully

by many top bodybuilders over the years, from Steve Reeves to Mr. Olympia Arnold

Schwarzenegger. It is a little known fact that Arnold build a good portion of his muscle mass

using a Reg Park-inspired fullbody workout.

Upper/Lower Splits. Consider an upper lower split a happy middle ground between fullbody

workouts and extensive bodybuilding splits. Upper lower splits are very popular in the realm

of strength building, but when properly structured are excellent routines for muscle building.

Upper days focus on chest, shoulders, arms, and back, while lower days focus on legs, lower

back, abs and often deadlift (and variations).

An upper lower split is generally performed 4 days per week, but can also be performed 3

days per week in an alternating A/B workout type fashion.

Bodypart Split Workout. Bodypart splits are the most common approach to training in the

modern era. Splits are generally organized around one major bodypart, and can often also

include several minor bodyparts. Split workouts can be as basic as a 3 day push/pull/legs

split, to an extremely advanced 6 day double split.

With the advent of steroids, lifters found they were able to train longer and harder with more

benefit, and that they were able to recover much more quickly. This paved the way to

elaborate training splits. Bodypart splits certainly have merit for natural trainees, but they are

better off starting with a modest 3-4 day training split and evolving their training based on

needs, rather than utilizing a 5-6 day split when it isn’t necessarily needed.

How to Structure Fullbody Workouts and Training Splits

The section will provide some basic but effective templates that will allow you to properly

structure workouts on your own. When it comes to workout structure, the possibilities are

endless. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the basics before attempting to

create more advanced workout approaches.

Structuring a Fullbody Workout. A fullbody workout should be performed 3 days per

week, on nonconsecutive training days. The most common approach to fullbody training is to

workout on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

You may also choose to train fullbody 2 days per week, on a Monday and Thursday, for

example. Twice a week training can be a very effective approach, and should not be ruled out

by individuals with a limited amount of time each week to workout.

Many popular fullbody workouts are centered around 3 major lifts: squats, a pressing

movement and a pulling movement.

When devising your own fullbody workout, the following template is a good place to start:

Squat compound movement. Squats, front squats, goblet squats, etc.

Press compound movement. Bench press, military press, or variations.

Pull compound movement. Deadlift, rows, power cleans, etc.

1-2 assistance exercises. Dips, curls, abs, pull ups, calves, shrugs, etc.

Use a compound movement for the squat, press and pull. These lifts should be the most

taxing of the program. Assistance work should be challenging, but can be isolation work

based on needs.

Many fullbody workout approaches rotate intensity levels. The most common intensity

approach is the HLM:

Heavy Day – The focus is on pushing yourself using the most effective squat, press

and pull compound exercises.

Light Day – The focus is on using a little less weight, or a milder exercise for the

squat, press and pull movements. For example, some programs will have you backing

off of your heavy squat weight by 20%, while others call for exercises like goblet

squats on a light day.

Medium Day – This will be a challenging training day, but just not quite as intense as

your heavy day. You may opt for leg presses or front squats instead of squats, and

Arnold presses or dumbbell bench presses instead of heavy bench presses.

A good approach for pressing days is to rotate between a bench press variation and an

overhead variation. You can use dumbbells, barbells or even Hammer Strength if need be.

Structuring an Upper/Lower Split Workout. Upper lower splits generally require training

4 days per week. The following is an example of a common upper/lower training schedule:

Monday – Lower

Tuesday – Upper

Thursday – Lower

Friday - Upper

You may also train 3 days per week using an upper/lower split, as follows:

Week 1 – Upper, Lower, Upper

Week 2 – Lower, Upper, Lower

“Upper days” consist of the following 5 exercises:

1. Chest exercise. Bench press, incline dumbbell bench press, etc.

2. Back exercise. Barbell rows, pull-ups, etc.

3. Shoulder exercise. Military press, seated Arnold press, etc.

4. Tricep exercise. Close grip bench press, dips, etc.

5. Bicep exercise. Barbell curl, dumbbell curl, etc.

“Lower days”, also known as posterior chain training, are comprised of the following 5

exercises:

1. Squat/deadlift exercise. Back squats, deadlift variations, etc.

2. Quad exercise. Leg Press, leg extension, etc.

3. Hamstring exercise. Glute ham raise, still leg deadlift deadlift, etc.

4. Abs exercise. Weighted sit ups, side bends, etc.

5. Calves exercise. Seated calf raise, standing calf raise, etc.

Structuring a Bodypart Split Workout. Bodypart splits open the door to workout variation,

and can be structured in nearly an endless number of ways. Some of the most popular

variations are listed below.

Pull, Push, Legs. The pull, push, legs is a 3 day split that is structured as follows:

Day 1 – Pull. Back, biceps, forearms and traps.

Day 2 – Push. Chest, shoulders and triceps.

Day 3 – Legs. Quads, hamstrings, calves and abs.

3 Day Antagonistic Split. This 3 day split structures workouts based on antagonistic muscle

groups.

Day 1 – Chest and back.

Day 2 – Legs.

Day 3 – Shoulders and arms.

4 Day Major Bodypart Split. This is a fairly common training split, usually featuring a

chest, back, shoulders and legs training day. Because the chest and shoulder days utilize some

of the same muscle groups (shoulders and triceps), it is best to separate them with several

days of rest.

Day 1 – Chest and triceps.

Day 2 – Back and biceps.

Day 3 – Shoulders and traps.

Day 4 – Quads, hamstrings and calves.

It is important to know that in the context of a bodypart split workout each muscle group is

trained only once per week. You will need to structure off days accordingly.

“Rules” to Help Structure a Training Split

1. Chest and Triceps. Don't train chest the day after triceps, or vice versa. The triceps

are heavily involved with pressing movements used to hit the chest. If you work

triceps the day before chest, your triceps will be fatigued and could limit your chest

workout productivity. If you work chest the day before triceps, your triceps will be

fatigued and will receive a pounding two days in a row.

2. Back and Biceps. Don't train back the day after biceps. The biceps are heavily

involved with pulling/rowing movements used to blast the back. If you work biceps

the day before back, your biceps will be fatigued and could limit your back workout

productivity.

3. Squats and Deadlifts. Don't train squats and deadlifts on back to back days. Both

squats and deadlifts utilize many of the same muscle groups. These lifts are

considered posterior chain movements, meaning they both target the lower back,

spinae erectors, glutes, hamstrings, etc. It's best to have a few rest days in between

these lifts.

4. Traps. Don't obsess about direct traps work. The traps are worked hard when

deadlifting, and also during overhead pressing and other shoulder exercises such as

laterals. Do not assume that you need an excessive amount of direct traps work to

build big traps. In fact, if you are deadlifting and using a form of the military press,

you may not need much direct trap work at all.

5. Forearms. Don't obsess about direct forearm work. As with traps, the forearms are

worked hard by numerous other lifts. The mere act of gripping barbells and dumbbells

day in and day out is often enough to stimulate quality forearm growth. Do not

assume you need an excessive amount of direct forearm stimulation.

6. Rear Delts. Don't overwork the rear delts. The rear delts are hit hard on back day, and

during some shoulder exercises for front and side delts. If you look at the

rowing/pulling motion of most back exercises, you will notice that they are in the

same family tree as rear laterals (bent over reverse flys). Some rear delt work is good,

but you do not need an abundance of rear delt exercises to have great looking rear

delts.

7. Front Delts. Don't overwork the front delts. The front delts are aggressively

hammered when using pressing motions for chest and shoulders. These pressing

movements should be the core of your front delt work. While it is a good idea to add

in an additional isolation exercise (such as front laterals) for your front delts, you do

not need an abundance of front delt exercises to have great looking front delts.

8. Abs. Incorporate some form of a heavy ab exercise. Far too often the abs are worked

the same way day in and day out, with no added resistance. Make sure you

incorporate some form of progressive resistance into your ab routine to help build a

thick, amazing looking six pack. These exercise include, but are not limited to:

weighted situps, crunches and leg lifts, and cable crunches.

9. Arm Work. Stop obsessing about direct arm work. Working your arms hard each

week is good. Believing that you need to work your arms with 30 sets, three times per

week is counter productive. Big arms are built with heavy rowing and pressing

movements. Direct bicep and tricep work helps to build big arms (obviously), but you

do not need to overkill the amount of sets you perform.

10. Legs. Work your legs! Don't be a chicken-legged gym rat who avoids hard leg

exercises. Not only do muscular legs look impressive, but strong legs will also

improve athletic performance, helping you to jump higher, run faster, and explode out

of the gate on sprints.

11. Isolation Movements. Don't overuse isolation exercises. Isolation movements have

their place in weight training. But with that said, it makes no sense to perform 5 sets

of dumbbell flyes or tricep kickbacks if you are not working your chest and triceps

hard with a battery of heavy pressing movements.

12. Dips and Pull Ups. Don't discount the power of dips and pull ups. Though these

exercises are bodyweight exercises, the dip is known as the upper body squat for it's

overall muscle building effectiveness, and pull ups are an amazing back blaster. If

these exercises get easy, use a weight belt and add resistance.

13. Lower Back. Don't overwork the lower back with too much direct work. The lower

back is taxed hard enough as it is. A few additional sets for lower back is good, but

overworking your lower back can often result in muscle fatigue, weakness and strains

which can lead to further injuries. Do enough lower back work to stay strong, but not

so much that you aren't able to function for several days.

Factors that Impact Training Frequency

Muscle soreness, and a muscle's ability to recover, are not the only factors involved when

trying to decide how often you should train a muscle group. You also have to consider the

strain that frequent training places on your joints, connective tissue (ligaments and tendons),

CNS (central nervous system), etc.

If you've never trained a muscle group more than once a week, and want to try a more

frequent approach, don't rush into this approach with heavy weight. Take a few weeks to

allow your body to adapt to the demands of this new training style.

Also, keep in mind that the heavier weight you lift, the longer it will take to increase your

training frequency. Your body will need to condition itself to the unique demands of this style

of training. In addition, many advanced lifters that do utilize a more frequent training

approach often cycle their workout intensity. Some workouts may focus on heavy weight for

low reps, and some on moderate or a relatively lighter weight for 10-15 (or more) reps.

Training Volume Considerations

Training a body part twice, or even three times a week is a viable option for many. Small

muscle groups can often be trained more frequently. In fact, large muscle groups can be

training twice or even three times a week if the daily volume of sets is kept in check.

One of the mistakes that many trainees make when working a muscle group multiple times

per week is that they try to keep the volume high on each day. This is a misguided approach.

Regardless of how often you train a muscle group, a good guideline is to use the same weekly

amount of sets. Let's look at a few examples:

Twice a Week Training. If you are currently working your chest once a week for 12

sets and want to work your chest twice a week for extra stimulation, do NOT perform

2 weekly workouts of 12 sets each (a total of 24 sets). Instead, work your chest with

only 6 sets per workout, for the SAME weekly total of 12 sets.

Training Three Times Per Week. If you are currently working your biceps once a

week for 9 sets and want to instead work them three times a week for extra

stimulation, do NOT perform 3 weekly workouts of 9 sets each (a total of 27 sets).

Instead, work your biceps with only 3 sets per workout, for the SAME weekly total of

9 sets.

Weekly Sets Per Bodypart

As a general rule, stick with the following weekly sets per muscle group. When uncertain,

always start with the lowest amount of sets, and only add sets if this approach is ineffective.

9 to 15 weekly sets - Large Muscle Groups. These groups include chest, back,

shoulders and quads.

6 to 9 weekly sets - Small Muscle Groups. These groups include biceps, triceps,

calves, abs and hamstrings.

0 to 3 weekly sets - Minor Muscle Groups. These groups include lower back,

forearms, rear delts and traps.

When training a bodypart twice a week, use the following number of sets per workout:

4 to 8 working sets - Large Muscle Groups. These groups include chest, back,

shoulders and quads.

3 to 5 working sets - Small Muscle Groups. These groups include biceps, triceps,

calves, abs and hamstrings.

0 to 3 working sets - Minor Muscle Groups. These groups include lower back,

forearms, rear delts and traps.

When training a bodypart three times a week, use the following number of sets per workout:

3 to 5 working sets - Large Muscle Groups. These groups include chest, back,

shoulders and quads.

0 to 3 working sets - Small Muscle Groups. These groups include biceps, triceps,

calves, abs and hamstrings.

0 to 3 working sets - Minor Muscle Groups. These groups include lower back,

forearms, rear delts and traps.

A Look at Rep Ranges

There are no magic rep ranges. Progression, or pushing for as many reps as possible on a set,

is far more important than the rep range you choose. With that said, there are some rep range

rules that can maximize your results.

Rep ranges for compound exercises. For most compound exercises it’s a good idea

to stick between 5 to 12 reps per set.

Rep ranges for isolation exercises. For isolation exercises you are better off sticking

with rep ranges between 10-15 per set. Any sets below this range generally involves a

fairly heavy weight, and form can get sloppy rather quickly.

Rep ranges for leg training. Legs often respond better to set volume, and may be

trained as high as 20 reps per set.

Calves and rep range. Calves are an anomaly. Many are born with naturally big calves and

don’t need to train them at all. On the other hand, for those unfortunate enough to have been

born with thin calves, nothing seems to help.

If you have stubborn calves it’s a good idea to experiment. If the 12 to 20 rep range isn’t

working don’t hesitate to try heavy weight and low reps sets, or limited rest between sets.

Rep range variety. To maximize hypertrophy, it’s a good idea to tax each muscle group on a

weekly basis with a variety of rep ranges.

Heavy sets – Compound exercises performed in the 5-7 rep range.

Moderate sets – The bread and butter of muscle building, moderate sets involve

training in the 8-12 rep range.

Light sets – Usually performed with isolation exercises in the 12-15 rep range.

Are High Reps for Cutting? This is a myth. A lifter should not resort to higher reps and

lighter weight when trying to lose weight. By using lighter weight you are telling the body

that it no longer has a reason to hold on to some of its existing muscle mass. When trying to

cut fat continue to train just as hard and heavy as you would when trying to build muscle.

The Importance of Progression

The importance of progression can’t be overstated. Progression of weight is the magic that

drives muscle building for beginner to intermediate lifters. Simply stated, progression

requires you to push yourself on every set for as many reps as possible, and involves the

addition of weight to a lift when you are able to perform the recommended number of reps

for a set.

Always remember to stop a set when your exercise form becomes sloppy. There is also no

need to train to failure. Push yourself until you feel like you might fail on the next rep, and

then stop a set.

Rest Between Sets

Remember the point of being in the gym: to build muscle. There is no need to rush from set

to set to set. While rest pause training, or limiting rest between sets, can be a viable training

approach for the experienced lifter, it serves little value for those in the initial stages of

muscle building.

Rest about 90 to 120 seconds between most sets, and up to 3-5 minutes between heavy,

taxing sets of deadlifts, squats, etc. You may need to rest as little as 60 seconds for certain

isolation exercises.

The key point to remember is this – rest until you feel ready to go again. This is of the utmost

importance to novice lifters who still feel shaky under the bar.

The Best Exercises by Bodypart

5 Most Effective Chest Building Exercises

Bench Press. The king of all upper body muscle building movements. The bench

press is so popular that it is often seen as having it's own training day - bench press

Monday.

Incline Bench Press. The first choice of many top pro bodybuilders.

Dips. Once considered the upper body squat, dips are a great compliment to any

bench press movement.

Dumbbell Bench Press. You will really be able to feel the chest work with this

pressing variation.

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press. A solid alternative to the incline barbell press.

5 Most Effective Back Building Exercises

Deadlifts. Nothing builds beefy backs like the deadlift. The sheer act of holding a

barbell with heavy weight places the lats under an incredible amount of stress.

Pull Ups. A far superior choice to lat pull downs. If you can do one, try for two. If

you can do two, try for three! If you can't do them at all use rack chins.

Barbell Row. No back building workout should be without a heavy row, and barbell

rows are at the top of the list.

Dumbbell Row. An excellent second choice to barbell rows, especially if you have a

weak lower back.

Power Clean. The explosiveness of the power clean effectively works the back from

traps down.

5 Most Effective Shoulder Building Exercises

Military Press. This exercise has been a staple of great workouts for decades on end.

Push Press. Very similar to the military press, but utilizing more of an Olympic

lifting-style explosiveness.

Bench Press. Yes, you read that correctly. The bench press is an amazing front delt

builder. In fact, if your chest day involves several pressing movements there's a good

chance you won't need any direct front delt work on shoulder day.

Seated Behind The Neck Press. Go no deeper than arms perpendicular to the floor,

and this is a rock solid choice.

Seated Dumbbell Press. A little easier on the shoulders for many because the

dumbbells can be placed in a more natural position.

5 Most Effective Leg Building Exercises

Squats. The king of all muscle building lifts. 'Nuff said.

Front Squats. Another top choice of bodybuilding beef kings. Front squats can be

tricky to learn, but you will be rewarded with big wheels.

Stiff Leg Deadlifts. Beef up your hamstrings!

Leg Press. If you don't have access to a squat rack this is your next best bet.

Barbell Lunge. Lunges are another quality leg-building staple.

5 Most Effective Arm Building Exercises

Chin Ups. A shocker, but chin ups (performed with palms toward the face) are a

beastly bicep builder, perhaps even better than straight bar curls.

Close Grip Bench Press. This exercise allows for a heavy amount of weight to be

placed on the triceps.

Dips. Much better than most tricep isolation exercises.

Barbell Curls. A classic. Just don't curl in the squat rack.

Seated Two Arm Dumbbell Tricep Extension. Allows you to lift heavy weight and

reach a deep stretch. You will need a good spotter.

Honorable Mention

Weighted Sit Ups. Why do volume when you can add weight and also build

thickness.

Power Shrugs. Performed with an Olympic lift style explosiveness, power shrugs

allow you to move a lot of weight and tax the traps into massive growth.

Cable Crunches. Forget floor crunches - add some weight and thicken your six pack!

Side Bends. Side bends not only help to build core stability, enhancing your

performance on other compound exercises, but they also target the obliques, helping

to build an impressive midsection.

Seated Calf Raises. The easiest way to isolate and blast the calves.

Training Longevity – Remaining Injury Free

How to warm up. The process of warming up before a weight training session involves 3

different phases:

Mild cardio – 5 to 10 minutes of non-taxing cardio.

Stretching – Several minutes of full body and workout specific stretching.

Working warm up sets – Prepare your body and mind for heavy lifting.

Step 1 – Mild cardio. It is not uncommon to feel stiff, tight, or sore when heading into a

workout. The goal of this stage is to raise your body’s core temperature. You will get the

blood flowing, and warm up your stiff joints and muscles.

Perform 5 to 10 minutes of very mild low impact cardio, such as walking on a treadmill. This

warm up period should not tax your body in any way. Save your energy for the lifting session

to come.

Step 2 – Mild stretching. Now that you have raised your core body temperature with mild

cardio, take the time to stretch at minimum the muscle groups you are about to work out. No

need to overdo it – 5 to 10 minutes of stretching is enough.

Step 3 – Working warm up sets. Most exercises require anywhere from a single working

warm up set, to multiple warm up sets. Use the following guidelines when trying to

determine how many warm up sets are required.

Heavy compound exercises. Heavy compound lifts such as squats, deadlifts, bench press

and overhead press place a great strain on the body. For these lifts it is recommended that you

perform several working warm up sets.

Warm up sets should not tax the body or leave you feeling fatigued. The point of warm up

sets is to prepare your mind, muscles, joints, tendons and central nervous system for the

heavier sets to come.

If you fatigue a muscle during your warm up sets, you will handicap your performance during

your working sets. This is not an effective method of muscle gains.

Sample warm up. What follows is a sample warm up session for the bench press. In this

example, the first working set will be performed using 225 pounds.

Warm up set 1 – Bar x 10-15 reps.

Warm up set 2 – 135 pounds x 5-8 reps.

Warm up set 3 – 185 x 3-5 reps.

Warm up set 4 – 205 pounds x 1 reps.

Isolation exercises. Most isolation exercises require at most one warm up set. Some isolation

exercises, such as weighted sit ups, can be performed without the use of any warm up sets.

Listening to Your Body

Always listen to your body. If you feel extremely stiff or tight, add a few more warm up sets.

In cases where the weight seems unusually heavy, use caution. When a weight feels heavy it

is a sign that your central nervous system is not performing up to speed. You have two

options at this time:

1. Use a slightly lighter training weight for the day.

2. Perform a few more single warm up sets in hopes that your CNS will “wake up.”

The Role of the Central Nervous System

The central nervous system, or CNS, plays an important role in the muscle building progress.

During your warmup sets you are not only preparing your muscles and joints, but also your

CNS.

When the CNS is properly stimulated, or engaged, a weight will feel lighter. This will allow

you to train harder and maximize progress.

Ever notice that on some days a weight just feels heavier than normal? This is your CNS

speaking to you, saying it’s not prepared or engaged. Smaller jumps in warmup weight will

help to wake up your CNS, and allow you to recruit a maximum number of muscle fibers.

To maximize muscle fiber recruitment, do not skip warmup sets and do not make big jumps

in warmup weight.

The Importance of Proper Form

There is a myth that exercise form can be mastered over the course of a couple of workouts.

While this may be true for many isolation exercises, exercise form on heavy compound lifts

will always remain a work in progress.

Heavy weight tends to expose form flaws. As a lifter gains more experience it becomes

critical that they continue to work on exercise form. This will stave off injuries, allowing for

more productive training time and less aches, pains and strains.

Never assume your form is perfect. Take time to video your form and have it critiqued by

experienced lifters. It’s also a good idea to study articles and videos that teach proper form.

What is a Deload, and When to Deload

A deload is a lighter training day in which either the volume of training or the weight is

decreased to allow for recovery from fatigue or minor injury. It is very common for

inexperienced trainees to plan a deload day or deload week after experiencing a single sub-

par workout. This should not be the case.

Bad workouts happen. A deload should only be scheduled after a period of several workouts

in which a trainee feels like he is overreaching, or overtraining. During this deload period, a

lifter’s fatigue will rescind while their fitness level remains strong, allowing them to

productively return to training.

Should You Train While Sick?

While research indicates that working out while sick will not prolong an illness, there are still

many reasons to avoid pushing yourself when sick. The biggest reason to avoid aggressive or

intense training while feeling under the weather is due to impaired CNS function.

When your central nervous system isn’t 100% you will have a more difficult time recruiting

muscle fibers. This diminished capacity will make a weight feel heavier, and can place an

unusual amount of stress on muscles, joints and connective tissue. This, of course, can lead to

injury.

If you do workout while sick, listen to your body. Use lighter than normal weights and stay

hydrated.

How to Avoid Training Injuries

Most training injuries are caused by one of the following:

1. Training too heavy, too often.

2. Training too frequently.

3. Training with poor exercise form.

4. Not listening to your body.

Train too heavy. "Heavy training" is a relative term. Simply stated it means performing too

many reps each week above 90% of your one rep max. Prilepin’s Table, which provides rep,

set and volume guidelines based on what percentage of your one rep max you are working

with, recommends no more than 4-10 reps on the 90%+ range.

For most natural lifters, performing over 4 reps at 90%+ of your one rep max on a given

week is too much. If you continue to train in this range, using a high volume of reps at 90%

plus, it’s only a matter of time before you pick up a major strain or injury that prevents you

from performing at your peak.

Training too frequently. Frequent training can also lead to injury. As a general guideline it

is recommend that you limit your weekly volume per bodypart to the following:

Major Bodyparts – 9 to 16 sets each week.

Minor Bodyparts – 3 to 9 sets each week.

Major bodyparts include chest, shoulders, back and quads. Minor bodyparts include biceps,

triceps, traps, abs, hamstrings and calves.

These volume guidelines are independent of training split, meaning that whether you do a 4

day bodybuilding style split, or a fullbody workout, you will limit your total weekly sets as

listed.

Poor exercise form. It goes without saying that the combination of poor exercise form and

heavy weight is dangerous. Never assume your form is perfect. Make efforts to constantly

refine your form, and seek out more experienced lifters to help you with pointers.

Listening to your body. Listen to your body. If you start to perform an exercise and your

muscles or connective tissue feel “off”, don’t push yourself.

Muscle Building Supplements

It's easy to get overwhelmed with all the different products on the market. This section will

cover the different types of muscle building supplements, what they do, and how you can use

them to help you reach your goals faster.

While supplements are not essential to build muscle, they can help you achieve your goals

more quickly. Intense training needs to be backed up with solid nutrition, and it's often just

not practical to get the nutrition you need, when you need it, from food alone. To realize your

full muscle building potential you need a good diet and supplement plan.

Top Selling Muscle Building Supplements

Protein. Protein is essential for building muscle. Without it, you simply will not grow.

Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the basic building blocks of muscle tissue.

Protein powders and protein bars are convenient and provide high quality protein.

There are two different types of protein powders available, whey protein and casein protein.

Whey protein and casein protein should be used in different ways:

Whey protein. Whey protein is perfect for those looking to build muscle. It's very

fast ingesting, has an awesome amino acid profile, is low in fat and has a very high

boiavailability (BV) score. Whey protein is ideal for whenever you need to get quality

protein into your body fast, like straight after your workout or when you wake up in

the morning.

Casein protein. Casein protein is digested very slowly, between 2 and 7 hours. This

means casein protein is used when you don't need protein right away. Casein is great

to use before bed because the longest time your body goes without protein is during

the night while you are sleeping. Casein is also an ingredient in many meal

replacement products.

Creatine. Creatine is another awesome supplement for gaining muscle mass. It is naturally

occurring in the body, and found in minute quantities in some foods like red meat. It's safe

and very effective for anybody, especially if you've never used it before.

Creatine increases ATP (the main energy source muscles use for explosive power)

availability so that you can perform more reps and sets and lift more weight, helping you to

build muscle more quickly.

Weight Gainers. Weight gain products are great for helping you get the nutritional

requirements and calories needed for muscle growth. To build muscle, you need to be

consuming more calories that you expend every day. Some people need more calories than

others. Some "hard gainers" need a huge amount of calories to grow.

Generally, weight gainers range from about 400 to 1,200 calories per serving. They're made

up of whey protein, complex carbohydrates and fats. Many people who lead a busy lifestyle

use weight gainers to drink between meals to keep their calorie count up.

Multivitamins. It may not seem like the most obvious muscle building supplement, but a

good multi-vitamin play an important role in muscle growth and general health. If you are

deficient in even one vitamin or mineral, your gains can really be hampered.

A good multi-vitamin is a must for the best gains in muscle mass, not to mention good health.

People who are working out need more vitamins than the average person, so your

supermarket brands won't cut it.

Glutamine. L-Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in muscle tissue. It helps

prevent muscle wasting (catabolism) and improves recovery. The better and quicker you

recovery, the sooner and harder you can hit it in the gym! Glutamine is also the primary fuel

source for the immune system, so it can help prevent common illness. This means less chance

you'll have to take time off your workout.

Glutamine is safe to take year-round. Glutamine should not be taken at the same time as

creatine because they compete for receptors to be absorbed. Glutamine is often taken pre-

workout and in your before bed protein shake.

Nitric Oxide Enhancer. Nitric Oxide is a free form gas that is produced in the body and is

used by the body to communicate with other cells in the body. The fact that nitric oxide

increases blood flow should make it of interest to bodybuilders, as increased blood flow will

serve to deliver more nutrients to muscles, thus helping muscles become larger when subject

to stress. People are noticing huge increases in muscle pumps while using this product.

Many top nitric oxide products are also blended with energy enhancers to form a complete

pre-workout drink.

Natural testosterone Booster. As men age testosterone levels decrease. Raising your

testosterone helps you to gain muscle, enhance your mood, maintain a healthy libido, and

more. Testosterone boosters often include popular ingredients such as ZMA, Tribulus, and

much more.

BCAAs & Amino Acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Bodybuilders can

especially benefit from supplementing amino acids because they aid in repair, growth, and

development of muscle tissue. Among the most beneficial and effective supplements in any

sports nutrition program are branched chain amino acids. These are the essential aminos

leucine, isoleucine, and valine.

How to Use Creatine for Maximum Results

On the average, the human body contains 120 grams of creatine. 95% of this creatine is

stored in skeletal muscle. In general, muscle can hold an addition 30 to 40 grams of creatine,

for a total of 150 to 160 grams. Of course, existing muscle mass is a huge factor in this

equation.

There are two primary means of taking, or loading creatine. They are:

Rapid loading. Rapid loading involves taking 20 grams of creatine for 5 to 7 days,

then taking 5 to 10 grams per day thereafter. Creatine is generally taken 5 grams at a

time, in a non-acidic fruit juice, or with dextrose.

Slow loading. Slow loading, or gradual loading, is simply taking 5 to 10 grams of

creatine a day without the rapid loading, 20 gram per day phase.

Both rapid loading and slow loading are effective. It is recommended that you experiment

with both approaches, and determine which is best for you.

Taking Creatine with Carbs/High Glycemic Carbs

It is recommended that you take creatine in 5 gram servings along with a non-acidic fruit

juice, preferably grape juice. Creatine can also be taken with the high glycemic carbohydrate

dextrose. Taking creatine in this manner improves absorption. High glycemic carbs - such as

dextrose - create an insulin spike, which dramatically increases creatine uptake. It is

recommended that you take 70 grams of these carbs to get a quality insulin spike.

When to take Creatine Supplements

There is no evidence supporting a best time to take creatine. But taking it post workout is a

logical and convenient time. Creatine stacks well with post-workout waxy maize and whey

protein. There is evidence revealing that taking creatine with a 1 to 1 ratio of carbs to proteins

can increase creatine absorption.

When rapid loading creatine, it is best to take creatine at the following times:

Morning – 5 grams with grape juice.

Pre-workout – 5 grams of creatine with waxy maize.

Post-workout – 5 grams of creatine with waxy maize and whey protein.

Evening – 5 grams of creatine with grape juice.

When slow loading creatine, it is best to take creatine at the following times:

Pre-workout – 5 grams of creatine with waxy maize.

Post-workout – 5 grams of creatine with waxy maize and whey protein.

What can I expect from a Pre-Workout Formula?

Pre-workout supplements give you the energy, drive and focus you need to power through an

intense workout. If you’ve ever tried and reputable pre workout supplement you’ll know the

difference between training with or without a pre-workout. Benefits include increased energy,

total mental focus, added intensity, increased blood flow and increase workload.

A good pre-workout should contain at a minimum beta-alanine, arginine and stimulants.

Beta-alanine acts as a lactic acid buffer and allows you to train harder. Arginine open sup

blood vessels and allows for greater blood flow. And stimulants (like caffeine) drive your

energy, focus and endurance.

Pre-workout supplements should be taken 15-30 minutes before training.

Pre, Intra and Post Workout Nutrition and Supplementation

The nutrients you consume before, during and after your workout have a huge impact on your

energy levels, workout intensity and recovery. This section will explain how to use food and

supplements correctly to make sure you get the most out of every workout.

Pre-workout meal. Think of your pre-workout meal as the “energy foundation” for your

workout. This meal is going to provide your body with the sustained energy you need to

make sure you can train at 100% for your entire workout.

For this meal you’re going to need protein, slow digesting carbohydrates, and fats. A well

rounded, macronutrient rich meal. Ideally, protein would be from lean sources like fish,

trimmed red meal or chicken. Good sources of carbohydrates include brown rice, potatoes,

pasta, yams and oats. The carbohydrates are the most important aspect of this meal, because

the slow release energy will be power your lifts. So make sure you’re getting 30-60g from a

good carbohydrate source.

Eat about 1-3 hours before your workout, depending on your metabolism. Those with a

higher metabolic rate may want to have their pre-workout meal 1 to 1.5 hours before training.

Intra-workout supplements. Amino acid supplementation during your workout is a must if

you want to maximize your gains and limit muscle breakdown. Consuming amino acids

during training helps increase energy levels, reduce muscle breakdown (catabolism), and

speed up recovery times.

A good BCAA product is recommended for use during training. Products like Scivation’s

Xtend and VPX’s Power Shock are good examples of these.

Post-workout supplements. You could argue that post-workout nutrition is the most

important meal of the day. After a heavy and intense weight training session, your body is

depleted of many vital nutrients including protein, glycogen (sugars used for energy), amino

acids, and important vitamins and minerals. It’s absolutely essential that replace these

nutrients as soon as possible to prevent catabolism (muscle breakdown) and promote

anabolism (muscle repair and regrowth) and protein synthesis.

At the very minimum you should consume a good whey protein powder with water. It’s

important that you use whey protein post=workout as it’s the fastest digesting protein source.

Consuming protein post-workout starts the muscle repair process and protein synthesis.

You can also take advantage of the additional nutrient uptake post-workout to consume other

supplements, like creatine and glutamine. 5g of each can easily be added to your post-

workout shake.

Additionally, to replace lost muscle glycogen and spike insulin, you can add fast digesting

carbohydrates. Good examples of these are dextrose and waxy maize starch. Around 70g of

carbohydrates is need for an adequate insulin spike.

To recap on post-workout nutrition, your ultimate shake would be 30-40g of whey protein,

70g of carbs, 5g of creatine and 5g of glutamine. But at a very minimum, 30-40g of whey

protein with water.

Post-workout meal. You post-workout meal is the final stage in your workout nutrition. Like

the pre-workout meal, this meal should be well rounded consisting of protein, carbohydrates

and good fats. You should always get your protein from lean sources, and your carbohydrates

from slow digesting sources (i.e., whole and brown foods).

Advanced Training Techniques and Principles

Drop sets. Time under tension. Rest pause training. We've all seem terms like this used in

muscle building workouts, quite possibly without explanation as to what they specifically

mean or require. If you feel confused by one of these advanced training techniques, you've

come to the right place. This section will explain common advanced training techniques.

Common Advanced Training Techniques

Rep Tempo. Rep tempo is notated as a series of three numbers. The following are examples

of how a recommended rep tempo might appear in a workout:

2-1-2

2-0-6

4-1-6

These three numbers signify a time in seconds. The first number indicates how long it should

take you to perform the rep, or concentric aspect of a lift. The second number advises you on

how long to hold the weight at contraction. The final number tells you how long it should

take for you to return the weight to it's starting position before beginning another rep. This is

the eccentric aspect of a lift.

Pre-Exhaustion. Pre-exhaustion is the practice of performing an isolation exercise before

moving on to a compound lift that targets the same muscle group. The goal of pre-exhaustion

is to allow an isolation lift to pre-fatigue a muscle, so that when you perform a compound lift,

that muscle will have to work harder. It is common, but not necessary, to use pre-exhaustion

in combination with a superset.

Post-Exhaustion. Post-exhaustion is a superset variation. With post-exhaustion, you perform

2 exercises for a single muscle group back to back - first a compound lift, and secondly an

isolation lift - with limited rest in between sets. The goal of post-exhaustion is to wear down a

big muscle group with heavy weight, and then finish it off while it is fatigued with an

isolation lift.

Supersets. A superset is the performing of 2 sets of 2 different exercises back to back with no

rest in between these sets. A superset can combine isolation and compound lifts for the same

muscle group, two compound lifts for the same muscle group, or antagonistic exercises for

opposing muscle groups. Examples of antagonistic muscle groups include back and chest,

quads and hamstrings and abs and lower back.

Trisets. A triset is the performing of 3 sets of 3 different exercises back to back with no rest

in between these sets. It functions in the same manner as a superset, but instead with an

additional exercise.

Drop Sets. A drop set is similar to a superset, in that you are performing multiple sets back to

back with no rest between these sets. With a drop set you are using a single exercise. After

you can no longer perform any reps, or at the point where you are fatigued with a given

weight, you immediately drop the weight down and perform more reps. A drop set generally

involves 3-4 total sets.

Drop sets work well with dumbbell or machine exercises, but can also work with barbell

exercises if you have a spotter, or have arranged the plates before hand to be easily removed.

In this case, several small plates are added to the bar, possibly 5's and 10's, instead of a 25 or

45 pound plates.

Giant Sets. A giant set is a sequence of 4 exercises performed back to back without any rest

between sets. While a giant set is generally used to target a single muscle group, it can also be

structured in an antagonistic manner, working two muscle groups alternatively. Because of

the number of exercises involved, a giant set can combine isolation and compound exercises

in a wide variety of ways.

Cluster Sets. A cluster set is a large group of sets (usually 5 to 10) performed with the same

number of reps, and using the same weight. Cluster sets are often structured so that there is a

limited and specific rest in between each of these sets. The goal of a cluster set is to wear

down a muscle by the use of cumulative fatigue; you repeat the cycle or performing a small

number of reps, followed by a relatively short rest period. With cluster set training the early

sets often feel easy, and later sets become progressively more difficult.

Burn Sets. A burn set is a single exercise that is performed in a very high rep range,

generally 20-30 reps or more. A burn set is often used as a finisher, and is used to pump up a

muscle, deplete muscle glycogen and/or to build strength endurance. While not considered an

effective stand alone muscle building technique, burn sets do work well in a limited fashion

in combination with standard hypertrophy training.

Negative Reps. Negative reps, or negative training, is the use of a slow, controlled eccentric

aspect of a lift to stimulate muscle growth, or to train/prepare the central nervous system

(CNS) to handle heavier strength loads. The eccentric aspect of a lift is the returning of the

weight to it's starting position, normally in preparation for another rep. But in the case of

negative training, this returning of the weight, or eccentric focus, does not involves positive

reps (it could involve forced reps).

Slow Negatives. Unlike negative reps, slow negatives are integrated into a set, and do not fall

at the end of a set when reaching muscle failure. A set that utilizes slow negatives will have

you performing a rep at normal speed, and then a slow negative eccentric motion in between

each rep. This slow negative is usually performed over a period of 4 to 6 seconds.

Forced Reps. A forced rep falls at the end of a set, after reaching muscle failure (the point in

which you can no longer perform any reps on your own), and involves the assistance of a

spotter. Simply stated - you perform as many reps as possible, and have your spotter help you

complete several more reps after you reach a sticking point in the lift where you can no

longer move the weight under your own power.

Rest Pause Training. Rest pause training involves extended sets which involve performing

as many reps as possible, followed by periods of short rest and then the performing of more

reps. Unlike cluster sets, rest pause training encourages you to perform as many reps as

possible before resting. In addition, the rest periods used in rest pause training are generally

very brief, often no more than 15 to 30 seconds.

Doggcrapp training (DC training), a very popular and effective muscle building system, relies

almost solely on rest pause sets.

When to Use Advanced Training Techniques

These techniques are labeled advanced because they should not be attempted until you have

met the following criteria:

1. Muscle Building - You have gained more than a few pounds of muscle mass, and are

confident that you know how to train without advanced techniques to gain muscle.

2. Nutrition and Diet - You are eating properly, meaning that you have an

understanding of how to structure a muscle building diet and are aware of how much

protein you are eating on a daily basis.

3. Lifting Form - You have a decent working grasp of proper exercise form. If your

workouts consist on bouncing weight off your chest while bench pressing, or

performing 1/4 squats, it is best that you avoid any advanced training techniques until

your form is squared away.

4. Strength - You have been routinely gaining strength. While absolute strength is not

the be all, end all indicator that you will gain muscle, it does signal if you have been

pushing yourself in the gym. Muscle building requires a progression of resistance on

some level. If you're not currently pushing yourself in some form or fashion, odds are

that advanced techniques will have little benefit.

5. Persistence - Missing a lot of workouts? If so, you need to work on your motivation

and dedication before worrying about advanced training techniques. Persistence is the

biggest indicator of muscle building success. If you can't find the motivation to hit the

gym, no magic training technique will help.

Popular Muscle Building Workouts on Muscle & Strength

Muscle & Strength features a database filled with hundreds of effective workouts for every

need and goal. The following muscle building workouts are the best of the best; the most

popular, proven and effective workouts on the site:

Beginner Muscle Building Workouts

3 Day Workout for Beginners - New to weight training? This workout is for you.

Designed to hit each muscle group with the big compound exercises once per week.

Each workout day has 3-5 exercises.

12 Week Beginners Training Routine - Everyone has to start somewhere. If you

have never trained with weights before, you need a routine to get your muscles

prepared for more serious training. It's essential that you complete a full body routine

(like the one in this article) for 12 weeks before starting a split routine.

The Ex-Hardgainer Workout And Eating Plan - Tired of being a hardgainer? This

program contains a detailed workout and progression scheme, along with eating

advice and a sample daily diet plan.

2 Day Simple A/B Split - An effective 2 day per week fullbody routine that is perfect

for building muscle and strength. If you don't have time to live in the gym, and want

results, this is the routine for you.

Muscle Building Workouts

4 Day Power Muscle Burn Split - The Power Muscle Burn training system will help

you build muscle and strength by focusing on three different training approaches, all

used in the same workout.

Power Muscle Burn 5 Day Powerbuilding Split - This 5 day split is for

intermediate lifters who are hungry for rapid size and strength gains.

10 Week Mass Building Program - 10 week mass building program. This workout

is designed to increase your muscle mass as much as possible in 10 weeks. The

program works each muscle group hard once per week using mostly heavy compound

exercises.

Doug’s 4 Day Split Workout - A 4 day muscle building workout with a proven track

record. This workout has been used by many M&S forum members to achieve top

notch results.

HIML-4 Maximum Muscle Building Workout System - HIML-4 is a highly

effective four week muscle building workout system that cycles between heavy days,

intense workouts, and moderate to light weight training days.

Pyramid Volume Training - Are you stuck in a plateau? Do you want to increase

your strength, size, and muscular definition? Send your body into an anabolic state.

Density And Strength 4 Day Split - This 4 day split is a powerbuilding system

designed to propel intermediate lifters towards faster muscle mass and strength gains.

Scrutiny’s 4 Day Muscle Building Split - This 4 day split by Scrutiny from the

Muscle & Strength forum is an effective muscle building workout that features an arm

day sure to provide results.

Shaun’s 3 Day Muscle Building Split Workout - Shaun's 3 day split workout is a

solid routine for those who are looking to pack on some pounds!

Doug’s Mass Building Routine For Ectomorphs - This routine although designed

for a person who’s body type is described as Ectomorph; it can be also be used by all

body types as a change their current routine.

Dumbbell Only Home Or Gym Fullbody Workout - Stuck in a rut with your home

(or gym) workout? This dumbbell only routine will get you on the fast track to muscle

mass gains