Manageable Muscle Mass Building Methods For Max Muscle Gains
Most muscle building programs that you find online are simply too rigid in my opinion. It can certainly be disappointing to try adding muscle mass, only to learn you must train on gym machines to do a major portion of these muscle building programs. Perhaps the plan calls for squats, and you have damaged knees. Why don’t we look at some BETTER options in muscle building programs!
The Type of Resistance Doesn’t Matter as Much as Many Would Suggest
Remember the “age old” argument that “free-weight training is WAY better for gaining muscle?” Not necessarily. Although free weights HAVE contributed there share of big dudes, they are NOT some MAGICAL tool that is any better than body weight or gym equipment! Although MANY bodybuilders swear by free weights, there have also been MANY who have used Arthur Jones’ Nautilus equipment to REALLY bulk up! So stop focusing on the “how” part of the resistance training, and concentrate on the “DOING” part of it! As long as you are challenging you muscles with resistance you will be fine.
Combining certain muscle groups together, or separating one from another, isn’t really that important, either.
Regardless of working out 5 times a week, or just once, you CAN get a complete and full-body workout that gives you everything you need. The essential focal point here isn’t so much the grouping of each body part, as it is the TIME each day will be working out. For example, a one-day full-body workout is obviously going to take longer (possibly even several HOURS) to complete breaking it into three or four days. The advantage of training your entire body in one workout is that you can train less days per week and get an effective workout. Personally, 4 days a week works great for me. But this is only MY choice, not necessarily a recommendation. Make sure and pick a split routine that makes sense for your schedule.
“Is there any benefit to less vs. more reps?”
Again, there’s really NO right or wrong answer here. Generally, if you’re looking to get REALLY big, REALLY fast, then more repetitions is the way to go. This is the fastest way to increase the volume of a muscle. On the other hand, if the “Hollywood look” is your goal, along with overall strength, then you want less reps. Want both SIZE and DEFINITION? Do high-repetition workouts, later altered into low-repetition workouts.
“Is it better to workout first thing in the morning?” Only if you’re a MORNING person!
One good aspect of an early exercise regimen is that it simply gets DONE earlier! The downside is that your joints aren’t as warmed up compared to if you train later in the day. Honestly, the time’s NOT that important. About the only thing getting ME out of bed before 6AM is a BOMB going off! Still, though, you do have you “die-hards” that LOVE a good morning workout – my hat’s off the them!
Well, I sincerely hope this article has helped you gain a better understanding of muscle building programs, and how you can fit one in – even into YOUR busy schedule!
This entry was posted on Friday, July 30th, 2010 at 3:37 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.