How to Use Weight Training to Build Bigger Muscles
Lots of people initially start weight training because they are serious about increasing the size of their muscles, and there are actually lots of diverse theories out there about the most effective approach to use when lifting to build muscle.
This article describes the approach to constructing bigger muscles that is supported by science and has worked best for me.
If you pursue a workout strategy that utilizes the strategies outlined below then you'll see good results.
Defining Muscle Growth: Folks hoping to generate bigger muscles, distinct from dense, compressed muscles, need to strive for sarcoplasmic hypertrophic muscle growth in the course of each workout.
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is the technical term for the increase of fluid inside the cells of the muscle.
The elevated fluid levels enlarges the area of the muscle.
With repeated training for Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy muscles can expand in size significantly.
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is best reached by completely fatiguing the muscle and training to failure.
Lots of serious weightlifters will go to the gym 6 days per week working on a distinct muscle group each day and blitzing the muscles so hard it requires almost seven days for those muscles to recuperate.
If exercising 6 days a week is not practical, then you may also accomplish much of the same effects by following a three-day split.
This means concentrating on two to three muscle groups and utilizing two to three lifts that target every muscle group.
For those who use a three-day spit it is ideal to pair upper body pressing muscles together on day one, lower body on the second day, and upper body pulling muscles together on the third day.
I recommend a three-day split that looks like this: Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps Day 2: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves Day 3: Back, Biceps, Abs Note: If you are not keen on growing the size of your lower body Day 2 could be removed and you'll be able to work on a two-day split following the same guidelines laid out below.
A standard rule of weight lifting for sarcoplasmic growth is to try to start with a compound lift which will make use of all targeted muscles directly or indirectly, then over time isolate each muscle group from largest to smallest for optimal fatigue.
For instance, on the very first day you would start with incline bench press since that should activate your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Then you would select one or two additional lifts that isolate your chest, followed by a few lifts to isolate your shoulders, ending with a couple of lifts to isolate your triceps.
The Number of Sets & Reps Because the purpose should be to fatigue your muscle tissue as much as possible you need to undertake 4-5 sets with high reps utilizing comparatively light weights.
Repetition ranges ought to stay between 6-12 reps with at least one set going to failure for each group of muscles.
I recommend completely fatiguing the muscle before going to failure, this indicates at least 4 sets achieving 6-12 reps every single set followed by 1 set to failure.
In case you lift to failure too soon then your nervous system stops transmitting strong impulses to the muscle and your ability to lift will be adversely affected before fully fatiguing the muscle that may lessen sarcoplasmic growth.
Train to failure; then go home Serious weightlifters who train a different muscle group every single day for 6 days use many techniques to ensure their muscles are so thoroughly depleted they will need a week to recoup.
They will use drop sets, partial reps, and negative reps so that they have hardly anything left.
For anyone who is making use of the two or three-day split outlined above then you really should not try to fatigue your muscle any further after training to failure.
In the event you do, your muscle tissues will not recuperate soon enough for the next weight training session and you risk over-training and burning out your nervous system.
When weight training to build muscle, one set to failure for every lift is sufficient.
If you've thoroughly fatigued your muscular tissues then you'll need at least two days to recuperate before you want to hit that exact same muscle group.
On a three-day split you'll want to complete six workout sessions in 8 days or lift four days every week on a two-day split.
Using this type of regiment will assure that you achieve sarcoplasmic hypertrophy in the course of every training session and your muscles will grow.
Final Thoughts You should know that I don't use this approach when working out my lower body due to the fact I am not interested in building large, bulky leg muscles; however, your lower body does have the greatest potential for mass development.
Should you desire to put on some rapid muscle growth, then focusing on your lower body is the quickest approach to take.
Also, even though I don't commit a full day of training to my lower body I'll often begin my workout sessions with a few sets of heavy squats or deadlift.
Why? Mainly because putting your body under the demand of a few sets of very heavy lifts like these releases HGH into your system and primes your central nervous system for heavy lifting.
I've found that doing a few sets of these lifts before focusing on my upper body helps me to lift heavier weight and helps me to more quickly build mass and strength in my upper body.
Using resistance training to create muscle as outlined above will trigger striking gains in muscle mass, and you'll leave the gym feeling completely exhausted.
The amount of stress this puts on your body may be taxing after some time so I recommend lifting in this manner for no more than 12 weeks at a time.
Then take about a week off to let your body recoup.
This article describes the approach to constructing bigger muscles that is supported by science and has worked best for me.
If you pursue a workout strategy that utilizes the strategies outlined below then you'll see good results.
Defining Muscle Growth: Folks hoping to generate bigger muscles, distinct from dense, compressed muscles, need to strive for sarcoplasmic hypertrophic muscle growth in the course of each workout.
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is the technical term for the increase of fluid inside the cells of the muscle.
The elevated fluid levels enlarges the area of the muscle.
With repeated training for Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy muscles can expand in size significantly.
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is best reached by completely fatiguing the muscle and training to failure.
Lots of serious weightlifters will go to the gym 6 days per week working on a distinct muscle group each day and blitzing the muscles so hard it requires almost seven days for those muscles to recuperate.
If exercising 6 days a week is not practical, then you may also accomplish much of the same effects by following a three-day split.
This means concentrating on two to three muscle groups and utilizing two to three lifts that target every muscle group.
For those who use a three-day spit it is ideal to pair upper body pressing muscles together on day one, lower body on the second day, and upper body pulling muscles together on the third day.
I recommend a three-day split that looks like this: Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps Day 2: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves Day 3: Back, Biceps, Abs Note: If you are not keen on growing the size of your lower body Day 2 could be removed and you'll be able to work on a two-day split following the same guidelines laid out below.
A standard rule of weight lifting for sarcoplasmic growth is to try to start with a compound lift which will make use of all targeted muscles directly or indirectly, then over time isolate each muscle group from largest to smallest for optimal fatigue.
For instance, on the very first day you would start with incline bench press since that should activate your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Then you would select one or two additional lifts that isolate your chest, followed by a few lifts to isolate your shoulders, ending with a couple of lifts to isolate your triceps.
The Number of Sets & Reps Because the purpose should be to fatigue your muscle tissue as much as possible you need to undertake 4-5 sets with high reps utilizing comparatively light weights.
Repetition ranges ought to stay between 6-12 reps with at least one set going to failure for each group of muscles.
I recommend completely fatiguing the muscle before going to failure, this indicates at least 4 sets achieving 6-12 reps every single set followed by 1 set to failure.
In case you lift to failure too soon then your nervous system stops transmitting strong impulses to the muscle and your ability to lift will be adversely affected before fully fatiguing the muscle that may lessen sarcoplasmic growth.
Train to failure; then go home Serious weightlifters who train a different muscle group every single day for 6 days use many techniques to ensure their muscles are so thoroughly depleted they will need a week to recoup.
They will use drop sets, partial reps, and negative reps so that they have hardly anything left.
For anyone who is making use of the two or three-day split outlined above then you really should not try to fatigue your muscle any further after training to failure.
In the event you do, your muscle tissues will not recuperate soon enough for the next weight training session and you risk over-training and burning out your nervous system.
When weight training to build muscle, one set to failure for every lift is sufficient.
If you've thoroughly fatigued your muscular tissues then you'll need at least two days to recuperate before you want to hit that exact same muscle group.
On a three-day split you'll want to complete six workout sessions in 8 days or lift four days every week on a two-day split.
Using this type of regiment will assure that you achieve sarcoplasmic hypertrophy in the course of every training session and your muscles will grow.
Final Thoughts You should know that I don't use this approach when working out my lower body due to the fact I am not interested in building large, bulky leg muscles; however, your lower body does have the greatest potential for mass development.
Should you desire to put on some rapid muscle growth, then focusing on your lower body is the quickest approach to take.
Also, even though I don't commit a full day of training to my lower body I'll often begin my workout sessions with a few sets of heavy squats or deadlift.
Why? Mainly because putting your body under the demand of a few sets of very heavy lifts like these releases HGH into your system and primes your central nervous system for heavy lifting.
I've found that doing a few sets of these lifts before focusing on my upper body helps me to lift heavier weight and helps me to more quickly build mass and strength in my upper body.
Using resistance training to create muscle as outlined above will trigger striking gains in muscle mass, and you'll leave the gym feeling completely exhausted.
The amount of stress this puts on your body may be taxing after some time so I recommend lifting in this manner for no more than 12 weeks at a time.
Then take about a week off to let your body recoup.
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