I think Arnold Schwarzenegger really popularized the idea of men having big muscles. It's sent tons of guys running to gyms to do squats, bench press, dumbbells, and all kinds of slightly masochistic exercises. For those of you who already work out regularly, you know it's a lot of sweat equity and resistance training, and results don't come fast. But for those of you who aren't about to quit pumping iron (and I'm one of them), here are a few tips to help you break plateaus and get ripped.
6. Heavy Lifting. Most of you probably know that lower numbers of repetitions coupled with higher amounts of weight can lead to gaining muscle mass. This is a pretty basic idea, but for those of you doing 10 or 12 reps within a set and who are wondering why you're staying lean, now you know.
5. Post Exhaustion Training. Men's Fitness suggests doing a compound movement (working out several muscle groups) followed by an isolation exercise (focusing on one muscle group). So, you can do a close grip bench press, and then follow that up with triceps extensions. Over time, that will help you to bulk up.
4. Mind the Clock. The amount of rest you give your muscles makes a big difference in how fast they build up. If you're struggling with your work out, you may need to reduce the rest time between sets. Depending on how long you normally rest, you can trim 5 to 10 seconds of rest time between sets. If you do this each week while doing the same amount of weight, you should start to see results. Some fitness experts even suggest programs built around only 30 seconds of rest between sets while working out a muscle group.
3. Know When to Not be in the Gym. You already work out hard enough, so remember to give yourself time off to let your muscles recover. This can be almost as important of a part of your workout as the actual exercise portion. This is where your muscles can properly recuperate and grow. You can cheat yourself out of muscle gains by not giving yourself enough rest.
2. Eat Right. Remember that weight lifting breaks down muscles. You get bigger as you rebuild them, which means that you need to get the right nutrition. The optimum time for nutrition to rebuild your muscles is 30 minutes after your work out. According to WebMD, you need "0.7-1.2 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight (0.3-0.6 grams per pound)" and 1g of protein for every 3-4 grams of carbs. At the very least, grab a protein bar after your workout if you can't sit down to a normal meal. Keep in mind that extra protein ends up getting stored as fat.
1. The 5X5 Program. Lots of people seem to be talking about this program lately. This is a 7-9 week program where you lift the same weight five times for five sets. Each week you increase the weight while working out 3 days a week. On the seventh week, you're doing 3 sets of 3 reps. From what I've heard, you should be making great strides in strength and in muscle mass by this point.
And if those aren't enough ideas, you can check out the Muscle Junkies swicki. You're bound to find a few more fitness ideas that could help you with your goals. Let me know how it goes.
Comments (1)
Great post - I'll be back...no pun intended
Posted by Alex | April 10, 2008 10:48 AM
Posted on April 10, 2008 10:48