Both are good but free weights are better for overall body mass and strength conditioning. More muscles are involved using free weights, this is a good thing. Machines are good to isolate a muscle group and can be used to preexhaust the muscle before the heavy basic free weight exercise.
How much sleep do I need for optimum muscle growth?
You need 8 to 10 hours of sleep for optimum muscle growth. If you're serious about gaining muscle mass then you should ensure that you are getting at least 8 hours every night.
How can I increase testosterone naturally?
You could try zinc and magnesium taken last thing at night or try a product called ZMA. You could also try limiting your rep range to 5 reps but the weight should reflect these 5 rep sets. You will need someone there to help with a true 5-rep range.
Should I workout with sore muscles?
No. Absolutely not. Sore muscles are a clear indicator that you have not recovered from your last session. You need another day or two off. It doesn't matter if your chest muscles are sore and you are training legs - your overall body system has not fully recovered. You could ignore it and go anyway but you will be wasting your time or make things worst on a cellular and nervous system level, then you will need double the time off to fully recover. Your muscles will refuse to grow if you continue to train while not fully recovered from previous sessions. The gym will always be there so take that day or 2 extra off to fully recover and grow. You will then come back to the gym 100% recovered and ready to go to work on another muscle group or 2.
What's the best way to build muscle?
The best way to build muscle is to purchase a muscle-building program from a person that you know, knows what they're talking about. Don't try and guess it yourself, get the information from an expert. You will also need highly nutritious foods and some
supplementation. You need to set clear goals and work very hard to achieve them.
You could also try and reduce your time spent in the gym by limiting your training sessions to 1 hour only, when the hour is up you need to get out, go home, recover and grow. Discipline and commitment is also required.
You certainly can but don't expect to perform at 100% level and don't mark it as a great workout. You should stay away from the gym if you're not feeling 100% from a hangover or from a cold or flu. Imagined laziness is different, you should ignore that and get to the gym.
Should I bring a notepad to the gym?
Yes. You need to track your progress so that you know what is working and what's not. Tracking everything is also a great motivator.
How can I shock my muscles into new growth?
By changing your routine or by trying a different training principal like super sets or the pre-exhaust method. You can also shock your muscles by changing the sets or reps and by adjusting the weight accordingly.
How do I prevent stretch marks?
Eat high quality nutritious foods and take a good multi-vitamin/mineral. Take vitamin C, E and zinc. You could also try a good vitamin e cream if you already have stretch marks.
How can I speed up my time spent in the gym?
You can speed up your time spent in the gym by doing less in the gym, which is actually better for you than doing a long drawn out session. Realise that you’re at the gym to work and not stand around talking. Get in, get it done and get out.
Not as much as you think but certainly more than the average Joe or Jane. 1.14 grams of protein per pound of body weight is a good guide, though lean body weight should be taken into consideration for a more accurate figure and not total body weight.
How should I take my creatine?
Some people say that creating loading is unnecessary but I like to load creatine 20grams 4 x 5gs daily for 5 days then 5g after training for about 8 weeks.
How can I get motivated to get to the gym?
You're the only person that can make you go to the gym, but bear in mind that the thought of going to gym is much worst than the actual application of going to the gym, once your at the gym you're fine and once you finish a great workout you're glad that you went. Just go ahead and go to the gym regardless of what you think at the time.
How do I stay motivated?
You can stay motivated by writing down everything you do at the gym. Write down your sets reps and weight used so you can see how much progress you are making. You can also change your routine every so often to avoid staleness and keep motivation high. It's also a very good idea yo have training goals and strive towards those goals, and when you reach them you need to set more goals.
Will smoking affect my muscle gains?
Yes it will. Smoking will slow down your progress and keep you from reaching your goals. It's also bad for your health, but you knew that already. I suggest that you try some quit smoking techniques until you find one that works for you.
The ideal rep range for muscle growth is 8 to 12, so if you find yourself getting 12 reps or more no problem then it's time to up the weight to bring you back down to the almost impossible 8 rep sets.
What does intensity mean?
It means how hard you need to work to complete the required action i.e. if your lifting a certain weight and you absolutely struggled to get 8 reps and you wanted so much to quit at 6 but somehow managed 8, that's high intensity. Muscles require a high intensity effort to warrant muscle growth stimulation.
How can I build my stubborn calves?
You need to concentrate more on every rep of every set and get a complete stretch. Don't rush your calf training by just throwing in a few sets at the end of your leg training. Try training them first in the session and use a full range of motion with heavy weight.
How much time does a muscle need to recover?
Muscles usually require from 48 to 72 hours to fully recover from a hard training session. Your nervous system also requires full recovery. It depends on the person’s level of training experience and best recovery practices.
What's the best time to train?
About 2 to 3 hours after you get up out of bed is the best time because hormone levels are high and your back has re-adjusted itself by then, but anytime is a great time to train. It all depends on your daily schedule.
You need to ensure that your muscle fibres actually do the work. The reps should not be performed too fast using momentum. Use a Slow and controlled pace that should take you about 2 seconds to raise the weight and 4 seconds to lower the weight, it's also a good idea to pause for 1 second in the extended position. It looks like this 2 1 4. Try various lifting speeds to see which one works best for your goals, you could also try a 3 2 5: 3 seconds to lift, 2 seconds hold and flex on extension and 5 seconds to lower it.
How do I build massive legs?
You need to get off that leg extension machine and learn how to squat correctly. The squat is the king for building massive legs, along with the dead lift and the leg press. If you want massive legs you need to master heavy squats, and heavy standing calf raises. You could try adding super sets to your leg routines with a pre-exhaust technique if you have the weight training experience, if not then straight sets with the squat involved should be enough.
Do I need cardio while building muscle?
Some cardio while on a muscle building course would be beneficial but don't over do it. 20 minutes on the bike or rowing machine before or after a session should be enough.
How many body parts a session?
2 body parts per session is ideal, that way you can fully concentrate on the body parts and put in 100% effort. It drags on a bit if you have to do 3 and 4 body parts a session, the required intensity just won't be there. Keep it at 2 per session.
Should I change my routine?
Yes you should change things around every 8 to 12 weeks for renewed motivation and goal setting, and for a boost in results.
Some people find lifting belts great while others can't stand them. I would recommend you wear a lifting belt on your heavy sets and on your heavy sets only, like squats, dead lifts, shoulder presses and bent rows.
Should I wear gloves?
You don't really need gloves. It's a matter of personal preference. Some people will tell you that gloves help them lift more weight, while others will tell you that it detracts from their lifting strength. I like to wear gloves because they give me a better grip on the bar.
How many reps for building strength?
To build strength you need to concentrate on low reps with very very heavy weights. Reps should be in the 2 to 6 range and the weight should be heavy enough to only allow you perform 2 to 6 reps. You should always have help on standby when you are lifting like this.
How do I bring out my abs?
To bring out your abs you need to watch your diet closer and cut out all the junk with the empty high calories like cakes and sodas. You could do 3 exercises in tri set style eg: Crunches 1 x 15 then hanging leg raises 1 x 15 then onto lying leg raises 1 x 15 repeat 4 times dropping the reps i.e. 12,10,8s. Rest between sets is as long as it takes you to walk over to the abs exercise area or about 20 seconds rest.
Should women lift weights?
Yes women should definitely lift weights. Lifting weights will be a great help in their weight loss, health or fitness goals. Some women believe they will get huge muscles if they lift weights, this is not true, women don't have enough of the male hormone muscle builder testosterone. Weight lifting is a truly excellent form of exercise not just for men.
There's a lot of talk about creatine, is it any good? Yes it is good, it's very good. Creatine increases energy production in the muscle cells so you can lift heavier and for longer. Creatine helps you to quickly gain weight making you stronger, and the more you can lift means the more muscle fibres you can stimulate for muscle growth. It pulls fluid into the muscle cells making you look bigger.
What type of protein powder is the best? There is no real best when it comes to protein powders but Whey protein isolate (WPI) is a fast acting protein and is better than whey protein concentrate because it is purer and has a higher BV (biological value) around 170 compared to 104 for the concentrate which means that the WPI can be used more efficiently by the body. The higher the BV the better. Egg Protein has a BV of 100. Milk protein i.e. whey and casein has a BV of 85 and Beef Proteins about 75.
When should I take protein shakes? You should take protein shakes (whey protein) before and after a training session i.e. about 30 minutes before and within 1 hour after. You can take a casein protein last thing at night for a steady flow of amino acids for growth and repair while you sleep. On non-training days you can take the whey protein anytime.
Should I eat anything before bed? You should not eat anything before bed because it could keep you awake all night, especially if you eat a carbohydrate food. Having said that, you can take a casein protein supplement without your sleep being affected.
How can I speed up recovery? You can speed up recovery by taking a creatine supplement immediately after a workout and about 40 minutes later take a whey protein supplement, then within an hour after that have a highly nutritious real meal supplemented with vitamins and minerals. Vitamin c and e is great for fast recovery.
Its highly recommend you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Sleep requirements are an individual thing. Some people need more rest while others need less rest. Weight lifting and cardio do require that you get a little more sleep than you may be accustomed to. You will soon learn how much sleep you really need. Do not underestimate the power of sleep! I’ve been there. The times that I’ve had trouble getting enough sleep are the times when my progress has stalled. Lack of sleep affects everything – your mindset especially. Lack of sleep can cause you to miss workouts, lose motivation, and more! If you work on getting enough sleep to recover properly from your workouts, I guarantee your results will improve. Take naps to catch up on sleep if needed. Go to bed 30 minutes earlier than normal. Relax and sleep well. Wake up feeling refreshed each morning. Your body will thank you for the extra sleep by giving you even better results. You can sleep too much! If you are one of those people that sleep too much, get up and get going. This can lead to laziness. Get the sleep you need and stop there. Too much sleep can do something bad for you!
Decreasing Stress
If you want optimal results, you’ll need to keep stress at a minimum. High levels of stress changes the whole environment inside your body and can stop your progress immediately. There’s no need to get stressed out about things in life. Most of the things we worry about are nothing. We can’t even change many of the things we worry about on a daily basis. Ask yourself, “In 5 years will I even remember worrying about this? Is it really that important?” You will most likely answer no to everything you’re worrying about. Don’t let others bother you or stress you out for no reason! One of my biggest stressors is driving. I have a hard time driving through traffic each and every day with people that don’t even realize they’re driving. They don’t pay attention, they talk on their cell phone, they cause wrecks, and they don’t realize they are driving a deadly weapon. I have learned to not let it bother so much. I watch out for everyone and try to anticipate actions taken by other drivers. If you pay attention, you can actually foresee some drivers making some stupid decisions. Stay calm even in stressful situations. There’s no need to get upset. This will keep your stress levels low and will help you feel better throughout the day. And it may even keep you from doing something stupid. Take breaks from life throughout the day. Deep breaths always help relieve tension.
Overtraining
Overtraining is a very sensitive subject for many people. Most of the so called Internet “experts” have never learned the true meaning of overtraining. Some people will tell you that you’re overtraining by working out 4-5 days per week. Others will tell you you’re overtraining without knowing the intensity of your workout and without knowing your recovery abilities. If you ever see anyone tell someone else that they are overtraining simply by looking at their schedule and workout, you can immediately write this person off as a “want-to-be” expert. The person has no idea what they are talking about. Overtraining is an individual thing. It depends on your recovery abilities, the sleep you get, your diet, water intake, intensity of your workouts, frequency of your workouts, amount of cardio, genetics, and more! So no one can ever tell you that you’re overtraining. Only you will know that you’re overtraining. If you are making progress in the gym, you are doing great. If you are gaining strength in the gym, you are not overtraining. If your strength gains slow to a halt and you’ve been lifting for a few months, you are getting closer to the overtraining edge. You never want to reach overtraining, so the best strategy is to take a one week break from weight lifting and cardio when the strength gains come to a halt. Spend the week resting and eating the best foods. Never take a break from eating properly. If you do, you could lose all of the progress you’ve made over the past few months. The one week break will allow your body to fully recover. You can then start lifting weights and doing cardio again. Start with lighter weights than what you ended with and work your way back up.
There are four parts of each rep that you do for any given exercise. Would you like to know what they are?
1. Lifting portion also known as the positive or concentric portion of a rep.
2. Peak contraction at the very top of each rep.
3. Lowering portion also known as the negative or eccentric portion of a rep.
4. Full stretch at the very bottom of each rep.
It’s a must that you do each rep with proper form. Do not stop short on the peak contraction, and do not stop short on the full stretch. Lift forcefully and lower the weight under control. The negative portion of each rep is the most important, but each part of every rep is very important. Have you ever seen someone do Pull Ups?
Most people stop short of a peak contraction and stop short of the full stretch and never get their chin above the bar. They are cheating on each rep because it’s easier that way. But they’re only fooling themselves because they’re not getting the full benefit of the exercise! Ensure that you concentrate on each and every rep. Do not cheat on your reps. Progress will be much faster when you perform reps properly. Reap the benefits of each and every rep when you use proper form.
Warming up before a workout and before each exercise is vital to your success! You will greatly decrease your risk of injury and you’ll increase your performance in the gym. You’ll be able to lift heavier weights throughout your workout, which will lead to faster results and bigger changes when you look in the mirror. There are two different warm ups that you’re going to need to do.First: a pre workout warm up is required before you touch any weights. Second: specific exercise warm ups need to be done to get you acclimated to a new exercise.
For the pre workout warm up, spend about 5 minutes on any cardio machine or cardiovascular activity such as jogging. Then do some jumping jacks followed by some body weight squats and push ups. For specific exercise warm ups, you need to follow these guidelines:
1. Never do more reps for a warm up set than the target number of reps for a working set. If you are going to be doing 10 reps on a working set, do not perform over 10 reps on a warm up set as an example.
2. Decrease the number of reps in each successive warm up set while increasing the weight.
3. Do more warm up sets at the beginning of your workout and less as you progress through your workout. Specific exercise warm ups are a requirement. You need to slowly increase the weight during warm up sets and allow your body to become acclimated to the new exercise before jumping straight into heavy weights.
Warm ups are very important so please treat them that way. Take your time and ensure you are warm before continuing with your workout.
Later in this manual, you’re going to find the Basic WLC Program weight lifting workout. The workout program uses only the best weight lifting exercises for building muscle and strength:
1: The Squat
2: The Deadlift
3: The Bench Press
4: The Pendlay Row
5: The Overhead Press
6: The Chin Up
7: The Dip
8: The Calf Raise
9: The Curl
10: The Extension
One of the best things you can do is to spend some time learning how to do these exercises properly. No one spends the time learning the exercises and many people waste years of progress. I’ve been there! Take it from someone who learned the hard way. Take your time studying the exercises, practicing, and learning how to do them properly. I really can’t stress this enough. You can start this program and take your time learning the exercises. This program was developed to help you learn the proper methods for lifting weights. Do not get in a hurry. Take your time and perfect your form.
In order to perform the Basic Weight Lifting Program, you’re going to need access to some basic weight lifting equipment. I’m going to show you what you need :
(1) Power Rack A good power rack is a must! This is the center piece of any gym. A good power rack will have a chin up bar and possibly dip bars. A power rack provides you with everything you need to work out safely. You don’t need a workout partner. You don’t need a spotter. Spotter bars are included with every power rack. See the power rack in the image to the left. I’ve searched for the best power rack I can find that doesn’t cost thousands of dollars.
(2) Adjustable Bench You will need a good adjustable bench that you can slide in and out of your power rack. You’ll need the bench to perform some of the best exercises.
(3) Olympic Barbell Sets You need at least one 300 pound Olympic barbell set. I personally like to have two so I don’t have to move the bar from inside the power rack to outside the power rack. You’ll save a lot of time and energy if you get two barbells and lots of extra weight plates. Most commercial gyms will have plenty of barbells and weights.If you are building a home gym, I highly recommend two barbells and lots of extra weight plates.
(4) Adjustable Dumbbell Set You’re going to need a good set of adjustable dumbbells. I made a huge mistake building my home gym and went with fixed dumbbells. They take up too much space and cost entirely too much.
That’s all the equipment you need to get started correctly with weight lifting. There’s no need to waste money on useless machines or any other useless equipment. A home gym will initially cost you more but will save you thousands per year in gym membership fees, gas costs, and wear and tear on your vehicle. A home gym is more convenient and saves you so much time!
1) Train With Weights and Focus On Freeweight, Compound Movements. While "train with weights" may seem like an obvious point, you'd be surprised at how many people believe that they can make significant muscular gains using only body weight exercises. If you want to make solid, noteworthy gains in muscle size and strength, you absolutely must train with weights. While body weight exercises can help you achieve some modest results to start off with, these gains will eventually plateau and your progress will come to a grinding halt. The plain fact of the matter is that nothing can come close to the overall anabolic effect of heavy, compound, free weight exercises. What is a compound exercise, you ask? A compound exercise is any lift that stimulates more than one major muscle group at a time. Examples of these lifts are the squat, deadlift, bench press, chin up, barbell row, overhead press, dip and lunge. Compound movements allow you to handle the most weight and will stimulate the greatest amount of total muscle fibers. If you are looking to pack on some serious muscular weight, you absolutely must make these basic compound movements the cornerstone of your routine.
2) Be Prepared To Train Hard. If you think that building muscle is a complete walk in the park, you're in for a huge disappointment! One of the biggest factors that separates those who make modest gains from those who make serious gains is their level of training intensity. The reality is that most people just plain don't train hard enough. In order to stimulate your muscle fibers to their utmost potential, you must be willing to take every set you perform in the gym to the point of muscular failure.
Muscular Failure: The point at which no further repetitions can be completed using proper form. Training to failure requires alot of discipline and you absolutely must be willing to drive through the pain barriers it takes to get there. Remember, your body does not want to build muscle mass! When it comes to the overall survival of your body as an organism, piling on slabs of excess muscle tissue is quite low on the priority list. You must force your body to build muscle! Submaximal training intensity will leave you with submaximal results, plain and simple.
3) Track Your Progress In The Gym From Week To Week. This muscle-building technique is absolutely critical to your success. If there's one thing that I want you to take away from this book, that is it. Our bodies build muscle because of an adaptive response to the environment. When you go to the gym, you break down your muscle fibers by training with weights. Your body senses this as a potential threat to its survival and will react accordingly by rebuilding the damaged fibers larger and stronger in order to protect against any possible future threat. Therefore, in order to make continual gains in muscle size and strength, you must focus on progressing in the gym from week to week. This could mean performing 1 or 2 more reps for each exercise or adding more weight to the bar. Don't try to improve by leaps and bounds every time you workout, but rather focus on making small, steady increases. Over the course of a few months, those small increases will add up more than you think, and your body will continually adapt and grow to the ever increasing stress.
4) Avoid Overtraining. Overtraining is your number one enemy when it comes to building muscle size and strength. When most people begin a workout program, they are stuck with the misguided notion that more is better. They naturally assume that the more time they spend in the gym, the better results they will achieve. And who could blame them? In most aspects of life this basic logic seems to hold true. The more time we spend trying to reach a certain goal, the faster we tend to reach it. When it comes to building muscle, nothing could be farther from the truth! If you spend too much time in the gym, you will actually take yourself farther away from your goals rather than closer to them. Remember, your muscles do not grow in the gym. They grow out of the gym, while you are resting and eating. Recovery is absolutely vital to the muscle growth process. If you don't provide your body with the proper recovery time in between workouts, your muscles will never have a chance to grow. Overtraining will also decrease your energy levels and will promote an increase in certain hormones that stimulate muscular breakdown.
5) Eat More Frequently. The main area where most people fail miserably on their muscle-building mission is on the all too important task of proper nutrition. Training with weights is only half of the equation! You break down your muscle fibers in the gym, but if you don't provide your body with the proper nutrients at the proper times, the muscle growth process will be next to impossible. You wouldn't be able to build a house without bricks, and building muscle is no different. Nutrition is just as important as what you accomplish in the gym, and it's very important that you keep this in mind at all times. The most important concept when it comes to proper nutrition is meal frequency. If you want to build the greatest amount of muscle mass that you possibly can, you must consume a small meal at least every 2-3 hours. If you fail to do so, your body will enter into a "starvation mode". The body treats this lack of food as a potential threat to its survival and will begin literally eating away at your muscles in order to obtain a source of protein. This process is known as "muscle catabolism", and if you're looking for serious results you must avoid it like the plague! Eating every 2-3 hours will to prevent this from happening.
6) Increase Your Protein Intake. Of the 3 major nutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) protein is without a doubt the most important for those who are looking to gain muscle size and strength. Protein is found in literally every single one of the 30 trillion cells that your body is made up and its main role is to build and repair bodily tissues. Without sufficient protein intake, it will be physically impossible for your body to synthesize a significant amount of muscle mass. If your body were a house, think of protein as the bricks. You can obtain protein from a variety of foods including fish, poultry, eggs, beef, milk, peanut butter and cottage cheese. Every meal that you eat should contain around 30-40 grams of protein. How much protein is enough? A general guideline is to consume 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. If you weigh 145 pounds, you should be consuming 145-218 grams of protein daily.
7) Increase Your Water Intake. Most people say that they drink plenty of water, but how many actually do? Pay close attention to the amount of water you drink each day, and you may be surprised at how little you actually consume. If you want a simple, easy and highly effective way to maximize your muscle gains, drinking more water is it. Water plays so many vital roles in the body and its importance cannot be overstated. In fact, your muscles alone are made up of 70% water! Not only will drinking more water cause your muscles to appear fuller and more vascular, but it will also increase your strength as well. Research has shown that merely a 3-4% drop in your body's water levels can impact muscle contractions by 10-20%! Not only does water play a very important role in muscle performance and growth, but it also contributes to overall health in numerous ways.
- Aids in the digestion process. - Lubricates the joints. - Transports important nutrients around the body.
This is just to name a small few! Aim to consume 0.6 ounces for every pound of bodyweight each day.
8) Be Consistent! Consistency is everything. Those who make the greatest gains in muscular size and strength are the ones who are able to implement the proper techniques on a highly consistent basis. Simply knowing is not enough, you must apply! Building muscle is a result of the cumulative effect of small steps. Sure, performing 1 extra rep on your bench press will not make a huge difference to your overall results, and neither will consuming a single meal. However, over the long haul, all of those extra reps you perform and all of those small meals you consume will decide your overall success. If you work hard and complete all of your muscle-building tasks in a consistent fashion, all of those individual steps will equate to massive gains in overall size and strength. It is those who are willing to persevere that will succeed. It is those who are willing to rise above laziness that will end up with impressive results. I mean let's face it, everyone wants to be strong and muscular. If this is the case, why isn't everyone strong and muscular? It's because only certain people have the proper drive and motivation that it takes to get there.
Check out this muscle building video for skinny guys :
You need 8 to 10 hours of sleep for optimum muscle growth. If you're serious about gaining muscle mass then you should ensure that you are getting at least 8 hours every night.
You could try zinc and magnesium taken last thing at night or try a product called ZMA. You could also try limiting your rep range to 5 reps but the weight should reflect these 5 rep sets. You will need someone there to help with a true 5-rep range.
No. Absolutely not. Sore muscles are a clear indicator that you have not recovered from your last session. You need another day or two off. It doesn't matter if your chest muscles are sore and you are training legs - your overall body system has not fully recovered. You could ignore it and go anyway but you will be wasting your time or make things worst on a cellular and nervous system level, then you will need double the time off to fully recover. Your muscles will refuse to grow if you continue to train while not fully recovered from previous sessions. The gym will always be there so take that day or 2 extra off to fully recover and grow. You will then come back to the gym 100% recovered and ready to go to work on another muscle group or 2.
