Muscle Building Workouts

Building muscle mass does not have to be as complicated as some make it out to be. By following a few basic principles of muscle building workouts, you can start adding new muscle to your frame within a few short weeks. Below I will discuss these principles and lay out a sample muscle building routine that works.

When it comes to building new muscle, there are two important things for you to consider resistance training and a healthy diet. Good training is necessary in order to stimulate muscle growth, while eating a healthy diet can help your body’s tissues regenerate throughout training. All muscle building routines should emphasize these two crucial factors.

Tenets of a Good Muscle Building Program

If your primary goal in a weight lifting program is to build new muscle there are a few things that you will need to consider if you want to implement an effective exercise routine.

Multi-Joint Exercises – These types of exercises work several muscle groups at once. A few good examples include the bench press, squats and pull ups. The main benefit offered by multi-joint exercises is that aside from building new muscle, they also stimulate testosterone production.

Heavy Resistance – In order to encourage quick muscle growth, you will need to make sure that the amount of weight you lift is between 67% and 85% of your maximum lift. This level of resistance seems to be the most effective means of increasing muscle mass; and there are two reasons on why this is the case? First of all, heavy weights stimulate testosterone production in your body, which in turn, leads to faster muscle growth. The second reason is that heavier loads lead to muscle fatigue, which is another important factor in building muscle.

Stimulate Muscle Growth – In order to achieve optimal muscle growth you’ll need to follow an intelligently designed resistance training program. The best way to implement this is with a basic weekly workout routine.

Here is an example of an effective split:

Sample Workout Routine

Monday: Focus on Legs – Squats and Calf Raises.Wednesday: Focus on the Chest and Torso – Bench Press and Shoulder Press.Friday: Focus on the Back and Biceps – Barbell Rows and Chin Ups.

Perform 8-12 repetitions for each set, with 3-5 sets for each exercise. Rest periods between sets should be 60-90 seconds. Each week try to increase the amount of weight you lift, as this will force the muscles to work harder and facilitate growth. Stick to a plan like this for at least 12 weeks and you should notice an increase in muscle mass.

Proper Nutrition

Your workouts will create the stimulus for muscular growth, but you must then provide the body with sufficient calories and nutrients for growth to occur. Protein intake must be adequate, as it is the only substrate your body can use to synthesize new muscle tissue.

Start with a 6-8 oz portion of lean protein and add some healthy fats and carbohydrates to round out your meals. Keep your water intake high as well 8 glasses per day is ideal.

Sleep

Sleep is an often overlooked part of the equation, but is vital to optimal muscle growth. Experts recommend a minimum of 7-8 hours per night. For a more comprehensive guide, you can learn about the Somanabolic Muscle Maximizer program.

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