How to Build Muscle: The Definitive Guide to Building Muscle

via StrongLifts.com


The biggest mistake when building muscle is imitating Pro Bodybuilders. Most of them don’t train naturally, are genetically gifted and never started training that way. Doing their routines won’t make you build muscle fast.

The average person needs a different approach. One that builds muscle fast and prevents physical & mental overtraining from doing too much, too soon. Here’s how to build muscle: the definitive guide to building muscle.


1. Get Stronger. More strength is more muscle. Get into strength training. I recommend weight lifting because it allows you to start light and add weight endlessly. Body-weight exercises work too.

Weight Lifting. Start with an empty bar. Learn proper technique. Add weight each workout to keep pushing your body out of comfort zone.
Calisthenics . Push-ups, Pull-ups, Dips, Pistols, Reverse Crunches, etc. Switch to harder versions or add weight when they get easy.

2. Use Free Weights. You can lift the heaviest weights using barbells. More weight is more stress, thus more muscle. Dumbbells are great for assistance exercises, but not for your main lifts. Stay away from machines.

Safe. Machines force you into fixed, unnatural movement patterns which can cause injuries. Free weights replicate natural motions.
Efficient. Free weights force you to control and balance the weight. This builds more muscle than machines, which balance the weight for you.
Functional. Strength built on machines doesn’t transfer to free weights or real life. No machine balances the weight for you in real life.
Versatile. You can do hundreds of exercises with just 1 barbell. Saves a lot of money and space, especially if you want to build a home gym.

3. Do Compound Exercises. Don’t imitate Pro Bodybuilders. Isolation exercises are ok once you’ve built base strength & muscle mass. But if you’re starting to build muscle, exercises that hit several muscles at the same time are better.

No endless Biceps Curls -> Pull-ups, Chin-ups & Barbell Rows
Also no Triceps Kickbacks -> Bench Press, Overhead Press, Dips
And definitely no Leg Extensions -> Squats & Deadlifts

Read the rest here.



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