12 Simple Muscle Building Tips
Here’s a quick list of a dozen simple muscle building tips that you can start using immediately.
–If you are a beginner or intermediate do full body workouts.
–If you are advanced do upper/lower splits.
–When in doubt do more chin ups, dips and pushups. These are still the best upper body mass builders around and nothing is bound to replace them any time soon.
–Most guys will make great progress with three weight training workouts per week. More than that may lead to recover issues for some people. Others will be fine but the fourth day won’t necessarily provide significantly better results in many situations. Also, remember that mental recovery is just as important as physical. You will usually be more excited and fired up to go to the gym three days a week than four. Especially if this is something you plan on doing for the rest of your life.
–If you train four days per week it’s best to not have two back to back training days more than once. So train on Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat or Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat.
–As the great strength coach, Ethan Reeve once said, “I have yet to find a better way to get strong than lifting heavy.” Load up the bar, keep adding weight over time, and you will get strong. Eat enough calories while doing that and you will get very big as well. A simple muscle building tip that works every time.
–Having said that, it should be noted that certain exercises aren’t meant to be done heavy. Some of these are split squats, dips and neck work. Exercise caution with any movement that puts you in an unfavorable joint position. But for the big exercises like presses, squats, rows and deads, go heavy.
–The foam roller is your friend. Use it often and you will see a great improvement in tissue quality and will feel better all around. Same for tennis balls, lacrosse balls and other forms of self massage. Getting a cute girl to assist from time to time is also highly recommended.
–A lot of people like specifics. They want numbers. I don’t always believe in that but to appease them I will say this… Twenty five to fifty total reps per body part, two to three times per week will lead to huge mass gains in most lifters. Any more than that is not usually needed.
–All reps are not created equal. One set of 25 is not the same as five sets of five. Heavier weights will bring about an earlier recruitment of the fast twitch fibers and create more microtrauma. This will lead to more/faster myofibrillar hypertrophy. In simple terms you will build “real muscle” faster with lower rep sets.
–Higher rep sets of 12-20 will lead to size gains through increased glycogen/water/energy storage. This is usually considered “non functional” tissue, but if you are only training for size and strength and not a power sport, who cares? Use both rep ranges to get the best of both worlds.
–To find your optimal squat stance get in the exact same position you would play linebacker in. That is usually pretty damn close. Note the angle of your upper body. That is the angle you want to be at while squatting down. If you are more upright than that you will be very weak and there will usually be too much stress on your knees. If you are leaning forward any further there will be too much stress on your lower back.
For more muscle building tips check out MuscleGainingSecrets.com
Please leave your comments below.
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Comments on 12 Simple Muscle Building Tips
Good tips bro!
Anytime you quote Ethan Reeves I will listen!!
Hamer
Jason, these are fine tips. I just love to read your articles.
Petur.
“Twenty five to fifty total reps per body part, twice per week will lead to huge mass gains in most intermediate to advanced lifters”
That make sense, but then how come you recommend no more then 2 sets of 6-8 reps per exercise in your intermediate/advanced workout phase. At most that’s 16 reps per workout, half the volume that is quoted above.
For those of us that aren’t American and have no idea what position to play linebacker in, can you give a description please?
Anytime you reference linebackers I will listen!!
Hashey
Thanks Petur.
Feliks,
Muscle Gaining Secrets is for skinny hardgainers. That is not what I recommend for everyone else. Even for them I don’t recommend that in the advanced programs.
Nick,
An athletic stance that you would play most sports in. Picture a guy running at you full speed and you need to tackle him. How would you stand? That is the stance you want to squat in.
Joe,
I hear ya. As long as we agree that LT is the greatest of all time.
Whad up Flav. What I feel is the most important tip for most cats out there; ‘the foam roller is your friend’. Well, my friends, its true. Especially, using a tennis or LaCrosse ball… Excruciating and Amazing! The importance of soft tissue, alignment work, and flexibilty is waaay underated. Guys, and gals with 10-20 years of hard, heavy training know what I’m talkin about! Good stuff, Jay.
There are nice tips for muscle building.
i am very weak from muscles,,so plz give me the tips to increase the muscles power…
Tip 13: Train @ Renegade Gym– http://www.therenegadegym.com
If you want to get bigger, stronger and healthier and live in Central/ Northern NJ, you’re doing yourself a disservice by not training here. Not many places where you can train to a blaring, nasty mix of metal/ hip hop, chalk in the air with 15 strong guys all there for one reason– to kick some ass for an hour. Yet as smoked as you are after training, when the 7pm crew comes in and you see them dialing themselves up for their training session, you want to jump in and do it all again.
You owe it to yourself– get out of your basement or that public gym and get to Renegade— you can thank me after 90 days when you see your accelerated gains.
Hi Jason-
Have been doing a lot of CB’s TT programs and stumbled across your site through his. Have been doing a lot of fat loss programs and have dropped from about 20% BF down to 8% and from 206 to 163. Here are my questions.
First, I see you talk about sprinting and intervals. Is it ok to be doing these while on a mass building program? I’m currently doing CB’s Meatheads v2.0. I know he says to eliminate these while on the mass program. Wanted to get your thoughts since it seems like you’re saying it’s ok.
Second, you recommend not lifting more than 2 days in a row. This program is 4 days and my current schedule looks like this…Monday/Tues/Thurs/Fri Should I split up one of the back to back days or stick with this schedule?
Look forward to hearing from you! Lot’s of great stuff on this site!
Thanks!
John
Rob,
Unfortunately I ignored this for years and underestimated its importance. Now that I have started paying greater attention to it I feel way better than I have in years.
John, I have no problem with sprints on a mass gaining phase. It hasn’t hurt football players, who have been doing both for years. Every summer I have football players gain 15-30 pounds while running a few days per week. It’s not a problem.
I prefer Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat but if you can’t do that and have to do Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri it’s not the end of the world.
Great stuff as usual Jason!
Interesting about the 25-50 total reps per bodypart twice a week. I’m not a hardgainer but I’ve seen some really good progress from MGS, but now I’m intrigued about what kind of program you would write for a person of good muscle-gaining genetics. It’d be cool if you did an article on here or on the MGS blog about that – or even write a new eBook/ chapter in MGS.
“all reps are not created equal” ha. yet another dead on article.
Is the picture at the top of the article Vince’s Gym? Looks like it to me. You should do an article on Vince & his dungeon like gym.
Jason,
Your 12 tips are the kind of “no-nonsense, cut-through-the-crap’ tips that actually help people instead of confusing them. Hardly hear anyone ever mention the foam roller. And “when in doubt do more chin-ups, push-ups, dips” is simply something most trainers can’t or won’t say. Good stuff!
many thanks for the info. i love it. i’m 56 yrars old. what can u recommend, i’ve been lifting weights for several years just to firm me up, is that ok?
I agree 100% with these. Recovery is way overlooked IMO. I also love and recommend exercises that use your own bodyweight.
Excellent tips, Jason! Very concise and to the point. The foam roller has been a good friend – offering mostly tough love : ).
Jason,
I feel like I’ve been wasting y time. I keep hitting plateau’s every time I’m about I *THINK* I’m getting stronger. I’ve been doing full body routines.
DAY 1:Dead Lift (Hammer Strength. So its a fixed motion = / ) Flat Bench and Inclined DB’s, Weighted Dips, One Arm DB Row, Inverted Rows, weighted Pull Ups, Squats….
Super Setting back and chest 2 -3 sets each. Between 3-8 reps.
On day 2.. Push Ups (3 variations 9 Sets Total) Pull Ups (3 variations 9 sets total) and Jump Squats.. I throw Bi’s and Tris in occasionally.
I feel like I’m over and under training. Is that possible? What do you recommend for a 2 day a week full body routine?
Thanks in advance….
Mike, I have a new program coming out soon that will address this.
Al, yes that is Vince’s gym.
John, do less volume and split it up into three days.
Hey Jason,
I’m from india. I should say that i’m a hardgainer and have been training since 6 years. And have wasted my first 3 to 4 years of training without proper knowledge and guidance about dieting and weight training. I have been following your blog since 2 years and have incorporated even the minute tips that you have advised. I’m grateful to say that it changed my ability to lift weights and also my overall torso. I’ve gained 5 to 6 lbs of muscle in just 3 months which i was struggling to achieve in 3 years. I’m making considerable gains now and then, which entirely depends on my office work load. My weakest part is the calves and forearms and i don’t know how to jack them…i mean low intensity or high..love volume or high… Please advice!
A word for you Jason, “It doesn’t matter how much money we earn or knowledge we gain in our life but what it matters is …how many people you earn in life makes you the most wanted one”
Well..your advice and knowledge has changed my life!! And i’m sincerely grateful for it.
Nice post. Great, common sense advice with no bs or fluff. Thanks
Hey Jason, do you recommend using a more tricep specific exercise too in a workout too like close grip bench or will it get enough work from bench press and overhead press? At the moment I do squats, bench press, overhead press and chin ups 3xweek for about 4 sets which comes to around the recommended reps per body part per workout.. but if I add in anymore exercises my workout will surely be beyond the 45 minute mark.
Actually, after a workout i’ve realised I can fit in some close grip bench press, do you still recommend I do it or will my triceps be stimulated enough through bench press and overhead press? Thanks for your time
much appreciated.
Jason,
any particular foam roller you recommend? There are hundreds of different ones out there, all different sizes. What brand and size do you recommend based on your experiance? Also, do you foam roll every day as a warm up before you train or do you foam roll at night/morning?
If I am on a 3 day a week training regimen, how often should I do cardio in an effort to maximize my size and strength gains? Is 1 day a week (sprints) too little? I have found if I do anything more I feel weak in the gym.
Also, I have been incorporating alot of your diet ideas into my daily routine and have seen amazing results, mostly I have a ton more energy. I went from drinking almost a pot of coffee a day to 1 cup per week, and am drinking only water, no pop, no sports drinks. I have had minor acne on my face and back for my whole life, and now in my late 20′s my skin is completely clear and like a babies! Its amazing really.
love the website man
@ Vishwa- Great to hear about your progress! Calves and forearms typically need higher volume than other body parts. Calves, especially. However, if you are a hardgainer I would work on gaining overall mass first and foremost and then worry about specializing in a couple of years.
@ Michael- Thanks.
@ Daniel- You could add in close grip benches.
@ Ryan- I like this foam roller here: http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=143&pid=1468
I like foam rolling before and after training.
Great to hear the dietary changes and paying off for you.
You said for beginner and intermediate full body workouts are better, but in the beginner blast off you recommend splits, could you clarify? thanks.
As always, great tips. I like to do 10-20 pushups after every sprint during conditioning.