Bodybuilding Tips for Gaining Muscle Mass
If you want to increase the amount of muscle you carry on your frame there is only one way to do that, the Big Four. The big four compound lifts of squats, deadlift, bench-press and military press will be the fastest way to increase your strength and gain more muscle.
Included in the most important part of gaining muscle must be nutrition. Without increasing your calorie intake together with your protein and carbs you take in, every day of training you do will be useless. You need to eat as often as possible, always eat post workout and always drink lots of water.
If you train 5 sets of 5 reps going as heavy in the big four compound lifts as you can, you will be attacking the all-important fast twitch muscle fibers directly related to your explosive strength. Pushing the envelope so that you push your strength to the point of failure is going to ensure muscle growth.
This pushing to the point of failure and beyond can be very effectively done with drop-set training. For example after doing 5 X 5 on squats you could lighten the load a bit and squeeze out another 2 or 3 sets if you feel strong. The slow twitch as well as the fast muscle fibers can be trained all on the same day using the strength-aerobic method.
This is something you will know as tempo training or rest-pause training. The strength-aerobic method can easily be done using compound lifts. Slowing down on all eccentric moves and speeding up with all concentric pushers will attend to the slow twitch muscle fibers that you might have missed.
High intensity is an important key to muscle growth means less sets and more reps with as little rest between sets as possible. This high intensity training (HIT) needs to be part of any good muscle gain routine. Something strength coach Ian King calls the "Neural-Metabolic" continuum.
Included in the ideal muscle gain routine and also part of this neural metabolic continuum is low intensity cardio. Low impact, low intensity cardio twice or three times a week has a positive effect on a number of important aspects of gaining muscle. It helps keep your metabolism going at max speed, burns calories and most importantly helps to build your peripheral vascular network.
Click Here to Sign Up for Your Free Bodybuilding Magazine Subscription