After a few months, you raise your hands in surrender because the dream of getting huge hasn't come to fruition. Rest assured, if your training progress seems to be adrift rather than on target, you're probably just suffering the ill effects of some pilot error.
Not a problem: you just need a good navigator, and this is where Muscle & Fitness comes to your rescue. Henceforth, there will be no more guesswork — just some basic facts on what you need to do to gain mass and arrive safely at your next destination: intermediate bodybuilding.
Compound vs. isolation movements The results of one study suggested that during the first ten weeks of training, beginners achieve better results from single-joint exercises than they do from multi-joint exercises.1 In the long run, however, the greatest gains will come from using those harder-to-learn multi-joint movements such as the bench press and squat right from the start. Multi-joint lifts recruit a greater number of muscle fibres and muscle groups, do a better job of promoting neuromuscular learning and typically allow you to lift heavier loads. |
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Free weights vs. machines Most bodybuilders still train almost exclusively with free weights. Machines are safer, but they also do a lot of the work for you. In contrast, free weights force you to develop control and balance, which helps you establish a stronger base upon which to build.
Intensity In weight training, this term is usually equated with poundage, measured as a percentage of the amount someone can lift for one rep only. Train at roughly 70% of 1RM, as it's called, and keep the tempo fairly quick by resting only a minute or so between most sets. Both percentage of 1RM and rest periods should increase slightly when doing fewer repetitions (in other words, rest longer when you're going heavy).
The key to muscle growth is progressive resistance; that is, gradually increasing the weight used for a given lift, even when doing an identical number of repetitions. Even an increase of as little as two pounds a week still boosts the stimulus absorbed by the muscles and programmes them for growth.
Cardiovascular training If you feel like you have to do cardio, then do it no more than three days per week, 30 minutes maximum per session. However, cardio isn't necessary if you're already training at a relatively high intensity — not taking more than about a minute break between sets.
Eating for growth If you're a beginner hell-bent on gaining mass, then consume 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. If you're a hardgainer, aim for the high end of that range. The best way to consume that much protein is to divide it into five to seven meals throughout the day, which should allow you to consume more calories than you burn through exercise and other daily activities. Remember to drink lots of water, too. M&F
REFERENCE
›› 1. Chilibeck, P., Calder,
A., Sale, D., Webber, C. A
comparison of strength and muscle mass increases during resistance training in young women. European
Journal of Applied Physiology 77:170–175, 1998.  Published September 2007 |
