Training to build muscle 101.
THREAD ⬇️
THREAD ⬇️
I'm gonna keep this thread simple and focus on the big training factors that you need to focus on.
Ignore these and you're gonna be fighting an uphill battle.
Now why the fuck would be wanna make building muscle any harder than it already is?
Let's dive in.
Ignore these and you're gonna be fighting an uphill battle.
Now why the fuck would be wanna make building muscle any harder than it already is?
Let's dive in.
1) TRAINING PLAN.
What about intensity?
How many sets?
How many reps?
Training frequency?
What exercises to use?
Technical execution
Forms of progression?
All the questions you're probably wondering.
I've got you covered.
What about intensity?
How many sets?
How many reps?
Training frequency?
What exercises to use?
Technical execution
Forms of progression?
All the questions you're probably wondering.
I've got you covered.
2) TRAINING INTENSITY.
We need to be training close to failure if we're trying to build muscle.
All sets should be within 0-4 reps in reserve.
(No more than 4 reps away from failure)
This is just in order to recruit those high threshold motor units during a set.
We need to be training close to failure if we're trying to build muscle.
All sets should be within 0-4 reps in reserve.
(No more than 4 reps away from failure)
This is just in order to recruit those high threshold motor units during a set.
Whether you're in the high intensity camp who train to complete failure all the time with lower overall volume or the moderate intensity, higher volume camp who train within 1-3 reps shy of failure, thats fine.
Both styles of training can work well.
But you must train hard.
Both styles of training can work well.
But you must train hard.
For example, let's say we're on a hack squat.
We complete a set of 10 rep...but with a gun to our head we probably could have cranked out 16-17 reps.
You're not training hard enough.
Unfortunately this is the majority of people in gyms today.
Address this immediately.
We complete a set of 10 rep...but with a gun to our head we probably could have cranked out 16-17 reps.
You're not training hard enough.
Unfortunately this is the majority of people in gyms today.
Address this immediately.
3) HOW MANY SETS PER WEEK?
General guideline is around 8-20 sets per muscle group per week.
Some may even be a little lower than that depending on your training intensity etc.
No more than 8-10 sets per muscle group per workout.
Any higher and you're adding junk volume.
General guideline is around 8-20 sets per muscle group per week.
Some may even be a little lower than that depending on your training intensity etc.
No more than 8-10 sets per muscle group per workout.
Any higher and you're adding junk volume.
4) HOW MANY REPS?
Most of your sets should be in that 5-30 rep range and taken close to failure.
All rep ranges build muscle.
Just probably isn't worth doing heavy sets of 1-3 if hypertrophy is the main goal.
Too much systemic fatigue to achieve the volumes needed for growth.
Most of your sets should be in that 5-30 rep range and taken close to failure.
All rep ranges build muscle.
Just probably isn't worth doing heavy sets of 1-3 if hypertrophy is the main goal.
Too much systemic fatigue to achieve the volumes needed for growth.
5) TRAINING FREQUENCY
My personal recommendation is to hit each muscle group at least 2x per week.
Can be achieved via multiple different training splits.
-Push/Pull/Legs
-Upper/Lower
-Full body
Making sure we're sticking to the guidelines above.
My personal recommendation is to hit each muscle group at least 2x per week.
Can be achieved via multiple different training splits.
-Push/Pull/Legs
-Upper/Lower
-Full body
Making sure we're sticking to the guidelines above.
Ensures on average better set quality throughout the week.
Plus the increase in protein synthesis and anabolic signalling to the muscle by via hitting it 2x a week.
As the actual training session is huge as a natural to stimulate protein synthesis in the muscle.
All adds up.
Plus the increase in protein synthesis and anabolic signalling to the muscle by via hitting it 2x a week.
As the actual training session is huge as a natural to stimulate protein synthesis in the muscle.
All adds up.
6) EXERCISE SELECTION.
There’s a lot of misinformation when it comes to hypertrophy training.
We're looking for exercises that are gonna provide sufficient mechanical tension, muscular damage and metabolic stress to the target muscle.
Can be achieved in many different ways.
There’s a lot of misinformation when it comes to hypertrophy training.
We're looking for exercises that are gonna provide sufficient mechanical tension, muscular damage and metabolic stress to the target muscle.
Can be achieved in many different ways.
Cables, machines, barbells, dumbbells and calisthenics all work for building muscle.
People who have built the best physiques have used a combination of everything.
The key is to find exercises that work for us and provide high stimulus to fatigue ratios.
Few examples below:
People who have built the best physiques have used a combination of everything.
The key is to find exercises that work for us and provide high stimulus to fatigue ratios.
Few examples below:
CHEST:
-Bench press
-Larsen bench press
-Incline bench press
-Dbell bench presses
-Weighted dips
-Hammer strength converging chest press
-Weighted push ups
-Cable flies
-Bench press
-Larsen bench press
-Incline bench press
-Dbell bench presses
-Weighted dips
-Hammer strength converging chest press
-Weighted push ups
-Cable flies
DELTS:
ANTERIOR:
-Seated barbell/dbell shoulder presses
-Smith machine seated press
-Machine press
-Front raises
MEDIAL:
-Cable lateral raises
-Upright rows
POSTERIOR:
-Face pulls
-Rows
ANTERIOR:
-Seated barbell/dbell shoulder presses
-Smith machine seated press
-Machine press
-Front raises
MEDIAL:
-Cable lateral raises
-Upright rows
POSTERIOR:
-Face pulls
-Rows
BACK WIDTH (LATS):
-Supinated pulldown
-Neutral grip pull ups
-Chin ups
-Single arm pulldown
-Hammer strength lat row
-Straight arm pulldowns
BACK THICKNESS (RHOMBOIDS)
-Chest supported rows
-Cable rows
-Inverted rows
-Barbell rows
-Wide grip pull ups
TRAPS:
DEADLIFTS.
-Supinated pulldown
-Neutral grip pull ups
-Chin ups
-Single arm pulldown
-Hammer strength lat row
-Straight arm pulldowns
BACK THICKNESS (RHOMBOIDS)
-Chest supported rows
-Cable rows
-Inverted rows
-Barbell rows
-Wide grip pull ups
TRAPS:
DEADLIFTS.
QUADS:
-High bar squats
-Heel raised high bar squats
-Front squats
-SSB squats
-Paused squats
-Leg presses
-Hack squats
-Pendulum squats
-Smith machine squats
-Smith machine split squats
-Leg extension
-High bar squats
-Heel raised high bar squats
-Front squats
-SSB squats
-Paused squats
-Leg presses
-Hack squats
-Pendulum squats
-Smith machine squats
-Smith machine split squats
-Leg extension
HAMSTRINGS:
-Romanian deadlifts
-Stiff legged deadlifts
-Deadlifts
-Good mornings
-45 degree back extension
-Seated hamstring curl
-Lying hamstring curl
-Nordic curls
-Glute ham raise
-Romanian deadlifts
-Stiff legged deadlifts
-Deadlifts
-Good mornings
-45 degree back extension
-Seated hamstring curl
-Lying hamstring curl
-Nordic curls
-Glute ham raise
GLUTES:
-Romanian deadlifts
-Stiff legged deadlifts
-Good mornings
-Deadlifts
-45 degree back extensions
-Barbell/Dbell walking lunges
-Reverse lunges
-Hip thrusts
-Smith machine reverse lunge
-Romanian deadlifts
-Stiff legged deadlifts
-Good mornings
-Deadlifts
-45 degree back extensions
-Barbell/Dbell walking lunges
-Reverse lunges
-Hip thrusts
-Smith machine reverse lunge
CALVES:
-Calf raises
-Smith machine calf raises
-Seated calf raises
ABS:
-Weighted sit ups
-Ab wheel roll outs
-Cable crunch
-Hanging leg raise
-45 degree side bend
-Calf raises
-Smith machine calf raises
-Seated calf raises
ABS:
-Weighted sit ups
-Ab wheel roll outs
-Cable crunch
-Hanging leg raise
-45 degree side bend
BICEPS:
-Seated incline curls
-Spider curls
-Cable curls
-EZ Bar curls
-Hammer curls
-Chin ups
TRICEPS:
-Close grip bench
-Weighted dips
-Overhead extensions
-Tricep pushdowns
-Dbell skullcrusher
-Single arm pushdown
-Seated incline curls
-Spider curls
-Cable curls
-EZ Bar curls
-Hammer curls
-Chin ups
TRICEPS:
-Close grip bench
-Weighted dips
-Overhead extensions
-Tricep pushdowns
-Dbell skullcrusher
-Single arm pushdown
7) TECHNICAL EXECUTION.
Technique is paramount if we're trying to build muscle.
You can literally follow all of the above and get nowhere if your technique is garbage.
What do I mean by bad technique?
Couple things we need to look out for.
Technique is paramount if we're trying to build muscle.
You can literally follow all of the above and get nowhere if your technique is garbage.
What do I mean by bad technique?
Couple things we need to look out for.
-Using excessive momentum
-Using weight that is too heavy
-Letting secondary muscles take over
-Cheating to "move more weight"
-Not standardising your technique from week to week.
Doing this properly requires you to have your ego in check.
Controlled aggression is key.
-Using weight that is too heavy
-Letting secondary muscles take over
-Cheating to "move more weight"
-Not standardising your technique from week to week.
Doing this properly requires you to have your ego in check.
Controlled aggression is key.
8) FORMS OF PROGRESSION.
I'm a big believer in beating your logbook over time.
This is exactly why you need to be tracking every single one of your training sessions.
Every time we come in the gym we're pushing to beat last weeks performance in some capacity.
I'm a big believer in beating your logbook over time.
This is exactly why you need to be tracking every single one of your training sessions.
Every time we come in the gym we're pushing to beat last weeks performance in some capacity.
The name of the game is to fight tooth and nail to add an extra rep or some extra weight each week.
Even weight as small as 1.25lbs makes a difference.
All adds up over the course of a year.
This is to force the body into making an adaptation.
Even weight as small as 1.25lbs makes a difference.
All adds up over the course of a year.
This is to force the body into making an adaptation.
Here's an example of a bench press progression for 4 weeks.
WEEK 1 - 8, 8, 7 @ 225lbs
WEEK 2 - 8, 8, 8 @ 225lbs
WEEK 3 - 9, 8, 8 @ 227.5lbs
WEEK 4 - 10, 9, 8 @ 2275lbs
Small progressions over a month in both total reps and weight.
Job done and exactly what we need.
WEEK 1 - 8, 8, 7 @ 225lbs
WEEK 2 - 8, 8, 8 @ 225lbs
WEEK 3 - 9, 8, 8 @ 227.5lbs
WEEK 4 - 10, 9, 8 @ 2275lbs
Small progressions over a month in both total reps and weight.
Job done and exactly what we need.
What about when progress stalls?
Firstly, gotta make sure your nutrition is on point and you're recovering well.
If that's taken care of, we can then think about deloading.
All about deloads here below.
youtube.com
Firstly, gotta make sure your nutrition is on point and you're recovering well.
If that's taken care of, we can then think about deloading.
All about deloads here below.
youtube.com
We take our deload and come back again fresh.
We can also switch some exercises up for certain muscle groups which may have become stale.
Can even potentially switch up the rep range.
Such as moving from that 8-12 rep range to that 5-8 rep range.
Many ways to do this.
We can also switch some exercises up for certain muscle groups which may have become stale.
Can even potentially switch up the rep range.
Such as moving from that 8-12 rep range to that 5-8 rep range.
Many ways to do this.
But the overriding theme here is to always beat our log book from week to week whatever rep range/exercise we're using.
All about that progressive overload and applying the novel stimulus to get bigger.
Do this for a decade.
That's how you become an absolute unit 🥂
All about that progressive overload and applying the novel stimulus to get bigger.
Do this for a decade.
That's how you become an absolute unit 🥂
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