Gaining muscle mass has been and always will be one of the main goals for anyone starting out on a regular weight lifting program.
The pictures we see of huge body builders and their incredible physiques stir in us the desire to transform our bodies into these larger
than life athletes. These body builders have spent many years in the gym training and utilizing all the latest supplements and nutritional
information available. It is also prudent to note that many of these weight lifters have resorted to the use of more dangerous and illegal
substances such as anabolic steroids to achieve the desired results.
My advice to you is to stay away from steroids and build your body naturally. While you will not get as big as these body builders
you can and will build a body that will make even the most seasoned weight lifter envious if you put the time and effort into your weight
training.
I have put together my Top Five for gaining muscle mass:
1. Weight lifting with free weights
If you have been training and are using any type of machine then it’s time for you to stop and
start using free weights. Free weights are barbells, dumbbells and kettle balls. The benefits of using free weights are that they will help build
the ancillary stabilizing muscles indirectly to add both strength and flexibility. Dumbells are particularly helpful in regards to range of
motion. The greater the range of motion the greater the stretch and stress you can place on each individual muscle group.
2. Use compound exercises.
To gain muscle mass you must increase the size of each muscle fiber in your body. Compound movements are weight lifting techniques
that utilize an exercise that incorporates more than one muscle group at a time. A good example would be the deadlift and the squat. By
using these weight lifting exercises you are not only working out your legs and back you are working out all the stabilizing muscles
associated with each exercise. This will increase your overall strength and muscle mass in the shortest time
possible.
3. Train with high volume and intensity
We refer to high volume as the number of sets and repetitions we choose and intensity is how much weight we choose to lift for
each set. A good starting point will be to utilize the 10 – 15 rep range and 6 – 8 sets per exercise. Each set should be performed by
hitting the number of repetitions you have selected. It is also important to keep your rest in between sets to a maximum of 60
seconds.
4. Take each set to failure
Taking a set to failure means that the last rep you perform will be the last rep you can possibly lift without the help of a spotter. For the
next set decrease the weight and repetitions so that you once again can go to failure. If you can’t get the required amount of repetitions than
decrease the weight until you are able to go to failure for those amount pf repetitions. While it is good to include this type of weight training
it is also wise to mix up you workouts and cycle the type of training you do on a week-to-week basis. Your body will adapt to this type of
training quickly and we need to shock the muscles to achieve maximum muscle mass gains.
5. Eat Protein and Protein Supplements
Before you train it is a good idea to consume about 15 – 25 grams of protein, which will help to present a muscle building effect. This can be in
the form of a protein drink or even several glasses of low fat milk. After your weight lifting session it is important that you consume at
least 20 – 30 grams of a high quality fast absorbing protein supplement, preferably with some carbohydrates and even creatine. Creatine must be
cycled so make sure you understand the correct process for creatine consumption. Gaining muscle mass is a lot easier if you are properly
utilizing creatine.
If you're looking for a more comprehensive guide to gaining muscle mass I strongly recommend you purchase Jason Ferruggia's Muscle Gaining Secrets eBook! Ferruggia is a renowned fitness
expert, not just some guy off the streets. He has written articles for and been featured in many top fitness magazines, including Men's
Health and Men's Fitness. With his expertise you would certainly expect great things from his training program and eBook Muscle Gaining
Secrets.