60 Muscle Building Tips
Here are 60 of the best muscle building tips I could piece together in one evening. They are short, sweet, and to the point. But don't let that fool you. Follow them and you'll be successful.
60
Muscle Building Tips
1) Compound
exercises are your best tools for growth. Use them.
2)
Eat your biggest meal of the day about 30 to 60 minutes after you lift weights.
3)
Get strong! There are no weak bodybuilders. You don't have to become a
powerlifter, but you do need to dramatically improve your strength over what it
is now.
4)
Squats are the king of the muscle builders, and they are not bad for your knees
unless your form is horrible and/or you are half-squatting.
5)
Deadlift. If squats are king, deadlifts are second in command. They are not bad
for your back unless your form is horrible.
6)
Learn proper form. Read every article, and watch every video you can on proper
exercise form. There is no excuse for having sub-par squat and deadlift form.
7)
Balance your upper bodywork. This means equal effort for the chest, back, and
shoulders. Stop doing 7 exercises for the chest and only lat pulldowns for the back.
Balance will keep you healthy, strong, and help to stave off shoulder issues.
8)
Beginners...stop training like advanced lifters, using advanced splits and
training techniques. They are not needed. What you need is to get strong on the
basic compound lifts more than anything.
9)
Beginners...stop adding training volume. Having 3 bicep days per week isn't
going to help. You need to get strong right now, not fatigue yourself with
endless sets.
10)
Stop believing that muscle building is rocket surgery. It isn't. Get stronger,
eat enough food, and stay persistent.
 |
11) Stop missing workouts.
12)
Stop complaining about muscle soreness. It's part of the game. Don't miss
workouts because of it. No excuses - get to the gym.
13)
Stop complaining about every ache, pain, or strain. Lifting weights is hard, and
a man's game. You're going to feel off occasionally. No excuses - get to the
gym.
14)
Proper muscle building nutrition is much more than broccoli, rice, and chicken
breasts. Eat a variety of whole foods each week.
15)
Eat more red meat.
16)
Eat more eggs, including the yolks. Egg yolks are nutritionally dense.
17)
Drink plenty of water. Then drink more.
18)
Sleep at least 8 hours a night and take naps when possible.
19)
Learn to cook. Muscle
building nutrition doesn't have to be bland.
20)
Having trouble reaching your calorie goals? Add butter or olive oil to your
veggies.
21)
Having trouble reaching your calorie goals? Switch to whole milk, and drink at
least 3 large glasses per day.
22)
Having trouble reaching your calorie goals? Add sour cream and cheese to every
possible meal.
23)
Having trouble reaching your calorie goals? Snack on almonds and nuts in
between meals.
24)
Beginners...stop obsessing about muscle confusion. You won't plateau for years
and years. Confuse your muscles with more weight.
25) Stop changing workouts
every 2 weeks. This is a huge waste of time. You're spending more time adapting
to the specific conditioning requirements of the workout than you are building
muscle.
26)
Obsess about keeping your abs and undereat to stay lean, and that's all you'll
ever be: skinny with abs
27) Learn to evolve your
training based on needs rather than making random workout changes.
28)
Industry-standard bodybuilding
workouts contain a high percentage of nonsense. Ever notice how
95% of these workouts never tell you how to add weight? Guess what - adding
weight is the cornerstone of progress and results.
29)
Not all supplements are bad, but some supplement claims can be. Learn the
difference.
30)
Very few muscle building topics are black or white. Balance what you read with
what advanced, successful lifters are using.
31)
Science can help, but training is still an art. Everybody is different. Try new
things based on science, but tweak them to fit your personal needs.
32)
Anyone that insists a topic or training concept is 100% black or white should
be approached with caution. Different things work for different lifters.
33)
Progression of weight is the magic muscle building key.
34)
Why does every workout seem to work? Because a lifter who is dedicated, eats
right, and gets stronger can thrive on even the most unorganized muscle-building
workout.
35)
Fat is not bad. Do not avoid healthy fats. Your body needs fat to function
properly.
36)
Eat 90% healthy, whole foods. Allow some of your calories to be fun calories,
so you can stay sane and a member of the human race.
37)
Just because someone has a six-pack doesn't mean they know how to build muscle.
Learn the difference between a diet expert and good muscle-building advice.
38)
Squats above parallel are
dangerous (bad for the knees).
39)
20 rep squats are insane and amazing. Try them.
40)
Have more sex. It's good for you.
41)
Perform cardio 3 times a week for overall health. better health is never a bad
thing.
42)
Cardio will not limit your gains. Only poor effort in the gym and a weak diet
will limit your gains.
43)
A great back training combination includes the deadlift, a row, and a lat
exercise like pullups, rack chins, or lat pulldowns.
44)
Dips are underused but potent. They were once considered the upper body squat.
Don't underestimate their ability to pack on chest and tricep mass.
45)
Find abs
exercises that allow you to increase resistance, like weighted
situps or cable crunches.
46)
Stubborn calves? Try heavy, low rep, high volume work for several months as a
change of pace to high rep sets.
47) Most bulks that result in
excessive fat gain and little muscle gain happen because 90% of the emphasis is
placed upon the diet. A bulk is only going to work if you train
insane. Go crazy with compound exercises and building
strength so you can maximize muscle growth without wasting
those extra calories.
48)
Eat as many fruits and veggies as you want. Red, green, and yellow colors equal
plenty of nutrition.
49)
The body needs sodium. Don't under-consume salt.
50)
Having a proper sodium/potassium balance is very important for overall health.
Instead of worrying about salt, make sure you are taking in enough potassium.
51)
Your body needs cholesterol to function properly. If you are eating healthy,
don't obsess about your cholesterol intake.
52)
Pound for pound the best bicep builders are heavy rows and pullups/chinups.
Barbell curls are a good addition to these exercises.
53)
Use a heavy compound lift and an extension when targeting triceps; for
example...close grip bench presses and two arm seated dumbbell tricep
extensions.
54)
Dips and close grip bench presses are potent tricep builders.
55)
Want big arms? Remember that the triceps make up 2/3rds of your arm size.
56)
Lagging traps? Try the combination of heavy deadlifts, power cleans power
shrugs, heavy behind the neck presses, and heavy rows.
57)
Don't discount full-body workouts. Prior to the steroid era, they built some
amazing physiques. Even Arnold
Schwarzenegger himself was weaned on full-body routines
58)
Heavy rows are the best rear delt builders.
59)
Isolation exercises stalling and becoming hard to add weight without
compromising form? Switch to a machine isolation exercise instead; one that
allows a higher range of progression.
60)
Perform your compound exercises first while you are fresh.
0 Comments