There are certain individuals who can't seem to gain weight no matter
how hard they try. In fitness parlance, these people are called
"hardgainers".
How To Build Muscle
However,
these individuals can gain weight by simply bulking up on existing
muscle mass and/or stimulate the growth of new muscle tissues. In fact,
compared to following an eating program that would have a person
doubling or even tripling his or her food intake, muscle building is the
healthier way by which to gain weight.
The numerous techniques
on muscle building all observe one basic principle, which is called
progressive load. This simply means that you build and add lean muscle
mass by imposing loads of gradually increasing increments on the
muscles. In doing so, you stimulate your muscles to respond accordingly
so that they increase both in bulk and in strength. To attain the best
results and for safety, it is ideal that progressive overload be
performed systematically.
Working Out Using the Progressive Overload Principle
There are a wide variety of exercise regimens that utilize the progressive overload principle in working out the muscles.
In
general, all of the major muscle groups in your body - the arms, chest,
core, back, and legs - need to be given a workout. If you work out all
of these major muscle groups in a single session for a maximum of 3
times a week, you are giving your body an overall body workout. Another
type of workout is called split routines. Here, you select certain
muscle groups for each workout following a cycle. Which is more
effective between an overall body workout and a split routine? Split
routines requires greater, concentrated on your part. But, you can also
achieve the desired results with an overall body workout. However, when
doing a split routine, you should make certain that all the muscle
groups have been given a sufficient workout during the week.
Regardless
of the type of routine that you follow, you should start with 1 to 3
sets consisting of 8 to 12 reps per exercise. Once you are capable of
performing the reps easily, gradually increase the weight and, again,
complete the reps using the heavier weight load. Always increase the
weight until you are no longer capable of lifting in.
Take note
that the progressive overload principle seeks overcome the human body's
natural tendency to adapt. Hence, you need to practice periodic workouts
(which mean you overload your body by utilizing varying techniques for
periods of 1 to 4 weeks). Periodic workouts would include slow training,
super-setting, eccentric training, and pyramids. What is most important
is that you do not let your body adapt to specific types of exercises
and training. Once your body adapts to your training regimen, you will
see a dramatic reduction in muscle growth.
Get Much Needed Rest
A
lot of exercisers mistakenly believe that it is while they are pumping
iron that they build up muscles. The truth is that you only stimulate
muscle growth when you exercise. In reality, muscles grow when you are
resting and/or asleep. It is not enough that you spend hours working out
and observing a nutritional diet. If you don't rest, you will not
achieve gains in your muscle mass. It is recommended that you get at
least 8 hours of sleep every night, so that your body will heal and
repair itself. Adequate rest will also rejuvenate you for the activities
the following day.
Additional Tips
One erroneous belief
that exercisers have is that if they pump for longer hours, the bulkier
their muscles would be. In reality, you should only train 3 times a week
for overall body workouts and 2 times a week for each body part with
split routines. Make sure that you are always observing proper form when
doing the exercises in order to get the best results as well as prevent
serious injury. Always make it a point to change your workout regimens
after 4 weeks. It is also highly recommended that you observe a healthy,
nutritious diet.
Make a strong commitment to observe a regular
fitness regimen, a healthy diet, and adequate rest in order to achieve
the results you want for your body.
How To Build Muscle