Muscle Building Routine – The Overall Approach to Building Muscle Mass

Author: M Zack
Date: Jan 15, 2010 - 4:14:24 AM

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Building muscle mass is a multi-pronged approach which requires a proper mass building workout routine, proper nutrition, sufficient rest and good supplements.

When it comes to selecting the proper workout method, the best way to build muscle mass is by using free weights.   Any serious weightlifter will tell you that dumbbells and barbells are the key to building up mass.   In addition to working your primary target muscle, free weights such as barbells and dumbbells involve secondary muscle groups as well and force your body to exert more effort and engage more muscles.   Machines have more muscle-isolating kinetics to them and are mainly used in routines when you are looking to get muscle definition and separation.  

To build mass and allow for enough recovery time you should be exercising between 2 to 4 times per week.   More than 4 times per week will not give you enough time to rest and will force your muscle into cannibalizing themselves.   Mass building workouts are ones where you do a low number of sets (2 to 3 max) and go super heavy on the weights where you perform 4 to 6 (sometimes 8) repetitions.   Thus, these workouts are demanding and sufficient rest is paramount!   Another element involves changing-up your routine every 3 weeks.   This keeps your muscles guessing and avoids hitting plateaus in development.  

Proper nutrition is another piece of the mass building puzzle.   You need to add to your body’s daily calorie intake, and consume more calories than you burn.   Then you will take those calories and meld them into super strong and massive musculature by doing proper and frequent exercise.

Begin by consuming about 1.5 grams of protein for each pound of your body weight.   Later, you can up the intake if you want to further your results.   Proteins build and rebuild tissue and without them you cannot achieve any muscle growth.   It’s also important to consume carbohydrates in sufficient quantities, for three purposes.   First, your body draws on them as the fuel to burn in the furnace.   They provide you energy during your workouts.   Second, when you’re burning carbohydrates, you’re not burning the proteins that you need to build mass.   Third, you need them after a workout to spike your energy levels.   You should eat a small serving of carbohydrates at every meal, and snack on carbs both before and after your workout.

Just remember when you’re choosing carbohydrates to stick with the complex rather than simple carbs.   Simple carbs, from fruit and dairy products, are not the kind you need. You want the complex carbohydrates from whole grains, pasta, rice, and legumes, or beans. They are full of fiber and will burn slowly in your body’s furnace.

<strong>Mass Building Routines - The Importance of Recuperation</strong>

When you are building mass it is important to rest enough.   If you are a novice, begin with two workouts per week; eventually you can advance to four.   But it’s important to rest muscles for 48 hours between workouts.   If you train too often, or if you fail to give muscle groups adequate rest, then your body will draw on protein as fuel and will actually eat-up your hard earned muscle.   Furthermore, getting sufficient hours of sleep every night is also important because this is the time when our body goes into rebuild and recovery mode.

Finally, proper bodybuilding supplements in the form of whey protein and vitamins are also a key component of building muscle.   Unless you are a great cook and have time to cook 4 to 6 meals a day, you will be hard pressed to achieve your goals without taking pre-workout and post-workout protein shakes.   Of course there are other supplements that you can use to build muscle and enhance your strength and energy, but whey protein is the absolute foundation upon which you build your supplement intake.   Eating 4 to 6 meals per day that are evenly spaced will get you on the right track to achieving your muscle building goals.

In conclusion, your muscle building efforts are a synchronized approach where you need to incorporate different elements which all act in perfect synergy to help you achieve you goal of building muscle mass.   A good workout routine coupled with proper nutrition, rest and supplementation are all key components.   Take away one and you will have crippled your efforts and subsequent results.

Zack Micevic is a certified fitness trainer and nutritionist as well as a natural competitive bodybuilder. He has written many articles across the internet about building muscle mass, fat burning, proper nutrition for athletes and providing comprehensive advice and free fitness and bodybuilding workouts.

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