Most people who’ve been on a muscle building program for any length of time will realise how important it is to make good progress with muscle gains in order to keep motivated and of course, to look and feel great.
The reason so many people fail is because they follow the wrong muscle building program, and by that I mean a program that is not suitable for their individual needs. The result of following the wrong program can be anything to poor muscle gains to actually losing muscle, or even getting a serious injury through overtraining.
Having studied and reviewed many muscle programs over the years, here are my top 5 tips to finding a muscle building program that will suit your needs:
Training Time
Muscle building programs aimed at gaining lean muscle mass will not have you training for hours in the gym. Your workout routines should last no more than 45 mins, but should be intense and push your strength to the limit.
Workout Variety
Keeping your workout routine varied will help to keep your muscles stimulated and growing, so your workout routines should be re-planned every 8 – 12 weeks. You body is clever in that remembers the exercises you do and that’s why exercises become easier over time. By changing your workouts you are shocking your muscles and stimulating further growth.
Take Days Off
You need plenty of sleep and rest to help your body recover and grow. This is because your muscles grow when resting not when you train. Good muscle building programs will include rest days and should encourage you take a week off now and again.
Make Sure You Do the Exercises Correctly
When doing any sort of physical activity you must make sure that you do them safely, using the correct form and speed. Look out for muscle building programs that provide you with exercise databases that are either video or illustration based. If you are unsure of how to do an exercise correctly then don’t do it -watch the video or study the illustrations and practice with a light weight.
How Important is the Diet?
Diet is the key to every bodybuilder’s success. However any muscle building diet must be personalized to your body type and goals. The best muscle building programs will provide diet plans for every individual. This means diet plans will cover all calorie levels and include meals from 2000 – 6000 calories a day. The best meal plans I’ve come across even cater for vegetarians or those who need to avoid specific foods.
So there you have it, 5 simple but very important tips to stimulating fast muscle growth. Make sure you bear these points in mind when looking for a suitable muscle building program.