With all the strict muscle building programs out there, it can seem pretty overwhelming. It can certainly be disappointing to try adding muscle mass, only to learn you must train on gym machines to do a major portion of these muscle building programs. What if the program requires dead lifts but you are recovering from a back injury. Why don’t we look at some BETTER options in muscle building programs!
The Type of Resistance Doesn’t Matter as Much as Many Would Suggest
No! The philosophy of free weights being so much better of the muscle building programs is HOGWASH! While it may be true that many large guys use free weights to add muscle, the same holds true for machines and even body weight training. Arthur Jones the inventor of the Nautilus machines trained quite a few successful bodybuilders to get improve their physiques using his machines. Don’t get hung up on machines vs free weights vs body weight. You’re muscles WILL see gains as long as you are PUSHING them.
“How should I divide up my workouts?”
Breaking it up into four workouts a week, two a week, or even cramming your whole body exercise program into ONE DAY can be effective. A lot of how you split up muscle groups between workouts depends upon how many days per week you can devote to training and how long each workout session will last. The advantage of a 3 day split over training your entire body in a day is that your workouts will probably shorter. The advantage of training your entire body in one workout is that you can train less days per week and get an effective workout. Personally, I hit the weights four days a week with a two-day split. It’s no better or worse than any other way, just “how I roll!” Just be certain to incorporate muscle building programs that fit into your personal calendar.
“Is there any benefit to less vs. more reps?”
Again, there’s really NO right or wrong answer here. Generally, if you’re looking to get REALLY big, REALLY fast, then more repetitions is the way to go. This is called sarcoplasmic muscle gain, which maximizes muscular fluid at the cellular level. On the other hand, if the “Hollywood look” is your goal, along with overall strength, then you want less reps. Want both SIZE and DEFINITION? Do high-repetition workouts, later altered into low-repetition workouts.
The Time of Day you Perform Your Muscle Building Program Makes Little Difference As Well
The only advantage I’ve found to early morning exercise is that it’s OVER and DONE with sooner! On the other hand, morning exercise CAN increase the potential for injury if you do not warm up first. Really, either way works well. I am of the belief that getting up before 5:30AM is only acceptable if I am going on vacation or a road trip, but many people swear by early morning workouts.
Anyway, I really hope this has shed some light on some common misconceptions regarding muscle building programs. The bottom line is that you truly CAN see outstanding muscle gains with muscle building programs to fit your lifestyle!
