| 20 Mass Gaining Tips for the Hard Gainer. If you are | | | | unlikely to compete at a champion level, be realistic |
| having a hard time gaining muscle mass or, if you just | | | | about how much money you spend on supplements, |
| want to have a little more information on how to stay | | | | how much time you spend in the gym, and how much |
| on track with continuing gains in your muscle mass, | | | | effort you put into your training. There is no sense in |
| here are 20 tried and true bodybuilding tips. Learn | | | | going broke, alienating your family, and risking injury f |
| these 20 tips and apply them to your bodybuilding | | | | there is realistically no real possibility of ever making it |
| program regularly. | | | | to the pro level. |
| 1. Increase resistance regularly. Your muscles will grow | | | | 12. Supplement Your Diet. As a bodybuilder, you need |
| in response to increased demand upon them. You | | | | much more protein and other nutrients than your |
| must regularly increase your weight, reps, or intensity in | | | | average person. Be sure to supplement your diet with |
| order to increase your muscle mass. | | | | protein powder, creatine, multivitamins, glutamine, etc. in |
| 2. Use Moderate Reps. Sets of 6 to 10 reps are best | | | | order to meet the additional demands on your muscles. |
| for bodybuilders. Sets of five or less reps tend to build | | | | 13. Prevent Injuries. One of the biggest potential |
| more strength than muscle mass and sets greater | | | | roadblocks to your muscle building success is a training |
| than 10 reps tend to increase endurance in a muscle, | | | | injury. A serious muscle tear or tending injury will not |
| rather than cause it to grow in size. (The exceptions to | | | | only halt your progress in the short term, but in some |
| this rule are calves, abdominals, and forearms, which | | | | cases can limit your long term success as a |
| tend to respond best in rep ranges of 10 to 15). | | | | bodybuilder. Always warm up and stretch before |
| 3. Use Basic Exercises. Build your workouts around | | | | getting to your heavy sets. Start with a relatively light |
| compound multi-joint movements such as squats, | | | | weight and pyramid up from there to your heaviest |
| deadlifts, barbell rows, military presses, and bench | | | | set. Be sure to use a spotter or power rack on your |
| presses (inclined, flat and decline). | | | | heaviest sets. |
| 4. Eat Protein Frequently. Each day you need to give | | | | 14. Limit Your Volume. Try to limit yourself to 15 sets |
| your body 1 to 1.5 grams of quality protein for each | | | | on large bodyparts like chest and back, and 12 sets on |
| pound of body weight. Divide this intake into five or six | | | | smaller bodyparts like biceps and triceps. |
| meals that are spaced no more than three hours | | | | 15. Prioritize your Weakest Muscle Groups. Whenever |
| apart. Try to get most of this protein from animal | | | | possible, train your weakest body parts first, when you |
| sources like beef, fish, dairy and high quality protein | | | | have more energy and strength. If certain muscle |
| supplements. | | | | groups continually lag behind, increase the volume on |
| 5. Do Not Use Shortcuts. Avoid trying to speed up | | | | those body parts, and possibly decreased the volume |
| your progress by working out too much without | | | | in your strongest body parts until your body reaches a |
| sufficient rest, taking steroids, eating too many | | | | better balance. |
| unnecessary calories and using weights that are too | | | | 16. Train Your Entire Body. Do not neglect any body |
| heavy. These tactics will end up causing you more | | | | part. Be sure to train your forearms, legs, and lower |
| trouble than help. | | | | back just as vigorously as you're training chest and |
| 6. Evaluate Your Physique. Take a good look at | | | | biceps. |
| yourself in a mirror and do an honest assessment of | | | | 17. Learn to Control Your Muscles. Practice flexing |
| your weak points and strong points. Arrange your | | | | each muscle in your body. This will help to develop the |
| exercises to hit your lagging muscles first when you | | | | mind-muscle connection that will enable you to apply |
| are strong, and hit your best bodyparts last. If your | | | | more force in each repetition of your exercises. |
| shoulders tend to be narrow, be sure to emphasize | | | | 18. Trust Your Instincts. After you have been training |
| deltoid movements, especially lateral raises. If your hips | | | | for about a year, you should have a good idea of |
| tend to be wide, you may need to prioritize your lats to | | | | which exercises and techniques work best for you. |
| create the V- taper. | | | | You should also have some idea about which time of |
| 7. Get Enough Rest. You grow when you are resting, | | | | day you feel the strongest. The more closely you |
| not when you are training. Allow four days of rest | | | | monitor your body and the way you feel after a |
| between workouts for each muscle group to recover | | | | workout, the better you will be able to increase your |
| and grow. Be sure to get seven to eight hours of | | | | intensity, and therefore increase your muscle mass. |
| sleep each night for maximal muscle growth. | | | | 19. Set Achievable Goals. You should always have a |
| 8. Create Intensity. Use advanced techniques such as | | | | goal you are working towards. You should have some |
| partial reps, drop sets, and forced reps on most of | | | | short-term goals such as adding 10 pounds to your |
| your sets. This will all allow you to push your muscles | | | | bench press, adding a half-inch to your biceps, or losing |
| past failure and trigger even more muscle growth. | | | | and inch around your waist. Short-term goals should be |
| 9. Try New Equipment. You should base your | | | | achievable in a time frame of several weeks to a |
| bodybuilding program around compound free weight | | | | couple of months. In addition, you should have a few |
| exercises as mentioned in Tip number 3, but don't be | | | | long-term goals such as gaining 10 pounds of muscle in |
| afraid to experiment with some of the machines that | | | | one year, increasing your bench press to 300 pounds, |
| are available in your gym. Some machines can stress | | | | or competing in your first bodybuilding contest. Goals |
| your muscles in new and different ways which can | | | | are essential to keep you motivated and to give you a |
| stimulate new muscle growth. | | | | sense of accomplishment as you reach each one. |
| 10. Make Periodic Changes. Every month or two alter | | | | 20. Keep A Positive Attitude. It has been said that your |
| the order in which you do your exercises, or alter the | | | | attitude determines your altitude. This is especially true |
| exercises you do for a particular body part, or alter the | | | | when it comes to changing your body from an |
| number of sets and reps. Your muscles will become | | | | average one to a powerful and muscular one. |
| accustomed to the same workouts if they are | | | | Muscular gains do not come easy, but if you keep a |
| repeated over and over again. Periodic changes will | | | | positive mental outlook, continually look forward to your |
| keep your muscles from adapting and therefore | | | | next work out and apply these 20 tips, you will see |
| continue to stimulate new muscular growth. | | | | great improvements to your physique in a short period |
| 11. Know Your Limits. Understand what your realistic | | | | of time. |
| potential is in the sport of bodybuilding. If you are | | | | |