Muscles will grow in size if you force them to work harder than they’re accustomed to. In fact, there are three main ways in which muscles grow. Find out what they are and how you can use them to fine-tune your muscle hypertrophy workout.
Are you eating right and training hard and STILL not making the muscle gains you expected? Here are four factors that make it harder to build muscle that you may not have considered.
After a strength-training workout, your muscles are fatigued and need rest and recovery time. Giving your muscles the right recovery environment is important for muscle growth and for strength gains. Find out how your muscles repair and how it relates to muscle hypertrophy and strength.
Are you familiar with the concept of periodization? There are two main types of periodization – linear and non-linear. This article discusses each, how they differ, and their benefits.
If you use a very heavy resistance, you’ll maximize strength gains while using light weights and high volume is ideal for building muscle endurance – but what about muscle size? Is there a “sweet spot” in terms of volume and intensity that maximizes gains in muscle size? Find out.
Are guys and gals with the biggest muscles the ones that can lift the most weight? Not always. Muscle size and cross-sectional area isn’t the only factor that determines how strong you are. Find out what other factors play a role in how much you can lift.
For years, trainers have said to train hard to boost hormones like testosterone and growth hormone, anabolic hormones that aid in muscle growth. No doubt, you SHOULD train hard but not necessarily to churn out more growth hormone and testosterone. Research suggests that even if you do produce more of these hormones briefly in response to exercise, it may not increase your gains. Find out more.
One variable you can manipulate with your workouts is the number of reps you do. By varying rep ranges you can achieve the results you want and help you avoid plateaus. When planning your workouts, should you include low resistance, high rep sets if you’re trying to build muscle? Yes, here’s why.
To build muscle size, you have to create conditions that support muscle growth. When it comes down to it, three main factors work together to help you build muscle tissue. Find out what they are and how to use them to your advantage.
If your muscles are sore the day after a workout, you may feel a sense of victory, thinking that you worked your muscles hard enough to maximize growth. But is muscle soreness really correlated with growth, and do you need to experience delayed-onset muscle soreness for maximal muscle hypertrophy? Find out what research shows.
When it’s time to bust through a plateau, cluster training can help you do it. Find out what cluster training is and how it can help you eke our more reps and build greater strength and lean body mass.
One resistance training variable that bodybuilders don’t change enough is rep speed and cadence. By slowing down the speed of your reps, you increase the time a muscle is under tension. This is the basis for a form of training called “super-slow” training. Find out more about time under tension, rep speeds, slow training and how they impact muscle gains.
