Training to gain muscle

Most of us, when we embark on a journey to get ‘BIG’, start training regimes that lack sense and structure. Therefore people will rely on what they hear which is most of the time wrong and detrimental to your health and the body. Advice from the magazines you read, the ‘self proclaimed gym guru’ and under-educated fitness professionals should always be taken with a pinch of salt.
When training to increase muscle size, otherwise known as hypertrophy training, it is vital that you aim to damage as much of the muscle as you can. If a greater amount of muscle is damaged then logically speaking more of the muscle will need repairing resulting in a greater amount of hypertrophy of that muscle.

The perfect example is a bicep curl… How can a high percentage of the bicep be stressed when the body is leaning back causing a contraction of the lower back? Remember it’s called a bicep curl not a bicep and lower back curl.
As well as imperfect technique one of the main reasons why people struggle to build muscle is momentum. A power lifter would use momentum and recoil of the muscle to lift a heavy weight however a body builder will do the opposite. Using momentum to lift a weight is good and can be used effectively if your sport of training cycle requires it. However when trying to build, this can decrease the amount of muscle you stimulate. This is why a power lifter looks different to a body builder.

Top tips to gain muscle:

Concentrate on technique and feeling specific muscles work, quality over quantity
Don’t neglect the downward phase of a rep
Start each rep with control rather than speed
Stick to 8 – 12 reps
Change your training after 8 weeks
Have a fast releasing carb drink as well as protein shake within 20mins of finishing training

Fitness advice

Way to control body fat

Running

Training to gain muscle

Flexibility

Core

Cardio training to lose body fat

Nutrition advice

Way to control body fat

Carbs

Protein

Ashley has had a rewarding career as a personal trainer for 5 years and with the launch of Evolution Fitness in 2009 he has expanded his client base working with fitness enthusiasts from all different walks of life.

As a Performance Enhancement specialist, Ashley’s knowledge is of the highest within the industry. Ashley has worked with a range of clients from gym users to top athletes and he is now currently completing a degree to further his knowledge and skills. More info on: www.myevolutionfitness.co.uk

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