Muscle Building Commandment Number 1 YOU MUST LIFT HEAVY! In order for your body to grow you have to MAKE IT.
Your body does not know you are 'doing weights' it thinks there is a big ass weight trying to crush you and it has to get it off.
If the weight you're using is submaximal your progress will submaximal.
Muscle Building Commandment Number 2 YOU NEED VOLUME! Along with lifting heavy you must incorporate a certain amount of volume into your training.
In order for your muscle to want to grow it has to be stressed A LOT and REGULARLY! Muscle Building Commandment Number 3 YOU MUST LIFT FAST! Again fast moves come out on top.
High threshold motor units (HTMU's or fast twitch fibres) are responsible for lifting heavy, producing power and speed.
They are also the fibres responsible for the growth of the muscle! In order to train these units you must LIFT FAST.
SPEED IS KING.
If you don't and you lift slow you risk training your slow oxidative (slow twitch) fibres.
These fibres have minimal potential for growth.
You are wasting your time.
Muscle Building Commandment Number 4 YOU NEED PROGRESS! Your muscles will adapt to a training stimulus very quickly! Never repeat the same session twice, change something.
We have talked about the modes of progression in some detail in the main manual but I will reiterate.
Choose on of the following: Reduce rest periods, increase number of reps, increase number of sets,use different grip widths/ hand positions, elevate your feet, time the workout and compete against yourself.
NEVER REPEAT THE EXACT SAME SESSION TWICE.
Muscle Building Commandment Number 5 YOU MUST EAT EXTRA PROTEIN! You need extra protein in your diet.
Not just extra calories! Ingesting AT LEAST 1gram/lb of lean bodyweight and I recommend 1.
2-1.
5g/lb of lean bodyweight.
If you don't take in this amount of protein too much can go wrong and you are leaving it up to chance.
TAKE IN MORE PROTEIN.
Muscle Building Commandment Number 6 YOU NEED EXTRA CALORIES! You need extra calories! In order to try spare the extra protein you are ingesting so that it can do its job and build some quality lean muscle you have to keep your body from burning it! Provide it with EXTRA calories to consume so it leaves the protein alone! Careful now.
Only a little extra! This is not a 'Bulking Phase' i.
e.
an excuse to get fat! The exact guidelines are in the main manual but as a guide start on 1kcal/lb of lean bodyweight extra per day.
Muscle Building Commandment Number 7 YOU MUST 'BREAK' THE 'FAST'! You must eat a BIG breakfast! Sleeping has a reputation of being the most beneficial time for building muscle.
Not necessarily! You sleep 8 hours and your breakfast isn't optimal then, I hate to break it to you but you are probably burning muscle right now! EAT YOUR BREAKFAST AND EAT IT BIG! Muscle Building Commandment Number 8 YOU MUST EAT BEFORE BED! 'What? Are you crazy?' - NO.
The theory is similar to number 6.
If the last meal you ate was at 9pm and you went to bed at 11pm and then slept until 8am.
That's 11 hours of fasting and 11 hours of burning precious muscle! Have a small protein based meal before bed and you will halt this process! Muscle Building Commandment Number 9 DON'T EXPECT TOO MUCH TOO SOON! It is often disheartening for some trainees (especially beginners) that have really given 110% for weeks on end and seen no real gains.
BE PATIENT.
It will NOT happen overnight, you must persevere! Do this and you will achieve the lean muscular body you desire.
Muscle Building Commandment Number 10 YOU MUST RECOVER! In order for muscle to grow it must have periods of rest or active recovery.
Constantly attacking you body and never giving it a break will eventually bring your progress to a grinding halt and cause you to become over trained.
Recovery is not only abstaining from the gym.
It includes everything from pre and post workout nutrition, sleep, stress levels and massage.
Basically if you don't recover you don't build muscle!