Building muscle is an essential part of any fitness program. It’s the foundation for everything from strength to endurance, and it’s especially important for combat athletes. But how do you go about building muscle? How much time does it take? What are the most effective exercises? And what should your diet look like in order to maximize gains without adding too much fat tissue along with the muscles?
The following 12-week plan will answer all these questions and more, giving you a complete guide to building lean, strong muscles that will last a lifetime. For this workout routine, we have designed three workouts per week: upper body on Monday/Thursday/Saturday; lower body on Tuesday/Friday; cardio on Wednesday. The goal is to make this as easy as possible, so you can complete all workouts without feeling fatigued.
Table of Contents
Sample 1 Week Muscle Building Workout
Upper Body Split (Monday/Thursday/Saturday)
Chest
- a)Pushups, 10 reps
b)Bench Press, 8 reps
- a)Dumbbell Flys, 12 reps
b)Pull Ups, 12 reps
- a)Dips, 12 reps
b)Bent Over Rows,12 reps (alternating arms on each rep)
Back
- a) Pull Ups, 10 reps
b) Bench Press, 8 reps
- a) Bent Over Rows,12 reps (alternating arms on each rep)
b) Dips, 12 reps
- a) Dumbbell Flys, 12 reps
b) Pull Ups, 12 reps
Keep alternating exercises and take as little rest as possible between them – do one exercise for 1 set then immediately go to the next one until you have done all three exercises for a total of 4 sets.
Lower Body Split (Tuesday/Friday)
Legs
- a) Squats, 10 reps
b) Front Squat, 8 reps
- a) Stiff Legged DeadLifts, 12 reps
b) Lunges, 12 reps (6 per leg)
- a) Calf Raises,12 reps
b) Side Lunges, 12 reps (6 per leg)
Keep alternating exercises and take as little rest as possible between them – do one exercise for 1 set then immediately go to the next one until you have done all three exercises for a total of 4 sets.
Cardio (Wednesday)
- Interval Sprints (sprint for 30 seconds, then rest for one minute)
- a) Stair Climbing
b) Rowing machine (intervals – do 500 meters as fast as possible, resting for 1 to 2 minutes in between sets)
- Treadmill Walking (moderate speed; aim for at least 3 miles per hour or about 20 minutes to complete the 5-mile distance.)
Keep alternating exercises and take as little rest as possible between them – do one exercise for 1 set then immediately go to the next one until you have done all three exercises for a total of 4 sets.
How Long Does It Take To Build Muscle?
Several factors determine how fast you build muscle on this 12 week mass building workout:
Age
If you’re a teenager, your body is constantly growing and changing. This change is the main contributor to building more muscle mass during this period in life. The shorter the amount of time you spend growing, the faster you will get results from any workout routine.
Gender
Because men have higher amounts of testosterone, they can build muscle quicker than women. Testosterone plays a big role in how muscles grow at a biological level.
Fitness Level
If you are new to working out or have not been doing anything competitive for a while, it may take some time until your muscles adapt to lifting weights and begin showing signs of growth. Eventually everyone reaches a plateau where their bodies just won’t respond much more to changes made in their exercise program. This is the point where you may actually need to seek out professional advice in order to get true results.
Consistency
The key ingredient when it comes to building muscle is consistency. If you go through this workout routine for 12 weeks, don’t skip or substitute workouts and try your best to complete everything without feeling overly fatigued, then you will build more muscle mass than someone who couldn’t meet these requirements.
Body Type (mesomorphic, endomorphic, ectomorphic)
Your body type determines how much muscle mass you can naturally put on before “hitting a wall” with no further progress possible – unless you take steroids at this point. Mesomorphic types are naturally muscular while ectomorphs find it difficult to gain weight of any kind, including muscle. Endomorphs are naturally more round and carry a higher percentage of fat than the other two types.
All three can gain muscle if they train hard enough and give their bodies time to grow, but endomorphs may need to lower their calorie intake in order to lose fat at a faster rate, while mesomorphs might need to be careful not to overtrain or eat excessively in order to avoid gaining fat.
Ideal Mass Building Diet
The most important step you can take when trying to build muscle is eating right. Follow these guidelines for building mass:
Lean Meat
Eating foods high in protein will help your muscles recover from tough workouts and rebuild themselves stronger so that future workouts will produce even better results. Recommended sources of protein include low-fat milk, chicken breast, tuna, cottage cheese and lean cuts of beef.
Whole Grains
After a workout is when you need carbohydrates most. They help your muscles refuel so that they are ready to grow again next time. Brown rice is an excellent source of complex carbs that can be easily assimilated by your body for this purpose.
Fruits and Vegetables
These should make up the largest part of your diet due to their high nutrient content (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants). Aim for at least five servings each day.
The Bottom Line
In this 12-week mass building workout, you’ll be alternating upper and lower body workouts each week along with cardio to maximize the results you get from your training. You’ll put your muscles under a significant amount of stress by using heavy weights and going for maximum reps – then give them plenty of time to recover so that they can grow stronger next time. Use a combination of these factors and you’ll build more muscle mass than you ever thought possible in just 12 weeks.
DISCLAIMER: This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
Source: https://news.yahoo.com/betterme-making-fitness-weight-loss-173252990.html