1 Build an exercise routine. Write out a workout plan for yourself so that you know what days you will work each muscle group. You can choose to work them all on the same day, or you can work them on different days. Be sure to rest your muscle groups 24-48 hours between workouts.[1]
For instance, if you workout your arms on Monday, don't work them again until Wednesday or Thursday.
If you're not sure where to begin, find a solid workout program online and try it out for a while. Don't immediately jump from one program to the next or you may prevent yourself from making steady progress.
2
Schedule your workouts. To avoid over-training, set up a schedule that works for you and your goals. Organize your routine so that you can work two muscle groups simultaneously and save time (supersetting). Examples could be a chest and back day, bicep and tricep day, or a chest and bicep day.
Here is an example of a split routine that gives you plenty of time to break down your muscles, and plenty of time off to let them recover:
Day 1: Chest and biceps, followed by cardio
Day 2: Back and triceps
Day 3: Rest and cardio
Day 4: Legs and abs
Day 5: Shoulders, followed by cardio
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Rest
Another routine you can try is an upper/lower split. Here's a schedule you can use:
Day 1: Upper-body workout, followed by cardio
Day 2: Lower-body workout
Day 3: Rest and cardio
Day 4: Upper-body workout
Day 5: Lower-body workout
Day 6: Rest and cardio
Day 7: Rest
3
Warm up with cardio exercise before you lift weights. Before you begin any exercise routine, start with a low-intensity routine designed to warm up all the muscles you're about to work on. Not only will it help you get into the right frame of mind, it can help prevent injuries. Do 5-10 minutes of light cardio before you start lifting weights.[2]
For instance, walk, run, or jog in place.
Don't warm up with stretches unless you've already done at least 5 minutes of cardio. You should never stretch cold muscles, which can lead to injury.
4
Work out harder for a shorter length of time to build muscle. Training with high reps is good for building endurance, but it won't help you build up either size or strength. Instead, aim for about 3-8 sets per muscle group, and 6-12 reps per set for your normal routine. Your final rep should be very hard to complete! If it's not, increase the weight you're lifting.[3]
Cap your workout time at 60 minutes a day. Any longer and you'll be too fatigued to perform any more quality sets.
Tip: Every 4-8 weeks, vary your routine. As your body adapts to stress, you'll hit a plateau where the benefits of weight training will begin to diminish. The only way to prevent this from happening is to change things up, such as by increasing weight and changing exercises.
5
Work your whole body over the week. You'll see the maximum benefit when your entire body is part of the routine. The more muscles you use when training, the more strength you'll gain and the more balanced your muscle development will be. You can work your whole body at 1 time or target different muscle groups on different days.[4]
Give all muscle groups equal attention, such as five sets of rows after five sets of bench presses. This will encourage balanced training, growth, and flexibility.
Compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, presses, rows, and pull-ups use a lot of different muscles. They're great for a full-body workout.
Don't rush. Advanced lifters often base their routines around a technique called explosive repetition. In other words, they lift a tremendous amount of weight in a short (explosive) amount of time. There are significant benefits to this method, but the risk of injury in novice athletes is high. It is recommended solely for more advanced athletes.
6
Include cardio training. The standard recommendation is 150 minutes of moderate cardio each week, or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio, or an equivalent combination of the two. A good place to start would be doing 30-60 minutes of cardiovascular activity every other day or 3 times a week. Examples of cardio include running, biking, swimming, and any sport that involves constant movement.[5]
Good cardiovascular health improves blood flow, a requirement for muscle growth. Doing cardio also improves your cardiovascular fitness, which allows you to use your muscle gains for various sports and activities.
Cardio burns calories quickly, so overdoing it can limit the energy available to build your muscles. If you increase the amount of cardio exercise you do, be sure to increase your calorie intake as well.
0 Comments