You wake up in the morning and look in the mirror. Pleased with your appearance?
If you more resemble the appearance of a long distance marathon runner than a world
class sprinter, don't worry, you aren't alone. You just need to start following
these weight lifting rules.
There are quite a few guys who simply have trouble packing on the lean muscle mass.
Whether their hormonal environment isn't quite as favourable or genetics was just
out to get them at birth, one thing is for sure and that's that they need to follow
a slightly different set of weight lifting methods than those who seem to grow muscle
overnight.
Luckily for you, you're taking the time to do your research about weight lifting
so you won't be destined to a life where it seems like a strong wind might knock
you over.
First, one of the
key factors that skinny guys need to remember is that they
must avoid volume work at all costs.
Rule #1:
Get in the gym and get out! That should be your motto from this day forward. Repeat
it. Breathe it. Live it. Weight lifting is a calorie expensive activity and you
need all the calories you can get at this point. If you are burning it up in the
gym every single day, how do you expect to grow? You won't.
You grow when you are resting and generally, the skinnier you are, the more rest
you are going to need.
Now, that doesn't mean you should park it on the couch for a few days in between
your workouts. It simply means that each weight lifting should not consist of set
after set after set. Followed by a rest break to talk to that hot receptionist and
then back to another twenty sets.
No, you're workouts need to consist of ten-twelve or fewer sets where you are pushing
yourself to the MAX. There is no room for sissy, light-weight work in your weight
lifting program.
Which brings us to Rule #2:
Ditch the isolated exercises. Who needs them? You certainly don't.
If your workouts normally include bicep curls, followed by tricep kickbacks, followed
by leg extensions, followed by chest flys, followed by… you get the picture,
you've got to change this pronto. Remember, you've only got so much time you are
allowed to be in the gym for. Don't you want to get the biggest bang for your buck?
Likely you do, so that means focusing on
compound lifts only. This includes
weight lifting exercises such as squats, bench presses, deadlifts, rows and military
presses.
Become friends with those exercises and you will have new muscles in the picture
soon enough. Toss the five day split program, get yourself on a good upper/lower
or full body workout program and you have found the key to unleashing new muscle
mass.
Now onto the next significant point. Cardio.
Rule # 3.
I know, I know, you want to be big, but you don't want to be fat. Let's not
worry about that at this point, because you and I both know you are a long ways
from fat.