Do you need a muscle building plan

Planning your muscle building program

It's easy to become so obsessed with your training that you become gullible to the advice of people who don't have the faintest idea of what it takes to build a strong, healthy body. Many people get ripped off by charlatans, believing everything they read, see, or hear in their quest to get in shape.

The widespread (but secretive) use of steroid-enhanced physiques in magazines and on the Internet has led to an increase in the number of people who have unrealistic physique goals, thinking that copying their crazy, often made up routines will give them the same physiques.

If anyone plays down the importance of genetics and drugs in building muscle, you should hear alarm bells ringing straight away. Even many of the film stars with muscular physiques have used steroids to quickly bulk themselves up.

The 'champion' training routines you read about in magazines often claim that you can get superior results training 5-6 times per week. Unless you are very genetically gifted (or using drugs), you do not have the recovery ability to train 5-6 times per week and make progress. Most people lose muscle on this regime. Generally, you will make your best gains when you weight train around 2-3 days p.w, allowing your body to rest and grow!

Now, this doesn't necessarily apply to all forms of exercise. If you're training with weights three times each week, then two aerobic workouts (as long as they're not too intense) will help you to shed body fat, will improve your recovery and also enhance your fitness. This is important, especially when you're performing exercises such as the squat or deadlift, which demand a lot of your heart and lungs.

The routine that follows has worked for all who have tried it. Your first set should be a warm up of about 20 reps with a light weight to allow you to get into the motion. Followed by a second set, allowing you to do a fairly hard 12 reps. For your third set choose a weight that allows you to do 6-10 hard reps, the last rep being nearly impossible. On further sets, keep the weight the same and just go for maximum reps. Follow the routines as listed. Do not substitute exercises for others, unless an injury means you have to!

It's not necessary to always train on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Although training any day of the week is better than nothing, always try and insert a day of rest between workouts. This gives your body ample opportunity to recover and grow. Beginners should do no more than 2 sets per exercise for the first few months, otherwise you will over train.

Monday
Deadlift: 4 sets
Lat pulldown to chest: 4 sets
Shrugs: 4 sets
EZ close grip bench press: 4 sets
Forearm curls: 4 sets

Wednesday
Squats: 4 sets
Leg curls: 4 sets
Standing calf raise: 3 sets
Abdominal crunches: 3 sets

Friday
Slight incline bench press: 4 sets
Barbell curl: 3 sets
Seated behind neck press: 4 sets
Abdominal crunches: 3 sets