subject: Build Muscle Fast With This Simple Truth. by:Mike Buckinson [print this page] One of the most abused and misunderstood factors that determines whether you build muscle fast, or simply join the ranks of the so-called "hard-gainers" is the manner in which you perform each and every repetition.
It's a plain fact that you don't need to workout a whole lot, or for a long period of time to make serious muscle gains, but you do need to get a couple of things just right - otherwise you'll be wasting your time.
I've never been one for making things seem harder or more complicated that they really are - but in this case I'm going to make an exception. In effort to make your workouts harder, we need to keep in mind the style in which you perform each and every repetition.
Your exercise "form" as we bodybuilding enthusiasts like to call it - is the single most important factor you need to focus on when performing any given workout. You need to make sure that you are using proper form, both with regards to the speed of movement, and the style of movement. Let's start with the most important part first.
Your speed of movement is critical when it comes to building muscle fast. There I said it. Now let's examine the reason for the above statement. You see, if you perform your reps in a sloppy manner, and too quickly - you're not actually working your muscles at all.
What you are really doing is shifting the stress away from your muscles and onto your joints and tendons. Once you start sacrificing your form for performance improvements, you all but say goodbye to muscle growth.
Look at it this way. Any clown can increase the weight he uses in a single set of barbell curls simply by swinging the weight and using his legs to hoist the weigh up to his shoulders. And if he does this a little more each workout, he can pretend that he is making progress.
But muscle doesn't lie. You either stimulate growth with each and every set, or you don't. The results will speak for themselves. You can try and kid yourself that you are doing everything you can to build muscle, but you will have forgotten the most important thing.
Listen. You want to stimulate muscle growth by working your muscles. And the best way to work your muscles is to perform each and every repetition in proper form. You want to perform each repetition in a strict, slow, controlled manner.
I always recommend a simple guideline for repetition speed of movement. Perform each repetition with a 2-3 second positive (or lifting) phase, and a 4-5 second negative (or lowering) phase. Doing so will ensure that you are not using any momentum to lift the weight - and not simply dropping the weight back to the starting position. It will ensure that you are working your muscles through a full range of motion, and increasing the intensity of each and every exercise.
Now, let's take a look at the second part of the equation - the style of movement. Each exercise in your routine should be performed in the manner in which it was intended. For example, the barbell curl should be performed with the back straight, and the elbows help in close to the side of the torso. The movement should start with no swinging, but instead begin with a slow steady rise to the fully contracted position. Once the positive phase of the movement is complete, a brief pause in the contracted position should be followed by a slow lowering of the weight back to the starting position.
Performing the barbell curl in this manner ensures that you are working the biceps rather than the lower back, or even the upper legs if you have a tendency to swing the weight up out of the starting position.
You may want to hear some sort of crazy new technique that is taking the bodybuilding world by storm - but the simple fact is that this is more important than just about any other factor. You have to get it through your head that building muscle is not a complicated affair. It just requires the application of a few basic principles on a constant basis to make your physique dreams come true.
One of those principles it how you perform each and every repetition, of each set in every workout. Plain and simple really.
About the author
Mike's fitness and bodybuilding blog is full of tips and techniques that anyone can use to build muscle fast at http://www.hugegainsfast.com (Best part is - he gives away more muscle building tips for free in his Huge Gains Fast email newsletter at http://www.hugegainsfast.com/free-newsletter )
