Learn How to Build Lean Muscle Quickly With These

By: Gregg Gillies

There are many different techniques and ideas when talking about
how to build lean muscle. Some are effective and some aren't.
The key is to understand some of the basic fundamentals so that
you can put together, and use, programs that will help you build
muscle mass as quickly and easily as possible.

Here are some tips you can use to build lean muscle and develop
effective weight training programs.

It's important that you use a training program that is designed
to help you gain weight and build muscle. I know this sounds
obvious but many people miss the point.

I've had people ask me for training advice because they can't
seem to add weight. Then I find out they are eating only two or
three meals a day, not getting enough protein, not getting
enough total calories, and they are extremely active,
participating in endurance, calorie burning sports such as
basketball and soccer.

Not to mention the problems with their weight training routine -
wimpy isolation exercises on machines, two hour workouts, not
training with enough intensity, etc.

Use Multijoint (compound) Exercises

This seems like an obvious tip but I'm reminded every time I
step foot into a gym that very few people understand it. It
amazes me how many people who are trying to build lean muscle
are toiling away on machine dominated weight training routines
and isolation exercises with wimpy weights.

And when I say wimpy weights, I'm not knocking anyone. We all
start somewhere and we all have limitations. Heck, there are a
lot of people that can lift heavier weights than I can.

What I mean by wimpy weights are based on exercise selection.
Anyone can use a lot more weight on seated shoulder presses with
a barbell than they can on a lateral raise machine. If you want
to learn how to build lean muscle, remember this tip. Always
substitute multijoint exercises for isolation exercises.

Basic compound movements are an essential key when it comes to
how to build lean muscle. This means exercises like squats,
deadlifts, bench presses, stiff legged deadlifts, bent-over
rows, close-grip bench presses, chin ups, lat pulldowns, close
grip bench presses, and barbell curls.

When your focus is on how to build lean muscle, stay away from
isolation exercises. This means exercises like flyes,
concentration curls, leg curls, leg extensions, lateral raises,
etc. Stick to the basics.

There's a reason the basics are hard and a reason the guys who
avoid them don't gain muscle mass the way they want. You can
devise a fantastic muscle building weight lifting program with a
handful of the big, basic exercises.

Stick To A Limited Number of Sets

You're not training for a marathon. You want to build muscle
mass. Forget two hour workouts with an endless number of
exercises and sets. All you'll do is burn out, overtrain, and
NOT build muscle!

It's just not necessary to go to the gym every day, do 20 set
body part routines with a gazillion different exercises to
"blast the muscle from all angles." What a joke! Forget the
routines of the "champion's", or the big guy in your gym who
gains muscle mass just by thinking about training.

Workout hard, heavy and infrequently on the big basic exerices,
get enough rest and good nutrition, add weight to your exercises
whenever possible, and you'll build muscle. Some of you will
learn how to build muscle and build a lot of it and fast, and
some of you will take a long time to add a measly five pounds.
That's where genetics come into play. But you can maximize your
potential as quickly as possible by following these rules.

Use Heavy Weights

When I say use heavy weights, I mean what's heavy for you. I
mean stick to lower rep sets. Forget the high rep "pumping" sets
for now. If 100 pounds on the bench press is heavy for you, then
that's a heavy weight. Don't compare yourself to anyone else.

Sure, you'll probably want a little variety but you can get that
when you stick to low reps. You can use such weight lifting
techniques as the five-sets-of-five system (2 warm-up sets of
five, and then three sets of as heavy a weight as you can use
for five reps per set); the three sets of three format; the
five, four, three, two, one system; progressively heavier
singles, and, when you crave something really different (not to
mention brutally tough and very effective try the eight by eight
system (you can read about it at http://www.buildleanmuscle.com).

Get Some Rest!

Your muscle grow when you are resting, not when you are working
out. You need to give your muscles enough rest and recuperation
to allow the building process to take place. If you head back to
the gym too soon, you won't build muscle. Eventually, you'll get
weaker, lose muscle mass, feel like crap, and stop working out.
And you definitely don't want that to happen.

Your whole body needs rest. Working back one day, chest the
next, and legs the day after that may give your individual
muscles some rest but this is definitely not how to build lean
muscle. Why? Because each workout puts a systemic stress on your
entire body, no matter what muscle groups you are working. Your
kidneys, etc. don't understand or care that you are working
different muscle groups each day. So get out of the gym, get
some rest, and grow!

About the author:
Gregg Gillies is the founder of Build Lean Muscle.com
His articles have appeared in Ironman Magazine. He has written
two books and writes for Body Talk Magazine. He publishes a free
newsletter available at his site. See how you can get a
customized nutrition plan at http://www.mynutritionjournal.com