There are some people that have always been skinny and no matter how much they try, they can’t seem to gain muscle and weight. And then, there are the bigger guys who really want to get rid of their broad waistline, and have broader shoulders. Many women like to have a toned look and know that the right diet and lifting weights will give them the physique they want. At times, some people just want to be faster and stronger.
Regardless of the category you fall in and what your starting point actually is, there are times when you need some help and guidance on how to reach that goal.
Things to focus on
If you want to start on building muscle and become stronger and bigger, these are the things you would have to focus on:
Lift Heavy Things
If you want to build muscles, you would have to get into the habit of lifting heavy things; this simply means you would need a gym that has an excellent weight-free section. Not only do bodyweight exercises help you keep the muscle mass you already have, but they are also an excellent way to lose weight.
If you are really serious about your weight training, the basic things you would need to have access to are barbells, a squat rack, barbells and a clear space to do dips, chin-ups and pull-ups.
Focus on compound exercises
The idea is to create functional size and strength; and you should do compound exercises and body routines, which effectively work various muscle groups, all at one shot. Compound exercises include barbell squats which are excellent to work every single muscle in your body and that helps make it injury-free and strong.
It’s best to stay away from machines and prioritise working with barbell exercise and dumbbells. Your routines should ideally have at least one pull exercise, push exercise and one leg exercise; and a core exercise is vital too. These are the exercises to include:
- Push Exercises – Bench Press/Dips/Overhead Press
- Leg Exercises – Squats/Deadlifts/Lunges
- Pull Exercises – Inverted Rows/ Chin Ups/Pull Ups
- Core Exercises – Reverse Crunches, Hanging Knee Raises, or Planks
These are the exercises you should be focusing. Once you practice these on a regular basis, you will find that you get very good at it; and your whole body will get much bigger and stronger. Each week, you should focus on adding even more weight to each of the exercises.
For instance, if you did 3setsX5 squats with 150 pounds over one week, then you should attempt 3setsX5 squats and take it up to 155 pounds the following week. If you do this consistently, and are able to up the weight levels, it means you have become stronger; and if you eat right, you will get bigger as well.
Some weightlifting tips
In addition to all these things, here are some weightlifting tips that should help you along the way:
- Warm-up before you start exercising
- Lift quickly – be powerful, fast and explosive
- Have perfect form
- Stimulate, don’t annihilate
- Change up the time between sets
- Don’t overdo it
- Write down everything
If you are very skinny and are attempting to add bulk, following these things will mean you have won 90% of the battle. Eating the right foods with the right amount of calories is important too. Eat foods like chicken, brown rice, eggs, beef, fruits, milk and veggies etc. Your trainer and nutritionist will be able to give you a customised food plan, based on your specific requirements.
If you have any questions about building muscle or want a workout routine that would help, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at Schembri PT. You can send us an email to info@schembript.com or fill in this contact us form and we’ll reply as soon as possible.
Thanks for reading,
Schembri PT Team
02 9648 6405