35 Answers To Help You Build Muscle Faster
- How fast can I gain muscle?
- Why can't I gain any muscle?
- How much weight do I need to lift to build muscle?
- How many reps do I need to do to build muscle?
- How many sets do I need to do to build muscle?
- How l long do I need to rest between sets to build muscle?
- How many exercises do I need to do to build muscle?
- How often can I workout the same muscle?
- Is it better to use free weights or machines?
- Why you MUST have a training log to gain muscle
- How much Protein, Carbs & Fats do I need?
- What are the best muscle building supplements?
- How many calories do I eat to gain muscle mass?
- How to count calories?
- What foods do I eat to build muscle?
- Do you need to eat carbs to build muscle?
- How many meals a day do I eat to build muscle?
- What should I eat before & after I workout to gain muscle?
- Why you need to keep a food journal
- What's my 1-rep max / How Strong am I?
- What are sets & reps
- What are super sets?
- What are compound exercises
- What are isolation exercises
- Pull-ups vs. Chin-ups. Which is Better?
- How do you warm-up & stretch?
- Do I do Cardio or weights first?
- How can I check my body fat percentage?
- How do I know if I'm gaining muscle & burning fat?
- Will lifting weights stunt my growth?
- Does muscle turn into fat if I stop working out?
- Can I build muscle during Ramadan?
- Does Sex Make A Man Stronger Or Weaker?
- Will Crossfit Get Me Ripped?
- Does testosterone casue hair loss?
Answers To How To Workout
Answers To How To Eat
Answers for Beginners
Answers to Myths
How much weight should I use to gain muscle?
Use weights that are 60-to-90% of your 1-rep max or weights that are heavy enough to only allow you to do 5-to-15 reps per set for these 2 reasons…
- This study shows you'll get the most muscle growth after working out with weights that are 60-to-90% of your 1-rep max.
- Using super heavy weights where you're doing less than 5 reps increases your chances of injury and you're also more likely to use bad form, work the weight and not actually work the muscle.
When doing isolation exercises use lighter weights or no more than 80% of your 1-rep max for at least 8-to-12 reps to prevent injury.
You should also look at…
- How many reps you need to do to build muscle?
- How many sets do I need to do to build muscle?
- How long do I need to rest between sets to build muscle?
- How many exercises should I do to build muscle?
- How often you should workout the same muscle?
- What are sets & reps & super sets?
How many reps do I need to do to build muscle?
Quick Answer: 5-to-15 reps per set or 30-to-60 reps per muscle or exercise.
The most number of reps you can do with 60-to-90% of your 1 rep max (which'll be about 5-to-15 reps) is the best number of reps you can do to build muscle because this study shows the maximum amount of protein synthesis or the most muscle building occurs when you're doing as many reps as you possibly can with 60-to-90% of your 1 rep max.
- 5-to-15 reps is generally all you'll be able to do when using 60-to-90% of your 1 rep max but don't be surprised if you're able to get more than 15 reps with 60% of your max or less than 5 reps with 90% of your 1 rep max.
- The only time it's better to do more than 15 reps is when you're doing fast muscle building tricks like drop sets, rest-pause or forced reps or isolation exercises where its safer to do at least 8-to-15 reps with lighter weights or no more than 80% of your 1-rep max to prevent injury.
You should also look at…
- How much weight should I use to gain muscle?
- How many sets do I need to do to build muscle?
- How long do I need to rest between sets to build muscle?
- How many exercises should I do to build muscle?
- How often you should workout the same muscle?
- What are sets & reps & super sets?
How many sets do I need to do to build muscle?
As many sets as it takes you to get a total of 30-to-60 reps per exercise doing 5-to-15 reps per set while using 60-to-90% of your 1 rep max. (see best number of reps to build muscle) but…
3-to-6 quality sets is generally the most sets you'll be able to do before your muscles start to fatigue to a point where you're unable to maintain the same intensity or lift about the same amount of weight and/or the same numbers of reps each set.
You should also look at…
- How much weight should I use to gain muscle?
- How many reps you need to do to build muscle?
- How long do I need to rest between sets to build muscle?
- How many exercises should I do to build muscle?
- How often you should workout the same muscle?
- What are sets & reps & super sets?
How long do I need to rest between sets to build muscle?
You need to rest for however long it takes you to be able to do the next set with the same amount or more intensity than your last set by lifting the same amount of weight or heavier and/or do the same amount of reps or more so usually You'll only need to rest up to 5 minutes between sets.
You should also look at…
- How much weight should I use to gain muscle?
- How many reps you need to do to build muscle?
- How many sets do I need to do to build muscle?
- How many exercises should I do to build muscle?
- How often you should workout the same muscle?
- What are sets & reps & super sets?
How Often Can I Workout The Same Muscle?
Because protein synthesis or the process where your body uses protein to build bigger & stronger muscles last about 36-to-72 hours after you workout… You should workout the same muscle once every 2-to-3 days or no more than twice a week to build muscle as fast as possible but overall…
It doesn't matter how often you workout the same muscle as long as you're using the progressive overload trick where you're getting stronger each time you workout because a stronger muscle is a bigger muscle.
You should also look at…
- How much weight should I use to gain muscle?
- How many reps you need to do to build muscle?
- How many sets do I need to do to build muscle?
- How many exercises should I do to build muscle?
- How long do I need to rest between sets to build muscle?
- What are sets & reps & super sets?
- How to get rid of soreness
How many exercises should I do to build muscle fast?
A stronger muscle is a bigger muscle so if you're getting stronger every time you work out then all you need to do is one exercise for each muscle but to build muscle as fast as possible and to save time…
Do one compound exercise for each muscle group and then you can optionally do at least one isolation exercise for each muscle in that muscle group.
Here's the 3 major groups
- Pushing muscles: Chest, Shoulders (front & side delts) & Triceps
- Pulling muscles: Lats, Traps, Middle Back, Biceps & Brachialis
- Legs: Thighs, Hamstrings, Glutes & Calves
So for example, if you want a bigger chest, shoulders and triceps you'd first do the bench press (a compound exercise) and then you'd optionally do one isolation exercise each for your chest, shoulders and triceps.
See fast muscle building tips #1-to-5 and Step 3 for how to build muscle as fast as possible for why compound exercises help you build muscle faster.
There's also no need for you to do multiple variations of the same exercise that all work the same muscles in the same workout. Just pick one variation, focus on getting stronger with that exercise variation to make your muscles bigger and then maybe you can switch to another variation of that exercise to change things up - for example…
When doing curls for your biceps it's no need to do barbell curls, incline curls and drag curls all in the same workout. Just pick ONE curl exercise variation to make your biceps bigger and start using a new one only if you want to change things up in your workout.
You should also look at…
- How much weight should I use to gain muscle?
- How many reps you need to do to build muscle?
- How many sets do I need to do to build muscle?
- How long do I need to rest between sets to build muscle?
- How often you should workout the same muscle?
- What are sets & reps & super sets?
Is it better to use free weights or machines?
Neither is better than the other.
Building muscle is mainly done by you progressively using heavier weights (more resistance), doing more reps and/or sets each time you work out so Using free weights or machines will help you get the body you want. See 7 steps to build muscle as fast as possible
How many meals a day do I need to eat to build muscle?
As many meals as it takes you to get the right amount of calories, protein, carbs & fats to build muscle which is usually going to be at least 2-to-3 meals.
You should also look at…
What should I eat before & after I workout to gain muscle?
- You don't have to eat anything before, during or after you workout as long as you're eating the right amount of calories, protein, carbs & fats
- Don't be fooled by supplement companies trying to make an extra buck by selling you pre-workout, post-workout and even during working formulas but yes…
- You may be able to boost your endurance (do more reps or lift heavier weights) by eating carbohydrates, taking caffeine or creatine before you workout.
See the best muscle building supplements
What are sets & reps?
Reps or repetitions are…
How many times you do an exercise or how many times you move, lift, or pickup a weight without stopping for a break so for example…
If you pick up a weight and put it down 5 times in a row - Then you just did one set of 5 reps.
A Set is…
Any number of reps (or repetitions) done in a row and usually you would rest up to 5 minutes after doing a set so for example - Doing 4 sets of 10 reps means…
- You would lift the weight 10 times in a row without stopping for your 1st set, rest for up to 5 minutes and then…
- You would lift the weight 10 more times in a row without stopping for your 2nd set before resting again for up to 5 minutes and you'd keep doing this until you've done 4 sets.
Sometimes you'll see something like do 3 x 12 on the bench press - this means you would do 3 sets of 12 reps on the bench press or…
You may see something telling you to do 3 x 12,10,8 on the bench press and this means you would still do 3 sets but on your first set you would do 12 reps and then 10 reps on your 2nd set and then 8 reps on your 3rd set.
You should also look at…
- How much weight should I use to gain muscle?
- How many reps you need to do to build muscle?
- How many sets do I need to do to build muscle?
- How long do I need to rest between sets to build muscle?
- How many exercises should I do to build muscle?
- How often you should workout the same muscle?
- What are super sets?
What are Supersets?
A Super Set is where you do 2 exercises back to back for different muscles or muscle groups with very little rest so for example…
Doing dips for 10 reps to build up your chest, shoulder & triceps followed by you doing chin-ups for 10 reps to build up your back & biceps would be ONE Superset.
Supersets aren't like Giant Sets where you do at least 2 exercises back-to-back for the same muscle.
Watch the video below for an example of supersets…
- How much weight should I use to gain muscle?
- How many reps you need to do to build muscle?
- How many sets do I need to do to build muscle?
- How long do I need to rest between sets to build muscle?
- How often you should workout the same muscle?
- What are sets & reps
Compound exercises
Compound exercises work 2 or more muscles at the same time allowing you to use heavier weight but less reps than isolation exercises
See why compound exercises build muscle faster
Examples of compound exercises…
- Dips & Bench Press are compound exercises that work your chest, shoulders & triceps.
- Pull-ups & Chin-ups are compound exercises that work your back & biceps.
- Squats & Deadlifts are compound exercises that work all leg muscles.
Isolation exercises
Isolation exercises work only ONE muscle at a time and you'll have to use lighter weight and more reps than compound exercises to see results with isolation exercises.
Examples of isolation exercises…
- Chest flyes for chest
- Triceps extensions for triceps
- Hamstring Curl for hamstrings
- Leg Extension for thighs.
Will lifting weights stunt my growth?
NO, This is just a myth.
- Lifting weights has no effect on the length of your bones.
- Lifting weights will not change the height you are genetically predisposed to be.
- Lifting weights only has positive effects on your body such as preventing osteoporosis, preventing sprains and other injuries.
- See can you grow taller?
Does muscle turn into fat if I stop working out?
No…
Your muscles may shrink or atrophy from inactivity if you stop working out for a long period of time and it's biochemically impossible for your muscles to turn into fat and vice versa…
Fat does not turn into muscle because you workout and fat can only be burned off with diet and exercise and you can only gain fat when you eat too much combined with being too lazy.
More Tips
- Diet & Workout to Gain Muscle Every 2-to-4 Weeks
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