Archive for May, 2010

How To Make Your Muscles Bigger – Tips To Make Your Muscles Grow

Why is it that gaining weight and packing on pounds of rock hard muscle seems to just come so effortlessly for some folks?

Heck, some of those guys don’t even work out that hard at the gym (if at all), and yet their muscles seem to inflate like balloons…a fact which is not missed by the girls, right?

If you’ve asked yourself many times how to make your muscles bigger, then I’m going to guess that you’ve probably tried a few exercises and routines, but nothing’s really clicked. Yeah, you’ve got the passion and determination to get bigger muscles, but it’s you’re damn genetics standing in the way, right?

Well, not exactly…

Now, while your genetics do play a significant role in the rate at which your muscles grow, it’s not the real reason why you are struggling to gain weight and find yourself with no muscle growth.

Below I’m going to show you the most important factors you’ll need to look at when wondering how to make your muscles bigger.

Finding The Right Routine For Your Body Type

One of the main reasons skinny guys fail in their quest to build bigger muscles is that they are often following a routine that is not designed for their specific body type…or worse, not following a routine at all (i.e. just going to the gym and throwing a few weights around).

The problem with this comes back to your genetics:

If you’re following a routine designed for a genetically-gifted pro-bodybuilder (most of those you’ll find in the big-name magazines), then you’re doing yourself an injustice…and you’re going to struggle.

Therefore, finding the right kind of routine that suits your body type is the first big step in figuring out how to make your muscles bigger.

What body type are you?

If you’re naturally skinny and struggle to put on any kind of weight at all, especially muscle bulk, then you’re probably a hardgainer or ectomorph.

Ok, so what does a hardgainer workout look like?

You can take a look at my free one here ==> Hardgainer Bodybuilding Workout Routine

Typically you’ll want to follow the kind of workout routine that is based around the following factors, as they will give you the most muscle-building bang for your buck as well as get the most from your body type and genetics:

All-Body Workouts – not split (i.e. don’t do biceps one day, shoulders the next, chest the day after, etc. – split workouts don’t allow sufficient rest for certain muscle groups while over-stressing others)

Compound Exercises – not isolation exercises (compound, or multi-joint exercises like Squats, Bench Press, and Deadlifts, incorporate multiple muscle groups in each rep, meaning you can lift heavier weights for longer to increase your testosterone levels, and finish your workouts quicker)

Rest Days In Between – anyone who goes to the gym 6 or 7 days a week is either over-training or doing it wrong. 3-4 full-body workouts per week allow at least one full day’s rest in between…why would you want to go to the gym every day anyway, right?

Lifting Heavy – utilizes the principle of Progressive Overload wherein your muscles get bigger through constantly increasing loads. If you’ve found yourself lifting the same weight every time you hit the gym, then this is one of the reasons why you’ve struggled to make your muscles bigger.

Lower Your Rep Numbers – a lot of folks tend to think the more reps the better. Well, if you’re wondering how to make your muscles bigger then this idea could be standing in your way. You want lower rep numbers on heavy weights…I’m talking between 6-10 reps…any more and the weight is too light, any less and the weight is too heavy.

So you see that building your workout routine around your body type is essential if you want to gain muscle mass and make your muscles bigger.

If you’re like me and don’t want to waste time structuring your own workouts and meal plans, then take a look at this complete program that lays out everything for you…what exercises to do, when to do them, how to get the most out of them, etc:

==> Vince Delmonte Workout

It is designed by a hardgainer for hardgainers, and so incorporates all the important points I talk about above.

Is The Vince Delmonte Workout A Scam?

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that the bodybuilding industry is stuffed full of scams…probably beaten only by the weight loss and “make money fast” industries.

It really gets my back up when I see companies using fake testimonials and results to try and get hard-working folks like you and me to part with our cash.

The sales pages look great with all the talk of making it look easy – “Get Ripped In Days!”…”Get Massive Muscles In A Month!”…

Yeah, right!

What a load of BS! (pardon my French)

Finding a reputable bodybuilding training program is therefore not easy. And so it is with this kind of trepidation that folks approach the Vince Delmonte Workout program and wonder whether it is just another scam.

Well, I’ve actually bought the program and took an in-depth look at the whole thing, as well as speaking to Vince himself many times via email, and I can tell you whole-heartedly that neither Vince nor his programs are scams. Read my full review here ==> Vince Delmonte Workout Review

The Vince Delmonte Workout program is a solid, detailed training program that incorporates exercise routines as well as months worth of meal plans, along with dvd and video training modules so that you can easily follow along the whole plan.

Vince is extremely approachable via email and is always ready to help folks that are struggling, particularly if you are a beginner and looking to gain muscle mass quickly.

There’s also a super-helpful forum where everyone can share their successes and get some encouragement and motivation when they go through the tough times.

Read my full post on the question of the “Vince Delmonte Scam

Vince Delmonte Workout Routine – An Overview

Over the last few years Vince Delmonte has become one of the premier muscle building coaches on the internet. A former skinny guy himself he knows the sheer frustration that we “hardgainers” go through when trying to gain muscle mass, especially since there is so much so-called “advice” out there that is really designed with the pro-bodybuilder in mind.

What Is The Core Of The Workout Routines?

The Vince Delmonte workout routines found in his No Nonsense Muscle Building Course are designed with the skinny hardgainer and ectomorph in mind.

As such there is a major emphasis on multi-joint compound exercises such as Squats, Deadlifts and Bench Press, which work more muscle tissue per rep and are thus ideal for helping hardgainers gain those pounds of muscle.

You’ll also notice a general absence of high rep numbers and split workouts, which you will typically find most of the big-name bodybuilding magazines.

The reason for this is simple – to build mass you are better off with lower rep numbers on heavier weights. It’s also important to ensure each muscle group gets adequate and equal rest…for this reason the program is designed for full-body workouts 3-4 times per week instead of split workouts every day (i.e. arms Monday, chest Tuesday, legs Wednesday etc.)

Who Will Benefit From The Workout Routines?

The Vince Delmonte workout routine is designed with the hardgainer in mind, but is ideal for anyone who finds themself struggling to gain weight and build muscle, or has seen their muscle building efforts plateau.

Vince gives plenty of advice throughout on not only avoiding plateaus in your workouts, but how to break through them and keep on growing.

The Vince Delmonte workout routines come with 29 weeks of beginner routines as well as 29 weeks of intermediate to advanced routines, in addition to other routines that are used to break up the workout cycle.

For this reason the Vince Delmonte workout routines will benefit those at all levels.

For a full in-depth review of the Vince Delmonte Workout Routines plus a look inside, go here ==> No Nonsense Muscle Building Review

There are few things that are more frustrating than trying to gain weight and muscle mass but struggling to do either.

Doesn’t seem to matter what you eat, what exercises you do down the gym or how many bodybuilding magazines you read you just can’t seem to get that burst of muscle growth you desire.

Seeing no muscle gain can sometimes make you think that this is just your lot and you should settle for it…after all, if you’ve got skinny genetics what can you do to change them, right?

Frankly, I don’t go in for all that nonsense that a lot of the magazines like to spout, i.e. that gaining muscle mass is all about genetics…you’ve either got it or you haven’t…

There may be some truth to that it you’re looking to become the next Mr. Olympia, however, the average “hardgainer”, shouldn’t listen to that kind of “advice”.

So today I’m going to show you how you can beat the “No Muscle” curse and refuse to be held captive by your skinny genetics.

The 3 Mass Gaining Pillars For Folks With No Muscle Gain

To keep this simple, I’m going to break it down into the 3 most important factors that you need to focus on if you’re serious about gaining mass and building muscle.

Increase Your Calorie Intake

Yeah, yeah I know you’ve heard it before, but seriously…this is the real key to gaining weight and how to make your muscles bigger. If you’re struggling with no muscle gain  or growth then chances are you simply aren’t putting enough calories into your body on a daily basis.

And when I talk about calories, I mean a BIG increase in your daily intake. If you’re a naturally skinny person then your metabolism is no doubt playing havoc with your ability to gain muscle mass.

By increasing your daily calorie intake and splitting your meals more regularly throughout the day then you make sure your muscles are always being fed  and thus are able to continue growing.

Calorie numbers depend on your individual circumstances but a rough rule of thumb is 24x your body weight (in pounds), i.e. if you weigh 150 poundsyou will need around 3,600 calories per day (24 x 150).

This may seem a lot at first but bear in mind it should be split over 6 meals per day…

Check out my free hardgainer meal plan which lays it all out for you here

Focus On The Big Mass Building Exercises

One of the biggest reasons why most skinny guys and gals fail to gain weight and suffer with no muscle growth is simply that they are doing the wrong kind of exercises. Sadly, it’s not enough to just go through the motions and perform any old exercise routine…no two exercises were created equal. Following a no nonsense muscle building routine is the way to go.

To see serious muscle growth you need to focus on the big muscle building exercises such as Squats, Bench Press, Bent Over Rows, Deadlifts, and Shoulder Press. These should be the foundation of any mass building routine as they are what are known as “compound” or ” multi-joint exercises”, meaning they work multiple muscle groups at the same time instead of isolating the movement to just one group such as biceps.

Perform them using free weights instead of machines to get even more bang for your buck.

Check out my free bodybuilding workout routine that you can start using today here

Rest Properly

Inadequate rest is another of the main reasons why skinny folks see no muscle gain and end up staying skinny.

Why is rest so important? After all, no pain no gain, right? Surely the more we train the bigger we get?

Well, no. That may seem logical in today’s fast-paced 24/7 world, but our bodies work in a different way.

During workout sessions our muscle tissue suffers minute tears from which it needs to recover and repair itself. It is this repair process that actually results in bigger muscles. It therefore makes sense that in order to repair itself the muscle tissue needs rest.

How much rest?

At least a full day’s rest between workouts should be the minimum to aim for. Making sure you get adequate sleep is also essential since natural anabolic growth hormones are released during deep sleep, which accelerates the muscle building process. Likewise too little sleep can result in the production of catabolic hormones which can hamper muscle growth and in some cases even reduce it.

Read these posts for more information on the dangers of overtraining and how much to rest between workouts.