Resistance Training and Metabolism

In Boost Metabolism I explained how increasing muscle mass was the most effective way to increase your metabolism.

So what is the best and most effective way for you to build muscle mass?

I have been involved in weight training since my late teens, now in my late 30's it is something that I absolutely love doing, am very passionate about and will continue to do throughout my life.

I have found information on how to build muscle sometimes inaccurate and often conflicting. It can get confusing even for people who have been weight training for many years let alone a beginner.

I would like to share with you what I have found to give the best results in increasing muscle mass, based on my experience.

The physique that you and I and everyone around us has at this very moment is a result of a number of factors, including our genetic make up and the enviroment in which we live.

There is nothing we can do about our genetics. We can however make changes to our physical environment that will with daily exposure, cause our bodies to adapt by building muscle, increasing metabolism and reducing stored body fat.

When I refer to the physical environment, I am not talking about the weather but rather the physical conditions that our body experiences every day, from when we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep at night.

If you compare the physical environment of someone who works on the land for a living, which involves tough physical work 7 days a week to that of someone who works in an office all day, it is easy to understand how working the land would give you a stronger leaner body than someone who sits at a desk Monday to Friday.

To increase your muscle mass beyond whatever you have now, you will have to condition your body by subjecting it constantly to tougher physical conditions.

The word condition is very significant, by this I mean you can't just go to the gym every now and then, do some weights and expect to build muscle.

Conditioning involves repeatedly subjecting the muscles in your body to physical stress that requires them to work to there absolute limitations.

You will only start to experience change in muscle mass when your body becomes conditioned to this tough new physical enviroment that it experiences every week and has adapted by growing stronger and bigger muscles.

Everyone including people who work in an office like myself can do enough resistance training in a week to achieve this change with the right program.

The good news for all of us who have little time to spare with work and family is this kind of training actually requires your muscles to rest and recover for 48 hours after each weight session. So -

You only need to train 3 times per week

The time you spend at your desk during the day and sleeping at night actually gives them valuable time to repair and recover.

The right program involves increasing the intensity of the workout not the frequency.

Work all the major muscle groups every session!

I have over the years tried many different weight training regimes including split routines working 2 muscle groups per day.

You can and I did get excellent growth from just keeping it simple and working all your major muscle groups every time you train.

These include:

-Shoulders
-Arms
-Back
-Chest
-Legs

Work each group every time you train. Each training session should be 45 minutes to a maximum of 1 hour long.

I like to do my Resistance Training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week with Tuesday and Thursday in between and the weekend off to rest and recover.

Start off working each muscle group in 3 sets

3 sets is plenty, if you are lifting the correct weight.

Lift the weights 12 times(reps) in first set, 10 in Second and 8 in the 3rd and Final set

You will need to start by finding a weight you can just lift 12 times before you fatigue.

Allow 1 to 2 minutes between each set to recover

You should only need 1 minute in the earlier sets, but take up to 2 minutes with heavier weights in the later sets if needed.

Increase the amount of weight each time you complete a set

As an example, I bench press 80kg for 12 reps have 1 minute rest, then bench 90kg for 10 reps and after a 2 minute break I bench 100kg for 8 reps.

This increases the intensity of the exercise and stresses the muscles more.

You should be at the point of failure where you can lift no more when you get to the last reps in each set.

It will take you a while to get the feel for the correct weight to use in the beginning.

Start off light and allow your muscles to get used to the new physical demands.

Over time with repeated lifting your muscles will start to adapt to the weights they are lifting by becoming stronger.

At this point you will be able to complete the first set of 12 reps easily and will be able to lift more than 12 reps. This is the time to increase the amount of weight you are lifting.

Using this method you will find yourself getting stronger quickly in the early months. Toning improves, but the real muscle increase doesn't begin until you have started lifting significantly more weights than what you started with.

In my early years I had very high expectations but not the commitment to train hard and often enough.

I have and you will get much better results by doing the opposite.

Increase your commitment and lower your expectations and you won't give up to soon in frustration and in time you will get outstanding results.

For those of you who are interested in Maximum Muscle Growth click on the link for an excellent training reference that i have found to be the most comprehensive available.

There is no set time, significant muscle growth can take years so keep working your muscles to there limit and they will in time have to grow.

Add a well balanced diet containing good sources of low fat protein such as fish and chicken and your muscles will grow stronger and your body will lean out as its demand for fuel to feed muscle growth increases.

Consulting gym staff may be a good place to start if you have joined a gym for the first time and certainly see a doctor before starting any exercise program.

Weight training takes your muscles to their limits so always be cautious and work within your capabilities.

And remember there is nothing like the feeling when your muscles start to grow firmer and stronger and your physique starts to change. Keep training hard and you will be rewarded.

Good Luck.

From Resistance Training and Metabolism to Home Page