Basic Strength Training Ideas For The Beginner

By Kate Woods


To build sculpted, defined muscle takes a little bit of mental effort. You have to know a lot in order to develop efficient techniques when it comes to muscle building, in order to get the results that you are looking for. Follow these tips and learn how to build the body that you've been dreaming of.


Three exercises you should do on a regular basis are bench presses, squats, and dead lifts. Those three make up the foundation of any good exercise routine. These exercises build strength, while increasing bulk and overall conditioning. Include these three in some way at each workout.

Keep in mind the "big three" and make sure they're in your routine. Bench presses, squats and dead lifts help build bulk. Along with adding muscle, these exercises help you improve your strength and condition your body. You should aim to include these exercises in some manner regularly.

Attempting a muscle building program while involved in difficult cardiovascular workouts or training for an upcoming marathon is not recommended. If your goal is a well-balanced fitness program, then cardio is essential. However, if you are trying to increase your muscle size, excess cardio could undo your hard work. If your focus is to build muscle, concentrate on strength-training.

Focus on your nutrition and calorie intake on the days that you will be do muscle building exercises. Consume more calories about an hour before you are going to exercise. While this doesn't give you permission to pig-out on days when you exercises, it does permit you to eat somewhat larger portions of healthy food than you would on off days.

Compound exercises are an important part of any muscle building plan. These moves incorporate many muscle groups at once, so they are efficient and effective. Bench presses, for example, work the chest, shoulders and triceps at once.

On the days you have designated for muscle growth exercises, you must ensure that you eat well. An hour or so before your workout, eat more calories than you would on a typical day. Make sure that you don't eat in excess but that you moderately gauge how much you're eating and plan your meals on the days you workout, accordingly.

The goal of any workout where muscle building is the focus is to create stronger muscles. Ultimately, you should see an advancement in the amount of weight you are able to lift. When you are beginning to lift weights, you will be able to lift about 5% more weight every two times you workout. If you feel you are not progressing enough, find out what is wrong with your routines. If you find that you are weaker than your last session, it is possible that you were not fully recovered.

You should never attempt to cram more than three muscle-building workouts (four at the very most) into a single week. By doing this, you are providing your body with time to rest and repair itself. The more you work out, the more likely you are to injure yourself and hinder your progress toward your goals.

Building muscle is possible with determination. Use the tips here to make an exercise plan work for you. Correct information and solid techniques will help you reach your goals.