This is part of men's health body biblea collection of cutting-edge stories focused on building more muscle using the latest science and lessons from the best athletes and trainers on the planet.
welcome to The golden age of muscle building. Never before have there been so many tools to measure your fitness, from VO2-max trackers to AI that assesses your form and speed, to devices that calculate the efficiency of every jump and stride. And answer our questions with a detailed analysis of how many sets you need to do per week to build muscle, how much rest you need between sets, and how often you should train. Never before has there been so much research to answer.
Even better, a new breed of fitness practitioners, equally trained in kinesiology and IRL lifting, are interpreting this data, often blending lab science with gym-proven methods to push their own limits. We're creating new training styles to help push you up. And their insights are often free and easily available on social media.
Such experts stand above the useless (and often dangerous) fitness influencers that are all over your feed. The One You Should Follow cites multiple studies in its videos and consistently explains the research and science behind its ideas. Additionally, they understand that every body is different, so they rarely share essential workouts and exercises. To help you reach your goals, we live in the center of true science and scientific revolution, with three of his next generation experts providing the ideal fitness details on YouTube and social. We formed a team.
All of our experts spend hours studying muscles.they partnered M.H. We'll break down what adjustments you need to make in your workouts to maximize your muscle gain potential. Dr. Mike Israeltel (@drmikeisraetel on Instagram) created the science-based RP Hypertrophy fitness app. Jeff Nipperd (@JeffNippard) is a bodybuilding coach and competitor who speaks at seminars and lectures at universities. JP Gallardo (@jpg coaching on TikTok) distills cutting-edge research on tips accessible on TikTok.
basic
The tactics you need to get the most out of your workout.
Please select a split
The harder you train, the harder it is to recover between sessions. Gym-goers create “splits” that organize the muscles they train that day. This allows you to train and recover selected muscles. Start with these three options.
full body
• frequency: 2-3 days a week
• How to use: Every session trains the lower body (legs) and upper body (back and/or chest), often relying on compound movements such as squats and pull-ups.
• Best for: Anyone who has the time. This is an effective way to build daily strength and overall fitness.
push pull leg
• frequency: 3 to 6 days a week
• How to use: One day you'll train your chest, triceps, and shoulders (pushing muscles), the next day your back and biceps (pulling muscles), and the next day your legs.
• Best for: Most gym goers. This allows you to train large muscle groups to their limits in each session.
broth split
• frequency: 5 to 7 days a week
• How to use: Spend the entire day working on key areas of your body, including your back, legs, chest, arms, and shoulders.
• Best for: beginner. Israeltel says this can help the mind-muscle connection in just one part of the body.
perfect rep
According to Israeltel, to get maximum muscle-building stimulation with each repetition of each exercise, do the following:
Step 1: Street sex
Aim to use the maximum range of motion possible. Don't know what that is? Ask yourself what you feel in that muscle as you lower the weight. “If you can get a very strong feeling of stretching in the abdominal muscles, you're doing a great job,” says Israeltel. “If not, you can go deeper.”
Step 2: Slow down
When lowering the weight, lower it slowly. Expect it to take 2-3 seconds to lower your weight toward the floor. The act of lowering the weight (and lengthening the muscle) in a controlled manner is called the eccentric part of the rep. Doing this in a controlled manner will help you avoid injury and build muscle.
Step 3: Get uncomfortable.
To get the most out of each set, the last few reps should be hard. Let him push through at least once on a “slow down” set, Israeltel says.You can quit there [in each set] Great results and no need to proceed further. ”
The reality of DOM
A good workout should make your muscles sore, right? mistaken. The technical term for soreness you feel a day or two after a workout is delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Here's what you need to know about it.
advantage
If you feel sore the day after a workout, note down exactly which muscles are sore. This feedback may indicate that the exercise is being performed properly. “If you do a rope face pull and your mid-back hurts a lot, but your rear deltoids don't hurt at all, you might want to modify your technique next time,” says Nipperd. Masu.
Disadvantage
“Some workouts can be very painful, but they don't lead to much muscle growth,” says Nipperd. Imagine doing curls for a few weeks and adding weight each week. The pain will be reduced, but you will still gain muscle. Do you suffer from DOMS? Light exercise the day after a workout with sore muscles can help. Try 10 minutes of easy cardio to get your blood flowing.
Superior strength upgrade
let's take a rest
High-intensity interval training may be hectic, but working out with only small breaks in between can ruin your results. Instead of resting 30 seconds between sets, Gallardo says you should rest for two to three minutes. The added resilience between sets will help you push harder on the next set. “I'm actually able to perform better on working sets instead of burning out in the middle of a set,” he says. “Let him scroll on Instagram for 30 seconds longer or for him a minute longer.”
accept machine
The rise of CrossFit has led many people to ditch weight machines in favor of barbells and kettlebells. Gallardo says it was a bad decision. “In many cases, I would choose a machine over free weight exercises when considering stability.” Machines can bring you closer to true failure. For example, failing a few leg presses is much safer than doing a few barbell squats the same way. Once or twice a week he adds machines to his training.
reduce volume
Sure, you might think that doing more sets and exercises equals more muscle growth. Not so, says Nipperd. “Five or six years ago, we might have said, 'Oh, the more volume, the better.' But adding volume increases muscle gain up to a certain point. After that, you just add more. ” Aim for 10 to 12 hard sets per muscle group each week.
This story originally appeared in the January/February 2024 issue of the magazine. Men's Health.
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Ebenezer Samuel, CSCS, is the Fitness Director. men's health We have certified trainers with over 10 years of training experience. He has logged training hours with his NFL athletes and track and field athletes, and his current training regimen includes weight training, HIIT conditioning, and yoga. Prior to joining Men's Health in 2017, he served as a sports columnist and technology columnist for the New York Daily News.
