The Best Workouts To Build Muscle

If you haven’t noticed.  There are a few very key exercises that you need to do to build muscle, power, strength, tone and etc.  The rule of thumb is to build the muscle and then shape it.  So compound movements then isolation movements.  That little bit is the key to every workout you’ve ever seen and probably didn’t notice it.  They are actually all very close to being the same.  They are different, but they accomplish things in a different way.  Don’t believe me, sorry but I’m about to prove you wrong.

I promise you with certainty that no one would argue with me when I say that the best exercises to build muscle are…

- Bench Press

- Shoulder Press

- Deadlifts

- Squats

- Barbell Row

- Pull Ups

- Tricep Dips

- Curls (Hammer and Preacher)

These are all very solid compound movements except for the curls.  They are just necessary to be in the list.  Yes compound lifts such as the deadlifts and the barbell row will help bring them out, but you have to work them a little bit more to get the results you want.

The next time you see a workout plan though I can guarantee you it will follow the pattern of compound movements first and then isolation movements.  It does make total sense though.  Lets say you want to work chest.  You’d wanna do some type of a bench press first to build that muscle and fatigue it.  Then you’d wanna do a few sets of cable fly’s to shape that muscle in a slow and very much in control motion.  Ya it’ll burn but it’ll look good later.

Regardless, the point I want to make to you is this.

You have got to spend the least amount of effective time in the gym.  Put your headphones in, turn up the volume, and pump out some iron.  Get the compound lifts in first and then work on some minor muscles.  If you are there for over an hour you are doing it wrong.  No matter what though, you have to rest.  Rest, rest, rest.  Those muscles have to heal. 

You could build serious amounts of muscles by doing StrongLifts which only requires you do 3 workouts a day with heavy weights.  You could also build muscle with doing 2 compound heavy lifts and supersetting them with some isolation movements.  Either way, you will still build muscles with heavy compound lifts and isolation movements.  You will not build muscle doing just steady isolation movements though.

Now I won’t leave you high and dry so here are a few routines that you can follow if you like.  This won’t last forever though.  So be ready for that plateau in about 3 months time.  If the weights are italicized you should barely be able to do your last set.  If not you should still be pushing yourself I just want you to be in significantly more control of the weights.

 

Monday

Squats (5×5) 1 minute rest

Shoulder Press (5×5) 1 minute rest

Burnout Pull-Up set.  Perform as many pull ups as you can and then rest for 60 seconds.  Dig deep man.  Don’t be a wuss because it hurts.

Tricep Dips (3×12-8) superset with Dumbell Lateral Raise (3×12-8)

 

Wednesday

Deadlift (5×5) 1 minute rest

Bench Press (5×5) 1 minute rest

Cable fly (4×8) superset with calf raise (4×15)

Pushups Burnout.  Person as many push ups as you can 4 times and rest for 30 seconds.  Wanna give up early because it hurt? Fine, be a wuss and don’t build muscle.

Friday

Squat (5×5) 1 minute rest

Barbell row (5×5) 1 minute rest

Preacher curl (4×6) superset with Tricep dip (4×8-10)

Hammer curl burnout.   Perform as many reps as you can with a slightly heavy weight but staying very much in control.  Arms by your sides but a little up to put the muscle fiber ripping tension on your biceps and brachii.

I understand that to some of you this goes against what you’ve heard about relentless training and the like.  The reality is that that is not true.  You do this right, you will be dripping in sweat wishing it were over.  You watch.