Print Article for : Muscle Building Workout Routines

Your Online Guide » Sports » Build Muscle

[M778]Muscle Building Workout Routines

by ,

I bet you didn't realize that you could build muscle with bodyweight workouts. After all, I've included The Garage Gladiator bodyweight workouts in the Physique Formula for a reason. I'm emailed countless times a day by men and women who really want to build muscle and lose fat bur for one reason or another can't get to the gym. That's ok, you don't need to be a gym rat with the Physique Formula. All you have to do is train hard for 3-4 days a week and 45 minutes at a time and you'll be all set.

Now the whole point of a muscle building bodyweight workout routine is to overload your body and cause growth in a different way than anyone who is swinging weights up and down in the gym. See my bodyweight workout routines are set so that you have to progress and you have to move up a level. The problem with most workouts is that they tell you to train for 12-16 weeks at a time and that's all. Anyone can write a muscle building bodyweight workout routine that gets your tired and raises your metabolism but what about building muscle?

By forcing you to raise your reps as you progress you also force your body to adapt to this new training stress. Just like you would in a gym, more reps and more sets means that you are building muscle and growing. Do you want to know the real secret to the Garage Gladiator muscle building bodyweight workout routines? It's getting a certain number of reps and sets done in a certain amount of time. If you give yourself 35 minutes to workout at night but are forced to do the same workout you did last week but in 10 less minutes then your body will have no choice but to grow.

Typically,I recommend a 5-minute warm up of all of the basic movements like squats and push-ups, glute bridges and some simple stretching. Once the body is warm it will allow the joints to move through their proper ranges, which is another mistake that most people make. It doesn't matter how many reps you're using, some exercises force you to use 10 or 15 reps while others force you to do as many as you can in 30 seconds, what matters is the quality of the movement.

Muscle building bodyweight workout routines are also healthier than the usual, boring gym workout because bodyweight movements are better on your joints. Who really wants a nagging shoulder injury anyway? Bodyweight workout routines that involve push-ups and the many variations of it are great for shoulder and shoulder blade health.

Yes, it is possible to get great muscle building bodyweight workout routines in your garage or basement or to use them to change things up in the gym.

Are you searching for that "one" solution that blasts your plateau and sends your muscles into an explosive growth phase all over again?The solution to your problem has been under your nose all along...What I want to share with you is something fairly known in the weight lifting industry, but seldom used correctly and maximized to its full muscle-building potential.

The technique that can instantly force your muscles into growth is eccentric training, better known as "negatives".

Chances are, you have already heard of negatives, but you probably don't know how to use them for maximum muscle growth.

WHAT IS IT?

A concentric movement is your typical movement, in which the muscle fibers shorten to "lift" the weight.

Eccentric, or negative, movements are when you lower the weight, or bring it back to the starting position. It is the opposite of "lifting" a weight.

Negative movements unleash the power of the "other half" of your repetitions, the lowering phase. In an eccentric contraction, the muscle fibers lengthen to lower the weight.

Now, it is not enough to simply lower the weight slowly in your regular exercises. For maximum benefit, you must isolate and do negative movements alone!

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Here is a brief list of the benefits of eccentric (negative) training:

1) Increase in Training Weight: You can add a lot more weight when doing a negative movement. It is much easier to lower a heavier weight than it is to "lift" that same weight, which means that you can increase your training poundages instantly.

2) Neural Adaptations: After adapting to your regular concentric, or "lifting" movements, you can shock your muscles and nerves into adapting to a whole new negative movement. This causes confusion at the neuro-muscular level and forces you muscles into growth.

3) Muscle-Fiber Breakdown: Eccentric (negative) movements have been scientifically shown to cause greater muscle trauma and breakdown than regular concentric movements, resulting in greater muscle gains.

4) Type II Muscle-Fiber Activation: A study published last year concluded that maximum weight eccentric movements recruit more Type II Muscle fibers, those responsible for strength and speed.

5) Long Term Strength Gains: New research also shows that maximal eccentric movements cause neural adaptations that result in longer lasting strength gains.

THE BEST WAY TO DO ECCENTRIC (NEGATIVE) TRAINING

1) Choose a resistance level about 30% greater than what you would normally lift, and slowly lower that weight from the top position for a period of 3-5 seconds. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PARTNER!

2) Perform 2-3 sets for larger muscle groups such as chest, shoulders, and back. Perform only 1-2 sets for smaller muscle groups such as biceps and triceps.

3) Rest for 3-5 minutes between sets, because negative training is very intense on your muscles.

QUICK TIPS

1) It is best to dedicate one day out of the week and do a whole workout routine focused on negative movements only.

2) If you can hold, or lower a weight for longer than 5 seconds, consider increasing the weight as it may be too light. If it takes you less than 3 seconds to lower a weight, consider reducing the pounds as the weight may be too heavy.

3) Don't overtrain! Listen to your body...

Stick to less sets, and once you reach a set where it's taking you less than 3 seconds to lower a weight, STOP!4) If you don't have a partner, you can train uni-laterally, using only one side of your body. This can be achieved with dumbbells, machines, and cables. Your non-active side would spot or support your active side.

CONCLUSION

As mentioned earlier, eccentric, or negative, movements have been shown to cause greater muscle-breakdown, neural adaptations, & recruitment of Type II Muscle Fibers.

This means that you can experience better muscle growth, greater strength gains, & more explosiveness.

Make sure to dedicate one day a week to do an entire workout routine focused on negative movements only.

You now have the knowledge to enter the fast-lane of muscle growth. How fast you want to go is entirely up to you...

Until next time, have an absolutely muscle-blasting workout routine!

Article Source : Pg. 14

Faisal Khetani has sinced written about articles on various topics from Build Muscle, Fitness and Basketball. Faisal Khetani is a health and fitness consultant, & editor of the Dream Body newsletter. Take a look at his website & subscribe to his newsletter to achieve fast, maximum results:. Faisal Khetani's top article generates over 2900 views. to your Favourites.