Most Effective Bodybuilding Techniques
This article is dedicated to the bodybuilding techniques that I follow and believe work for me. I do not believe that there is one cookie cutter routine out there that will work for everyone.
I do believe that with a lot of trial and error and listening to your body, you can find what works best for you.
Everyone is different and it just takes some experimenting.
I don't claim that what I do will work for every person out there, but I do think that these techniques can be very effective in building muscle in many people.
I am always researching and reading as much as I can about training, always looking for something different to get me closer to my goals. I keep an open mind when it comes to training and am willing to experiment with and add new techniques.
As of right now these are the bodybuilding techniques that I use.
Less is Better -I keep my weightlifting workouts to 3 times a week. This is all I need to stimulate the muscle and grow. The high volume 5 - 6 days a week routines are a waste of time for me and just lead to overtraining. I have tried many of these routines from many so-called experts and have seen no gains from any of them.
Stick with the Basics - I focus on the basic, compound free-weight exercises that work the most muscle. My workouts are built around two of the best exercises for building muscle - the squat and deadlift. I continually strive to get stronger at these exercises.
Consistent Progress - My focus at every workout is to beat my previous workout. I don't worry about the pump, muscle confusion, or anything else except adding a little more weight at each workout. If I can do that, then I feel I am on the right track.
I use micro weights which consist of 1/4 lb - 1 lb plates so I am always increasing the weight of each exercise by small increments. I track everything in my workout journal and check it before every workout.
I put 100 % of my energy into beating the numbers. All that matters is beating my previous best. I believe that this is by far one of the best things you can do to build muscle.
Record Everything - I am a big believer in using a workout journal to record everything. I track every set and every rep and the exact amount of weight for every workout. And at every workout I am trying to beat my previous weight and/or reps.
That is my main goal at every workout. Beat the log book. My focus is to continually increase the weight used over months and years which will give my muscle no choice but to grow.
Recover Fully - I have 4 non-lifting days each week. This allows me to fully recover from my previous workout. I do have 3 light cardio days but these are done for health purposes and are not taxing to my body. I also aim for 8-9 hours of sleep a night. I do not do good on less than 8 hours a night and can tell when it comes time to workout. If I can keep adding just a little weight to my exercises each and every workout, I know that I am recovering fully.
Eat to Grow - I eat 6-7 meals a day consisting of protein, carbs, and fat. Nutrition is a key element in building muscle so I make sure that there are no holes in my nutrition program. No amount of supplements is going to make up for poor nutrition.
Rest Pause - This is one of my favorite intensity techniques. It lends itself well to my training because I train by myself. I regularly use it on squats and deadlifts and will use it on my other lifts from time to time.
Partial Reps - This is another great intensity technique that works great when training alone. I regularly use these on the last set of many of my exercises, especially calves.
Again, these are the bodybuilding principles and techniques that I have found to be most effective for me. Although I will mix things up (reps, exercises, rest between sets) from time to time, my core bodybuilding principles are a constant and rarely change.
