Top 6 Strength and Mass Building Exercises

HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE MASS FAST:



- Focus on progressive overload

- Consume enough calories to support muscle growth

- Quality rest

- Consume all three macro-nutrients (Proteins, Carbs, Fats)

- Perform compound exercises



More tips on how to gain muscle mass fast you can read in other articles:

The Bodybuilding Guide to Build Muscle Mass Fast


Old-School Bodybuilding Tips by Joe Weider - Build Muscle Mass Fast

Best exercises to become bigger and stronger are compound movements that involve more than one muscle group at the same time. With compound exercises, you can build muscle mass fast, lose fat and increase your strength faster than using isolation exercises. 

Check out the list of compound exercises that are best for building muscle:

1. Squat

It is the best muscle building exercise because:

  -  The entire musculature is activated

 - Performing squat highly boost muscle building hormones

  

Even the squat is very dangerous exercise, especially if it is done with bad form and too much weight, there is nothing like putting a heavy weight on your back and going down as low as you can, then coming back up and doing it again and again while you are naturally boosting testosterone levels and engage many muscle groups. Even those that you didn't hear of before. 

The squat is definitely the best muscle builder ever. 

2. Bench Press

This is one of the most famous gym exercises and it is famous for building a big chest, but Bench Press is also working Deltoids, Triceps, and Traps. Bench Press is an ultimate exercise for building upper body muscles, there is no better exercise for upper body strength and size. Practice Bench Press form and lift heavy and you will build an awesome torso.

The best way to build muscle with Bench Press is by using a barbell. The reason for that is that you can lift more weight than if you use dumbbells. 


Incline Bench Press - better effect on upper chest

Decline Bench Press - best lower chest exercise

3. Bent-over Barbell Row


One of the best exercises for the thickly muscled back. Like all multi-joints movements, barbell row is also difficult exercise for performing but it still way better for building muscles than alternatives like seated rows and lat pulldowns. You should include this exercise in every back workouts.


Bent-over rows work every muscle from traps to lower lats and are also very good for developing biceps. 




4. Military Press


The most effective exercise to build big and round shoulders. Military Presses are also good for developing upper back, neck, and back of arms. 




5. Lunges


The best exercise for your legs after squats. By performing lunges you can target butt and hamstrings and further develop your lower body by combining them with squats.




6. Lat Pulldowns


Doing Lat Pulldowns will help you to develop your back muscles and biceps. By performing this exercise often you can make your physique have a much more balanced appearance. 



Best Bodyweight Exercises for Muscle Building are Pull Ups/Chin Ups, Dips, and Push Ups (make sure that you put a weighted belt if you can do more than 12 reps with your bodyweight only). 


Recommended rep range for muscle hypertrophy is from 8 to 12 reps for one set. 


To build muscle mass fast I recommend doing these exercises as first in every workout (bench press on chest day, bent-over rows on back day etc.) and combine them with a few isolation exercises. Just make sure that you are mixing your workout, your muscles should not get used to the same workout every time, confuse your muscles to ensure more muscle growth.

The 10 Rules of Building Muscle Mass

Are you confused about what workout routine and diet plan to follow to build muscle mass? After reading these 10 golden rules of muscle building you will learn some basic facts about training and diet for muscle growth.

1. CONSUME MORE CALORIES THAN YOU BURN

First of all, don't forget this most important rule - eat more calories than you burn every day. That means that you need to be in caloric surplus every single day, especially on training days when your muscles need more protein and healthy calories to grow.

How To Eat To Gain Muscle Mass

2. GO HARD, LIFT HEAVY

If your goal is to build muscle then you will need to lift heavy and focus on progressive overload which is very important for strength and muscle gain. By lifting heavy and in moderate rep range you will gain strength and muscle simultaneously and that approach is the most effective. 

3. IDEAL REP RANGE

I recommend you lifting in a 6-12 rep range. In big lifts like squats, bench press, and deadlifts go with 6-8 and those exercises are the most effective for muscle building because they hit more than one muscle group at the same time.

4. COMPOUND EXERCISES

Major lifts like Bench Press, Military Press, Squat, Dead Lift and Bent-Over Row are the most effective muscle-building exercises. You can build muscle mass with only these exercises together with compound bodyweight exercises like Pull Ups and Dips. You may totally avoid isolation exercises like dumbbell curls and triceps extensions and still make gains in your triceps and biceps. But, if you want to add some isolation work in your workout then save it for part of training after you give your best on big lifts that I mentioned.

For example, if you have a back and biceps training day, start your workout with exercises like deadlift, bent-over row or pull up and then go on with exercises like dumbbell rows, hammer curls, etc.

Top 10 Exercises To Build Muscle Mass

5. CONSUME ALL THREE MACRONUTRIENTS

Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are all very important nutrients for building muscle mass. They all have their role in muscle building so neither one should be excluded in your diet plan. You must know that carbs and fats are not your enemies and that you can't build muscle mass without those two nutrients. Research shows that diets that are higher in fat (monosaturated and saturated, stay away from trans fats) have a good effect on male hormone testosterone which has a big role in muscle growth.

6. GET PLENTY OF SLEEP


You already heard that average person needs 8 hours of sleep daily for optimal health and that rule also applies for lifters that want to build muscle mass. Your sleep time is when your muscles recover and grow. 


Your sleep time is when your growth hormones and testosterone levels are boosted and your insulin sensitivity is also enhanced. If you don't give your body time to heal and grow stronger your training and diet could be worthless.




7. CONFUSE YOUR MUSCLES


The reason that progressive overload works so well for muscle growth is that it confuses your muscles. At the time when your muscles are used to a certain number of reps and a particular weight, you need to add more weight and reps to build more muscle mass.



Also, you shouldn't let your body getting used to the same workout routine for too long. Change your exercises choice, reps and sets ranges that you use or even muscle groups that you train every day. Confusing your muscles is very useful in building muscle mass. If you don't believe me, ask Arnie or other bodybuilding legends. 



Hint: Add dropsets and supersets in your workout routine to boost your muscle growth.




8. FULL-BODY ROUTINE


By following a full-body routine three or four days per week you are going to hit every muscle group on every training day. That is the best way to enhance your muscle growth for natural lifters. Lifters who are consuming anabolic steroids can build muscle mass with long, high-intensity, split routines but for natural lifters, especially beginners, the best way to build muscle mass fast is to do short, high-frequency, full-body workouts three or four times per week.



You can find many articles about full-body routines on this site:


3 Best Full-Body Workouts to Build Muscle Mass Fast







9. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER EVERY DAY


It is very important to stay hydrated throughout the day and especially during the training session. The reason for that is simple, your training performance begins to suffer when your body is dehydrated. Also, water helps to move food through your system so you don't feel bloated.




10. MUSCLE-BUILDING SUPPLEMENTS


For building muscle mass there is nothing more important than your diet, but supplements can be very helpful to speed up the process and make calories counting less stressful. Of course, you shouldn't waste your money on unnecessary supplements. I recommend you to buy Whey Protein as one of the best supplements on the market and after buying one you may also buy Creatine Monohydrate which is the best selling supplement these days. 


More about Whey Protein and Creatine you can read in another article:


Best Muscle-Building Supplements to Build Muscle Mass Fast

Build Muscle Mass With 2 Days Per Week Full-Body Program

Many novice lifters believe in everything they read on the internet and I've been there too. They read that they need at least 5 training days a week and every training day to build each muscle separately so they start following it. They start focusing only on their training, forget the life around them because they have less and less time for all other things except training and eating.

That can produce some muscle gains at the beginning, almost any workout can produce gains for novice lifters. But, first three months are crucial for all guys that want to build their physique like a Greek God. 

The worst thing is that they spend less time performing basic exercises and building strength. Modern Bodybuilding articles and magazines teach them to train each muscle separately and to perform many dumbbell curls and other isolation exercises. That won't build much strength which is results in fewer muscle gains. 

You just have to understand something very important, the key to muscle building is progressive overload. If you don't get stronger you won't get bigger.

Almost all bodybuilding legends build their muscular physiques with full-body workouts. Arnold Schwarzenegger started with full-body routine, Reg Park, Bill Pearl, Leroy Colbert and many others.

The key to getting stronger and bigger is to perform basic compound movements that work more than one muscle at the time within a low rep range, 6-8 reps per sets. Maybe 10-12 reps for some exercises, but still 6-8 reps for major workouts that you should do at the beginning of your workout. 

Those major lifts are squats, bench press, deadlifts, military presses, barbell rows, pull ups and dips. You need to get stronger with all these exercises which will result in more muscle gains. 

Best Exercises for Building Muscle Mass

High volume training split routines can work for some people, mostly for bodybuilding competitors that are using anabolic steroids. For natural beginners, the best way to build muscle mass is to follow a full-body workout routine.

3 Best Full-Body Workouts to Build Muscle Fast

Remember this, I wish someone told me this when I started, the key to building muscle mass is frequency. By following a full-body routine you will train the whole body at every workout that can increase HGH and testosterone levels in your body and speed up muscle growth.

Today, I will present you a 2 days per week full-body routine. You think that working out 2 days a week isn't enough to build muscle mass? Well, try this workout program for one month and you will see how sore you will be after just one week of following this routine. You will hit every muscle group twice a week, and with a proper muscle-building diet your muscles and strength will grow each week.



Perform these two workouts on Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday, rest at least two or three days between the workouts. Because of the intensity and volume of the routine, you won't need to perform it more than two times a week.




2 DAYS PER WEEK FULL-BODY ROUTINE



WORKOUT 1


Squats - 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Bench Press - 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Barbell Rows - 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Stiff Leg Deadlifts - 2 sets of 10 reps
Dumbbell Shoulder Press - 3 sets of 10 reps
Skullcrushers - 2 sets of 10 reps
Dumbbell Curls - 2 sets of 10 reps
Calf Raises - 2 sets of 15 reps
Plank - 2 sets of 60 seconds



WORKOUT 2


Deadlift - 2 sets of 6-8 reps
Barbell Shoulder Press - 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Leg Press - 3 sets of 12 reps
Pull Ups - 3 sets of maximum reps
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 sets of 10 reps
Cable Triceps Extension - 2 sets of 10 reps
EZ Bar Curl - 2 sets of 10 reps
Leg Curls - 2 sets of 12 reps
Weighted Sit Ups - 2 sets of 15-20 reps




Following this routine is very simple and sometimes the key to something is in simplicity. Try it for one to two months and remember to be in constant caloric surplus and to consume enough proteins, carbs, and fats if you aim to gain muscle and strength.

Gain Muscle and Strength Fast with Creatine Supplement

There have been many questions about creatine since long ago. Today, creatine is the most researched and best-selling supplement. 

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a natural substance that can be found in red meat and fish. Our skeletal muscle contains 95% of creatine while the heart, brain, and tests hold the remaining 5%.

Why is Creatine such a popular supplement?

Creatine is widely researched and proven that have many benefits for all athletes. Yes, it is a supplement only for athletes who are into intensive training like lifting weights or running. A person that don't do any sport or lifting in the gym can't have any benefit from consuming creatine.

What is the best thing about creatine? It delivers results to most of the users very fast. 

Out of all workout supplements on the market today, creatine stands out as one of the best ever.

But, you need to know - Creatine is not any kind of magical drinks or anabolic steroids. It is totally natural supplement and you'll need to train hard and eat a lot of healthy foods if you want to build muscle or gain strength. Consuming creatine will only enhance your performance and boost muscle growth.


How to Gain Muscle Mass - 5 Principles of Muscle Hypertrophy





When it comes to building a great physique and gaining strength creatine is without any cons, absolutely. 



Many studies found that creatine supplements are increasing lean muscle mass when combined with resistance training and a good muscle building diet. It is also one of few supplements that is proven to increase strength. 




Benefits of Creatine Supplementation:


- Increases Lean Muscle Mass
- Improves Maximal Strength
- Enhances Muscle Endurance
- Boosts Energy Production
- Fat Loss




Does Creatine help people that want to lose fat?



Of course! Creatine helps you gain lean muscle which indirectly helps burning fat.

BEST CREATINE

Creatine comes in many forms, powder, pills or liquid. Newer versions of creatine give good results, but the most effective creatine is creatine monohydrate. Creatine in powder form is the most usable by the body.


It is not only the most effective version of creatine, it is also the cheapest. You don't need to buy the more expensive form of creatine when you can get the best effect with creatine monohydrate. It is cheap and cheerful.




How and When to take Creatine?


The best time to take creatine is after the workout. You can add it to your post-workout protein shake if you like. You can also consume 3 - 5 grams of creatine before a workout for better performance but you will get most benefits if you drink it after your workout.


I recommend taking creatine with water or fruit juice. Creatine mixed with milk is not so good option because of digestive problems.



You do not need any loading or maintenance phase. Consume 3 to 5 grams of creatine every day and you will gain strength and muscle mass. I recommend a short break from creatine after two months of consuming, but it is not necessary. 



Creatine is totally safe for consuming for all athletes except for people that have any kind of kidney problems. Anyway, for healthy individuals creatine won't make any harm. 



You can also check out which 5 supplements are best for muscle building:



Top 5 Muscle-Building Supplements

Best Exercises to Build Muscle Mass Fast

HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE MASS FAST:



- Focus on progressive overload

- Consume enough calories to support muscle growth

- Quality rest

- Consume all three macro-nutrients (Proteins, Carbs, Fats)

- Perform compound exercises



More tips on how to gain muscle mass fast you can read in other articles:

The Bodybuilding Guide to Build Muscle Mass Fast


Old-School Bodybuilding Tips by Joe Weider - Build Muscle Mass Fast

Best exercises to become bigger and stronger are compound movements that involve more than one muscle group at the same time. With compound exercises, you can build muscle mass fast, lose fat and increase your strength faster than using isolation exercises. 

Check out the list of compound exercises that are best for building muscle:

1. Squat

It is the best muscle building exercise because:

  -  The entire musculature is activated

 - Performing squat highly boost muscle building hormones

  

Even the squat is very dangerous exercise, especially if it is done with bad form and too much weight, there is nothing like putting a heavy weight on your back and going down as low as you can, then coming back up and doing it again and again while you are naturally boosting testosterone levels and engage many muscle groups. Even those that you didn't hear of before. 

The squat is definitely the best muscle builder ever. 

2. Bench Press

This is one of the most famous gym exercises and it is famous for building a big chest, but Bench Press is also working Deltoids, Triceps, and Traps. Bench Press is an ultimate exercise for building upper body muscles, there is no better exercise for upper body strength and size. Practice Bench Press form and lift heavy and you will build an awesome torso.

The best way to build muscle with Bench Press is by using a barbell. The reason for that is that you can lift more weight than if you use dumbbells. 


Incline Bench Press - better effect on upper chest

Decline Bench Press - best lower chest exercise




3. Bent-over Barbell Row


One of the best exercises for the thickly muscled back. Like all multi-joints movements, barbell row is also difficult exercise for performing but it still way better for building muscles than alternatives like seated rows and lat pulldowns. You should include this exercise in every back workouts.


Bent-over rows work every muscle from traps to lower lats and are also very good for developing biceps. 




4. Military Press


The most effective exercise to build big and round shoulders. Military Presses are also good for developing upper back, neck, and back of arms. 




5. Lunges


The best exercise for your legs after squats. By performing lunges you can target butt and hamstrings and further develop your lower body by combining them with squats.




6. Lat Pulldowns


Doing Lat Pulldowns will help you to develop your back muscles and biceps. By performing this exercise often you can make your physique have a much more balanced appearance. 



Best Bodyweight Exercises for Muscle Building are Pull Ups/Chin Ups, Dips, and Push Ups (make sure that you put a weighted belt if you can do more than 12 reps with your bodyweight only). 


Recommended rep range for muscle hypertrophy is from 8 to 12 reps for one set. 


To build muscle mass fast I recommend doing these exercises as first in every workout (bench press on chest day, bent-over rows on back day etc.) and combine them with a few isolation exercises. Just make sure that you are mixing your workout, your muscles should not get used to the same workout every time, confuse your muscles to ensure more muscle growth.