With all the strict muscle building programs out there, it can seem pretty overwhelming. Isn’t it frustrating to want to gain some solid muscle mass, only to find that you need extensive gym equipment just to perform these strenuous muscle building programs? Perhaps the plan calls for squats, and you have damaged knees. Let’s discuss a more flexible muscle building approach.

The Type of Resistance Doesn’t Matter as Much as Many Would Suggest

No! The philosophy of free weights being so much better of the muscle building programs is HOGWASH! The ESSENTIAL POINT is that you are DOING the resistance training. It really makes NO difference whether you’re getting it from free weights, body weight, or gym equipment. Although MANY bodybuilders swear by free weights, there have also been MANY who have used Arthur Jones’ Nautilus equipment to REALLY bulk up! Don’t get hung up on machines vs free weights vs body weight. As long as you are challenging you muscles with resistance you will be fine.

Combining certain muscle groups together, or separating one from another, isn’t really that important, either.

Regardless of working out 5 times a week, or just once, you CAN get a complete and full-body workout that gives you everything you need. The essential focal point here isn’t so much the grouping of each body part, as it is the TIME each day will be working out. The only additional benefit to a total-body workout done in a single day is that you ONLY have to do it ONCE a week. Workouts broken down into 3 or 4 days a week, on the other hand, will not take nearly as long as the one-day workout. Personally, I hit the weights four days a week with a two-day split. But this is only MY choice, not necessarily a recommendation. Make sure and pick a split routine that makes sense for your schedule.

“Is there any benefit to less vs. more reps?”

Again, there’s really NO right or wrong answer here. The best way to put it is, if your looking to gain SIZE as fast as possible, it’s HIGH REPS! This is called sarcoplasmic muscle gain, which maximizes muscular fluid at the cellular level. Lower reps are better for gaining strength and increasing the density of a muscle. So for large dense muscles it pays to do high reps for a while followed by low reps for a while.

The Time of Day you Perform Your Muscle Building Program Makes Little Difference As Well

The only advantage I’ve found to early morning exercise is that it’s OVER and DONE with sooner! A negative aspect, though, is that your ligaments, tendons, cartilage, bones, and muscles may not be as lose and limber as they could be further into the day. Really, either way works well. Personally, I’m NOT one to get up for the “crack of dawn” workout that, for some, is the hard and fast “NORM!” (If I’m forced to get up prior to five in the morning, something PRETTY DARN IMPORTANT better be happening!)

Anyway, I really hope this has shed some light on some common misconceptions regarding muscle building routines. The bottom line is that you truly CAN see outstanding muscle gains with muscle building programs to fit your lifestyle!

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