5 Guidelines to Real Strength and Muscle
Most of us pick up our first set of weights because we desire the look of athletes, celebrities, bodybuilders, etc. For most of us we get inspired by the awesome physiques and strengths of guys like The Rock. However, what is not typically seen is the gut wrenching, hard work that goes into achieving that type of physical greatness. Sure we may see twitter updates and the Instagram posts of the 4:30AM gym sessions and maybe a meal or two. But that alone does not do justice to the ball breaking hard work that goes into each and every day. And that is the purpose of this post; to deliver the message that if you want to achieve any type of physical greatness you have to work your f***ing ass off!
I have been in the fitness industry for almost ten years. My biggest gripe is you hear a lot of people talk about what they WANT to look like and how strong they WANT to get, but only a rare few are willing to achieve it. If you are not willing to pay the price and work your ass off to achieve your goals, then I encourage you to stop reading this post. I cannot help anyone that refuses to help themselves. I have made a career of getting people bigger, stronger and faster while shedding body fat as a side effect! However I have never been able to help anyone that didn't bring it Every. Single. Day.
Now that we got that out of the way and you are still here with me we can get into how to achieve the look you want with the strength and conditioning to back it up by following these 5 guidelines!
1. Use big, compound barbell exercises: The most common mistake seen is the majority of people using machines and exercises that serve no real "functional" purpose. When you use compound movements they will recruit more muscle fibers and also enhance the production of muscle building hormones like testosterone and human growth hormone. They are also more calorically challenging which means they will burn more body fat simultaneously! These exercises include the squat, deadlift, and standing military press to name a few.
2. Use exceptional form: Ok so there are some people that use these exercises, but still their progress sucks. That is ususlly because their form sucks. Let's look at the squat for example. What you'll usually see is a bar loaded up with a weight the lifter can't handle, followed by a quick bend in the knee about 1/4-1/2 way down with a rounded back and a quick rise back up. I cringe just thinking about it. All this does is put your spine and knees at severe risk while making no actual strength or hypertrophy gains. Basically you are risking SEVERE injury while making zero progress all to impress the chick in the pink yoga pants across the room. Leave your ego at the door, lower the weight and squat to full depth (90 degrees) with a neutral spine. Trust me, your "gains" will be much more realistic and impressive. This obviously applies to all exercises. If you don't know what you're doing, hire a qualified coach who does!
3. Sprint: Jogging on a treadmill or casually peddling a recumbent bike isn't going to do shit for your progress. The best way to condition and burn a lot of body fat fast is to sprint. If you're an athlete this is a must for obvious reasons. Sprinting is one of the most intense exercises you can do whether it be on a track or up a set of bleachers or hill. In fact, sprinting will not only burn body fat but is highly anabolic and will actually build muscle! Of course there are other types of conditioning that are highly effective and should be used, but nothing compares to the sprint in my opinion. Add sprinting in and watch your results sky rocket! If you haven't sprinted in a while start off with hill sprints for a few months since they are easier on the hamstrings than flat ground sprints. Just be sure to warm up for whatever you decide is right for you.
4. Diet your ass off: If you really want a well rounded physique you have to eat well. There is no way around it. Eat like shit and you will look and feel like shit. Don't go into this without a plan. Find a meal plan that works for you and stick to it! This, like your training program, will take commitment and sacrifice. Keep your eyes on the prize and stay disciplined. You will be happy you did once you get there.
5. Apply the progressive overload principle: To make sufficient progress progressive overload must be applied. This means to either increase weight, sets or reps each week. Do not go to absolute failure on sets. Choose a weight that you can get about 1 or 2 reps more than the reps you are going for. This will keep your Central Nervous System fresh and help you avoid burning out. Its the only way to make substantial progress throughout your program.
Bonus: Ok I couldn't keep it to 5. Sue me. The next rule is a must! Keep your workouts under one hour! If you are training longer than that you probably aren't working hard enough or your rest intervals are too long. When you go over one hour your cortisol levels (your body's stress hormone) increases and your testosterone levels decrease, leaving you in a weakened state with high levels of a stress hormone that eats away muscle tissue. Keep your workout short and intense!
So that's it. I hope this post helps. If you really want to achieve awesome results start applying these guidelines today. If you liked this post and are looking forward to more tips on how to build muscle and strength, please go to our home page and subscribe to the blog. Please spread the love and share our posts and continue to help us help you! Feel free to leave any comments or questions below. I look forward to connecting!
Train hard and bring it!
