I went from being a 150 lb skinny 18-year-old to a muscular 185 lb 45-year old.
In those 27 years, I made a lot of mistakes.
Learn from my errors instead of making your own.
Here are 12 lessons that will help you to build more muscle.
Threadπ§΅
In those 27 years, I made a lot of mistakes.
Learn from my errors instead of making your own.
Here are 12 lessons that will help you to build more muscle.
Threadπ§΅
1) Use proper form when performing exercises.
Using a 3-sec count up and down is a good starting point.
This will remove momentum and ensure your muscles are getting maximally stimulated.
Ignore it when your ego wants you to lift faster or heavier than you should.
Using a 3-sec count up and down is a good starting point.
This will remove momentum and ensure your muscles are getting maximally stimulated.
Ignore it when your ego wants you to lift faster or heavier than you should.
2) Take every set close to failure.
This is the #1 thing you need to do to stimulate muscle growth.
If you're not doing this, then none of the other tips will work.
This can be done with heavy weight or light weight.
But you must come close or hit failure to build muscle.
This is the #1 thing you need to do to stimulate muscle growth.
If you're not doing this, then none of the other tips will work.
This can be done with heavy weight or light weight.
But you must come close or hit failure to build muscle.
3) Rest 90-120 seconds in between sets.
Resting less time makes it feel that your workout is harder.
But harder β better.
Research has shown resting for 1-minute leads to suboptimal muscle growth.
Sufficient rest in between sets leads to more muscle growth and strength
Resting less time makes it feel that your workout is harder.
But harder β better.
Research has shown resting for 1-minute leads to suboptimal muscle growth.
Sufficient rest in between sets leads to more muscle growth and strength
4) Focus on progress
Training hard is overrated.
The only thing that matters is whether you're progressing or not.
Did your form improve?
Did you perform more reps?
Did you lift more weight?
Focus on this and your body will be forced to build muscle.
Training hard is overrated.
The only thing that matters is whether you're progressing or not.
Did your form improve?
Did you perform more reps?
Did you lift more weight?
Focus on this and your body will be forced to build muscle.
5) Deload.
Always pushing for more progress can lead to injury or plateaus.
Every 4-6 weeks, take a week where you cut the reps in half but keep the sets & weight the same.
EX: If you usually perform 3 sets of 8 reps with 200lbs, perform 3 sets of 4 reps with 200 lbs.
Always pushing for more progress can lead to injury or plateaus.
Every 4-6 weeks, take a week where you cut the reps in half but keep the sets & weight the same.
EX: If you usually perform 3 sets of 8 reps with 200lbs, perform 3 sets of 4 reps with 200 lbs.
6) Eat enough calories.
Food is fuel for muscle growth.
If you're skinny, you're simply not eating enough. Period.
But if you overdo the calories, you'll put on more fat than muscle.
The scale should go up gradually.
Otherwise, you're just getting fat.
Food is fuel for muscle growth.
If you're skinny, you're simply not eating enough. Period.
But if you overdo the calories, you'll put on more fat than muscle.
The scale should go up gradually.
Otherwise, you're just getting fat.
7) Eat enough protein.
If you're normal weight, shoot for 1g of protein per lb of body weight.
If you're overweight or obese, then you're reading the wrong thread,
Lose enough fat to see your abs as you're already eating too many calories in the first place.
Cut before bulk.
If you're normal weight, shoot for 1g of protein per lb of body weight.
If you're overweight or obese, then you're reading the wrong thread,
Lose enough fat to see your abs as you're already eating too many calories in the first place.
Cut before bulk.
8) Eat 3-4 meals per day.
Research has shown that spreading your protein intake across 3-4 meals is better for muscle growth than 1-2 meals/day.
That means skip intermittent fasting if maximal muscle growth is your goal.
And never lift weights on an empty stomach.
Research has shown that spreading your protein intake across 3-4 meals is better for muscle growth than 1-2 meals/day.
That means skip intermittent fasting if maximal muscle growth is your goal.
And never lift weights on an empty stomach.
9) Sleep for at least 7 hours per night.
More data has come out on the negative effects of poor sleep on strength and muscle.
Just one night of poor sleep can decrease muscle growth by 18%.
Shoot for at least 7 hours or you'll have a harder time building muscle and strength.
More data has come out on the negative effects of poor sleep on strength and muscle.
Just one night of poor sleep can decrease muscle growth by 18%.
Shoot for at least 7 hours or you'll have a harder time building muscle and strength.
10) Take creatine.
Creatine is the most researched sports supplement.
And it's super effective.
Take 5 g of creatine every day.
Creatine monohydrate is the most studied and cheapest. Other forms are available but haven't lived up to the hype.
Creatine is the most researched sports supplement.
And it's super effective.
Take 5 g of creatine every day.
Creatine monohydrate is the most studied and cheapest. Other forms are available but haven't lived up to the hype.
11) 9) Be patient.
You can lose 20 lbs of fat in 3 months easily on the right program.
But it'll take you a year to put on 20 lbs of muscle. And that's ONLY if you've just started training!
If you've been lifting for years, you'll be lucky to gain 0.5 lb of muscle in a month.
You can lose 20 lbs of fat in 3 months easily on the right program.
But it'll take you a year to put on 20 lbs of muscle. And that's ONLY if you've just started training!
If you've been lifting for years, you'll be lucky to gain 0.5 lb of muscle in a month.
12) Trust the process.
Show up consistently and follow the principles I've outlined for you - even if you don't notice big changes happening at first.
Play the long game and avoid trying to rush things.
You'll just end up hitting a plateau or injuring yourself.
Show up consistently and follow the principles I've outlined for you - even if you don't notice big changes happening at first.
Play the long game and avoid trying to rush things.
You'll just end up hitting a plateau or injuring yourself.
Thanks for reading my thread.
Questions about any of these? Drop them belowπ
Follow me:
@ted_ryce
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Questions about any of these? Drop them belowπ
Follow me:
@ted_ryce
If you found this valuable, retweet the first tweet below to share this with your audience:
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