How to Build Muscle: A Guide for Men

Whether you’ve been lifting weights for years or are just starting out, if your goal is to build muscle mass, you first need to understand that gaining mass and gaining strength are two completely different things. Yes, weightlifting for muscle growth (or hypertrophy, to use the scientific term) will result in some increase in strength along the way—and vice versa—but how you train will primarily determine whether you move closer to one goal or the other.

So, what's the best workout program for gaining muscle mass?

Contrary to good old-fashioned science, Workout Program for Building Muscle Mass It has nothing to do with four sets of 10 reps, tempo reps, or even specific exercises.

In fact, building muscle mass depends not so much on what you do as on how you do it.

In other words, The same exercise can be used both to build muscle mass and to increase strength, depending on your approach

Let’s look at the difference between bodybuilders and powerlifters—two groups of athletes who actively incorporate the bench press into their workouts. “A powerlifter aims to lift as much weight as possible, while bodybuilders aim to increase their muscle size”, says Matthew Welch, MS, CSCS, ATC, USAW-1, an exercise physiologist at HSS. “Bodybuilders certainly get stronger as they train, but strength is not their primary goal. But while powerlifters focus on maximum strength, bodybuilders focus on muscle hypertrophy (increasing muscle size). Powerlifters perform fewer repetitions with heavier weights, whereas Bodybuilders do more repetitions, but with lighter weights”.

"The main takeaway here is that there are no magic exercises for muscle hypertrophy.", — says Luke Carlson, founder and CEO Discover Strength . Instead, we have several research-backed principles you can use to optimize your current workout for muscle growth.

Heavy Reps — Strong Muscles

"The biggest scientific discovery in strength training over the past 15 years is that we need far fewer workouts to build muscle mass than we previously thought.", — says Carlson. "But we need to train much more intensely than we're used to.".

Research show that muscle growth is due to mechanical stress. Unlike time under tension—the total time a muscle is under load, which has little effect on hypertrophy—mechanical tension begins the moment your repetitions naturally start to slow down as you approach failure. Coaches refer to these repetitions as "effective".

“Effective reps are the last five or so reps in a set that bring the muscle to failure. It is believed that these repetitions provide the greatest stimulus for hypertrophy due to the mechanical tension experienced by the active muscle fibers,” explains Welch.

"The closer you get to failure, the more motor units and muscle fibers are activated, and the greater the likelihood of increasing muscle mass.", — says Carlson.

"The most important factor is getting close to muscle failure, and that's more important than the number of sets or the number of training days per week.", — says Carlson

This means that the weight you use during your workout isn't really that important as long as you push yourself to muscle failure.

This is useful information for those times when you find yourself in a hotel room with a pair of 10-kilogram dumbbells. (Однако, как мы поясним ниже, многоповторные подходы с легкими весами могут быть не самым эффективным способом набора массы.)

It is important to note that mechanical stress cannot be “tricked” simply by slowing down the repetition rate. "That won't get you very far."", says Welch. "The key point is that the repetition rate slows down naturally, not intentionally."

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Save one or two reps for later

"Effective repetitions are the ones that actually promote muscle growth.", says Stan Kravchenko, a renowned trainer and the founder of OneFit. This means there’s no need to struggle through long sets to build muscle. “People don’t talk about this much,” he notes. “It’s a new approach. If you had asked me about this 10 years ago, I would have said you need to do a high volume, like 15 repetitions.”

"If you do 10 repetitions, the first four or five do not contribute to muscle hypertrophy; they essentially serve as a warm-up for the subsequent repetitions.", — explains Carlson. In fact, high-rep sets only lead to greater fatigue, increasing the recovery time needed between workouts. Therefore, you shouldn't rely on light weights too often.

The problem is that reaching muscle failure can be just as taxing on the body as excessively long sets, which can limit your ability to get back to the gym quickly, Welch explains. "When you train to failure, it maximizes muscle hypertrophy, regardless of the exercise. But the problem is that training to failure causes severe fatigue in the days that follow. Therefore, it should be used in moderation."

That is why researchers recommend ending each set one or two repetitions short of failure. "This allows you to stimulate your muscles and train more frequently at the same time, combining the best of both approaches."", says Welch. He recommends doing at least three sets of 4–8 repetitions for each muscle group, with a three-minute rest between sets. Ultimately, the effective repetitions you’ll gain from training more frequently will make up for the ones you miss by not taking each set to complete failure.

As for the structure of workouts, Welch notes that it doesn't matter much as long as the muscles get enough exercise each week. "Splitting your workouts by muscle group is a great way to target specific muscles while managing fatigue and recovery. However, full-body workouts can be just as effective for muscle hypertrophy."", he says. "Which program is better? It depends on personal preference."

Keep making progress, but don't get too hung up on it

One of the key principles of muscle building that remains relevant today is progressive overload—the idea that, to continue building muscle, you need to constantly increase either the number of repetitions or the weight. "This gives us feedback that the training is working and that the desired changes are taking place."", says Welch.

However, recent research on mechanical stress shows that these metrics do not necessarily have to increase with every workout for muscles to continue growing. "It's important that you intend to increase them", — says Carlson. "Let's say you did 11 reps during your last workout, and today you're aiming for 12. If you stopped at 11, that's okay. The important thing is that you tried to do 12."

To maximize muscle growth, experts recommend giving your muscles at least three days to recover after each workout.

"In general, it is recommended to train a muscle group 1–2 times a week, provided that you use progressive overload and perform a sufficient number of challenging repetitions."", says Welch.

It is important to remember that progressive overload involves increasing the number of repetitions or the weight while keeping other factors, such as rest time and range of motion, constant. “Adding extra sets, using high-intensity techniques, or trying new exercises isn’t considered progressive overload,” notes Kravchenko. “All of that simply increases the volume of work and the strain on the body.”

According to Welch, beginner and intermediate athletes should aim to make progress every one to three workouts, while experienced athletes can expect to see improvements every three to five workouts.

"When you start to hit a plateau or lose interest, it might be time to switch up your workout.", he says. “In the long run, if you can train close to failure and gradually increase the intensity, you’ll make significant progress and are sure to see the results you want.”

Key Points Cards:

Mechanical stress: A key factor in muscle growth. This is achieved when your repetitions slow down as you approach muscle failure.

Unlike time under tension, which has no effect on hypertrophy, mechanical tension occurs when your repetitions naturally slow down as you approach muscle failure. The closer you get to failure, the more motor units and muscle fibers you engage, and the greater your chances of increasing muscle size.

Effective repetitions: The last 5 repetitions of a set, which maximize muscle growth due to mechanical tension.

Effective repetitions are those that actually lead to muscle growth. High-rep sets cause more fatigue, increasing recovery time. Training to failure also causes greater fatigue, limiting how often you can train. Therefore, it’s recommended to end each set 1–2 reps short of failure.

Training to failure: It is not necessary and may lead to excessive fatigue. Stop 1–2 repetitions short of failure to stimulate muscle growth and maintain your training frequency.

Progressive overload: This is an important principle, but don't get too hung up on constantly increasing the weight or the number of reps. It's important to strive for progress, not to achieve it in every workout.

Strive for progress, but don't get fixated on constantly increasing weight or reps. It's important to maintain consistency in other variables, such as rest time and range of motion.

Frequency of workouts: Train each muscle group 1–2 times a week, allowing at least 3 days for recovery.

Breakdown of Workouts: It doesn't matter. You can train the whole body in one workout or divide it into body parts, the main thing is to pay attention to each muscle group.

There is no single best way to organize your workouts. Divide them into body parts or train the whole body at once - the main thing is to pay enough attention to each muscle group.

And finally:

• Proper form is more important than weight: Focus on performing the exercises correctly.
• Recovery is just as important as training: Make sure you get enough rest and sleep.
• Nutrition plays a key role: Make sure you're getting enough protein and calories to support muscle growth.

By following these principles, you'll be able to make the most of your time at the gym and achieve the results you want.