Muscle Building Information

Moving From Beginner To Intermediate Level Bodybuilding


By now you've made significant progress in your bodybuilding career. For the past three to six months you've learnt how to perform the core lifting exercises in a technically correct manner. You've also conditioned the body and developed sufficient core strength to prepare yourself for a whole new level of intensity. Hopefully you've also built some rock solid muscle! But that's only the beginning.

In recent weeks your workouts have probably lost some of their effect so, even though you're lifting bigger weights, your muscles now need even greater stimulation to generate maximal growth. Don't expect miracles though - from this point onwards, every little bit of improvement will take even greater and more intensive work than before.

Because you'll be working your muscles more intensively, they'll also need more recovery time to adapt and grow and that's why you'll be reducing your workouts to three a week. Each primary muscle group trained will now need one full week to recover. After being used to whole body sessions and more workouts per week it may seem as if you're not doing enough but the point is, you'll be working your muscles very, very intensively and making better use of your time.

As you gain more experience you'll be able to tweak or re-design your basic muscle building program to suit your own individual needs, but the program described here should provide a useful starting point. What I'm proposing is basically a 3-split of the body on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

MONDAY (Chest, Triceps, Shoulders)

1. Chest Exercises

Incline dumbbell press - this is a compound exercise that targets the chest but also works the triceps and shoulders to a lesser extent.

Pec-deck flye - this is an isolation exercise that works the pectorals.

2. Triceps

Dips - this compound exercise targets the triceps but also works the chest and shoulders.

3. Shoulders

Front military press - this compound exercise targets shoulders but also works the triceps.

Dumbbell lateral raises - this isolation exercise works the shoulders only.

Bentover dumbbell laterals - this isolation exercise works the rear delts.

WEDNESDAY (Back, Biceps, Forearms)

1. Back

Front lat pulls - compound exercise that targets lats but also works the biceps and mid-back.

Deadlifts - compound exercise that targets the back and quads but also works hamstrings, calves and glutes.

Dumbbell rows - compound exercise that targets mid-back but also works biceps and lats.

Dumbbell shrugs - isolation exercise that works traps.

2. Biceps

Dumbbell biceps curl - isolation exercise that works the biceps.

Dumbbell hammer curls - isolation exercise that works the biceps.

3. Forearms

Barbell wrist curl - isolation exercise that works the forearms.

FRIDAY (Lower Body)

1. Legs

Squats or leg press - compound exercise that targets the quads but also works the hamstrings, calves and glutes.

Leg extension - isolation exercise that works the quads.

Leg curls - isolation exercise that works the hamstrings.

Standing calf raise - isolation exercise that works the gastrocnemius calf muscle.

Seated calf raise - isolation exercise that works the soleus calf muscle.

You could start this program by aiming for two sets of 8-10 reps per exercise but as your strength and size increase you should really introduce techniques that boost the intensity even further. This can be achieved in a number of ways including the use of pre-exhaustion, super sets, partial reps, isometric contractions and forced reps. These techniques are covered in detail elsewhere in this series of articles.

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.

  


MORE RESOURCES:

Woman pumps iron for national body-building competition
Port Huron Times Herald
"But women don't naturally build muscle like men do." DeLand lifts with her upper body on Mondays and Thursdays, and her lower body on Tuesdays and Fridays. ...

and more »


Great Ab Workout Information Helps Build Great Abs
I-Newswire.com (press release)
The more you put on muscle with weights or straightforward exercises like lungs or squats will help you get stronger, build muscle, burn fat, and get a flat ...



7 Minute Muscle Review - Is 7 Minute Muscle Scam?
Global Grind (blog)
The concept of the program is that it does not require a long time every day in order to build muscle. People who need longer time training are necessary ...
7 Minute Muscle Review - Scam?Global Grind (blog)

all 2 news articles »


Palm Beach Post

Who's the biggest loser? Palm Beach County Fire Department wins title
Palm Beach Post
"It got me into the gym to lift weights to build muscle," Gallart said. She says this time she lost nine more pounds and 2.1 percent of her body fat. ...

and more »


Stay off the bathroom scale
West Liberty Index
This, in large part, is why resistance training is so important; it helps build muscle, which increases strength and “firmness.” Muscle is also more ...
Calories and exerciseDeseret News

all 4 news articles »


Hard work is paying off in pounds for Thayer at Total Fitness
Clarksville Leaf Chronicle
Now that he has reached his goal weight, Thayer's new goal is to build muscle mass. His advice for those who claim there's no time for exercise: "There's ...

and more »


Myths surrounding workouts
Visalia Times-Delta
Salazar said protein is beneficial to consume right after a workout, when your body is wanting it the most to build muscle. Myth #6: Muscle turns to fat if ...

and more »


Major Muscles: Four Ways to Produce More Growth Hormone!
That's Fit
If you're looking for even more muscle-building tips, discover how you can build muscle even faster by eating enough protein, as well as how to get more ...



MUSCLE BUILDING: An Addiction or A Healthy Obsession?
Miami Quarterly
Even people who haven't heard them are consumed with the ideas behind them-fitness and building muscle. 'Meatheads' is another commonly used word, ...



Terry's 40 days: Circuit training builds muscle
The Detroit News
They will build stamina, help you lose weight and build muscle in your body. My trainer Melissa Borden calls it "the circuit." I call it names that cannot ...


Google News

Article List | Index | Site Map
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved.