A Guide To Building Muscle At Home

Whenever anybody asks how to build muscle they usually want the fastest, most effective methods to help them pack on lean size as quickly as possible. One of the growing trends these days is working out at home so today we're going to look at this aspect of training.
Ask any bodybuilder or strength athlete for their opinion and you'll hear countless people telling you that your body doesn't care where you are when you exercise. If you put in the work, you'll get the results.

Most of the muscle building rules can be applied outside of your gym routine. Your diet and your rest periods play a vital part, as does your supplement stack. If you are able to get all of the correct principles into place first then it really does not matter whether you visit a high tech fitness center or train in your garage.

Here are the top principles for packing on rock hard lean tissue.

1) Eat more calories. It may sound simple, but you'll find it hard to get bigger if you're not eating very much food.

2) Compound exercises are the best for hypertrophy. Focus on these.

3) Be sure to let your muscles rest.

4) Don't follow trendy diet plans which ask you to drop one of the major macro nutrients. Your body needs protein, carbohydrates and fat in order to function at a peak level. Your carbohydrate intake in particular will play an important role in your quest for strength and size.

5) The basic supplements will do the job.

When it comes to exercise, despite the many years of advancements we have made with technology and equipment, the basic movements remain the same and the old school exercises remain the top choice for getting bigger and stronger muscles.

The great news for those working out at home on a tight budget is that all of the big compound exercises can be performed with minimal fitness equipment. All you really need is a set of weight plates, a barbell and a chun up bar.

The deadlift is probably the biggest overall strength exercise in existence. Other great compound exercises include squats, pull ups, shoulder press, the bent over row and, of course, the bench press.

Strength training works best when you try to achieve 8-12 reps in a set, as opposed to using lighter loads and popping out endless amount of repetitions. Using this 8-12 rep system will also help you to determine how heavy to go - if you can't fall within the zone it is too much, if you can get past the zone it is too easy. Furthermore, it helps you to track your progress. Once you are able to push out more than 12 reps with a particular resistance you know it's time to progress to a heavier level.

One of the biggest misunderstandings in the fitness industry is that the quality of your equipment will determine how great your results are. In fact, the first thing people realize when they do any research on how to lose weight or how to build muscle is that your body doesn't really care whether you are working out in the best gym in town or whether you are stood in your parent's garage with a basic set of dumbbells and a makeshift bench.

       By Russ Howe