In this post we’ll be talking about the best way to build muscle. If you came here from our homepage, you know our goal at this point is to find the fastest way to build muscle. Up to this point we’ve talked about two situations in which you may need to build muscle fast, the first of which is because you have a special event coming up that you want to look good for (like a reunion or beach vacation). The other situation relates to individuals who need to build muscle for an upcoming sporting event or for upcoming sports training (football spring training, wrestling camp, etc).
For now we’re going to focus on people who want to build muscle and increase definition fast (we’re using a 3 week timeline for this series of posts). The reason for this is because the strategy used for long-term muscle growth (which we will talk about later) is different than the one you will use for short-term muscle growth.
If you want to build muscle fast you need to hit the gym without killing yourself. This is super important. When your muscles aren’t used to lifting weights & weight training, they are hyper-sensitive to tearing. We won’t cover all of this again, as the need to avoid muscle degeneration is explained in depth on our homepage. For now, let’s just say starting off with light weights will help you build muscle much faster than starting off with heavy weights.
With that in mind, the first thing you need to focus on is identifying workouts that build muscle. On our fastest way to build muscle post we talked about two different types of lifting: doing a few reps using super heavy weights to build strength and hard muscle, and doing a higher number of reps using lighter weights to build definition and core muscle. For those of you with short-term goals, the best way to build muscle is by doing a higher number of reps with lighter weights, while adding one burner set at the end. A burner set will be one in which you do a really higher number of reps, as high as 30 or 40, using a relatively small amount of weight. These sets lead to that burning sensation in your muscles, which really helps build them in the short-term.
Anyways…building super-strength is good, but it doesn’t serve a purpose in life (unless you’re a bodybuilder or your profession requires heavy lifting). What most people need is tone, lean muscle. Luckily for us, and you, building lean muscle is easier (and easier on your body).
The Best Way to Build Muscle…
Below you will find a workout plan suited to those of you looking for the best way to build muscle fast. This is not a bodybuilder’s workout, and you may be surprised at how simple it is. Don’t fool yourself though, if you’re not used to lifting weights or doing resistance training this is definitely all you need.
For the sake of not making this post 2,500 words long, we are going to present a method of resistance training you can apply to any muscle group. Abs, arms, chest, etc. To tie it all together, we will provide a list of exercises you can do to target each muscle group.
For those of you who have not lifted weights or done resistance training in months, start SLOW. Using the 3 week example, your workout plan should look like this:
Days 1-5: Target one muscle group each day and do a variety of core exercises on days 1, 3 & 5 or days 2 & 4. So, for example, you could do:
- Arms & abs day 1; chest day 2; back and sides (obliques) day 3; legs day 4; shoulders & lower back day 5.
Or you could do:
- Arms day 1; chest & abs day 2; back day 3; legs, sides (obliques) AND lower back day 4; shoulders day 5.
Days 6 & 7 will be reserved for rest if this is your first time lifting/doing resistance training in a while.
This plan targets every major muscle group and allows you to hit your core 2 or 3 times. Your core is made up of your abs (front), obliques (sides), and lower back. Given this, targeting a different area every other day allow for maximum distribution.
Now that you’ve identified a basic workout schedule, we need to identify the actual workouts you’ll do once you’re there. For the most parts the workouts we recommend will be the same for men and women, the only real difference will be how much weight you use.
Doing a Lower Number of Reps w/Higher Weight is the Best Way to Build Muscle
In the beginning you want to start off doing a high number of reps (repetitions) over the course of 3 sets. For now we’ll stick to doing 3 sets for each exercise; as we move on you can increase the number of sets to 4, decrease the number of reps while adding weight, or do both (4 sets with added weight). If you’re new to lifting weights/resistance training, hold off on doing both until week 3.
Below you will find a short list of exercises you can do for each muscle group. There are entire websites dedicated to such lists, with video and picture examples, so I am not going to go overboard here. If you’re ever curious, simply type “[insert muscle or body part here] workouts” into Google and you’ll find more exercises than you could ever remember.
Arms (Biceps and Triceps) – standing barbell curls; incline seated curls; seated barbell curls; concentration curls; tricep dips; tricep pull downs; cable machine tricep extensions; cable rope overhead tricep extensions.
Chest – bench press; incline bench press; decline bench press; seated bench press; dumbbell press; incline dumbbell press; fly (lying flat on back); fly machine; push-ups; incline push-ups.
Back – later pull downs; lateral row; pull-ups; chin-ups; dumbbell rows; seated rows; T-bar rows.
Abs – sit-ups; incline sit-ups; suspended leg lifts; crunches; vertical leg crunch; prone iso-abs/plank; bicycle crunches; exercise ball crunches.
Lower Back – Hyper-extension, dead lifts; crossover reverse lunge. Be careful with lower back machines too, they can cause you to think you can lift more than you’re ready for, and result in injury.
Legs: leg press; lunges; calf press; squats; leg curls & reverse leg curls; calf raises.
Shoulders: overhead dumbbell press; overhead barbell press (military press); palm-out dumbbell press; standing side lateral dumbbell raise; bent over dumbbell raise.
In conclusion, here is a brief summary of what your workout plan will look like if you are new to lifting weights/doing resistance training:
Best Way to Build Muscle Fast: Don’t get Sore
Hit the gym at LEAST 4 days a week, if not 5. You could do Monday – Friday or every other day starting Monday. While there, focus on one major body area (chest, arms, legs) and one core area every other day. When lifting weights, do 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions and one burner set of 30-40 repetitions with a really small amount of weight, then move on. Do no more than 3 exercises for each body part if you are just getting started, which means a total of 12 sets ([3 regular + 1 burner] x 3).
When doing core exercises, keep it light. Your waistline and the amount of existing muscle you have will influence how many repetitions you can do, so I can’t recommend an exact number. With that said, aim for the 3 x 3 x 15 rule, for example: 3 sets of 15 sit-ups, 3 sets of 15 suspended leg lifts, 3 sets of 15 bicycle crunches. Iso-prone abs/plank can also be substituted for an entire 3 set exercise; beware though, doing the plank starts to burn really fast 
And while this doesn’t have to do with building muscle, it needs to be said. Our muscles are relatively defined within our bodies. They may not be huge, but they are definitely there. I bring this up as many people’s muscles are being hidden by fat and skin. If you really want to increase your definition, do some cardio on the days that you’re not lifting. You’ll feel better, and any weight you lose will allow your new muscles to shine through even more.
That’s it for today folks. For those of you who frequent the gym more often and want to take it to the next level to build muscle fast, check back for the Best Way to Build Muscle Part II, as we’ll get much deeper into specific workouts you can do and how to maximize the number of sets and reps you do.