Lots of programs and approaches exist when it comes to gaining muscle. Do this, do that, count tempo, lift fast, train with high volume and no failure, train with low volume to failure, etc. But do you know what the real secret to gaining muscle is? It’s all about consistency and intensity.
Will Smith transformed his body from the skinny teenager in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” to a muscular athlete for his powerful impersonation of the greatest boxer who has ever lived in Ali.
The Worst Workout Program In The World…
Even the worst workout will give you results if you stikc to it. That’s right, no matter how lousy or ‘unscientific’ your routine is, if you stick to it and don’t miss workouts, you will succeed.
Mark McManus alluded to this in this post. Progressive overload, the key to muscle building success, is all about making continuous small incremental increases. Little by little, you are getting closer and closer to your goal.
Do you know the kind of bozos at the gym that lift with atrocious form and dismal selection of exercises? Well those ‘bozos’ will make bigger gains than you, if you miss workouts, because they won’t skip training. Who’s the bozo now?
When You Are Not Being Consistent
Inconsistency brings regress, not progress. No wonder you don’t have the body you want if you have to start from scratch every time you restart your training.
This is like the difference between TRAINING and WORKING OUT. People TRAIN for a specific outcome, a specific result or goal. It’s a plan spanning over a number of weeks or months. Even years.
This consistent approach will give significant results when it comes to transforming your body. Now, WORKING OUT, on the other hand, means to me a sort of ‘in the moment’ approach.
It’s like being on maintenance mode. Maintaining and gaining are obviously different and this inconsistent, on and off approach will simply not give long term results.
Workouts for Long Term Success
Even though the worst workout will give results, a solid routine will nevertheless always bring a better outcome. Here is a workout that will give you long term results when it comes to building muscle: Visual Impact.
With this workout you will get a balanced physique: developed muscles that are also dense and hard. The cool thing is that with this workout you will also discover a trick to make your skin super tight around the muscles.
If You Are Advanced, This Means Less Progress
It’s simple really. We all have our genetic potential for physical development. The closer we get to fulfilling it, the harder it gets to progress forwards. This brings me to the last point. Things that are worth getting don’t come easy.
When it comes to getting lean and muscular, this is also true. Listen, you have to be willing to push yourself. Make every rep, every set, every exercise, and every workout session count.
The intensity of your workout – how much you bust your ass, is what can make a lousy program work for you. People have been getting results since forever. And their secret? The will to hustle in order to get what they want.
This is so true for everything in life. It’s the guy that works and works at it that is eventually going to get it. Great interview!
Yup, Will Smith is an amazing role model.
yavor, nice website. Speaking of transformations, do you know what Tiger Wood did or does regarding exercise and nutrition? He went from about 165 to 195 and down to something like 5% body fat on a roughly 6’2″ frame.
Andy,
very interesting. I will have to research and make a post about Tiger’s transformation.
Yavor
Consistency with the right info about your Training, nutrition and how to live your life will get you very far in developing your body
Hi,
I have been following your site for sometime now,and I appreciate your prompt replies…. 🙂
When started I working out,I was 45 kilos,after exactly 18 months,now i am 66 kilos…
I am trying to build muscle,but somehow,i seem to to be “stuck” i have been following progressive overload, and high intensive training…
I recently tried out intermittent fasting and lost fat,but ever since,somehow,maybe because it was simply easier not to eat,I don’t stick to my food timings like i did when i built muscle,i am finding it harder to build muscle………there has not been any changes in my body for the last two months,in fact i have dropped from my peak of 70 to 66 kilos,
Right now,i am getting disappointed with myself…
Is there any ideas to help me build muscle?
And see some significant changes in the near future?
🙂
Regards,
Vijay
Vijay,
here is my advice. Start alternating between training for 3-6 reps and 7-12 reps. For example train for 4 weeks using lower reps. Push hard. No doubt you will hit a plateau. Then, switch to the higher reps.
Do this.
Another option is to alternate between low, medium and super high reps.
So you will go 4 weeks doing 3-5 reps, 4 weeks 7-12 reps, 4 weeks 13-20 reps.
Keep us posted man!
hi
Sure i will…
i will try out your suggestions…:)
i wanted to send you my before and after pics…
where can i send them?
Regards,
Vijay
Hi Yavor
I am currently on a whole body 5×5 program 3 times per week and m getting great gains in strength. I have naturally thin wrists and only average forearms and am finding I am getting small strains in both wrists and forearms. Questions relating to this are;
1) could you please recommend some wrist/forearm strengthening exercises and how and when to fit in to my current program (program mainly consists of the common big compound movements).
2) I am ready to move well beyond 230 pound deadlift but can’t hold the bar in the last couple of sets even with an alternating grip. Do you recommend using wrists straps or can they injure my wrists.
3) A separate question is I am squatting up around 250 pounds but in the last couple of sets I can feel a lot of stress on my abs. My abs are only of average strength. What are the dangers of having a hernia? I am 39 years old.
Thank you
Adrian,
my recommendations:
1. stick to the program until you plateau
2. find out which exercise is causing the pain. either modify or eliminate it. This is not a joke – tendon injuries take months to heal!
Re your Q’s:
1) Train your wrists, forearm every time you are in the gym after the main workout. A few suggestions:
– hang from a bar for time. Increase by 5s every workout.
– dumbbell standing curls/reverse curls:
– wrist roller
2) Straps won’t injure your wrist – but they won’t help you grip either. Train the grip specifically for the deadlift by taking a heavy bar from the squat rack and holding it for time. When you can do 60s, add weight.
3) This is a decent squatting weight. My recco: decrease the poundage 10-20 percent and stay there while training your abs hard. Check out renegade rows and incorporate them. Health is more important than a squat PR 😉
Keep us posted on your progress,
Yavor