Fun Ways To Build Muscle Fast

Building muscle is not complicated; you simply have to overload your muscles with resistance training exercises, and then provide your body with enough food and rest to rebuild bigger, stronger muscles. Many would-be bodybuilders become overwhelmed by tedious set and repetition combinations, or start with too much training too soon and wind up burnt out and exhausted. The key is to find a program that pushes your limits, but is varied and fun enough for you to stick with it.

Solo Resistance Training

Free-weight or body-weight exercises can stimulate your muscles to make huge gains, but don’t limit your workouts to the tired “three sets of 12” structure whose results plateau quickly. Instead, try workouts that target a total number of repetitions (e.g., 50 push-ups), or see how many repetitions you can complete in a given period of time (e.g., number of sit-ups completed in 90 seconds). These target-volume workouts encourage short rest times, thus providing more training (and growth) stimulus to your muscles.
Another way to spice up your workouts is by incorporating “supersets”: back-to-back sets of two or more exercises that train the same muscle group without rest. Circuit training, like supersets, eliminates rest intervals by stacking several exercises targeting different body parts back-to-back. In circuit training, one muscle recovers while another is trained, saving time, incorporating a cardiovascular component and adding variety and a muscle-building boost to a stale weight-training program.
“Non-linear periodization” combines different intensities and volumes of training within a single week. In a non-linear program, an athlete could designate one day each to maximum lifts, plyometrics (explosive movements), target volume workouts and circuit training. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a non-linear periodization program is as effective for building muscle as programs that build volume and intensity in a linear pattern.

Group Programs

Group strength- and muscle-building programs offer a premade routine for the athlete to follow. The advantage of these plans is that fitness professionals design the routines for maximum results. Examples of group programs include group fitness classes and boot camp classes. Similarly, DVD strength workouts such as P90X help you build muscle at home with limited equipment. DVDs and group exercise classes that include shorter rest times and more intense exercises lead to the greatest muscle gains.
CrossFit is a worldwide military-style muscle-building program. Daily CrossFit workouts can be done at a CrossFit-specific gym or by printing the day’s free workout from their website to do in your home or health club.

Lifestyle

Lifting weights is only half of the equation for building muscle. Part of the fun is getting the extra rest and calories needed to maximize your muscle gains. Since your body releases growth hormones during sleep, get at least eight hours’ sleep per night. Post-workout naps also give your muscles an extra dose of muscle-building hormones.
To build new muscle, your body needs 300 to 500 extra calories per day from wholesome, well-balanced food sources. Learning new, healthy recipes and trying new foods can be just as fun as trying a new workout.