Beginners to weight training get results from almost any training program, but if you have been lifting weights at all, then you will need to do specific training workouts to add mass. The term used in exercise science for bulking up is hypertrophy. Hypertrophy workouts include full-body workouts, upper-body workouts, lower-body workouts and sport-specific workouts.
Full-body Workouts
Working out to gain muscle includes two portions, the actual workouts and the recovery time. Full-body workouts are best for people whose muscles take longer to recover, according to an article by Shannon Clark on BodyBuilding.com. Clark holds a degree in exercise science from the University of Alberta and has worked with figure skaters and competitive athletes. An example of a full-body workout includes one set each of squats, leg curls, bench press, chin ups, dips, rows, lying tricep extension and preacher curls. This workout targets the quads, hamstrings, chest, back, biceps and triceps. Perform six to eight repetitions at the heaviest weight you can handle. Haycock recommends a warmup before each workout. Ten to 15 minutes on a bike, treadmill or other cardio machine is sufficient for a warmup.
Upper-body Workout
Upper body workouts target the muscles groups of the upper body, but that doesn't mean you cannot include a lower-body exercise or two for maintaining the lower-body muscle you already have. An example of a hypertrophy workout that emphasizes the upper body includes between five and eight repetitions of squats, bench presses and bent-over rows, eight to 10 shoulder presses, and between 10 and 12 biceps curls, weight dips and lateral raises. Perform all sets of each exercise with a 30- to 60-second rest between sets, and then move on to the next exercise. Do three sets of the bench presses, bent-over rows and shoulder presses, and two sets of the squats, biceps curls weighted dips and lateral raises.
Lower-body Workout
Lower-body workouts emphasize the legs, including the upper and lower legs. These workouts may also include a couple of upper-body exercises to maintain muscle in the upper body. Lower-body workouts alternate with upper-body workouts when training for hypertrophy. Ideally, you'll work the upper body, lower body and then upper body again one week and then the lower body, upper body and lower body the following week. An example of a lower-body workout includes two sets of between eight and 10 reps of the incline press for the chest, arms and shoulders and lateral pulldowns for the back and arms followed by four sets of five squats and deadlifts for the thighs, two to three sets of eight lunges, two to three sets of 10 to 12 reps of calf raises and two sets of 10 to 15 crunches.
Sport-specific Hypertrophy Workouts
Hypertrophy training is not typically needed by athletes, but players of sports where bulk is an advantage, such as football or rugby, benefit from these workouts. Sport-specific workouts should mimic the movements of your sport as closely as possible. Many of the exercises in standard workouts are applicable, but wherever possible, include exercises such as barbell squats, which are similar to jumping, instead of exercises such as leg extensions or leg curls that also work the thighs and glutes.
Member Comments