Gaining muscle mass can be very challenging for some people. Whether you are genetically unlikely to gain muscle or you simply do not like the dull repetition of pumping iron, the best way to combat muscular weakness is with a program tailored to your needs. Proper planning and understanding of how your muscles grow will help you effectively pack on pounds of muscle.
Somatotypes
Doctor and psychologist William H. Sheldon identified three main body types in the 1940s: ectomorphs, endomorphs and mesomorphs. Mesomorphs are people with an athletic build who put on muscle easily through strength training. You most likely are not in this category if you are naturally weak.
Ectomorphs are people who naturally have a high metabolism and thin frames. These people find it difficult to put on muscle and need to eat a lot of calories to make gains. Endomorphs are people that naturally put on fat easily, but can gain muscle mass through training, particularly in the leg muscles. Most people are a mix of two body types, and once you identify your own body type, you will better understand the balance between resistance training and diet that you need for your best results.
Equipment Selection
If you do not naturally have a base of strength to build from, using weight training machines instead of free weights may be the best approach for you until you become a more advanced weightlifter. According to the Rice University fitness center, free weights will help you make larger strength gains overall, but you are much more prone to injury with them than you are with machines. Receiving a weight training injury can completely derail your workout progress, so sticking with weight machines is the best choice if you are naturally weak.
Training Volume
The amount of repetitions you do for an exercise greatly affects what type of results you achieve from it. According to MayoClinic.com physical medicine specialist Edward R Laskowski, M.D., you only need to perform a single set of 12 repetitions with a weight that causes you to reach muscle exhaustion if you want to improve your muscular strength. However, if you want to increase the size of your muscles along with their strength, you will need to perform much more exercise. National Strength and Conditioning Association columnist Lee E. Brown advocates that you perform three to five sets of eight to 20 repetitions for each exercise if you want to promote muscular hypertrophy.
Diet and Supplements
If you are an ectomorph or endomorph, diet can play a crucial role in how much muscle you gain from your workouts. According to registered dietician and licensed medical nutrition therapist Katie James, a pre- and post-workout meal filled with carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats. Eating a high-carbohydrate meal one hour before you lift weights will give you the energy to perform at your best, while a protein rich meal or shake within 45 minutes of your workout can increase protein synthesis in your body and promote larger muscle gains. You may also want to try muscle building supplements like creatine, which has been extensively researched and shown to improve muscle growth in humans.
Motivation
The biggest roadblock to any type of weight training success is lacking motivation. The American Council on Exercise suggest that you find a training partner to work with you and help you stay motivated toward continual improvement. You can also make your workouts more entertaining by changing up the exercise types and order of your workouts every few weeks. In addition to making your program more interesting, variety in your workout helps to keep your body from adapting and reaching a muscle building plateau.
References
- National Strength and Conditioning Association; Hypertrophy Training Equals Volume; Lee E. Brown
- MayoClinic.com; Strength Training Sets: How Many for Best Results?; Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
- American Council on Exercise: Strength Training 101
- Rice University: Free Weights or Machines?
- University of Nebraska: Nutrition: The Competitor's Edge; Katie James; 2010
- University of Houston: The Three Somatotypes
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