Muscle Growth For the Beginner - Inside the Gym: (PART 1)

**This article is for the beginning, novice lifter. If you are an advanced lifter or above, you most likely already know these principles. This article probably will not be anything new to you. This article on muscle building for the beginner is in the scope of the most effective muscle-building practices pertaining to the gym. Enjoy!

For all the individuals new to lifting weights, this article is for you! Jumping into the gym for the first time can be very overwhelming. All different types of weights and machines to use. All different types of training programs and workout regimes to get started on. You may come in excited to lift, but many beginning lifters often feel lost and frustrated with the overload of sensory information coming their way. I want to put out a few simple principles that will guarantee that you, the beginner, will be able to confidently step into the gym every workout, knowing you are doing the right thing. So, without further ado, below are the principles of muscle building for the novice lifter:

1. Trust the Process. You will see an increase in strength gains before you see an increase in muscle growth:

Because you have never lifted before, your muscles are getting accustomed to the weights and learning the correct motor patterns to perform the movements. For the first 8-10 weeks, expect to see little muscular growth while obtaining consistent increases in strength. Be rest assured, with consistency, the muscle growth will come.

2. Focus on the Compound Movements: 

Compound Movements are exercises that involve more than one joint moving simultaneously during the movement. Examples are Barbell Squats, Deadlifts, Bentover Rows, Hip Thrusters, Pullups, Pushups, Dips, etc. These movements employ the use of more muscles in a greater range of motion versus isolation exercises on machines like the seated calf-raise or preacher curl. While these isolation exercises absolutely have a place in the fitness world, as a beginner, your smaller muscles like your calves and biceps will grow just fine from compound movements like chin-ups and squats before it will be necessary for you to isolate them with curls and calf raises.

3. Train each muscle group 2-3X/Week for anywhere from 9-15 sets/week:

Training your muscles sets the stage for them to grow (when they are rested following a workout!). The training stimulus you provide to your muscles (provided you are not taking performance-enhancing steroids) increases their protein synthesis (ability to repair and grow larger) for 24-48 hours. After this time window, the protein synthesis in that specifically trained muscle stops, and the muscle cannot repair and grow larger until trained again. This allows for an optimal training frequency for each muscle group of around 2-3X/week or once every 2 days. 

4. Most will find the best gains as a novice lifter in the 6-10 rep range. Focus around 70% of your training volume in this rep range:

The majority of your training (I'd say around 70%) should be focused in the 6-10 rep range as a novice lifter. This rep range allows for a fantastic mix of both strength gains and muscle growth gains. This rep range gives the novice trainee a load that allows him or her to get a good amount of quality reps in the movement to better learn the motor patterns of the movement (which is the main contributor to strength increases). This rep range also gives the trainee a significant amount of "time under tension" in the movement (which is the main factor in increasing muscle size).

5. For the remainder 30% of your training volume, do not be afraid to work in the 2-5 rep range or 12-15 rep range:

This really depends on your training goals. A lower rep range (2-5 reps) will allow you to work with relatively heavier loads and thus train your strength a bit more. A higher rep range (12-15 reps) will place more focus on your muscular endurance. Both come with their own benefit and drawbacks in terms of muscle and strength increases, as well as fatigue accumulation in the muscles and body. 

Are you new to lifting and need some help getting started? Send me a quick email (@thedailygrind247.365@gmail.com) and we can talk!

As always, for any and all looking to build up their home gym, check out my two favorite fitness manufacturing companies, Rogue Fitness and Kettlebell King's. Invest in the best.