The Three Keys to Rapid Muscle Growth

Building muscle quickly, that's what we all want. Depending on your definition of quickly, it may be impossible. Muscle grows slowly and you are not going to pack on 20 pounds in a week, but you can maximize the rate that muscle grows and make a significant change in your physique in a matter of a few months if you go about it intelligently.

Now a quick side note about putting on muscle. We all have different body types that respond differently to training and nutrition. Sometimes people talk about the somatotypes of ectomorph, endomorph, and mesomorph. If you are an ectomorph it will take you longer to build muscle. Ectomorphs are naturally skinny and have trouble putting on any weight, but it can be done! Endomorphs are natural athletes; it's easiest for them. Mesomorphs, well, let's just say they are naturally big fat and round people, like me. Mesomorphs build muscle easier and faster than ectomorphs, but body fat is a constant challenge. I know it is with me!

Regardless of your body type, there are approaches in common that work. We can merely skim the surface in one article as numerous people have done their doctoral thesis in these areas. The three keys are: nutrition, large compound muscle exercises, and rest or recovery. Let's discuss each briefly.

Nutrition is critical! If you stick to a diet of beer, nachos, fatty breakfast sandwiches, lots of simple carbs, etc. you simply are not going to grow as rapidly as if you are eating quality protein, slowly digested carbs, and minimizing bad fats. You can still eat wonderful and tasty foods, check out the links at the end of this article, but those midnight pizzas can no longer be your mainstay!

For training, compound exercises that leave you breathless and nearly dizzy knock the entire body into a muscle growing or anabolic state need to be mainstays. Some of these are not popular because they are so tough. The two best exercises, that you should absolutely be doing to maximize muscle growth, are squats and deadlifts. For some reason these work like no others, and although squats primarily target the leg muscles and deadlifts primarily target the back muscles, they both work the majority of the body!

The third is rest. Over training is very simple if you are zealous about bodybuilding, but very counterproductive. Do not over train, and that includes all exercise, not just weight lifting. When I'm biking a lot or skiing several times a week I need to take those into account for example. I also usually alternate weeks with deadlifts and squats because they are so intense!

Much more information is available at Anabolic Muscle Cooking and also Muscle Building Exercises. Get to the gym and concentrate on large compound exercises like squats and deadlifts, eat right, and make sure you get plenty of rest and recovery and with a little dedication you will be on your way.

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Leg Routine - Only Dumbbells

A leg routine at home with limited weights can be tough. I have been asked about getting a good workout with just dumbbells available. I recommend still doing the basic exercises you would do at the gym like squats, lunges and dead lifts but with slight differences to use dumbbells instead of a barbell.

As with most exercises when trying to develop definition, do 3 - 4 sets of 8 - 12 reps each. The only difference will be for dead lifts and hamstring curls where you will do 10 - 12 reps.

Leg Routine Part 1 - Squats

There are three forms that work well. Regular dumbbell squats are done with the weights held one in each hand beside you as you go down to at least a 90 degree angle in your legs. Goblet squats are much the same except the position of the weight. Hold a dumbbell in front of your upper chest with both hands when doing the squat. This is very much like a front squat. The Bulgarian split squat is a one-legged squat done with your back leg on a bench as you squat with the front leg only. Check the link for a complete description and picture.

Leg Routine Part 2 - Lunges

There are four versions. Regular lunges are described in a previous article. Reverse lunges are done by moving in the opposite direction. Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand by your sides, palms facing you. Place one foot back and lower your body until both knees form a 90 degree angle. Pause and push yourself upright.

Stationary Lunges are done in the same way as reverse lunges except your feet do not move from their positions. Keep one foot in front and one behind you and lower yourself as before. Do all reps for one leg before switching positions.

Side Lunges follow the same procedure as a regular lunge but the foot placement when stepping will be sideways.

Leg Routine Part 3 - Dead Lift

With using dumbbells, I would recommend stiff legged dead lifts. Hold a dumbbell in each hand instead of a barbell across your shoulders and perform a regular dead lift with your legs kept straight throughout the movement.

Leg Routine Part 4 - Calf Raise

You can do a basic calf raise while holding dumbbells and standing on the edge of a stairs or a 2 x 4. Do them with both legs at once or one leg at a time. The other variation is to do them while sitting and place a dumbbell on your knee when lifting.

How to use all of these? Perform TWO squats, one lunge, one dead lift, and one calf raise exercise. Add to these the following two leg routine exercises:

1. Step-up: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, step up onto a low bench or stairs using the same leg for all 8 - 12 reps before switching legs.

2. Dumbbell Hamstring Curl: Lie face down on a bench or other raised flat surface with a dumbbell held between your feet. Raise the weight to your butt and slowly lower to the start.

As a whole, you have variations in the exercises to choose from and a good mix of angles and styles to develop good muscle development.

My name is Jacques Delorme and I run a youth nutrition blog at http://visportsnutrition.ca where you can get all sorts of information on nutrition, exercise and motivation for youth athletes. Visit my site and feel free to leave comments and questions if you need more information.

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