info on gaining mass...

M

mustang85

0
hi,

I've been researching for the past few weeks about adding muscle mass. The common piece of advice that i have found is to eat a calorie surplus. The only thing i cant find is on how many sets and reps, and what exercises are favourable to gain muscle mass? and how muh cardio should be done while wanting to increase muscle mass?

A seperate question i have is, can I still have significant increase in arm size if im not doing any isolotion exercises for them?

Thanks
 
You want to be working in the 8-12 rep range, three sets of lets say.

So for instance, three workouts per week...

Squats 3x8-12
Deadlifts 3x8-12
DB Bench Press 3x8-12
DB Military Press 3x8-12
Lateral Pulldowns 3x-8-12

Thats your bread and butter compunds just about covered, then perhaps chuck in some isolation movements like Tri Extensions etc. and you are about covered.

Certainly whilst trying to gain weight (and lifting in general) you want to be hitting the big muscles (quads, pecs, shoulders etc) with compound movements. Stick your isolation lifts last of all.

Your arms should grow nicely, I'd put some overhead tricep extensions or skullcrushers in towards the end to work the tris that little bit harder. A lot of your 'pull' exercises will be working your bi's too remember. If you feel after a few weeks that you are not seeing growth that you want, perhaps chuck in three sets of hammer curls at the end of your workout.
 
Put rows on that list as well. Bench and military don't have to be with DB's though. As long as the majority of your workouts are compounds, then you're good to go. You could do full body, upper/lower, or push/pull. I think a push/pull or push/pull/legs would be best. But the emphasis, as you've found, is the food/your diet.

Limit the cardio to once a week at a moderate pace, 60-70% would be sufficient, only to keep your heart happy and not for fat loss.
 
I would recommend pullups over pulldowns and while it can be debated I would stick to the 6-10 reps range for gaining muscle.

As stated, start with the compounds and only add isolation excersizes after you have seen that there is a lack in gains in your arms. If you must do them, do one and make it your last excersize of the day.
 
Would only doing

Squats 3x8-12
Deadlifts 3x8-12
DB Bench Press 3x8-12
DB Military Press 3x8-12
Lateral Pulldowns 3x-8-12

really help gain mass?
 
along with a good diet. Absolutley! belive me, when i first heard of fullbody i got a link to a program called "bill starrs 5x5" its even less than that, god am i glad i got talked into starting it, was ALOT better than my previous stuff that took 2hours every training day.
 
So

Squats 3x8-12
Deadlifts 3x8-12
DB Bench Press 3x8-12
DB Military Press 3x8-12
Lateral Pulldowns 3x-8-12

and a good diet will be good enough to add mass? Thats crazy, doesn't look like hardly any work there. :eek:
 
Pojo said:
So

Squats 3x8-12
Deadlifts 3x8-12
DB Bench Press 3x8-12
DB Military Press 3x8-12
Lateral Pulldowns 3x-8-12

and a good diet will be good enough to add mass? Thats crazy, doesn't look like hardly any work there. :eek:
Click to expand...

I would argue that you don't need military presss every workout
and to sub in some rows instead of the pulldowns sometimes, and of course if you can do pullups/chinups instead of pulldowns those would be the way to go

I also wouldn't do conventional deads at high reps, romanian or stiff yes, but not conventional
 
AJP said:
I would argue that you don't need military presss every workout
and to sub in some rows instead of the pulldowns sometimes, and of course if you can do pullups/chinups instead of pulldowns those would be the way to go

I also wouldn't do conventional deads at high reps, romanian or stiff yes, but not conventional
Click to expand...
I would do the same as well, also switching up the bench presses too. Why wouldn't you want to do conventional deads at high reps though?
 
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