Power Mass Training for Building Muscle Mass

Many people believe you need to train with a variety of weights and reps in order to maximize your muscle building progress. I believe that you can find the appropriate rep number for your muscles and it is best to stick with that range most of the time.

However, in weight lifting, the mental aspect of bodybuilding is also extremely important. And some people will get more out of their workout when their training includes some variety and they are always feeling fresh and challenged. After all, it doesn't matter that your weight training routine is perfect if you get bored with it and stop training.

With the power mass bodybuilding weight lifting program, it is very important to keep a training log. You need to keep track of you weight lifting exercises, weights and reps you perform at each workout. Your goal during this weightlifting program will be to increase either the weight you use or the number of reps you perform - every workout, or at least every other workout, for the length of the program.

If you're a newsletter subscriber (if not, I suggest you become one - see below for a free ebook), you know that I stress the importance of recuperation. If you overtrain, you won't get stronger, or bigger, and your training progress will cease.

Since overtraining varies from person to person, it's extremely important to keep track of everything in your weight lifting program so that you can make appropriate and systematic changes so you reach your muscle building goals.

Some people can work each muscle group two times a week and make great progress, while others do best with one workout per week. And this changes as you go from a beginner weight lifter, to an advanced one.

As you get stronger, you need more time to recover from the stresses you place on your body in your weightlifting workouts. When you start out, you may be able to work each muscle group three times per week. Eventually, in order to keep making progress, you might be able to work each muscle group only once per week.

The idea of a power mass weight lifting routine is to focus on a compound exercise for each muscle group. Such weight lifting exercises include the following:

* Bench Press

* Squat

* One Arm Dumbbell Row

* Deadlift

* Dumbbell Upright Row

* Dip

Then you follow the compound weight training exercises with isolation movements such as flyes for chest, lateral raises for shoulders or machine pullovers for the back.

In this power mass weight lifting routine, you perform the compound exercises first, for low reps, and then perform the isolation movements for higher reps.

For the compound movements, make sure to warm up properly. Your rep scheme should include these sets. For example, you might do five sets of the following rep scheme - 15, 8, 6, 4, 3. The first two sets of this weightlifting program should be light, and only used to warm the muscle and prepare yourself mentally for the final three sets, which are much heavier.

On the isolation movements, keep the reps in the 8 - 12 range for a couple of sets.

Keep in mind that a weight training program is the best way to build muscle mass but it's also the best way to lose fat, completely change the shape of your body, and keep the fat off. Weight lifting is much more effective for fat loss than aerobics or dieting alone.

Gregg Gillies

Gregg Gillies is the founder of http://www.buildleanmuscle.com. He has contributed articles to Ironman Magazine and is a regular contributor to Body Talk Magazine. He has written two books, available at his site. You can also get a free copy of his new ebook, Fast Mass at Build Muscle with Fast Mass


Exercise The Right Way - The Vertical Chest Press

Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More

Muscle Building Workouts and Tips: Dos and Donts

Packing on Muscle mass involves a lot of dedication and... Read More

Maximize The Windows of Opportunity For Explosive Muscle Growth

You have two main windows of opportunity when your training.... Read More

10 Tips: How to Get in Shape without Sweating

Tip #1: The *Brazilian move*.The good thing about this move... Read More

Exercise The Right Way - The Leg Press

Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More

Welcome Back Everyone!

Ah summer time, it's one of my favorite seasons and... Read More

Gaining Muscle Mass

This article will discuss how to gain weight naturally muscle... Read More

How Do I Gain Weight?

Try asking people how to gain weight and you'll likely... Read More

The Importance Of Sets In Your Muscle Building Program

In an earlier article we looked at how repetitions contribute... Read More

Waist Your Breath - Breathing For A Thinner Waist

The crunch exercise is the backbone of abdominal training. It... Read More

Outer Triceps Workout

The outer triceps is an awesome muscle. It sticks out... Read More

15 Quick Body Toning Tips

Tip 1 - Tummy Toner - In addition to your... Read More

Know Your Muscle Building Exercises - The Back

Every bodybuilder and weight trainer will have his or her... Read More

Choosing The Right Bodybuilding Supplement

Before wasting your money on a pile of bodybuilding supplements... Read More

Build More Muscle and Lose More Fat by Discovering the Power of Training Variables!

Everyone will inadvertently hit a frustrating plateau in their training... Read More

Muscle Building Workout For This Week!

As experts says, "NO PAIN, NO GAIN." This specially applies... Read More

Before and After Photos in Fitness Magazines

Some supplement companies will go to any lengths to prove... Read More

Dorian Yates Secret: What Lean People Are Doing To Get That Way

A consensus has arisen within the bodybuilding world over the... Read More

Most Amazing (and Ridiculously Simple) Trick For Stiff-Legged Deadlifts You Will Ever Read In Your L

The stiff-legged deadlift is one of the best exercises you... Read More

Balance Is Key To The Optimum Physique

As Purposeful Primitives we understand the need practice two distinct... Read More

Real Muscle Real Fast!

Adding muscle seems to be a mystery to most, yet... Read More

Muscle-Building Exercises and Growth-Boosters

I have 'emerged' some subtle bodybuilding techniques that infuse rapid... Read More

Lower Body Exercises For Beginning Bodybuilders

The lower body contains some of your biggest muscles which... Read More

The Role Of L-Glutamine In Building Muscle

L-glutamine remains the supplement of choice for many bodybuilders. It... Read More

Exercise The Right Way - The Leg Extension

Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More