Training program for gaining muscle mass: don't forget about nutrition! We are plowing the base for muscle growth.

Bodybuilding is an art. Creating a relief on your own body is art. People who seriously strive for this spend a huge amount of effort, money and time to achieve their goal. And the resulting relief body ultimately compensates for all of the above. However, not everyone understands that the relief is actually secondary. The main thing is to gain muscle mass. And anyone can do this.

Basic principles of gaining muscle mass

So, before you start mastering bodybuilding itself, you need to familiarize yourself with its theory - how different principles of training affect the result. Just picking up a barbell and squatting with it is not enough; thoughtless movements will not lead to great results. Here are the basic principles of training for active muscle growth:

1. The founder of the International Bodybuilding Federation, Joe Weider, has repeatedly noted the importance of taking into account the weight of equipment and the number of repetitions in approaches. Only the right choice of repetitions during a hike will help you achieve your desired goal. The trainer came to the conclusion that for gaining mass it is effective to lift the apparatus 6-12 times in one approach. Based on this, select the weight. Each body is individual, so one person can lift a lot of weight during these 6-12 times, and the second can lift just a little.

If you want to improve your strength, you need to increase the weight you lift and reduce the number of repetitions (3-4 times). If you do more than 12 repetitions, the emphasis will be on endurance training. As you can see, the result greatly depends on the number of repetitions in the approach. Therefore, stay within strictly defined limits - to gain mass, the number of repetitions per approach should be 6-12. Read more about how many repetitions are recommended for what purposes in our article.

2. Carefully monitor your body during the approach - it is important to reach the limit, which in bodybuilding is called “”. For example, you squatted 10 times, but you can no longer do 11 on your own - this will be your limit, which you need to focus on throughout, adjusting it as needed. If you do not bring your muscles to the point where they are worked to the limit, weight gain will occur more slowly, and for some people it will not happen at all.

3. Now you need to figure out the number of approaches. For beginners, that is, people who have been training for no more than 2 months, it is enough to perform 1 or 2 approaches in one exercise. If you have been doing bodybuilding for a long time, do 2-4 approaches.

4. Pay attention to the way you work with weights. Try to use the feature of the “negative phase”; the fact is that when the projectile is slowly lowered, the muscle will receive a larger number of microcracks, which will contribute to its increased growth. Therefore, try to spend less time raising the projectile than lowering it.

The basis of the program is free weight or how to properly increase the load

Free weight exercises (with dumbbells and barbells) are the basis of a program for gaining muscle mass. But be sure to follow these tips:

1. Progression of the load - be sure to increase the weight of the shells. If this is not done, the muscles simply will not grow. But the increase should be small - the pursuit of quick results can lead you not to large muscle mass, but to injury. Remember: you will never achieve great results quickly, it's all a myth. Be prepared from the start for long, grueling, carefully planned workouts.

In order to tell you how to pump up muscles, professionals have written a large article. It explains in accessible language the basic principles of training for muscle growth and what supercompensation is. A must read. .

2. The weight must not only be increased gradually, but also chosen correctly from the beginning. Stretching, muscle rupture, pinched nerve - this is what you can get guaranteed by immediately lifting a heavy barbell or dumbbell that is too heavy for you. - our everything.

3. Safety net is very important if you are not confident in your abilities. Feel free to ask a trainer or another gym goer to help you during the exercise.

The Importance of Recovery When Gaining Muscle Mass

The importance of the recovery process is evidenced by the fact that the growth of muscle fibers does not occur during training, but while the body is resting. This program is built on the split principle - for each muscle group, training once a week - this is quite enough to relax the muscles. Also, split training will save the body from overtraining.

The presented program is designed for 6-8 weeks of training and is suitable for those who have reached an average level. Each workout will work two muscle groups. There is a 2-3 day break between workouts (3 workouts per week).

Don’t forget that you can edit the workouts presented on our website - change the order of doing the exercises or replace the exercise with another, change the number of repetitions. Editing the training program is available only to users authorized on the site.

The role of nutrition is extremely important in recovery. So, half an hour before training and no later than half an hour after it, drink a protein shake. Eat more protein foods: 1.6 grams of protein is required per kilogram of body weight.

If you want to really gain muscle mass, don’t feel sorry for yourself in training! Only maximum impact in training will help you significantly build muscle. By following these tips and using this training program to gain muscle mass, you will notice the first results very soon.

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Gain weight quickly it is possible without pharmacology, but for this you will need a competent plan for gaining muscle mass, a corresponding diet, some level of training and a real desire to achieve your goal, since the program will force you to build your entire life schedule around training and recovery. A complete beginner will not be able to gain weight quickly, the athlete should already be more or less prepared, that is, the athlete must learn the technique of performing the exercises, already have good neuromuscular connections, in general, the athlete’s training experience should be about six months. If you just came to the gym and are looking for a program with which you will amaze everyone on the beach next summer, then you need to study the rules of bodybuilding for beginners and use the appropriate training program.

A well-trained athlete will also not be able to gain weight quickly, well, that is, if you weigh 100-110 kg, then this plan for gaining muscle mass, of course, will work for you, but not as noticeably as for an athlete weighing 70-80 kg. This does not mean that the program for a trained athlete will not be effective, on the contrary, it’s just that you can quickly gain weight only up to a certain stage. Let's say, if an athlete with a mass of 70-80 kg can gain 10-12 kg in 4-5 months on this program, then an already trained athlete will gain only 4-6 kg, but his mass will be of better quality. You need to understand that, in general, it is impossible to gain more than 5-7 kg of muscle cells in a year without pharmacology. Those 10-12 kg that an athlete weighing 70-80 kg will gain will consist of 50-60% water, creatine and other “muscle factors”, but the 4-6 kg of a trained athlete will mostly be formed by hypertrophy of the myofibrillar apparatus.

Significant advantages of this muscle mass gain plan are: the program’s ability to even out imbalances in the development of individual muscle groups, a significant increase in the athlete’s strength, development of the functional qualities of the body and improvement of muscle fullness. Since it is possible to quickly gain muscle mass solely due to the hypertrophy of large muscle groups, the program involves more intensive training of the legs and chest, and the athlete trains his back, although less intensively, but more extensively, while the remaining muscles are trained either indirectly or exclusively “auxiliary” exercises. However, the training plan consists of 4 phases, so each phase has its own rules and priorities, but, in general, the program is aimed at developing hypertrophy of large muscle groups.

That is why this scheme is recommended to be used at the initial stage of training, since the first thing a bodybuilder must do is increase the total volume of muscle mass, which will also ensure a quick gain in mass of small muscle groups. The point is that the body, in any case, distributes resources more or less evenly in order to maintain homeostasis, as a result of which, by pumping up your legs, you will also increase the mass of your arms. This does not mean that the arms will grow at the same rate as the legs, but since the legs are much larger than the arms, at the initial stage priority should be given to them, since if you give priority to arm training, then the total amount of growth factors produced will be less , but they will still be distributed between all muscles. In other words, in an absolute sense, training small muscle groups, at the initial stage, less stimulates the growth of both large muscles and the small muscle groups themselves. In the future, if you want to focus on your hands, you can use the Plintovich program.

First stage fast weight gain

This phase is called "three sixes" , since it involves performing 6 exercises in 6 sets of 6 repetitions per workout. In each exercise, the athlete must reach failure, but only in the last repetition, that is, the athlete trains according to the pyramid principle, increasing weight gradually. This phase lasts 4 weeks, during which the athlete must complete 12 workouts, training every other day. Rest between approaches is 60-90 seconds, despite the fact that the athlete uses the pyramid principle, it is necessary to warm up. Since it is almost impossible to withstand such a volume of training with a weight of more than 80 kg without the use of pharmacology, athletes with such a weight need to break the training into 2 parts (workout A and workout B), alternating them every training day. Accordingly, if you perform 3 exercises per workout, then you need to complete 16 workouts per cycle, so it will last 4.5 weeks.

A) Standing Barbell Chest Press – 6 sets of 6 reps
A) Bench press - 6 sets of 6 reps
A) Classic deadlift - 6 sets of 6 reps
B) Bent-over barbell rows - 6 sets of 6 reps
B) Standing biceps with barbell - 6 sets of 6 reps
B) - 6 sets of 6 reps

IMPORTANT * At the end of the first phase, the athlete must take a complete rest from training for 7-14 days! It is recommended to take creatine, taking a break between phases; The amount of food is not limited, you need to eat as much as possible.

Second phase muscle gain plan

The second phase is called "variable rate" , since the athlete switches from circuit training to split training, and the regime of repetitions and approaches also changes. An athlete should train 3 times a week, every other day, with 2 days rest between weeks. Rest time between sets is 60-90 seconds. The duration of the second phase is also 4 weeks, during which the athlete must complete 12 workouts. The athlete does fewer approaches per workout, so the CP decreases, but the number of repetitions in the approaches is from 10 to 2. This means that the athlete is already working not only on developing strength indicators, but is also training the nervous system.

It goes without saying that in each exercise the failure repetition is only the last, and in those exercises where the range of repetitions is indicated, it is meant that in the first approach the athlete must do the maximum number of repetitions, and in the last the minimum. In all other approaches, the athlete gradually reduces the number of repetitions and increases the weight, independently deciding how many repetitions to do, but in the first approach he must do the maximum number of repetitions, and in the last he must reach failure in the minimum number of repetitions. This is necessary because it is in this mode that you will gain weight the fastest!

Workout #1
Squats with a barbell on the shoulders - 6 sets of 10-2 reps
Dips – 4 sets of 8 reps
Power press – 6 sets of 8-2 reps
Bent-overs with a barbell – 3 sets of 8 reps
Bent-over barbell rows – 4 sets of 8 reps
Standing biceps curls – 4 sets of 10-6 reps

Workout #2
Bench press – 6 sets of 10-4 reps
Barbell cleans – 3 sets of 6-3 reps
Deadlift – 6 sets of 8-3 reps
Bench press sitting behind the head - 3 sets of 8 reps
Leg press – 4 sets of 8 reps

Workout #3
Hyperextension – 3 sets of 10 reps
Deadlift – 5 sets of 8-3 reps
Incline Press – 5 sets of 8 reps
Lat Pulldowns – 4 sets of 8 reps
Classic barbell squats – 5 sets of 10-4 reps

IMPORTANT * At the end of the second phase, the athlete must take a complete rest from training for 7-14 days! It is recommended to take creatine supplements with a break between phases; The amount of food is not limited, you need to eat as much as possible.

Third stage gaining weight quickly

The third phase is called "impact split" , since this stage allows you to load almost all muscular and non-muscular systems of the body. You will be able to restore the capillary network, work on strength indicators, load the nervous system and pump up the myofibrillar apparatus. In other words, all the previous phases were just a lead-up to the third, which will ensure rapid weight gain. The rules here are the same as in the previous phase, with the exception of the training schedule and the number of approaches. Athletes weighing up to 80kg can train 4 times a week 2 through 1, that is, 2 training sessions in a row, a rest day and 2 training sessions in a row. Athletes with larger masses can train simply every other day, with rest every 4 training sessions in 2 days. In total, you need to complete 20 workouts per cycle. The range of approaches allows you to choose the number of approaches depending on how you feel.

Workout #1
Power bench press – 8-10 sets of 15-1 reps
Barbell squats – 8-10 sets of 15-2 reps
Dips – 5 sets of 5 reps

Workout #2
Barbell cleans – 2 sets of 5 reps
* – 6-8 sets of 6-8 reps
Standing Barbell Chest Press – 4 sets of 4 reps
Standing bicep curls – 5 sets of 8 reps

IMPORTANT * At the end of the third phase, the athlete must take a complete rest from training for 7-14 days! It is recommended to take creatine supplements with a break between phases; The amount of food is not limited, you need to eat as much as possible.

This is a classic deadlift, in which the barbell is placed on a hill, about 7-10 cm higher than usual, that is, the athlete simply works in a shorter amplitude.

Fourth stage fast weight gain plan

The final stage of the program for rapid weight gain is called "three tens" , since the athlete will have to complete 9 circuit training sessions over three weeks, consisting of 3 exercises performed in 10 sets of 10 repetitions. After this phase the program ends, but we emphasize , At the end of it, you need to rest for 14-21 days, after which you need to engage in some kind of recovery program for 2 months, such as a three-day split or pumping program. Then you should rest for another 1-2 weeks and you can switch to the Plintovich system.

A beginner who starts training according to the basic program usually gains about 5-7 kg of muscle mass in the first months of training - despite the fact that this figure seems insignificant, the gained muscles radically change not only the physique, but also the metabolism.

Since the beginner’s body does not yet know how to accumulate a sufficient amount of energy for strength training, it is necessary to focus on the most important thing and not overload the training program with secondary exercises - it is on this principle that the basic program is built.

Gaining muscle mass: physiology

For muscle growth, an important signal from the body is that it cannot cope with the current load. In fact, the body needs to be brought to the limit of physical capabilities so that it wants to expand this limit - the last repetition of the exercise should be given with great difficulty, leaving no strength for one more.

In addition, performing exercises with heavy weights and low repetitions engages (the so-called white fibers) - such training activates the nervous system and increases the production of hormones that are critical for muscle growth and mass gain.

What is the basic program?

The basic program is a strength training program for gaining muscle mass, consisting of the use of exercises performed with a maximum working weight, a low number of repetitions (from 3 to 8) and a limited number of sets (from 3 to 10).

Unlike training with a large number of repetitions (pumping), the basic program affects the growth of the muscle fiber itself, and not the sarcoplasm - due to this, the muscle structure becomes denser and more elastic. This is what allows you to gain weight as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Basic program structure

Training according to the basic program is held every three days: Mon - A, Thu - B, Sun - A, Wed - B, Sat - A. If you want to train according to the “Mon / Wed / Fri” scheme, make sure that the time between training sessions was at least 48 hours. More frequent training will negatively impact recovery.

The importance of warming up before training

Before starting strength training - mandatory cardio for 5-10 minutes for general warming up. Then, to prepare the ligaments, all three exercises of the current day are performed in a circular mode, but with an average working weight and 10-12 repetitions. Only after this is it possible to move on to the main program.

Rest between sets of strength exercises - 60-90 seconds. The break between exercises is 2-3 minutes. The total training duration is no more than 45-50 minutes. If you feel like you have too much energy left at the end, it means you didn't perform your workout to your full potential.

***

A basic program using key compound exercises is the best way to gain muscle quickly. If you follow the rules of the program and the correct technique for doing the exercises, even a beginner with average genetics can gain 5-7 kg of lean muscle.

). Those. for each muscle group, I will try to highlight just 1 exercise that I would 100% not ignore unless there is a special reason. Go!

Your future SUCCESS (in terms of speed) half depends on the correct choice of exercises in the gym, therefore, it is vitally important not to make a mistake and make the right choice.

BREAST

This is an excellent basic exercise for working the pectoral muscles. In no case would I ignore it; for the same effectiveness, there is only one exercise - dumbbell bench press on an incline:

BACK

Everyone knows this exercise. The best of the best. One of the most effective exercises for developing the latissimus dorsi muscles... that is, FOR DEVELOPING A POWERFUL V-SHAPED BACK.. This is probably the most popular/ancient and at the same time easily accessible exercise, which I would never ignore .

When performing it, the entire upper shoulder girdle is involved: the latissimus dorsi, shoulders (mainly the anterior bundle), trapezius (by the way, they are very heavily loaded), forearms (also actively plowed) and arm muscles (biceps, brachialis, too active for most people) and even CHEST and TRICEPS. This exercise forms the BASIS in training the back muscles of all (if not all, then the absolute majority) athletes.

There is an equally effective replacement for this exercise:

The vertical block row imitates pull-ups (this is analogous), the only difference is that in pull-ups we attract (pull up) our body to the projectile (crossbar), and in the vertical block row we attract the projectile to the body, and of course, in the vertical For deadlifts, it is possible to set a small weight (or medium), this is useful for those who do not know how to do pull-ups (can’t, they don’t have enough strength), for girls, etc. That's all. As for the muscles, the same ones work.

For many people, pulling a vertical block to the chest will be even more effective than pull-ups, because pull-ups are a very, very difficult EXERCISE (both PHYSICALLY and TECHNICALLY), as a result, as practice shows, many people do pull-ups WRONG! They jerk jerkily, just to pull themselves up, they don’t feel the back muscles, they pull themselves up mainly due to the strength of the biceps, in general, for many people (who don’t know how to pull themselves up correctly), the pull-down of a vertical block to the chest is better suited because of the fact that we have the opportunity to put on medium or even light weights and clearly work out the technique (learn to turn off the biceps from work, perform traction using the back muscles), this will be much more effective than jerking on the horizontal bar, haphazardly, if only it was possible.

LEGS

An exercise from among the best of the best. It involves almost the entire body... legs, buttocks, legs, abdominals, back, arms, shoulders... in short, it should never be ignored, without special reasons (for example, injuries to the spine, knee joints, etc.).

This exercise, in my opinion, is the best in training the muscles of the legs and buttocks! It is this exercise that I would choose (perform) if I did not have the opportunity (for example, due to lack of time) to do other leg exercises. This is the BASIC-BASIC, there is nothing cooler than it.

If you cannot do the squat (for some reason), I would then recommend:

Ideally, of course, do a good squat, and then do a leg press, but if it is not possible to do a squat, then the leg press is the second, most effective movement for the leg muscles, and that is what I would do, which is why I recommend it to you.

Actually, I am one of those who cannot do squats, therefore my main exercise in training the leg muscles is the leg press. If there was something more effective, I would do it, but the leg press!!!

SHOULDERS

The barbell row to the chin (also known as a pull-up) with a medium (relatively wide grip) is the only basic exercise for training the MIDDLE DELTA BUNCH. THE ONLY!!!

For those who don’t know, it is the middle bundles of deltas that make your deltoids (shoulders) wide (spherical). In addition, as practice shows, many athletes have overdeveloped anterior fascicles, and the middle and posterior fascicles lag behind; it is for these reasons that I have identified this exercise as the MAIN one in the training of the deltoids (shoulders), and I would strongly recommend that you under no circumstances do it ignore. There is no replacement for him.

Although, I’m lying, an exercise that can be substituted is standing dumbbell flyes (swings):

This exercise also develops the middle deltoids, but alas, it is isolated, therefore, less effective than pulling, so it is much better to give preference to rowing to the chin.

ARMS (BICEPS and TRICEPS)

For those who do not know what the muscles of the arms are made of, study:

BICEPS:
TRICEPS:(emphasis on triceps)

Many may now be horrified and ask, where is the barbell curl?))

For those who don’t know, lifting a barbell for biceps is an isolating exercise =) because when you do it, ONLY ONE JOINT (the elbow) is USED, that’s why it is isolated...

It’s just that in bodybuilding, the most effective exercises (that give results) are usually called BASIC, and lifting a barbell for biceps while standing is just such an exercise (effective), which is why many people shout (most without realizing it) that this is a basic exercise, its must be complied with!!!111 and I’m not smart enough to explain why.

But pull-ups with a reverse grip on the biceps are really an exercise (because two joints are involved in the work, namely the SHOULDER and ELBOW), therefore, in this exercise the biceps contract much better (more efficiently) than in all the others. What is the conclusion? => Do you want a big bicep?)) You definitely need to do pull-ups with a reverse grip (or at least periodically include this exercise in your training complex).

Dips- An excellent basic exercise for working the triceps. I would under no circumstances ignore it; for the same effectiveness, there is only one exercise - narrow bench press:

P.s. To be honest, I can’t determine which is more effective. These two exercises are the same (in my opinion) in their effectiveness. Try it. If you train your arm muscles on a separate day of the week, I would recommend that you give preference to BOTH of these exercises.

PRESS

This movement is, in fact, another variation. However, rest assured, this variation of the exercise is much more difficult (to perform), and therefore more effective (better). That's why I recommend it to you.

The exercise specifically uses the entire rectus abdominis muscle (the entire abs) and oblique muscles (the same “scratches” on the side of the abs), as well as auxiliary muscles: the hand, forearms, back, shoulders and leg muscles. In my opinion, the best of the best exercises for this muscle group.

FOREARMS

Reverse barbell curl
Barbell wrist curls

In my opinion, there is no need to consider forearm training SEPARATELY (it does not make much sense), because This muscle already receives sufficient load during training of the back and biceps muscles. Do you understand? That is why, for the vast majority of people, I would not recommend concentrating on working out this muscle group. It is too small and not significant. But, by the way, the above exercises (in my opinion) are the most effective.

TRAPEZES

Shrugs with a barbell or dumbbells

Ideally, I would recommend somehow alternating or combining, or using the one to which your heart lies (what you like best, where you feel the trapezius more, etc.), in shrugs with dumbbells the AMPLITUDE OF MOVEMENT is slightly greater than with barbell, but when working with a barbell you can work with decent working weights, but with dumbbells you don’t have this opportunity... well, in general, such moments (just know), both exercises are highly effective.

Regarding the number of repetitions, sets, rest between sets, and other issues, see these articles:

(how to choose weight, etc.)

Best regards, administrator.

Most uninformed gym goers favor machines by using a variety of isolation block machines in their workout routines. In fact, it is free weights - barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells - that can speed up the process of increasing the volume of all muscle groups due to the peculiarities of the basic exercises with which the equipment is used.

What are basic exercises?

Basic exercises are techniques that use free weights (barbells, dumbbells), simultaneously using several muscles or muscle groups, as well as several joints. These exercises are recommended to be performed by a trained person, since they are technically complex and require good control of your own body.

The best basic exercises for gaining mass

Squats

Lie down on a horizontal bench, position your head under the barbell.
Grab the bar with a wide grip, remove the bar from the racks and place it above your chest, forming a slight arch in your chest.
As you inhale, gently lower the barbell to the highest point of your chest, but without touching it. Elbows point to the floor.
Exhale and press the barbell up.

Pull-ups

There are several options, depending on the grip and position of the hands, you can either expand or thicken the back muscles. Mainly work latissimus dorsi muscles, additionally– biceps, deltoids. One of the most common basic exercises in bodybuilding.

Grab the bar with a wide grip.
Exhaling, straining your back and arms, pull yourself up to the bar with the middle of your chest, arching your chest.
Bring your shoulder blades as close as possible to each other.
As you inhale, relax, but straighten your elbows without jerking.

Bent-over barbell row

Dips

The exercise requires special equipment and good physical fitness. will involve triceps and pectoralis major muscles.

Place your palms on the bars under your shoulder joints.
As you inhale, bending and moving your elbows back, lower your body until the shoulder and elbow joints are in the same horizontal plane.
Exhale as you push up, reaching the starting position.

Barbell row to the chin

It also belongs to the basic ones, as it involves two joints. Develops deltoid muscles, trapezius, partially biceps.