How many times a week

Progressive

How many times a week should I work out If I want to build some serious muscle?
Is it better to workout before/after work?
How can You tell Your muscles have recovered?
Thanx

Transform

Whats your current program (reps sets weights lifting),stats, goals etc

hardtrainer

Better to rephrase this as :
How much do I need to eat/sleep/train to build some serious muscle?

The answer varies depending on your bodytype and how much if any training you've done so far in your life. If you are skinny, with little body fat, you need to really eat an awful lot of food (build up your intake slowly) and get as much sleep as possible and do three good solid workouts per week. You should see very positive results in a matter of months.

If you're average body, but with a good shape and good base of muscle (and add muscle easily without adding too much/any fat) then jump the calories up a little, maybe 10% more than you have now, get plenty of rest/sleep and do 3-4 good solid workouts a week and you'll see noticeable results in a month.

If you've a tendancy to add weight easily, you're stocky or solid built and you know you put on fat easily, you need to really watch the calories you take in. Eat small and regular meals, plenty of protein and good fats and keep the simple carbs to an absolutel minimum. Some good complex carbs are needed, but keep the portions small and eat slowly, so that you can guage when you feel full as opposed to stuffing your face, loading up on calories and then really feeling stuffed in 20 mins. You can get away with more sessions in the gym, at least 3 good solid resistance workouts (up to 5 if you're sleeping lots 8+ hrs per night) and one or maybe 2 cardio sessions to help reveal the muscle you're adding.


It should also be said that your idea of serious muscle and my idea of serious muscle may differ, but if you want to look muscled with your clothes on (as well as off) you're gonna need at least 6 months, maybe more, depending on your starting point.

The best time to workout is the time that you won't skip, simple as that. People get the best results when they go to the gym. If going after work means you skip sessions, without making up for it another day, then go in the morning and vice versa.

If you're pushing yourself in the gym hard, you'll know when your muscles have recovered simply because they'll feel strong again. If I train my chest on monday, it feels tired until at least thursday. After legs on a friday, my legs are still sore on tuesday. They don't necessarily have to feel sore for you to have had a good workout though. But your muscles should feel tired for at least a day or so after a really good workout.

Progressive

I AM skinny, with little lets say too little body fat, So what would an awful lot of food be for me and how to build up intake slowly? How many meals per day? Eat before or after workout?
Snacks? How much sleep? (Which is a problem because of busy lifestyle).
Thanx.
All answers appreciated...

p.s.

Transform wrote: »

Whats your current program (reps sets weights lifting),stats, goals etc

- 45 kg benchpress (10x10x9x8), incline benchpress- 45k(10x10x9x8), deadlift 45x 10x10x9x8
20x2 butterfly 20x20x15x13...

everything 4 reps
20k biceps curls 15x15x13x10
20k hammer b curls 15x15x13x10
+ squats pushups n treadmill n stuff. various

the only goal to gain muscle, gain more and more muscle again

timetogetfit

If your diet and recovey is right than most people can make could progress on 3 x1 hour sessions a week but the thing is your diet has to be right to.

alot of people can sacrifice an hour out of their lives to go the gym for an intense workout however its the 23 other hours out of the gym thats most important and most people arent willing to change what they do at this time

Things like what they eat
What they drink
How much sleep they are getting


I would say when you out put it all together nutrition is 80% of how successful you will be.It can take only 5-10 mins to eat a pizza but it would take 1-2 hours of hard work to burn that off in the gym


And alot of people think they are eating healthy and eating to reach there goals but in fact they are not

aye

Progressive wrote: »

I AM skinny, with little lets say too little body fat, So what would an awful lot of food be for me and how to build up intake slowly? How many meals per day? Eat before or after workout?
Snacks? How much sleep? (Which is a problem because of busy lifestyle).
Thanx.
All answers appreciated...

p.s.


- 45 kg benchpress (10x10x9x8), incline benchpress- 45k(10x10x9x8), deadlift 45x 10x10x9x8
20x2 butterfly 20x20x15x13...

everything 4 reps
20k biceps curls 15x15x13x10
20k hammer b curls 15x15x13x10
+ squats pushups n treadmill n stuff. various

the only goal to gain muscle, gain more and more muscle again

you should be able to lift 10% more on the bench press than on the incline bench press.
a butterfly? do you mean a bent over lateral raise? just a name i havent heard of?

again, not doing anything for your middle back there.
15 reps at 20kg bicep curls. 20kg on each arm?

you sould up the weight and lower the rep range. in fact going to muscle failure would be better than going to psycological failure.
i.e. you say i'll do 15 reps, so you do 15 reps. if you say i'll go til i cant do another one with good form, you might get more than 15.

g'em

aye wrote: »

in fact going to muscle failure would be better than going to psycological failure.

Can you explain this please?

Progressive, where's your leg work?

aye

g'em wrote: »

Can you explain this please?

Progressive, where's your leg work?

its based on the idea that people will go to a weight, say 50kg bench, and decide they need to get 8 reps for muscle building.

thats fine, but they may be strong enough to get 9 or 10 reps, so by going to the lift with 8 reps, they are pre-determining a failure, or stoppage at 8 reps.
"ah got my 8 reps, great!"
going to the bench with the intent of lifting to failure can get people to lift those extra two reps.

g'em

aye wrote: »

going to the bench with the intent of lifting to failure can get people to lift those extra two reps.

But lifting to failure all the time is pretty counterproductive. I agree that people undersell their strength all the time, but advocating the polar opposite of failing on every set is growth-preventative at best and downright dangerous at worst. I'm not saying htat's what you are advocating, I'm just trying to keep things clear!

I try to push myself to end the set with (just about) enough in the tank to get one more rep - "Just under" failure I guess. Keep training to failure and you'll get tired, exhausted and frustrated pretty fast. Sub-failure, on the other hand, maximises muscle growth and strength gains. A happy medium

aye

g'em wrote: »

But lifting to failure all the time is pretty counterproductive. I agree that people undersell their strength all the time, but advocating the polar opposite of failing on every set is growth-preventative at best and downright dangerous at worst. I'm not saying htat's what you are advocating, I'm just trying to keep things clear!

I try to push myself to end the set with (just about) enough in the tank to get one more rep - "Just under" failure I guess. Keep training to failure and you'll get tired, exhausted and frustrated pretty fast. Sub-failure, on the other hand, maximises muscle growth and strength gains. A happy medium

yep i just read an article saying that as it happens, that it is better to stop at one below failure.
i had actually never heard of a problem with lifting to failure until i decided to look it up there as you questioned me on it.

thats fine, my main point was just not to under sell his strength.