Muscle Building Routines

Muscle building is necessary not just for professional weightlifters and bodybuilders, but for all people, both women and men. The term 'muscle building' is often misunderstood by most people. Muscle building does NOT necessarily mean ending up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Sure, those into professional bodybuilding look towards muscle building as a means to achieving that look, but that is not the case with you and me. For the common man, muscle building is all about increasing the muscle content within your body in an effort towards strengthening your body and increasing its capacity of dealing with the physical rigors of daily life. On that note, let us have a look at some muscle building routines, most of which are aimed at newcomers to weight training.

Muscle Building Exercises

You can do the following muscle building routines both, in a gymnasium and at home (that is, if you have enough of exercise equipment at home). Let us first begin with exercises that do not involve any weights.

• Push Ups: Push ups are a fantastic way of developing your shoulder muscles along with your biceps and triceps. They can be done in many ways:
  • traditional push ups (with open palms)
  • fist push ups
  • push ups using fingertips
  • elevated push ups (where the legs rest on a chair, bench or a bed)
  While doing push ups, make sure that the distance between your palms is roughly equal to the width of your shoulders. Start with an initial set of 12 and increase the repetitions over time.
• Pull Ups: Pull ups is what you should look at if you wish to strengthen your upper back, shoulders and your lat muscles. Pull ups are especially beneficial for guys who want to show off their 'wings' i.e. lat muscles. You can do pull ups in different ways such as traditional pull ups, kipping, chin ups, etc. Start with a comfortable number and gradually increase it with every passing day.
• Crunches: Crunches should be the mantra for guys aiming at six pack abs and women on the lookout for washboard abs. Crunches too can be done in various ways such as oblique crunches, raised leg crunches, cross crunches, etc. Start with a set of 15 crunches and increase the repetitions over time. However, crunches require a huge amount of effort and energy, therefore you must ideally do them at the end of your workout.

Muscle Building Using Weights

You can do the following weightlifting exercises as part of your muscle building routine.

• Dumbbell Curls: Start with a comfortable weight of around 5-8 lbs. Grip the dumbbell tightly with your left hand while using your right hand to maintain your body balance. Do a set of 10-15 bicep curls. Next, switch hands and repeat this for the other hand. Repeat this set for both hands only if you feel comfortable with the weight. After finishing with the bicep curls, rest for a couple of minutes. Next, do a set of 10 tricep curls with your left hand. Change hands and do another 10. Remember to pay attention to your breathing while doing these exercises. It should be steady and rhythmic.
• Bench Press: You can do this using a pair of dumbbells. You will also need a flat bench for support. Use a comfortable weight. Lie down on the bench on your back with your legs folding at the knees. The soles of your feet should be flat on the ground. Lift the dumbbells from your knees upwards till your hands form a 90 degree angle with your chest. Gently lower them back to the starting position. Initially, do this in a set of 10 and gradually increase the repetitions with practice.
• Barbell Curls: Basically, this is similar in concept to the dumbbell curl except that in this case, you make use of a barbell. Make sure that you grip the barbell firmly with both hands before you start with the exercise. Use special hand gloves if necessary. While doing barbell exercises, remember to use a special weightlifter's belt or a waist belt. It helps in providing your back with adequate support and it can protect you from injury in case you lose your balance.

Always remember, the above muscle building routines should be done only 2-3 times a week. Over-training can lead to muscle fatigue which can often be detrimental. Getting adequate rest is equally important as hitting the gym. Achieving a proper balance between workouts and relaxation can help in developing the desired physique.