Built for show, or built to go?
We all know that guy who eats a cheat meal three times a day, has a couple beers before bedtime, and whose idea of a workout is 20 bicep curls and maxing out on the bench press a couple of hours before his shift, yet he still has rock hard muscles, and no body fat. For me this was my college roommate Freddy, 5’10 and all muscle. On the other hand, I had to lift and run 3 times a week just to get the faint outline of 6-pack abs, yet Freddy barely tried and while he was not the size of a Mr. Olympia competitor, he still had incredible muscle mass.
Sure, I had medium density and fairly good strength, but he had raw power and you could see it in his physique. Now while genetics play a huge factor in these things, there were a number of things I was doing wrong in terms of building muscle mass. Check out the article below to take back your dense muscle building power.
How to Build Rock Hard Muscle Mass
Now, let’s take a look at the factors on how to build that rock hard muscle mass and break down each thing.
Testosterone levels
Testosterone levels are a large component of building muscle mass and keeping off body fat. Unfortunately life isn’t fair, and all testosterone levels aren’t created equal, some men naturally have low testosterone. But while nature isn’t fair, nurture can be. Natural ways to increase your testosterone include, a good nights sleep, heavy weight training, cold baths, walking (2 miles or more per day), and eating multiple foods (Salmon, avocado’s, brazil nuts, etc.) If this still isn’t enough, you can always try taking a testosterone booster.
Workout
When working out for muscle density you should concentrate on fatiguing the muscle, not just hitting one rep maxes and training like a powerlifter or strength athlete. When training for muscle mass you want to break down each fiber, allowing yourself to get as much blood flow to the muscle as possible.
This type of training should involve breaking down the muscle with 6-10 reps of medium to heavyweight. The weight should not be too light, but also not too heavy, however you should be pushing pretty close to muscular failure with this sets, and the last rep should barely be able to be completed. Then the blood flow will provide the muscle with the nutrients it needs to build back stronger and harder. This rep range is perfect because it not only builds up the aerobic capacity of the muscle but also the Myofibrullar part of the muscle, which is responsible for size.
Compound and Supersets
Pushing yourself to the limit on singular exercises is great for building muscle mass, but taking it a step further and really brutalizing the muscles. This is where utilizing compound and super sets during your training sessions comes into play, and can be a game changer for building that rock hard muscle mass.
Compound sets are the performing of two exercises (one right after the other) that target the same muscle group. It may sound like a bit much on the target muscle group, but it certainly helps to burn out quicker, as it involves much more intensity.
On the other hand, supersets also go in succession of one another but target opposing muscle groups. For instance, incline dumbbell curls, and cable curls would be considered a compound set while hammer curls and tricep pushdowns would be considered a superset.
For an effective workout, you can do 4-6 reps of each exercise in the super set or compound set to make one, full complete set. Do 3 sets at a weight that truly pushes you to the limit, and your muscles should pretty much be decimated, and in this case, destruction is good!
Nutrition
Nutrition plays a huge role in the process of building muscle mass, sure training is the fun part but what you eat is where you truly build the muscles back bigger and stronger. Eating cheat meals and processed foods can kill your testosterone levels and even increase estrogen levels in some cases, making your body look soft and mushy rather than having the rock hard muscle mass you want. That being said, eating whole foods and making sure to get proper macronutrient (protein, fat, carb) intake is crucial for building muscle mass.
Supplements
There are plenty of supplements to help build muscle mass. Diet is definitely crucial for building muscle, but you may not always obtain the proper amount of nutrients, which is where supplements come into play. Here are a list of supplements that are good for building muscle:
Do’s and Don’ts of Building Muscle
–Do get adequate rest and hydration, as how you recover will determine your results. Recovery is crucial for the muscle building process, and if you do not allow your body to recover, then your body is left in a constant state of being broken down.
–Don’t over train, again over training without adequate rest is just shooting yourself in the foot and will actually diminish your results. You also do not need to be spending hours upon hours in the gym doing every exercise for a muscle group that you can think of.
–Do something you enjoy in your off time. Unhealthy stressors can not only kill your testosterone levels but the high cortisol levels can also turn your gains into mush, making it very counterproductive.
Wrap Up
So the secret’s out, Even though you don’t have the genetics of “Thing”, you can still build a solid amount of rock hard muscle mass. It may not be as easy as you would like, and requires a lot of hard work and dedication, but with a strong work ethic and pre-meditated workout plan, you can have decent muscle density and massive gains that bring honor to your physique.
Do you have issues with your muscle density? Let us know by hitting up our comments below or head on over to our official Facebook and Twitter.
