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Muscle Mass Gain For Skinny Guys

By: Colin Johnson

Where should I start? Without a doubt this is the most common question I am asked from skinny men who are looking to gain muscle mass. They are usually very keen but unwilling to waste time on routines which aren't specifically designed to help them bulk up. I don't blame them one bit, and this article attempts to answer the question with simplicity. If you are a beginner body builder you will benefit from these instructions too. This is suitable for golfers and other low impact sportsmen as well as footballers and other high impact sportsmen. Everyone who carries out these manageable steps with diligence will soon see a positive difference in their physique and fitness.

Always start with an activity that increases heart rate and gets the blood pumping through the body. You can simply do some star jumps, jogging on the spot or use a stationary bike or treadmill for this purpose. These apparatus can also be used on the off days from your weight training if you have the time. Make sure you drink water or a sports drink 15 minutes before you begin and it is imperative that you continue to hydrate during the session. Every 1% body weight lost (due to fluid loss through sweating) will cause a 5% decrease in performance. So keep drinking, it will help you get more out of your session!

Let's face it, there are very few of us who have spare hours every single day for body-building. In reality you will probably get to go through this routine 2 to 3 times a week, and that is the minimum requirement. The weight loadings you use will be dependent on whether you are male or female, your size, strength and present level of fitness. You will certainly see a marked increase in your particular strength level after a month or even sooner. This will motivate you tremendously. But when you first start, only use light weights and concentrate on mastering correct techniques.

Starting with the larger muscle groups has always been a common format and one that I would advise. Remember the order; warm up, stretch, chest exercises, shoulders, legs, biceps and triceps. Complete 3 sets of 10 reps for every activity mentioned with a weight that allows you to complete the 10 reps without total exhaustion. Also stretching the specific muscle group you are working on between sets will increase growth as you address the tissue that has been under load. Give yourself about 1 minute rest in between sets. Keep this timing consistent, as well as your routine for the first few weeks so you can better judge your growth and development. I suggest having a training partner to encourage and spot for you for safety reasons. Spotting is mostly used in bench presses and involves someone helping you get the bar back onto the supports (rather than it landing across you neck!) if you find yourself struggling.

What equipment will you require? In short, you'll need some warm up equipment, a barbell with various weight discs (preferably discs which can be effortlessly changed), dumbells, a weight bench and a big exercise ball (so you can sit as you do some exercises). You can wait for the sales at your local retail store or look in garage sales where such equipment is often very cheap indeed. Look in the second hand sale column of your newspaper, ebay and in other online auctions. One word of caution: that treadmill may be a great bargain but only buy it if you have lots of space. Big machines can be a bit inflexible and always take up more space than you anticipate.

Chest. Start with bench presses using a flat bench, preferably using a spotter to assist you. Follow with flys. Lay flat on the bench with small dumbells in each hand. Raise each above your chest then allow them simultaneously to be lowered to the side level with your chest and below the level of the bench in a wide clapping style motion. Keep the elbow slightly bent. Your grip should not be overly tight. Follow with seated flys. Sit on the exercise ball, keep back straight and lean toward the floor in front of you. Get a dumbell in each hand and at the same time lift them to the side stretching your chest muscles. Don't jerk the body but rather lift with slightly bent elbows.

Shoulders. Straddle the bench with a longer barbell in your hands. Lift to just below the chin, this is your starting point. Lift the bar past your face and all the way until arms are stretched, then lower to starting point. Next set is the same but done behind the neck. Follow by seated one hand lifts with dumbells from the shoulder, past the ear and all the way to locking point above your head. Lift both at the same time. Next stand with dumbells at your side and lift out in a flapping motion with elbows slightly bent. Lift and lower slowly. Do 3 sets of each exercise. 10 reps each set.

Leg exercises benefit from use of a stationary bike. If you have one you're laughing. I suggest starting with one minute of steady, constant pedalling. Ease yourself into a sprint for 10-15 seconds and then revert to a slow pace for the same amount of time, and do this for a few minutes in all. Only then would I commence leg raises, and three sets is enough. If you have a leg raise bar on your weight bench then put various weights on it and do your three sets with one in an upward position and one down. (This has great benefit for your hamys and quads). To finish with, do some squats, firstly without weights and after a few weeks with a weight disc across your chest. Soon you'll be able to put a bar bell across your shoulders and gradually increase its weight. Be careful that you do not fall into the common trap of overloading the bar as this will put lots of unnecessary pressure on your knees. Glucosamine and chondroitin in combination is the answer if you find your knees painful. The research shows that taking this supplement has proven benefits for any joint pain. My father and father-in-law are the living proof!

For your biceps you need to commence with a longer barbell whilst standing and hold it with palms forward, bar resting on your thighs. Then you need to curl it up to your chest whilst holding your upper arm by your side and moving your other arm in an upward circular motion before lowering it to your thighs. Then, do the same with single hand dumbells, possibly lifting both together as well. It is important that you make your arms do the work, don't swing down to lift, which is the easy option, though tempting when you're a beginner! Then, hold the dumbells by your side with your palms facing in towards your legs (the dumbell should be facing ahead). Together lift them as before.

To work your triceps start with sitting on the floor and placing your hands behind you, just a bit wider than the width of your shoulders, with your fingers pointing in a forward direction. Now the tricky bit: lift your whole bottom clean off the floor and bend you legs but keep your feet flat. You should now be able to lower and raise your whole body using your impressively bended and straightened arms. Then, on your exercise ball, sit in a leaning forward position with dumbells in both hands. You will now move your upper arm behind you and parallel to the floor, and using your lower arm lift the dumbell like a clock pendulum behind you and then lower it again. Try lifting at the same time. You can spice this one up with a bit of variety by leaning over the bench from a standing position and putting one of your knees on the bench, then working one arm in turn using this same idea.

One step many body builders neglect is the step that should follow exercise. This can make a huge difference to the effectiveness of your hard work. When you exercise, your muscle cells suffer damage and tear: this is how muscle growth occurs as your muscles begin the repair process. If you take a protein supplement in the half hour after completing your workout, recovery of your muscles will be quicker and therefore growth will occur sooner. For building muscle, use a protein shake high in carbs and for extra assistance, add some creatine. An xtreme mass gainer is what you need to find. (For those looking to tone up, without mass gain, low fat and low carb protein shakes are ideal). It would be a shame to not fulfil your body building potential by neglecting this post exercise step.

Article Source: Main Articles

Colin Johnson has been an top sports trainer focusing on technical aspects of sport. He highly recommends whey protein shakes for muscular recovery and development for the performance conscious. He suggests xtreme mass for muscular bulk.
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