Muscle Mass Gain For Skinny Guys

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.

Warming up is an extremely important step before you commence any concentrated body-building. Effective warm up activities such as star jumps, using the bike or treadmill and jogging on the spot really get the blood pumping and increase the rate of your heartbeat. Try to avoid days of no physical activity. Your body-building warm-ups are great stand-alone activities on your off days. A quarter of an hour before you start anything, drink water or a sports drink, and keep drinking all the time you're active. Remember that sweating results in loss of fluid, and for each 1% of body weight you lose due to sweating, your performance will be lessened by 5%. So it's imperative that you keep drinking if you want to maintain your stamina and enhance your performance.

Few people I know have spare hours every day to devote to body-building. I think it's reasonable to expect that this process be completed 2 or 3 times every week. You must be a bit flexible in terms of weight loadings dependent on your sex and size etc. Whatever level you start at, though, I'm confident you will see an impressive increase in your capacity to lift weights just a few weeks after you start your routine. Only start with light weights as this will help you establish correct technique before advancing to the next step.

Apart from warm-up activities, you should start working your largest muscle groups. Try to stick to the usual order, which is firstly warm-ups, then stretches, chest exercises, shoulders, leg exercises, and finally of course biceps and triceps. Aim for ten reps of each exercise and do the cycle three times. Then, stretch the muscles you are working on and give yourself a one minute rest. Try to establish a rhythm and stick to it. Even keep the overall duration of your work-out similar during your first few months as this will help you measure your increased strength and fitness. If you can arrange a training partner to be with you, you will find yourself kept accountable and encouraged. A training partner can spot for you (stay in close proximity and help your bar back onto the supports if you find yourself suddenly unable to do it yourself). This is a wise safety measure.

Ideally you will require some warm up equipment, a weight bench, a long barbell with a variety of weight discs that can be easily changed and at least 2 small dumbells for some one handed lifting exercises and a large exercise ball for seated activities. All of this equipment can be purchased new from most large retail stores or can be found incredibly cheaply at garage sales or in the second hand for sale section of the local newspaper. Try ebay and other online auctions for bargain prices. Larger machines can be inflexible, hard to store and require lots of space. However, if you have the room or already have one they will definitely do the job.

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!

Biceps. Start with a longer barbell in a standing position and hold with palms facing forward and bar resting on thighs. Curl the bar up to the chest holding the upper arm by your side and moving the lower arm upward in an arc like shape. Lower down to thighs. Next use single hand dumbells in the same format. You may lift both together or use an alternate action. Try not to swing them down to lift, use the arms. Next set is also using dumbells. Hold them by the side with palms facing in toward the leg so the end of the dumbell is facing straight ahead. Lift together using the same action as previously.

Triceps. Commence with sitting on the floor and placing your hands to the rear of you a little wider than shoulder width and with the fingers pointing forward. Lift your bottom off the ground and bend legs with feet flat. Lower and raise your body using your arms bending and straightening. Next sit on an exercise ball with a dumbell in each hand and lean forward. Move the upper arm to the rear of you and parallel to the ground. Using the lower part of the arm lift the dumbell like a pendulum toward the rear and then lower to perpendicular position. Lift simultaneously. Can also add variety by standing and leaning over the bench and placing one knee on the bench. Work one arm at a time using the same method outlined above.

Do not forget that what you do after you have completed your workout is a significant part of your muscle mass gain process. You can actually enhance the effects of your exercise by consuming a protein shake or drink within about 30 minutes of completion. During your workout your muscles will slightly tear and then set about repairing themselves; it is this repairing which creates toning and muscle growth. If you take protein straight after the muscle damage occurs, you speed up the recovery process. To do this, you should purchase a protein shake high in carbs such as an xtreme mass gainer (and if you really mean business, look for added creatine or take creatine as well). Even those looking for toning without bulk use protein supplements but they choose varieties low in carbs and fat. These days protein shakes are tailormade for your needs so you won't have any trouble finding what's right for you. Just ensure that you include this important step in your usual routine. If you are looking for quick, effective and obvious results in your physique, protein shakes are for you.

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