Good Workout Plans To Build Muscle Will Have The Following Criteria:

-The number of reps will be limited to the range of 5-10. Read the scienc-y part below.

-70-90% of exercises will be compound and not isolation.

-Free weights like barbells and dumbbells should be prioritized.

Related Article: Free Weights Or Machines: Which Is Better?

To build muscles, you need to lift weights between 70-85 percent of your 1 rep max, which creates the greatest hypertrophy (a fancy term used when referring to muscle size).

A meta-analysis of 140 studies was done in 2003 in relation to strength training, and the researchers concluded that ‘training with a mean intensity of 60 percent (15 reps) of one repetition maximum elicits maximal gains in untrained individuals, whereas 80 percent (6-7 reps) is most effective in those who are trained. ¹https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12618576/

Now, some fitness experts swear by the low rep range (3-5), whereas others advocate a more moderate range (7-12). Which is the best for optimal hypertrophy?

To answer this question, we need to figure out what exactly muscle hypertrophy is and what types exist.

Muscle hypertrophy is an increase in the size of skeletal muscles. Hypertrophy is of two types:

-Myofibrillar hypertrophy

-Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy

Related Article: How Many Reps To Build Muscle And Lose Fat?

Besides a specific rep range and prioritizing compound exercises, one should also be wary of the total volume performed for each muscle group per week.

This depends largely on one’s training level. For a beginner, the training volume will be less, and as they get more advanced, the volume which is sets* reps will increase.

Related Article: Weight Training Volume: How Many Reps Per Muscle Group Per Week?

Here are two free workout plans for men to build muscle

FBX Gain Intermediate Level-2

Workout Frequency: 3 times/week

Workout A: Shoulders/Upper Legs/Calves

Workout B: Chest/Back/Arms

If you want to try more of these workout plans for all levels, you can enroll into my free course, The FBX Training.

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