Progressive overload is the most important principle for building muscle, yet many lifters unknowingly sabotage their results by applying it incorrectly. In this article, Tom Venuto explains the 10 biggest progressive overload mistakes that lead to stalled gains, plateaus, and injuries, and how to use smarter progression methods to keep building muscle for years.
If you compared a full body vs split routine, which would be better for gaining muscle size and strength? This has been a controversy for years. A new study was published recently in the prestigious Journal of Strength And Conditioning Research which aimed to finally settle this debate... I also add my two cents based on over three decades of bodybuilding experience
Most people believe that if they don’t lift heavy, they’ll never gain muscle. High rep, light weight training has always been thought of as for endurance or toning. Some people would even say, "Lifting light is for wimps." Science now shows that you can build muscle with light weights if you do 1 thing
Not sure which split routine workout plan is right for you? This guide compares 2, 3, 4 and 5 day split routines, explains how each schedule works, and shows you how to choose the best setup for hypertrophy, recovery and your weekly schedule. Whether you want to split your body 2 ways or 5, you’ll learn how to organize it for maximum muscle growth
Weight training systems that save you time without compromising your gains are the most valuable kind for busy people. When the same training method helps you easily achieve progressive overload as well, that takes it to a whole other level. The rest pause training method is one of the few that achieves both, and scientists have now confirmed it...
Arnold Schwarzenegger was famous for training twice a day on a system known as a double split routine and he went on to become one of the most muscular men of all time. Could splitting your workouts in two and doing half in the AM and half in the PM increase your muscle growth too, or is this technique only for the pros with superior genetics and unlimited time? Read on to see the pros and cons - you may be surprised at the answer!
One of the biggest debates in bodybuilding in the past decade has been about whether a higher or lower training frequency is better. Early studies that compared training each muscle only once a week to twice a week seemed to suggest twice a week produces more gains and that's what most trainers heavily promoted. But more recent studies that were better designed have increased our understanding of this subject
What’s the best split routine for building muscle? A 2-, 3-, 4- or 5-day splits? The truth is there are many effective ways to train. In this article, I break down the pros and cons of each option, explains when body part splits make sense instead of full body workouts, and help you choose the right split routine based on your goals
You may have heard of drop sets before because they've been around a long time and drop sets are one of the most popular high intensity muscle building methods. Arnold famously used drop sets on barbell curls to build some of the best biceps of all time. Today you see recreational lifters doing drop sets every day in every gym. Maybe you already do them too. But if so, are you sure you're doing them right? If you're doing them wrong, or not doing them at all, you're missing out on major gains...
How many sets should you do to build muscle? Some say one all-out set to failure is enough, while others swear by higher-volume training. What does the latest science actually show? This article breaks down decades of research to reveal how many sets per muscle group per week deliver the best results - and why more isn’t always better when it comes to muscle growth
