It's possible to build a lot of muscle with no split routine at all. Full body workouts have their place, especially for beginners, for time efficiency and for "back to basics" strength training. But suppose you have a physique and visual aesthetics goal and decided to go with a body part split. What is the best split routine for building muscle?
There's probably no topic that has been researched and debated more in the last ten years than resistance training volume. That is, how many sets is optimal for muscle gains. Previous research suggested that gains are optimized at somewhere between 10 and 20 sets per muscle per week. However, there are still some unanswered questions about how many sets you should do, including whether women should do the same amount as men and whether you need the same amount of sets for small muscles and big muscles. See what the latest research says in today's Burn the Fat Blog Post...
So you're wondering, "Should I bulk or cut?" Maybe you're not sure because you heard out there in social media and blog world that you're not supposed go on a muscle building diet if your body fat is a little high. Then you wonder, "Well, how low does my body fat have to be before it's ok for me to bulk? When is it okay for me to go into a calorie surplus for bulking? The answer is here!
The "Shocking" truth about electrical muscle stimulation (EMS). Shocking. Get it? Sorry, bad pun - I couldn't resist. But this deserves to be poked fun at. "Attach electrodes to your belly, turn on the current, [...]
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. Drop sets were invented in 1947 by Henry Atkins. Arnold Schwarzenegger helped make drop sets more popular in the 1970s. The terminator 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...
One of the biggest training debates in recent years is about the ideal training frequency: If your goal is building muscle, should you train each muscle group once a week or twice a week? (Or somewhere in between?) If you listen to most trainers today, you'll probably hear them say it's ideal work each muscle twice per week. However, based on recent research as well as observation of what's working for top bodybuilders, the answer about training frequency may not be so cut and dried. In today's post, Tom Venuto gives a unique and open-minded answer to a reader's question on this topic.
A lot of people are horrified of losing muscle. In one sense, they should be, especially as they enter middle age and beyond. Sarcopenia, the loss of muscle with age is a real concern. Losing muscle mass is not quite so serious when you're a youngster. Thanks to "muscle memory" you can gain back the lean mass quickly. But even if you're a twenty or thirty-something, muscle loss is still a possibility, especially when you're dieting for fat loss on low calories. And when it happens, it can be frustrating. Fortunately, there is a solution...
Many lifters are worried about muscle loss, even when they're still lifting. When they think of taking breaks from the gym completely, their fear of shrinking turns to terror! What will taking a week or two off of lifting really do to your gains? The truth about muscle atrophy may surprise you...
If you're falling short on protein, what should you do? First, double check to see if you set your daily protein goal properly. Many people make mistakes when setting their macros and think they need far more protein than they do. Second, if you still need to eat more protein, check out our list of the 33 best ways to make sure you get enough protein
In previous Burn the Fat Blog posts, I've discussed the most crucial muscle-building program design principles like the ideal number of sets (volume), the perfect number of reps and the magic of progressive overload. Today I'll briefly share another key principle of muscle growth - it's the ultimate #1 key to gaining muscle. Or if we flipped it in reverse... NOT applying this muscle-building principle is THE biggest mistake that stops your muscle gains. This ultimate principle for building muscle is...
