Are you looking for some challenging exercises to help you gain muscle mass? Then you have landed at the right place.
We live in a time where leading a healthy lifestyle, working out and building a good physique is an impeccable choice. Muscle building is one thing that appeals to every gym-goer’s dream. Besides just following a healthy, nutritious diet, one should also follow a vigorous muscle-gaining exercise routine that concentrates on a large group of muscles. Performing the right exercise helps build muscle fast and efficiently without having to spend too much time in the gym. So, we have curated a list of seven muscle-gaining workouts that will help build strength and size efficiently.
1. Military press
Main Muscle Worked: Shoulders
A man can have six-pack abs, bulging arms, but if the shoulders are not huge, the look would be incomplete. The military press is a wonderful compound movement that can build strength and the size of the shoulders. As the name indicates, the “military press” was once used as an indicator of strength in the military. During 1800, being able to do this power lift was a sign of upper body strength. It is also beneficial in improving shoulder mobility. A person can do this to target the deltoid muscles, shoulders, and triceps making it an excellent workout for building arms strength and size. The most challenging part during military press is that it requires the lifter’s core and legs to stabilize the weight.
2. Deadlift
Main Muscle Worked: glutes, Hip Flexors
Though this name might sound scary, for years, this is the most praised exercise among powerlifters. The deadlift is a real strength and mass builder. A gradual increase of weights in deadlift can help build significant muscle groups like hamstrings, glutes, forearms, back, and quads. The traditional deadlift, i.e., barbell deadlift is the most highly regarded workout, but variations like Romanian deadlift, sumo deadlift, and stiff-leg deadlift, are also beneficial. It is essential to follow the right posture and the steps to deadlifting, or it might lead to back injuries. The lifters’ foot placement, the body position, lifting the load from the floor, and its descent should be made with proper form. For beginners, begin with two sets of six reps, and then slowly add to it.
3. Bench Press
Main Muscle Worked: Deltoids, Triceps
The bench press is an exceptional strength builder and is crucial for upper-body muscle development. There is a misconception that bench press targets only the chest. The fact is, it targets the larger muscle groups in the top portion of the body like forearms, trapezius, deltoids, triceps, and pectoralis major and minor. A proper bench press requires the trainee to position the body, feet, arch the back, grip the bar and move the bar horizontally. Doing some modification of this workout like incline benching and dumbbell benching, is suitable for targeting different upper body muscle groups. A beginner can start with a lightweight, and then raise the load when they get comfortable with the progress. Some men find it difficult to gain muscles due to low testosterone levels. Taking supplements containing anadrol can be beneficial in increasing muscle mass and decreasing fat. Make sure to consult your trainer and a health professional before consuming it.
4. Bent over row
Main Muscle Worked: The back of the body.
This activity requires bending at the abdomen and raising a barbell or dumbbell towards the chest. The primary focus of this workout is the back muscles, but it also involves the arms, shoulders, and legs. The more comfortable one gets with this exercise, one can modify this exercise to include other muscle groups to help balance the body. For people who have a history of back problems, consult your physician before trying this workout. For beginners, try this exercise in front of the trainer first to keep the right posture. Within a few weeks, one will notice the details on their back and increase in size. Once you get comfortable with this form, try its variations like dumbbell bent-over row and T-bar bent row.
5. Barbell squats
Main Muscle Worked: Quadriceps
Looking for a workout that targets the lower body? Then one cannot leave out on barbell squats. It is a compound workout that primarily targets quadriceps but also focuses on hamstrings, glutes, and claves. Ensure to hold the back upright while lowering the weight to base without traumatizing the knees. This workout also has a few varieties like front squats, Zercher squats, and overhead squats. Men can also combine a barbell squat with training that operates on hamstrings to increase efficiency. For instance, one can do barbell squats with leg curls. A good start would be doing 4-8 reps in three sets for strong muscles.
6. Pull up
Main Muscle Worked: Back
For all men dreaming of a V taper appearance, mastering the pull-ups is pivotal to increase size and strength. It is a milestone movement for men who have accomplished strength training. This exercise helps in increasing the width of the back while building strong back muscles. Strengthening the back muscle by pull-ups will also help in doing other lifts like deadlifts. Equipment-wise, you only require a pull-up bar to perform it. It gives a sense of great accomplishment after nailing the first pull up. It is a great upper body strength tracking tool. Again just like other workouts, there are variations to pull up also like a weighted pull-up, kipping pull-up, and chest to bar pull-up.
7. Weighted hanging leg raises
Main Muscle Worked: Abs
This is an excellent workout and a more challenging version of the hanging leg raise. It targets the abs primarily and a little on the hip flexors and quads. The only types of equipment required for this exercise is a bar and some weights. Regular practice of this workout improves shoulder and upper back stability. Keep the loads between the ankles, raise the legs. Repeat this workout three sets of three reps for best results
Final Thoughts
Almost every man fantasizes about a ripped and well-built body. Though it is not easy to reach those levels, being consistent with the workouts and diets can show a considerable physique’s improvement. A gym trainer can guide you through the fitness program and diet chart to follow vigorously. Remember that with strenuous exercise, one must also get sufficient rest and sleep for muscle recovery. Therefore, be patients while you are on your muscle gain mission.
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