The Two-Week Workout Plan To Build Muscle Fast

The Two-Week Workout Plan To Build Muscle Fast

winnerlk

19 min ago

How to Get Strong Muscles.

Everyone knows that exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health. But most people ignore one crucial component of it: resistance training. According to federal researchers, only 6 percent of adults do the recommended minimum amount of at least two muscle-strengthening workouts each week. Neglecting resistance training — any type of workout that builds strength and muscle — is a big mistake. It increases your metabolism, lowers your body fat and protects you from some of the leading causes of early death and disability. You don’t have to lift like a bodybuilder (or look like one) to benefit from resistance training. And it’s never too late to get started. Here is everything you need to know about resistance training, along with some simple, expert-approved workouts you can do at the gym or at home with minimal equipment.

Take Control

Building muscle has many direct, immediate benefits to your body.

Fighting Back Against Muscle Loss

Our muscles are invaluable. They’re the reason we can walk, run, climb and carry things around. But as we get older, they begin to melt away. Muscle starts to deteriorate when we reach our 30s. After age 40, we lose on average 8 percent of our muscle mass every decade, and this phenomenon continues to accelerate at an even faster rate after age 60. Studies show that this loss of muscle hastens the onset of diseases, limits mobility, and is linked to premature death.

Another detrimental consequence is the impact that this has on your bones. The same factors that help you maintain muscle are the same factors that keep your bones strong and dense. So as you lose muscle with age — a process called sarcopenia — your bones become brittle, a process known as osteopenia, said Dr. Wayne Westcott, a professor of exercise science at Quincy College in Massachusetts.

“The bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons in your musculoskeletal system all work together, and they either become stronger together or weaker together,” he said. “Whenever you lose muscle you automatically lose bone — they go hand in hand.”

Because your muscles and bones are inextricably linked, when you lose muscle you’re at greater risk of the following:

• Osteoporosis
• Arthritis
• Chronic back pain
• Frailty
• Fractures

Most people accept the loss of muscle, bone and all the downsides that follow as a natural part of aging. But studies show you can slow and delay these processes by years or even decades with a muscle strengthening program that works your entire body. Scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging found that doing just two resistance-training sessions each week can reverse the age-related cellular damage that contributes to sarcopenia and functional impairment.

“Resistance training is the closest thing to the fountain of youth that we have,” said Brad Schoenfeld, an assistant professor of exercise science and director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Lehman College in New York.

Build Muscle, Live Longer

In 2014, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles medical school discovered something striking.

They followed about 4,000 healthy adults over the age of 55 for more than a decade and noticed that their muscle mass was tightly linked to their lifespans. The researchers did this by zeroing in on each person’s “muscle index” — your muscle mass divided by your height squared. Those who were in the group with the highest muscle index had the lowest mortality, while those who had the lowest muscle index had the highest mortality rates. This relationship remained after the scientists accounted for traditional markers of disease, and it showed that muscle index was an even better predictor of premature mortality than obesity.

Another study recruited over 2,200 middle-aged men and followed them for up to 44 years. The researchers found that being physically active and having “good muscle strength” in middle age were among the strongest predictors of a longer lifespan. Over the years, a number of other studies have also shed light on why resistance training can be so beneficial.

• It improves cardiovascular health. Resistance training increases blood flow to muscles throughout your body, which lowers your blood pressure.
• Resistance training significantly improves your VO2max and your overall cardiorespiratory fitness. Studies have linked this to better heart health and a lower risk of death from cancer.
• Skeletal muscle helps regulate and dispose of blood sugar. Muscle soaks up glucose like a sponge, using it for energy or storing it as glycogen for later use.
• Resistance training makes you insulin sensitive. To absorb glucose from your bloodstream, your muscle cells must be responsive to the hormone insulin, which pushes blood sugar into cells. Studies suggest that an early step in the development of Type 2 diabetes occurs when your muscles become insulin resistant. Resistance training accomplishes the opposite: It makes your muscles insulin sensitive.
• Muscle acts like a coat of armor against diabetes. A 2011 study in the Journal of Endocrinology & Metabolism found that for every 10 percent increase in your skeletal muscle index, you see an 11 percent reduction in your risk of insulin resistance and a 10 percent reduction in your risk of pre-diabetes.

Build Muscle, Lose Fat…And Keep It From Coming Back

One of the worst parts about losing muscle as we age is that we also get fatter. The average person gains about a pound of fat a year in middle age. That means that our bodies undergo a striking change in composition, with muscle melting away and fat creeping in to take its place. This reshaping of the body reduces your metabolic rate because muscle is more metabolically active than fat — causing things to get worse and worse.

But a recent landmark study provided some reassuring news. It looked at the effects of diet and exercise programs on 250 people over the age of 60 to compare how the programs affected their fat and muscle composition. The subjects were split into three groups. One was assigned to follow a program that cut about 300 calories a day from their diets. Another group cut calories and did about 45 minutes of aerobic exercise four times a week. And a third group cut calories while embarking on a resistance-training program.

The results were striking. The subjects that combined both diet and exercise lost the most amount of weight, roughly 20 pounds on average. But here’s where it got really interesting. The group that did aerobic exercise lost 16 pounds of fat and four pounds of muscle — while the group that did resistance training lost more fat (18 pounds) and less muscle (only two pounds).

Other studies have had similar results, confirming that one of the best ways to burn fat and hold onto muscle is to combine diet with resistance training.

Time to Train

Now that you know why you need to build strength, here’s how.

Below are two exercise programs designed by a leading exercise scientists who specializes in strength training. One is a workout plan that you can do at home. The other requires a gym.

Chose the plan that best fits your routine and give it a try:

At Home Workout

This program was created by Brad Schoenfeld, an assistant professor of exercise science and director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Lehman College in New York. and it can be done basically anywhere: from your living room or a small hotel room. The only equipment it requires is a resistance band that

Note: You should do up to three sets of each exercise and aim to complete 8 to 15 reps on each set. Perform this routine at least twice a week.

Short and Sweet Gym Routine

This plan requires three short sessions spread throughout the week, each consisting of five exercises. The idea behind it, said Dr. Phillips, is to designate one day for “pushing exercises,” another for “pulling exercises,” and the third day for “leg exercises.” Dr. Phillips said it’s important to dedicate at least one full session to your legs each week because a lot of beginning lifters ignore them.

“Everybody wants to make their biceps bigger or work on their triceps,” he said. “But 65 percent of your muscle is below your belt. It’s your legs, your thighs, your glutes, your calves, and your hamstrings.”

You can shoot for eight to 15 repetitions of each exercise. Or, better yet, pick a moderately challenging weight and lift it until your muscles become fatigued (see the section on lifting to failure above). If you’re uncertain about your form with any of these exercises, consider hiring a personal trainer for a few sessions to help you with your technique.\

Equipment Picks

if you are starting a strength-building workout, don’t rush into buying too much equipment. But as you progress you may want to consider some of these products to make your workout that much better.

How Much?

Figure out your sweet spot for exercise frequency.

Lift to Failure

You’ve probably heard the old saying, “no pain, no gain.” It’s a cliché. But that’s because there’s truth in it. Perhaps the single-most important thing to understand about building muscle is that your muscles will not grow unless you give them a good reason. Regardless of what exercise you do, or what routine you use, it’s imperative that you push your muscles to the point of exhaustion.

“Resistance training is about training hard — if you don’t push yourself, you won’t see much benefit,” said Dr. Schoenfeld. “That doesn’t mean you need to train until that vein in the side of your head is bulging like a serpent. But you do need to come pretty close to all out failure on each set.”

Here are two different ways to determine the amount of weight you should lift.

1. Figure out the heaviest amount of weight you can lift one time. This is your so-called 1-Repetition Maximum, or “1-Rep Max.” After you figure it out, use a weight that’s at least 80 percent of your 1-Rep Max and aim for 8 to 12 repetitions on each set (with the exception of your initial warm-up set, which should be fairly light).
2. Figure out your 1-Rep Max. Then use weights that are between 30 to 50 percent of your 1-Rep Max and aim to do up to 25 repetitions in each set. A study by researchers at McMaster University in Ontario in 2016 found that people who used this approach gained just as much muscle and strength as a group that did a more traditional weightlifting routine with heavier weights and fewer repetitions

The bottom line is that the number of reps you do is less important than the extent to which you exhaust your muscles. You should do as many reps with proper form as it takes to reach momentary failure, which is the point where you stimulate your muscles to grow and adapt. “You want to do as many repetitions with good form of the exercise as you can,” said James Steele, an associate professor of sport and exercise science at Southampton Solent University in England. “It doesn’t matter whether you do five reps or 20 reps, but it should mean that the last repetition you attempt you can’t complete.”

The last rep that you can muster with proper form, Dr. Westcott said, “is the key stimulus for building muscle and building strength.”

Another way I like to think about it is this: If your workout doesn’t challenge you, it’s not going to change you.

Aim for at Least Two Sessions a Week

The federal government’s exercise guidelines call for adults to do a muscle-strengthening workout at least twice a week. Among the workouts it recommends are lifting weights, working with resistance bands, doing yoga and heavy gardening.

Large studies show that doing two resistance-training sessions a week over a period of ten weeks — with each workout consisting of just ten sets of exercises done to failure — can improve blood pressure, lower body fat and increase muscle size and strength.

But most studies suggest that the exercises have to be sufficiently challenging. So while activities like gardening and yoga are great for you, you shouldn’t consider them part of your resistance training routine. “To my knowledge, there’s very little evidence that they produce an improvement in strength,” said Dr. Steele.

When it comes to muscle-strengthening exercise, focus on things like dumbbells, resistance bands, resistance machines, and bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, squats and lunges. Another thing to keep in mind: Your weekly workouts should engage all of the major muscles in your body. Don’t make the mistake of focusing only on the “beach muscles” that you can see in the mirror. “You really need to train your entire body, and you really need to challenge your muscles regardless of your routine,” said Dr. Schoenfeld. “Otherwise, you will plateau very quickly.”

Track Your Progress

Keep an eye on the right goals as you progress through your workouts.

Find Your Fitness Level

Most people who begin a new exercise program measure their progress by the numbers they see on the scale. But looking only at your weight tells you nothing about your muscle levels, strength or overall fitness. Below are some tools you can use to get a better idea as you progress through our workouts.

• The Push Up Test: How many push-ups can you do without stopping? Use this online calculator to get a sense of your upper body strength relative to other people your age and gender. Men should perform the test using the standard push-up position. Women can perform this test with their knees on the ground if necessary.
• The YMCA Bench Press Test: This is a barometer of your upper body strength and endurance, which requires a bench and a barbell. Women should use a 35-pound barbell, and men should use an 80-pound barbell. Have someone hand you the bar, and do as many full repetitions as you can. Then use this online calculator to see how you did.
• The Sit Up Test: How many sit-ups can you do in 60 seconds? Time yourself, and enter your number, age and gender into this online calculator to see where you ranked. Then track your progress.
• The Single-Leg Sit Test: Stand on your left leg with a bench roughly one foot behind you. Stick your right leg out in front of you and then sit down on the bench and stand up while continuing to hold your right leg in the air. Do three repetitions, and then switch legs and repeat. Did you do each rep with proper form? Then you did fantastic. If you can do one or two reps on each leg with proper form, then you did O.K. If you could not do a single rep on each leg with good form, then it’s a sign that you should work on developing your lower body strength.

What’s Your Fitness Age?

A major misconception about resistance training is that it has no impact on your aerobic conditioning. But studies show that an eight-week resistance-training program can boost your V02max, which is a measure of your body’s ability to utilize oxygen and a barometer of your cardiovascular endurance. The key is to keep the rest periods between your sets fairly short, which increases the cardiorespiratory component of the workout.

As my colleague Gretchen Reynolds explained in an article, there are ways that you can estimate your V02max. You can then use it to calculate your “fitness age,” which is a better predictor of longevity than your chronological age. The best part is that unlike your chronological age, you can actually turn back the clock on your fitness age. The way to do it is with exercise, including resistance training.

Learn more about the concept of fitness age from the articles below. Then calculate your own fitness age here.

How to Cope With Muscle Soreness

Bad news, if you strength train correctly, you will have a bit of soreness. But there are some things that can help.

One of the consequences of resistance training is that when done correctly, it’s almost certainly going to lead to some muscle soreness. But it’s possible to minimize that side effect, at least to some extent. Unfortunately, some of the techniques that supposedly reduce muscle soreness aren’t particularly effective. Here’s a list of some methods that do work and others that don’t.

What Might Help

• Foam Rolling: In recent years foam rollers have become increasingly popular. Advocates say they help relieve tightness and soreness in muscles and their surrounding connective tissue. At least one small study found that men who were assigned to roll their muscles with a foam roller for 20 minutes after an intense weightlifting session had reduced levels of muscle soreness and improved range of motion compared to a control group.
• Arnica: Some people who experience muscle aches after exercise turn to arnica, an herb that’s sold as a topical gel. There is not a ton of evidence for its benefits. But some small studies have found that people who rub it on their muscles in the days after a tough workout experience less soreness than those who do not.
• Massage Therapy: A massage can be great for many things. But the evidence for its ability to reduce muscle soreness after an intense workout is mixed. A meta-analysis published in September looked at eleven randomized controlled trials and concluded that massage therapy “significantly” decreased muscle soreness 24 hours after strenuous exercise and also led to lower levels of creatine kinase, a marker of muscle damage. However, another meta-analysis published in 2012 concluded that while massage therapy was “slightly effective” in relieving muscle soreness, its effects were “too small to be of clinical relevance.”Ultimately whether it works or not may depend on the type of massage and the individual. But it certainly won’t hurt.
• Active Recovery: One thing that often helps to relieve achy muscles is to simply increase blood flow to the affected area, which helps to remove inflammatory byproducts, said Dr. Westcott. If your legs are feeling tight or tender after an intense leg workout, try going for a walk. If your arms and shoulders are sore, try swinging your arms in circles periodically throughout the day to stimulate blood flow to the region. Active recovery has not been studied as in depth as some other methods. But Dr. Westcott said he has found in his decades of experience that it often helps.
• What Probably Doesn’t Help
• Stretching: Many people stretch before or after exercise to try to prevent sore muscles. But don’t count on it making much of a difference. A team of researchers published an extensive study in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2011 analyzing a dozen rigorous trials that looked at the benefits of pre-exercise and post-exercise stretching. The research, the authors concluded, “suggests that muscle stretching, whether conducted before, after, or before and after exercise, does not produce clinically important reductions in delayed-onset muscle soreness in healthy adults.”
• Painkillers: Using over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen to reduce post-exercise muscle soreness provides little relief and may actually lead to additional problems. Some studies suggest that they can inhibit the body’s ability to repair muscles.
• Cryotherapy: It’s common for some athletes to use ice-cold temperatures to soothe their muscles after a strenuous game or workout. Some like to hop into an ice bath. Others prefer to step into a full-body cryotherapy chamber. But those who pay for cryotherapy may not get their money’s worth. A report published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2015 concluded that there was “insufficient” evidence to support the use of cryotherapy to relieve achy muscle after exercise. A separate analysis of cold-water immersion found that there was “some evidence” that it could reduce muscle soreness compared to nothing at all, but that there was a need for “high quality, well-reported research” to provide a conclusive answer.
• What Probably Doesn’t Help
• Stretching: Many people stretch before or after exercise to try to prevent sore muscles. But don’t count on it making much of a difference. A team of researchers published an extensive study in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2011 analyzing a dozen rigorous trials that looked at the benefits of pre-exercise and post-exercise stretching. The research, the authors concluded, “suggests that muscle stretching, whether conducted before, after, or before and after exercise, does not produce clinically important reductions in delayed-onset muscle soreness in healthy adults.”
• Painkillers: Using over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen to reduce post-exercise muscle soreness provides little relief and may actually lead to additional problems. Some studies suggest that they can inhibit the body’s ability to repair muscles.
• Cryotherapy: It’s common for some athletes to use ice-cold temperatures to soothe their muscles after a strenuous game or workout. Some like to hop into an ice bath. Others prefer to step into a full-body cryotherapy chamber. But those who pay for cryotherapy may not get their money’s worth. A report published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2015 concluded that there was “insufficient” evidence to support the use of cryotherapy to relieve achy muscle after exercise. A separate analysis of cold-water immersion found that there was “some evidence” that it could reduce muscle soreness compared to nothing at all, but that there was a need for “high quality, well-reported research” to provide a conclusive answer.
• What to Eat
• What you do in the kitchen can be just as important as what you do in the gym.
• When it comes to building muscle, what you do in the kitchen can be just as important as what you do in the gym. That’s because amino acids are your body’s building blocks. If you don’t consume enough protein, your body won’t have what it needs to build and repair muscle. You don’t have to overdo it. But if your goal is to build muscle and get stronger, then here is a simple rule of thumb.
• Figure out your target body weight. Then aim to consume about 0.8 grams of protein per pound of that weight. For example, if your goal is to weigh 160 pounds, then you should consume about 128 grams of protein per day. Ideally you should get most of your protein from whole foods.
• Studies show that eating the proper amount of protein can not only build muscle but accelerate fat loss.
• That goes for both men and women. A clinical trial involving postmenopausal women found that those who engaged in a resistance-training program while consuming a higher protein diet lost significantly more fat than those who only exercised or only followed a diet.
• As long as you eat enough protein, you can be flexible with the other aspects of your diet. According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, you can use a wide variety of diets to build muscle and lose fat — from low carb to low fat “and all points between.” Some diets work better for some people than others. The key is to find what works for you and stick to it. You can even build quality muscle on a vegan diet. The one problem is that plant-based foods, unlike animal foods, tend not to contain all the essential amino acids. So you have to choose your protein sources wisely.
• “If you want to be a vegan and build muscle you need to pay attention to quantity and quality,” Dr. Schoenfeld said. “You have to be diligent about combining protein sources so you get all of the essential amino acids.”
• What About Supplements?
• Americans spend billions of dollars a year on dietary supplements, many of them marketed for muscle growth and fat loss. A lot of the marketing claims are not supported by rigorous studies, and the reality is that most people do not need supplements. But for some people, there are certain supplements that can be worth taking, said Kamal Patel, a nutrition researcher and the director of Examine.com, a large and independent database of supplement research. Here are two of them.
• Protein powder: It’s best to get your protein from whole foods. But for people who are busy or looking to increase their protein intake without too many extra calories, there’s evidence that protein shakes and supplements can be helpful. Whey protein in particular — which is one of the two proteins found in milk — has been shown to increase muscle protein synthesis. It is also absorbed faster than other forms of protein. Plant-based proteins can also aid muscle growth for vegans.
• Creatine: This is a compound that our bodies naturally produce because our muscles depend on it for energy. Many studies have shown that taking creatine as a supplement can increase strength, power and muscle size, which makes it especially beneficial for high intensity exercises like strength training and sprinting. Most studies suggest it has minimal side effects in healthy adults. “Creatine has the most evidence for efficacy of any supplement,” said Mr. Patel. It can be particularly useful if you’re vegan, he added, since the best dietary sources of creatine are meat and fish
• To learn more about which supplements you might be beneficial, take a look at the following resources from Examine.com.
• Whey protein
• Protein supplements
• Creatine
• Best muscles building

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