How to Get Bigger & Stronger With a Workout

In order to increase your strength and muscle mass, you must concentrate on lifting progressively heavier weights. In addition, you must focus on working out with great intensity. Muscle growth takes place during rest and recovery, so it is important to get enough sleep. While other factors -- such as maintaining a proper diet -- are important for muscle growth, a properly constructed workout is critical for your success. Consult with your health care provider before beginning a workout program.

Things You'll Need

  • Free weight gym equipment
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Instructions

    • 1

      Workout with mostly free weights. Free weights consist of dumbbells and barbells. Free weight movements must be balanced and controlled, which requires the use of assisting muscles, in addition to the prime mover muscle. For example, when you perform a barbell squat, the prime mover muscles are your quadriceps. Assisting in the movement are your glutes and hamstrings. The muscles working together promotes optimum growth because three muscle groups are being trained, instead of just the prime mover.

    • 2

      Perform a push/pull type workout, five days a week. A push/pull workout involves training pushing muscles and pulling muscles on different days of the week. Former professional bodybuilder Dave Draper recommends that you train your chest and triceps on Mondays and Thursdays, and your back and biceps on Tuesdays and Fridays. Train your legs on Wednesdays. A push/pull routine is effective for promoting muscle growth because you can focus your intensity on one type of movement, while allowing each muscle group ample time to recover. If you want to train four days a week, instead of five, you can train your legs on Mondays and Thursdays.

    • 3

      Add pyramid sets to your workout. To perform pyramid sets, you begin with a relatively light amount of weight, and a high amount of repetitions. With each set, you increase the amount of weight and decrease the repetitions. For example, you might start with a set of 12 repetitions, then eight repetitions with a heavier weight, and finally six repetitions with an even heavier weight. The first set is your warm-up set, and should not be difficult. However, for each successive sets, you should select an amount of weight that challenges you to complete the required amount of repetitions. According to bodybuilding.com, beginners should start with three sets. Pyramid sets are effective for muscle growth because the muscle must adapt to the changing workload, which adds to the intensity of your workout.

    • 4

      Add forced repetitions to your sets. Forced repetitions are performed with a partner, and they are an effective means of increasing the intensity of your workouts. To perform a forced repetition, have your partner assist you slightly with a repetition after you are too fatigued to lift the weight yourself. For example, if your are attempting to perform a set of 12 repetitions, and you are totally fatigued after the tenth, have your partner provide you with the smallest amount of assistance possible, so you can complete the set. Forced repetitions help to promote strength gains by forcing you to push yourself beyond your limits.