Building Muscle Mass

Some people just go in the gym and play around with the weights. Others go in there to "strut their stuff" and socialize. For those of you who are truly interested in breaking a sweat and building muscle mass, then here are five simple tips to help you obtain you goal.

1. Use free weights. Free weights provide for a tougher work out. They make sure you are doing all of the work, not being assisted by a cable or guiding frame.

2. Have a work out partner. You can push each other to accomplish new goals. I understand it is sometimes difficult to organize a workout schedule around two peoples' busy daily schedules. If this is the case, make sure you have a spotter when working with heavy free weights. It is crucial to force yourself to pump out those last few reps when your muscles are already exhausted at the end of each set.

3. Implement a workout routine where you use heavier weights. How do you know how much is "heavy"? Select a weight where you are struggling to complete your set on the tenth repetition. Any weight where you can get more than ten repetitions per set is too light.

4. Increase your weight with each set. With each progressive set, you should choose a weight where you are only able to get 8-10 reps on the second set and 6-8 on the third set. Some people do four sets. If you choose to do four, you should not be doing more than 6 reps on this set.

5. Make sure to give your body the rest it needs to recover and rebuild. When working with heavy weights it is necessary to give your body an adequate rest period between sets. I would recommend somewhere between a minute to a minute and a half. You cannot work at a fast pace when dealing with heavier weights. At the same time, your body needs resting days in between workouts. I would say that four, maybe five days at the most, of training per week. When your routine involves heavy weights, it is imperative to give your body resting days to recover. If you were to work out every day your body and muscles would be constantly broken down.